Update from Beth Nielsen Chapman on Her Recent Brain Surgery

First and foremost...I want to say that I'm so beyond grateful for the outpouring of support and prayers I've received during my recent brain surgery. I'm so happy to be typing and feeling completely connected and functional with regard to my "language center" of my brain. Swelling is down...black eye is almost presentable and I'm filled with joy as I'm writing this.

All of the benign tumor was successfully removed and again, I was very lucky for the early detection thanks to an unrelated inner ear virus that came up a couple weeks ago. I'm doing really great. Fluctuating between euphoria to be on the other side of this, and the desire to clean the whole house (partly steroids I know).

I am moving about for a few minutes followed by, "I'd better sit down now" exhaustion because a couple days ago they drilled a hole in my head! But I'm feeling better every day...My brain is working in a most wonderful way. It's too early to know if it's partially an effect of the anti-seizure medication I'm on for the next several days, but I wrote half a lyric yesterday morning and I have to say it was a euphoric experience, considering my prior fear of waking up with any damage to my "poetry center" which is where all the action has been.

All I know is, for someone with a lifelong ADD challenge (which I, in the past have sometimes considered in part to be a gift when searching for the 'right word' while writing) I had a very different, comfortable, and quiet few moments of lyric writing that were downright focused and very reassuring!

I had a most profoundly talented brain surgeon at Vanderbilt Hospital, Dr. Reed Thompson, who delicately and elegantly performed the surgery. I feel certain he was held in light and surrounded by the prayers coming from so many friends and loved ones around the world. Although it turned out to be a little more involved as some tiny vessels seemed to have begun to attach the tumor to my brain, all appears to have been removed and the scans look excellent. There will be some further studies of the tumor for any indications that it could be "atypical" but even in that case the prognosis is very good though more frequent monitoring would be in order. But since it's all been removed I'm in a good place for a full recovery.

Thanks again for the love and support!!

~Beth Nielsen Chapman