My condition began about approximately 11 years ago with [INAUDIBLE] melanoma and has been a long journey, interesting journal. 

She was really, really sick, and she was going down the tubes very fast. I was really afraid that she wasn't going to make it to the hospital. She got into the critical care unit, and I just started unloading all the information of her history to the intensivist there. And he was listening to me, and they turned her around and basically saved her life. 

I've had melanoma in my upper [INAUDIBLE] lymph nodes. I've had it in my shoulder. And recently, five years ago, I had a brain metastasis, which I was referred to Dr. Sheehan. 

Carolyn came to UVA in part because of our reputation for gamma knife radiosurgery. We do attract patients from afar. 

But then, I started to have, down the road, some neurological symptoms-- a little bit of speech problems. And then, I came back down here to UVA, and they scanned me three months later that they originally said, and the tumor had grown. And that was definitely what was controlling my speech-- the issues that I was having. They set everything up for me for the gamma knife and said we believe that you'll have good success with this. And I said, let's do it. 

Carolyn is a good candidate for the gamma knife procedure based on the neuroimaging. The number of brain metastases that she had were few. 

The melanoma had spread to her brain. And it was involving an area of the brain that was essential for expression-- language functions. Language function is something that needs to be preserved at all costs. The gamma knife being used to treat this metastatic deposit from her melanoma was able to, as discreetly and precisely and accurately, target this tumor. 

We had a tremendous response. The tumors in essence melted away. And her functional status-- the ability for her to carry on for normal day-to-day work, working full time, and to do all the things that she enjoys doing-- vacations, traveling. She's over the main pain and do all that as if she had never really had the cancer before. 

Excellent news-- I was very pleased. And they said, you're good for another three months. We'll see you in three months. And they're always doing a neurological exam. Celine did one today. 

She did get good news today, yes. And we expect that to be the case for the foreseeable future. 

I believe someone should choose UVA because they have a great team. And I would give them an excellent recommendation. Plus, it's a nice place to come to. 

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