ANA Discussion Forum
AN Community => AN Community => Topic started by: Gennysmom on October 03, 2009, 05:11:45 pm
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Just popping in from a long haitus...
This week's People magazine, with the Travolta's on the cover, has an article on page 107 about surgery T-boz of TLC had on November 7, 2006, by Dr. Rick Friedman for a "grapefruit" sized AN. She's finally ready to talk about it now. Since no one has posted about it yet, thought you all might want to know. Great story, run out and get your People's now!
dropping back out into anonymoty now....
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I just saw something about that but who is she??
K ???
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She's a very pretty lady, the one with the deeper voice... I think she also has sickle cell (?) & has had a lot to deal with with that disease also.
Did all go well for her with the surgery ??
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Wow! I had no idea - haven't read People in years; my subscription got too costly >:(
Anyway, I'm glad we have another celebrity in our midst and I hope it will serve to educate people about ANs. As we're all well aware, the general public has no idea what one is - and most of us didn't either until we were diagnosed with one.
I wonder if the ANA could get her to be the keynote speaker at the 2011 ANA Symposium? Phyl, you should mention this to "the powers that be".
Jan
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Ok, I'm with Kay... I have no idea who she is.... If she's not on the Disney Channel or a contestant on Survivor, I wouldn't know her if I tripped over her.
But, maybe another celebrity in our midst will be nice.
Lori
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Kaybo and Lori -
I don't claim to be any kind of expert on TLC - heck, I'm a parrothead ;D - I just have a vague idea of who they were.
But here's a little more about them - I snagged this off of Wikipedia.
"TLC is a four-time[1] Grammy Award-winning American R&B and hip hop group, consisting of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas.
Billboard magazine ranked the group as one of the greatest musical trios of all time.[2] They have had several #1 hit singles, including "Creep", "Waterfalls", "No Scrubs", and "Unpretty". According to the RIAA and Billboard, TLC has sold more than 40 million records in the United States, making them the biggest selling girl group of all time.[3] In 2008, the group was inducted into the All Time Hot 100 Artist Hall of Fame by Billboard, at 56th place.[4]
Their second album, CrazySexyCool (1994), was the first album by a female group to be awarded diamond certification by the RIAA, for selling over 11 million copies in the USA.[5]
In early 2002, just before the release of TLC's fourth album, 3D, Lopes was killed in a car accident in Honduras. Watkins and Thomas promoted 3D as a duo, and in 2005, hosted a reality television show, R U the Girl, with a grand prize of a chance to record a song and perform once in concert with the surviving group members, both of whom have released solo material and continued to collaborate occasionally."
Jan
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Jan/Kay ~
This thread makes me conflicted, to wit:
I'm sorry the young lady, 'T-boz' Watkins, had an acoustic neuroma.
I'm glad she's apparently recovered nicely.
I have absolutely no earthly idea who TLC is and for a Grammy-winning group, "one of the greatest musical trios of all time" no less, I feel as if I should at least have a clue.
Unfortunately, I'm way past the marketing demographic for this no-doubt talented hip-hop group, and my pop music tastes don't extend to hip-hop and rap music. Besides, I read that the Andrews Sisters, who were popular about the time I was born, were the biggest-selling female musical trio of all time (100 million records sold, 46 top-ten hits plus numerous movie & TV appearances, etc). As for TLC being 'one of the greatest musical trios of all time', that smacks of being a purely subjective conclusion - and probably a bit of hyperbole from Billboard, a show-biz magazine that once gave me a small award back in my D.J. days, proving that their judgment isn't always sound.
All that aside, I'm pleased that acoustic neuromas are being mentioned in a national publication and I hope this fosters greater public awareness of ANs, whether I happen to be familiar with T-boz Watkins, or not.
Jim
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OK...dumb blonde/naivety...I thought "TLC" was The Learning Channel and wondered what show she was on...
K ;D
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Same here Kay...TLC...The Learning Channel....
Jo
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Ok, I'm with Kay... I have no idea who she is.... If she's not on the Disney Channel or a contestant on Survivor, I wouldn't know her if I tripped over her.
But, maybe another celebrity in our midst will be nice.
Lori
:D We must get the same channels, ha ha ha
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Ah.... okay.. I was thinking The Learning Channel too. Now I know who you mean. Guess I had a blonde moment. Wait, I don't even have blonde hair... ??? I think Kay is rubbing off on me.
Lori
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I guess none of us are MTV generations anymore... :-X myself included... 30+ years ago when MTV started... thats all I watched... today, I'm not even sure in my cable carries it !
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I actually enjoy TLC's music and have for a long time. They won terrific accolades for "Waterfall" and was a shame when "left-eye" Lisa died. I remember when she burned down Andre Riesen's house/mansion in Atlanta... what a mess.
I saw the People article on 'T-Boz" Tionne. Seems her's was very very large... sounds like there is facial paralysis left as she now cannot smile. I know her bout with Sickle Cell was also a major factor post-surgery, but from her AN surgery, it sounds like it was a tough one.
I send her wellness wishes. She is suppose to do a benefit with Justin Timberlake next weekend and wish her success in her "comeback", post AN surgery. Looking forward to new music from her and Chilli. They have an amazing sound... and "T-Boz" is known for her very unique voice.
And all of this from someone pushing 1/2 century mark. Not bad, eh? :)
Phyl
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They won terrific accolades for "Waterfall"...
A great song IMO, very powerful lyrics.
Not bad Phyl, not bad at all!
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Running back in and out, once more for clarification ;)
For all you TV watchers, she was also on the last "Celebrity Apprentice", and made an appearance recently on "The Real Housewives of Atlanta", as the newest housewife, Kandi, is the songwriter for TLC's "No Scrubs", and a good friend. Hopefully that helps her recognition factor a little. I'm not a big fan of that kind of music, but TLC was the exception to that rule. I really like "Waterfall" and "Unpretty". DR, you are right, very powerful lyrics. Jim, I agree, I was very pleasantly surprised to read of another "coming out" if you will, of an AN survivor, and to be able to follow her progress like we can with Mark Ruffalo is an inspiration to us all that there is life after AN's, and that having a brain tumor is not a thing to be ashamed of. When I poked my head and didn't see anyone talking about it, I wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to take a look this week before the copy disappears on Wednesday.
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I do remember the group TLC. I wouldn't be able to name a single song of theirs, but I recognize the groups name.
My wife pointed out the article to me Saturday night when she was reading through the magazine (just getting caught up on the site).
My only thought was: "Grapefruit size AN"? Is that even possible, to have an AN get that large before anything is done for the poor girl, or is the media getting carried away with their story (maybe they added the "fruit" part and it was only supposed to say "grape" sized AN)?
I am still somewhat new to the whole AN thing and this site (surgery 4 months ago), but the largest AN I recall reading about was tangerine size. Living in Florida and having a grapefruit tree in my backyard, I have a pretty good idea how big a grapefruit is. Also, my AN was considered "large" on the AN scale (2.9 cm, golfball size at best), what category does grapefruit fit under? ???
Joe B
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I think grapefruit size fits into the "HOLY SMOKES!" category! :o
Joe, I thought the same thing - how would that even fit inside someone's head? Makes me glad I only had a golf ball.
Lori
p.s. Does MTV even play music videos anymore?
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My only thought was: "Grapefruit size AN"? Is that even possible, to have an AN get that large before anything is done for the poor girl, or is the media getting carried away with their story (maybe they added the "fruit" part and it was only supposed to say "grape" sized AN)?
I'm very glad someone else pointed this out. I wanted to ask the same, but forgot to do so in my post. When I think of grapefruit I think of something as large as a softball. I have a pretty big noggin and I'm pretty certain a grapefruit would NOT fit in that area, at least not while I was alive! Me thinks the press may have taken something out of context or added just spun the story a bit larger to make it more compelling!
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My only thought was: "Grapefruit size AN"? Is that even possible, to have an AN get that large before anything is done for the poor girl, or is the media getting carried away with their story (maybe they added the "fruit" part and it was only supposed to say "grape" sized AN)?
I'm very glad someone else pointed this out. I wanted to ask the same, but forgot to do so in my post. When I think of grapefruit I think of something as large as a softball. I have a pretty big noggin and I'm pretty certain a grapefruit would NOT fit in that area, at least not while I was alive! Me thinks the press may have taken something out of context or added just spun the story a bit larger to make it more compelling!
we have had users here on the forums with AN's approx 5cm and I believe, the largest we have logged on the forums belonged to Satman with an 8cm (yes folks, you read that right... 8cm) AN.
Phyl
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For all you TV watchers, she was also on the last "Celebrity Apprentice"
You know, this is one show that I have watched recently - I think The Donald is such a hoot! Anyway, I recall seeing her on it - although she didn't last long.
As for TLC's music, I haven't heard any of it - just not my style. Yes, joef, MTV does still exist. My kids watch it from time to time.
Phyl -
I think you're right - Satman holds the forum record @ 8 cm :o
Jan
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I think they exaggerated the "grapefruit sized" AN but I'm curious. (Though it could have been a small grapefruit I suppose, shriveled and dehydrated)
We all know how the press/TV/tabloids are........
Gonna go get that magazine before it goes off the shelf!
Maureen
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You know, I thought the same thing. Grapefruit? I just drew out an 8cm circle. That looks like a small orange to me, and that seems an impossible size to fit in there. No matter the size, it sounds like she had a tough go of it. Poor thing. Glad she is better.
Sue in Vancouver, USA
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I did not know anything about TLC (except The Learning Channel :D), but I did a quick Google on "T-boz TLC brain tumor" and came up with a number of sites. As with many news releases, no one article is probably 100% accurate, but it does seem to be accurate that she had a large AN, surgically removed in LA, and has some residual after effects ..... mainly headaches and facial weakness. For anyone interested, try http://tvoneblogs.com/thespin/?p=4781
Apparently she is well enough to return to the stage next week, so we can all rejoice in another AN success story.
Clarice
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Clarice ~
Thanks for the link. I still don't know much about this young woman's music (and doubt I ever will) but the TV One story certainly filled me in. I've learned (from other websites) that Ms. Watkins has parlayed her music career into other areas (acting, a clothing line) and seems to be a woman of substance. Although I think the 'grapefruit-size AN' stuff is pure hyperbole (or a total misunderstanding of acoustic neuromas) but whatever the actual size of Ms. Watkins' AN, she got through the surgery and is apparently returning back to performing, which is impressive.
I assume that I did see her on The Celebrity Apprentice (a guilty pleasure now growing tiresome - I liked it much better with 'real' people striving for a $250,000.-per-year job) but I only barely recall her, although she must have been in pretty good shape for no one to notice any deficits. Her sickle cell anemia must be an impediment (fatigue factor) to her full recovery but I'm pleased to learn Ms. Watkins is doing well and, by 'going public' with her AN experience, may help the public awareness of acoustic neuromas and their impact on the patients quality of life, pre- and post surgery/radiation. So, kudos to 'T-Bone' Watkins.
Jim
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Thanks for the link, Clarice. Very informative.
I think the "grapefruit" size is a little exaggerated, but it's great that she came through her AN journey without too many problems.
Jan
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I read the article from the PEOPLE magazine yesterday, and then put the magazine back on the rack! A quick 1.5 page article.
She is apparently suffering bad headaches and facial weakness. Not good for the stardom factor.
Her surgery according to the article was about 6-8 hours?
So lots of incongruencies. We know!
Large grapefruit size tumor=12-15 hour surgery at least!
Maureen
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Maybe grapefruits are smaller where she comes from! :D
Lori
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I just finished reading the article in People. She is a beautiful women and really looks great in particular if she had a grapefruit size tumor. I live in Florida and we grow our grapefruits big. She said when she awoke she could hear so I wonder how they were able to save her hearing in particular if she had a grapefruit size tumor. I watched Celebrity Apprentice and all I recall about her was that she was not a happy looking person which explains now since she was not able to smile. I am impressed she is able to sing. If she has facial paralysis I wonder if she lost her fluid on that side of her face as well (I have no tears, nose on that side is always dry, and mouth on the AN side does not produce saliva). That is really tough to sing, especially at her level if you have dry mouth all the time.
I am very happy she gave God the glory in helping her in surgery as well as her recovery.
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I agree with you all as well. Working in the OR, and seeing inside a brain, has it's advantages, and I don't think hardly any people with a grapefruit size tumor would be living to tell about it. Our carotid arteries, jugular veins, and brainstem are just 3 of many life-sustaining parts in that area that would be smooshed to the extent of death - just an educated guess here. Maybe People magazine meant size of a grape, and just threw fruit in there for giggles. hee hee.
Regardless, I am glad she is recovering and hopefully can continue with her career in music.
Amy
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I haven't read the article in People, but I agree that the more we hear about this, "grapefruit" has to be stretching the truth.
My AN was nowhere near grapefruit size (was about 3 cm) and my surgery only took 7 1/2 hours. Plus the link Clarice gave us says something about additional measures being taken during surgery due to T-Boz's sickle cell condition. All in all, I think her surgery would have been much longer.
But, regardless of the size of her AN, I'm glad she's done so well and I agree with TP. She is a beautiful woman.
I also think it's great that she was willing to share her medical story with the public. As we all know, lots of celebrities are hesitant to do so.
Jan
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we have heard many on these forums not note the actual size of their AN but will do comparison size of "it's pea size" or "it's the size of a golf ball", etc. For publication purpose, its doubtful she is going to say "oh, mine was 6cm x 4cm", etc (not actual size for her's). Regardless of what item she used to compare in size (and since none of us know what exact size it was), the publication used her quote of noting "grapefruit" size (we know how the press can be) and from what it sounds like..... it was deemed "large".... it was treatable (as best as it could be)...... it left her with residual issues (may they heal soon) and honestly, IMO, I embrace her for noting it.
doesn't matter what size it was (large or small).... she is now 3 yrs post treatment, still dealing with after affects and I send her healing hugglez for wellness. She now walks in our shoes and I commend her for publically noting her AN journey.
Just my 2 cents.
Phyl
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I totally agree with your 2 cents, Phyl. We just like to keep our fruits in line. There will be no grapefruits allowed inside of heads! Grapes? Yes. Tangerines? Perhaps. Grapefruits and watermelons? NO! :D
Sorry, I think I've had too much coffee today! :D
Lori
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Pssssssst. Hey, Lori. Halo's slipping again! :D
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I wondered if anyone else saw it. I was reading it at work and saw "brain tumor" and had to keep reading to see if it was an AN. Sure enough. If you wait till the next issue comes out, you can read it (I think) at people.com. Taylor is doing well by the way. Stressed out over Chemistry, but I would be, too.
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continued wellness wishes to Tionne (T-Boz) and hope her concert (I think its this weekend) will be a happy moment for her.
As for Taylor's Chemistry class.... you can do it, m'dear! ;)
As for halo's slipping, I think putting velcro on Lori's head to keep it in place it the next step! ;D
Phyl
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Perhaps we could attach Lori's halo to her BAHA abutment 8)
Taylor - good luck in Chemistry! You can do it - you're a very smart girl!
Jan
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Perhaps we could attach Lori's halo to her BAHA abutment 8)
Or find a neurosurgeon willing to staple it in place.
Sara
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Ah, who needs a neurosurgeon? We have a staple gun!! :D
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Then I do not understand why your halo keeps falling off. Grab that staple gun, girl!
Sara
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I haven't stapled it on yet - I had no idea it would fall off so frequently! I guess you guys just bring out the best in me! :D
Lori
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Don't worry about the halo, Lori. You love ya just the way you are ;D
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I found these out on the web. They don't refer to fruit, but tell you a bit of her story:
http://www.digitalspy.com/music/a180419/tlcs-t-boz-talks-brain-tumour-diagnosis.html (http://www.digitalspy.com/music/a180419/tlcs-t-boz-talks-brain-tumour-diagnosis.html)
http://tvoneblogs.com/thespin/?p=4781 (http://tvoneblogs.com/thespin/?p=4781)
Samantha
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T-Boz is interviewed about her AN and a new song... "Stronger than you know".
I don't know when it will be released, but I LOVE the title and I just may have to adopt this as my new theme song!
http://www.comcast.net/video/t-boz-s-brain-tumor-battle/1313634743/Comcast/1313496770/
Scarlett
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I was a huge fan of TLC in middle/high school. Her story was interesting and inspiring. Thanks for the post!
Lyn
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T-Boz is interviewed about her AN and a new song... "Stronger than you know".
I don't know when it will be released, but I LOVE the title and I just may have to adopt this as my new theme song!
http://www.comcast.net/video/t-boz-s-brain-tumor-battle/1313634743/Comcast/1313496770/
Scarlett
Hey Scarlett,
thanks for sharing this link. It was great to see Tionne (TBoz) and she's how she is doing now.. and her brief discussion re: her AN although they never mentioned it as an AN. Thanks for sharing this and will continue to watch her come-back.
Phyl