In early June, you may have noticed a familiar face missing from classroom 302. Jim MacEachern, a longtime English teacher at Alvirne, unexpectedly had to take medical leave from June 6 until the end of the year, missing final exams.
   “I woke up one morning with a really bad headache,” said MacEachern. That headache turned out to be more than just the result of a rowdy freshman class. After medical testing, MacEachern heard from his doctor what no patient wants to hear—he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
   “The tumor they found was located on the pituitary gland in my brain,” he explained.
   According to the Mayo Clinic, the pituitary gland is a small bean-shaped gland located at the base of the brain, somewhat behind the nose and between the ears. Despite its size, the gland influences nearly every part of the body. Its hormones help regulate important functions, such as growth and blood pressure.
   In July, MacEachern underwent an operation to remove the tumor from his brain and restore function to the gland. He was kept in the hospital for three days as part of the procedure.
   Faced with rumors going around about his condition, MacEachern commented, “They [the doctors] assured me from the beginning that everything would be alright; there was never a thought that the tumor was cancerous. It is very rare for pituitary gland tumors to be related to cancer.”
   Now back at school, he says that there are still lingering effects from the operation.
   “What’s left is mostly fatigue,” said MacEachern. But nonetheless, he is back, grading papers and inspiring students full time. “I hope to work full time… full function of my gland should be restored by late October and things should get better.”
   Students are quick to praise Mr. MacEachern for his classes and teaching. “Mr. Mac is the man!” exclaimed alum Hillary Casavant.
   Fellow teachers also have great things to say about their colleague. “He gave us quite a scare,” said fellow English teacher Jodi Hallas, “but it’s so nice to have him back. He’s such a critical member of the department, and he always has a positive, upbeat attitude.”
   As a tumor-free MacEachern returns to the halls of Alvirne, he is glad that this particular headache is gone. As for the other headaches of being a teacher... some of those are gone too: he returns to a freshmen-free schedule.