I've Got A What? - A Brain Tumor!

Being diagnosed with a brain tumor is a nightmare andmy leg, pulled it back to try and stop it, got up out
it turns your world upside down.of bed and stood on it but that didn't work either. It
I luckily had very little time between being diagnosedwas a little scary - who likes to be out of control?
with my benign meningioma and it being surgicallyCertainly not me!
removed but the time I did have was spentI thought I may have trapped a nerve in my back.
frantically trawling the internet trying to find someWhy I thought that, I don't know. I have no medical
answers to my questions of why, how and what dotraining. It just seemed like a plausible explanation to
I do next. I managed to find medical papers on theme at the time. Because of this self diagnosis, I
subject but as I don't have a degree in medicine wasdecided to put the incident on hold and see if it
at a loss to understand them. I found plenty of Brainhappened again. Well, guess what? It took a few
Tumor Forums where I managed to scare myselfweeks, but yes, it did happen again. Just as before
stupid because I could not find any stories with aand I am ashamed to say that I let it happen twice
positive outcome to offer me some encouragementmore before visiting the doctor.
and believe me, I needed it. It would appear that theThe whole point of this tale is that brain tumor
survivors out there must be so happy to be alivesymptoms come in all guises depending on their
after their ordeals that they are too busy living life toposition and what part of the brain they are
put pen to paper and tell their stories.affecting. My brain tumor was positioned on the top
My very happy world was hit by a thunderbolt onof my head on the right hand side and due to its
the 14th July when I was diagnosed with a braingrowth was fighting for space and restricting the
tumor. I had a brain tumor; I had it surgically removednerves on the left hand side of my body, namely my
on 19th July.leg.
I was probably luckier than most with regard to theListen to your own body because if something out
position of my meningioma tumor, I had a fabulousof the ordinary is happening there is a reason.
doctor with insight and I had a top rate neurosurgeonI am happy to report that I came through this ordeal
on my side. I also had the will and determination towith flying colours feeling no pain whatsoever. I now
overcome this hiccup in my life.have a very good tale to tell at parties, my scar is
I have had very little sickness in my life and havecompletely hidden and when people around me are
never been in hospital for any reason. You have itwhining about small details I can usually bring about a
right, I have my tonsils and my appendix and I havesense of proportion by asking them on a scale of
never broken a bone in my body or had a baby.1-10 how it compares to brain surgery.
Remarkable isn't it that I escape a hospital visit forA meningioma is a tumor of the meninges, which are
48 years? But, boy, when I do it, I do it big style!the protective membranes around the brain and spinal
After waking up one morning in Mid June, I stretchedcord. Malignant meningiomas are extremely rare. Most
and my lower leg started to kick involuntarily atmeningiomas are found to be benign, make up nearly
about one second intervals. Just to make sure you1 in 5 of all primary brain tumors and are more
have the picture correct, I don't mean a kick thatcommon in women than men. As with most brain
would score a winning goal, more of a gentle flick astumors, the cause of a meningioma is unknown and
if trying to get the sand out of your toes. I grabbedresearch is being carried out into possible causes.