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Surviving a brain tumor
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25 Year Brain Tumor Survivor - 2-4-2008
Not all Brain Tumors are deadly or are cancer. Many are benign. My first one took doctors SEVEN years to find what was wrong with me with lots of illness and nasty symptoms. More MRIs are done more readily these days. My first Brain Surgery was in February 4, 1983 at UCSF (California). It was the Falx Celebri. I returned to work FULL TIME in two months, wearing HATS because I was bald. One of my hats is in the UNDER OUR HATS PROJECT. I have my full BRAIN TUMOR STORY here: http://virtualtrials.com/survivemaureen.cfm I did Brain Tumor Support on Virtual Trials for a long time until I began getting SPAM. I talked with hundreds of people around the world each year. In 1983, there were no support groups. I worked at a huge HMO California then. In the hospital where I worked, in a year's time, there were three of us who had brain surgery. We had our own group! No one tells you your emotions run the gamut following brain surgery. We cried and laughed together to help each other cope. My second Brain Surgery was April 4, 2000 for another Meningioma. It was the Right Parietal Convexity. I did not recover as well from that. I manage, though still have problems as a result and a partial seizure disorder for which I do not need medication. 'They took out some of my memory drives -- we joke, Ha! Ha! NOT! I live every day with a Deep Brain Tumor in the Falx. None of mine are recurrences. All are in different locations and benign, thank heavens. I believe that since I receive 'spiriutal healing energy' - remotely - and people pray for me is why I do as well as I do! And, I live a spiriutal life and write inspirational materials to help others. I believe it is because of what I do, how I live, what I eat and the 'healing energy' I receive that the deep brain tumor HAS NOT GROWN since 12-1999. I have not had any new BTs since that time, either. I think the social security system is broken for anyone with brain injury or post brain tumor patients. They make us go through psychological exams - then determine we are mentally ill for SSD, not that we have BRAIN DAMAGE from having our heads opened and having brain tumors. I often wonder what Janet Reno thinks about that or Michael J. Fox and others. Then, they are rich and do not have to deal with SSD. What I have noticed about the whole Brain Tumor arena is that it seems to take someone important (actors, senators, athletes) having a brain tumor before this subject is looked at closer. Normal folks go unnoticed. I have had my story in FACES OF BRAIN TUMORS book for the last several years, a book that goes to Congress each May to request more funding for brain tumor research. A lady in Greece put my story in her on-line book. A BT lady I e-mail with in Arizona and I wonder why there are not many long term BT survivors. Neither of us had any radiation or Gamma Knife. She and I are both TWENTY-FIVE YEAR Survivors. My intuition told me not to have radiation. I did not think it was safe and later learned that it would not have been good to have with deep brain tumor, as it could create brain swelling. No thanks to that! I will say that having brain surgery is no walk in the park. It is a difficult thing to go through and it tests your very being and you learn who are and who are NOT your friends really quick. In 1983, I had a Near Death Experience when I had my first Brain Surgery. Well, I just KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON! (That is the Brain Tumor slogan.) I say, "I CAN" and I continue to push the envelope and not always successful. I have my limitations. I accepted my new self and that helped. I still have lots I want to do in life!
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