Living with Incurable Brain Cancer

Not for a second, at age 46, did I expect I would be sitting on the couch with my kids laughing at family movies and then coming to grabbing onto a medics vest, screaming, “Why does it hurt so much?” Turns out, I had a grand mal seizure (which I gratefully don’t remember – but the image is burned in my kids’ memory), and I was seizing and planking for several minutes so violently that I broke my back (crushing a whole vertebrae and part of another). And that, my friends, is how my brain tumor introduced itself to me. Kaiser took great care of me, and after all the tests, scans and ultimately brain surgery, my neuro-oncologist informed me that the tumor analysis determined I had “incurable brain cancer.” So now, I get brain MRI’s every 3 months to see if my little buddy is making a come back.

Personally, I am doing my best to not feel as if I am living with a ticking time bomb in my head and trembling in limbo between scan results. I am learning to be grateful for each day, being present in each day and living each day well!

When you get a brain tumor diagnosis, you can feel very alone in your fears and anxieties…not wanting to worry close loved ones or unduly “freak out” friends and acquaintances. NBTS events offer me, not only a way to support the much needed research, but also an opportunity to meet and bond with fellow patients, survivors and supporters. It is very connecting and fulfilling for me. Join me.” – Kelly Conrad

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Opinions expressed within this story belong solely to the author and do not reflect the views or opinions of the National Brain Tumor Society.