This website uses cookies that help the website function and that help us understand how you interact with it. Please read our privacy policy for more information.
I was diagnosed with a benign 1 brain tumor when I was 18 years old, and luckily, it happened during a weekend when I was home from college. I remember my family and I were coming home from church when, all of a sudden, I felt a sharp pain in my head, it almost felt like someone was hitting it with a hammer.
My parents immediately called 911. I had emergency surgery and was later airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, since Georgia is where I’m originally from. When I arrived at the hospital, I was placed in the ICU and later underwent a brain biopsy to determine whether the tumor was benign. Though this was a scary time in my life, I was visited by many family members and friends throughout my 22-day stay in the hospital. I’m truly thankful for their support as I processed everything and began learning how to move my muscles again. I am also forever grateful to the doctors and nurses who were with me every step of the way. After 22 days, two radio shows, and being able to stand on my feet again, I was finally able to go home!
Since I was in the middle of my freshman year of college when I was diagnosed, I wasn’t able to return for the rest of the year. This was hard for me to comprehend and something I truly struggled with – I just wanted to be normal. However, a brain tumor had become part of my story, and there were things in my life that were going to change. I had to learn new routines, like taking my medication before going out with friends, avoiding crazy rollercoasters, and staying calm during seizures are just some of the few. The first couple of years in this new life were all about learning. In the years that followed, it became about accepting. And now, eight years later, it’s about sharing my story to help others like me!
Finding a community allowed me to read stories of others who were living and thriving with brain tumors. When you’re 18 and something that drastic changes your life, it can feel like everything is over. But in reality, it just makes you stronger. It’s comforting to come across a story and find yourself nodding along, thinking, “I feel like that too,” or “The same thing happened to me.” It helps you feel seen and there’s a comfort in that feeling.
Brain Tumor Awareness Month is important to me because it gives me the opportunity to share my story instead of hiding from it. I used to be so afraid to talk about my tumor because I never knew how people would react. But now, I love sharing my journey and answering any questions others might have. Instead of running from my brain tumor, I embrace it. I think about how fortunate I am to hang out with friends, attend a workout class, and celebrate the stories of others who’ve been through something similar.
I wish people understood that everyone’s story is different. Even though I’m fortunate that my tumor is benign, that doesn’t mean I don’t struggle. There’s always the possibility that something could change suddenly, or that the symptoms could affect me on a regular basis. I might not look like I have a brain tumor, but that doesn’t mean every day is easy.
After my diagnosis and recovery, I was able to return to school for my sophomore year. I graduated in 2020 and moved to California a year later! I always say my tumor is part of my life, but it’s not my whole life.
