I think that I have the biggest arachnoid cyst in the world.

I have been an active and bold person my whole life, and at the age of 35, my life changed forever.

I work in construction and was working for a friend of mine who owned a commercial Guttering company. I was operating a lift while installing downspouts and baffles on a four story building. Baffles regulate how much water can come off the building at a time. I was up in the bucket operating the lift and felt fine the whole day.

I finished my work and was putting away the ladders and tools and stopping for the day. I went to put away the last extension ladder and a big gust of Oklahoma wind came up and I hurt my back trying to stop the ladder from falling.

My boss made my go to the emergency room and get checked out. When I went to the hospital in horrible pain I never realized how my life was about to change. I thought that I had passed out but when I woke up they said that I had two gran-mal seizures. They asked what seizure medicine I had been taking. I told them that I do not have seizures and they said that I had just had two. I did not believe them and so I got up and drove myself home.

I live alone, just me and my dog Duke, and while eating dinner and watching TV, I woke up on the floor and the dog was freaking out.

I went and had a brain scan and was told that I have an arachnoid cyst on my brainstem measuring 7cm x 7cm x 5cm.

From January 2000 until 2003 I had seven brain surgeries – two while I was awake and five while I was asleep. This next month will be 21 years ago since this happened.

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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.