I Will Not Be Defeated!

I Will Not Be Defeated!

Susan

I’m a 35 year old female and in February of 2011, I was diagnosed with a mixed glioma. Prior to my diagnosis, I had speech issues; however, I believed my difficulty in finding words was due to my stressful job. When my parents were visiting me from New York, I had a seizure in my bedroom. After EMT brought me to the hospital, the resident doctor told my family I had a 7cm tumor on the left side of my brain. Strangely this was 9 years to the date that my 32 year old sister died of a GBM. When my family and I heard this information we said to the doctor, “How is this possible?” Two girls in the family and both have been impacted by a brain tumor. We were astonished. Luckily we sprung into action and my amazing surgeon was able to perform the surgery 24 hours later. Fortunately, my doctor was able to remove the whole tumor. After 6 weeks of chemo and radiation, I’m happy to breathe each breath. My eyes see differently now. I notice the subtle things, which I took for granted. I know this will be a journey, but I keep my spirits up knowing my sister and God are guiding me through this process.

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