Join NBTS’s campaign to raise awareness about the importance of biomarker testing and clinical trials for patients with brain tumors.
READ MOREPublished on June 3, 2015 in Share Your Story
My name is Jennifer Pownall, I’m 42 years old from Philadelphia, PA. In December 2014, I was diagnosed with 3 meningioma brain tumors. 2 are on the right frontal lobe of the brain and 1 is sitting on the left frontal lobe of the brain. So far my tumors are not cancerous but can become cancerous. These tumors can grow slowly or they can grow rapidly. These tumors affect the central nervous system. I experience visual disturbances, foot cramps, muscle spasms, headaches, weakness, tingling, pins and needles in arms, feet, legs, fingers, hands, and toes and electric shock pain that radiates throughout my body. These tumors can increase pressure in the brain, shift the brain, or push it against the skull. They invade and damage nerves and healthy brain tissue. You cannot see this illness but there are approximately 700,000 people in the US alone living with a brain tumor.
5 words changed my world as i knew it: “YOU HAVE 3 BRAIN TUMORS!” In that second, I gained a new set of eyes. My new set of eyes helped me to accept the diagnosis, educate myself more about it, and to be prepared in accepting all the physical and mental challenges that come my way. I feel that by getting involved in helping to raise funds and awareness, I am taking action and helping others instead of sitting still and worrying about tomorrow. Let’s all honor the taken, celebrate the survivors, and support the fighters today!
Opinions expressed within this story belong solely to the author and do not reflect the views or opinions of the National Brain Tumor Society.