Nope, Not Pregnant

Nope, Not Pregnant

Dawn

My doctor was convinced that I was either pregnant or had mono. The constant hiccuping, nausea, dizziness, vertigo, exhaustion, and unbalanced movements could only point to those two things. But when I couldn’t stand upright in the ER, the resident scheduled a CAT scan. A hour later, the Chief of the ER came in and said matter-of-factly, “We found a mass in your brain. Neurology will be down to talk to you in a little while,” and walked out. Three weeks later, I still didn’t know what kind of tumor it was. I did not get my treatment at that hospital, but instead from an absolutely fabulous neurosurgeon at a different hospital. His calm demeanor and confidence kept me sane throughout the days leading up to my craniotomy to remove the tumor, which he had immediately diagnosed upon my arrival to his practice as a hemangioblastoma. My tumor was benign. I have had no lasting effects from my surgery. It could have been much worse. I was one of the lucky ones.

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