Rediscovering Life After a Brain Tumor

This is my story. A story of perseverance, courage and the strength you can find in the darkest of circumstances. I thought I was in amazing health. I was shocked when doctors told me otherwise. I had a brain tumor the size of a golf ball, an intraventricular meningioma. The doctors needed to operate.

I thought it would be an easy recovery. My boss assumed I would be back in three weeks. Instead, the physical and mental side effects of my surgery would haunt me for years. When I woke up in the hospital, I was partially blind. I couldn’t read or write. The only number I recognized was eight.

In the aftermath of the operation, I experienced everything like a small child. I had to relearn how to do the simplest of tasks. In my memoir, I captured the unique delight at the simple wonders of life. I also candidly discuss some of the tragic consequences of the surgery and how she found a place of healing in the midst of all the negative news. Now I am officially disabled and partially blind. This hasn’t stopped me though! I wrote a book about my experience hoping it could help other survivors and caregivers on their journey.

I tried to live all this long journey of recovery with a smile on my face and always a positive attitude and hard work in order to recover and allow my therapies to help me recover. Even being disabled, I tried to do some small volunteering jobs to help non profit foundations like the CT Brain Tumor Association, The CT Legally blind and reading to children in public schools.

I was raised in Colombia, went to high school in France, and later moved to the United States. I am trilingual in English, Spanish, and French, Married to my husband Simon Gilbert with a two-year-old Daughter Nicole Gilbert.

I studied business administration at the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia and received my master’s in business administration from IE Business School in Spain. I spent ten years working in high-level marketing jobs for Fortune 500 companies in five different countries. In my spare time, I enjoyed sailing and won several national championships.

For more information visit www.eightmymemoir.com

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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.