Something weird is going on inside my head.

I was starting to feel like I was dying and did not know why. I first thought it was my heart because I had been dealing with viral cardiomyopathy. The doctors kept putting me in the hospital for heart and high blood pressure reoccurrences. I was having left arm pain and was starting to sit down in an awkward manner. I was missing the chair sometimes and landing in the floor. When I was driving I knew something was off because people were honking their horns at me and I was driving too far to one side. Still no-one seemed to think anything was wrong with me. I was dragging my left leg like I had a charlie horse in it. I became very upset with my heart doctor and told him I knew something was wrong. He finally suggested a neurological doctor.

That same day I had an MRI and was called and told that I had an impressive tumor. My brain was swelling and I needed to go to the ER immediately. Didn’t have much time to think about anything, it was such a shock. I was lucky that it was not cancerous. I had to rehab for about 6 months and it was a very difficult time for me. Evidently I had this tumor inside my head for a long time and all my doctors missed it. I just want people to know that sometimes there are no symptoms until it grows so large that it puts pressure on certain brain areas. I was told that this tumor probably had been there about 10 to 12 years. I had completely lost all of my motor functions on the left side of my body but I have it all back now. I suffer from the ringing in my ears but I am so thankful to still be here.

Never stop believing in yourself, insist on a second opinion.

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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.