I Survived!

I Survived!

Mickey

I was sick for over two years, since the birth of my daughter. I went to numerous different doctors, 5 to be exact, only to be diagnosed with vasovagal syncope episodes. I was having about 5-10 “episodes” a day and still working as a teacher, trying to deal with it on a daily basis. During the first week of summer break, I had a grand mal seizure in the middle of the night that sent me to the hospital in an ambulance for the first out of three times this summer. They did a CT scan and found a calcium deposit, but said that they wanted to do an MRI. Within one week, I had it done and I was told that they found a “golf ball sized mass” and that I needed to make an appointment with a neurosurgeon to get it removed.

Apparently the previously diagnosed “episodes” were actually complex partial seizures. I was told that I was lucky to be alive by numerous doctors. I survived a successful brain surgery as of 7/9/15 and have been seizure free and tumor free since then. The recovery was they worst thing that I’ve ever experienced. I’ve never been more scared in my whole life. When I woke up from surgery I couldn’t do half the things I could before. I couldn’t walk, write, or text normally. I went crazy and suffered from ICU psychosis which only extended my stay in the hospital. I was released on two different occasions, only to pass out and have to ride back to Swedish Medical Center in Denver, in an ambulance again.

I’m a teacher and did not get to start the school year with my students because I was so weak and still recovering from the brain surgery. As of 11/2/15, I’m back in the classroom full time and feel better than ever. My school has a moral focus curriculum with virtues of the month such as perseverance, respect, courage, gratitude…so I created a presentation for my students to see my “journey” and how it related to our virtues, and gave it before I came back to work part time. It was compelling and answered a lot of questions for the students. After that presentation was when I decided that I want and need to use my outspoken personality to raise awareness for brain tumors.

I want to use this terrible situation as a positive one, and try to help others! I recently had a discussion with my students as I was crying tears of joy, that I was an example of what gratitude feels like. I literally was crying tears of joy because after going through what I went through, my perspective on life has changed and I don’t take ANYTHING for granted. I know that we are not promised tomorrow so make the most of today! I tell these things to my students and I want to tell it to the world!

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