Thankful

Nine months ago, after inquiring about some issues with balance and hearing, I was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma that was very involved with both my 7th and 8th cranial nerve. I was quickly scheduled for surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota.

The surgeons were amazing and had God-given talents and although there has been loss of hearing in my right ear, they were able to remove the tumor with little damage to the facial nerve.

The journey to recovery has been long and hard. Anyone who suffered from this devastating illness knows the little things in life become big challenges. Walking, reading, and many simple tasks in life should never be taken for granted.

The physical challenges are one aspect but the emotional challenges are greater than anyone realizes. Though I am thankful for given a second chance on life, it is still emotionally difficult. I feel my limitations even if others cannot see it. There is so much internal healing that no one can see and cannot be explained easily.

So much more is needed to help current research. My wish would be that no one has to hear words like “it must be removed”, but until then we can only pray and thank those that help us along the way.

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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.