Diagnosing a Brain Tumor

Several years ago I found out I had a brain tumor. The tumor was asymptomatic and was found by accident. It was definitely a traumatic experience and I have decided to share it on this blog. It will take several days to do so. I recorded the experience on paper not necessarily to share it but because I wanted to be able to refer back to it. I knew there would be days when I would need to revisit the emotions I dealt with at that time to help bolster my courage.

People react very differently to serious illness and I hope in sharing my thoughts that it will be a blessing to someone who is grasping at straws while battling a serious illness. The following words were recorded as I went through this tremendous trial.

Brain tumor part 1

Summer was just beginning. Those early mornings of listening to the birds rejoicing that had migrated north for the summer, had finally arrived. Each new day I anxiously checked my flowerbeds for new growth popping through the soil. I was looking forward to gardening and hanging clothes on the line. I was hoping my lingering health problems would give me some liberty to enjoy the summer. It wasn’t meant to be.

The pain started on the right side of my face. I thought it was a tooth problem and possibly a filling had cracked. I started taking Motrin and Excedrin when the pain became unbearable. I have an unusually high pain tolerance and was able to put up with it for 10 days before calling the dentist. When I finally called my dentist who I have seen for the past 22 years, He was out of town. I agreed to see another dentist in the office.

I fully expected him to tell me I had a cracked filling to repair. However, after an hour of x rays, cameras and other tests, it was concluded that my teeth were fine. This appointment was on a Friday. So I suffered through the weekend in tremendous pain. On Monday I went to see the doctor who has been treating my multiple health issues. Due to the location of the pain, we both thought it could be sinus related and I began taking medication for a sinus infection.

After 10 days of antibiotics I was still in severe pain and was taking prescription pain killers every four hours. I called the doctor and asked if we could switch to a different antibiotic, since this one hadn’t done the job. I started the new medication, hoping it would be the answer. After three days, I knew something was going on that required more than medication. My doctor was now out of town so I made an emergency appointment with my ear, nose and throat doctor.

I told the doctor all that I had experienced, including the previous 3 years of constant health issues. He decided to do a ct scan of my head, expecting to find a sinus blockage.

I was able to get the ct scan done the folowing morning. I made an appointment for the following  week to go over the results with the doctor. The scan went fine and I didn’t expect to hear from the doctor until the following week. He called me the next day and told me he needed to see me immediately. He asked me to come in that afternoon.

I really wasn’t worried. I expected him to tell me there was a cyst in my sinus cavity and a simple surgery could fix it. My husband, John had faithfully gone to my numerous doctor appointments with me. He was unable to go that day and was concerned about me. I told him I was fine and would call on the way home.

I drove to Flint, about a 30 minute drive and waited over an hour to see the doctor. He finally walked in and said, “your sinuses look great but you have a brain tumor”.

Stay tuned for part 2!