On Easter Sunday of this year, I went to the emergency room of Royal Oak Beaumont after suffering through 3 days of severe headaches and finally loss of motor control of my right leg. It turns out I had a meningioma – a benign brain tumor that was affecting the left part of my frontal lobe, which explained my inability to speak clearly even though the thoughts were untampered with in my head.
After what many thought was a miraculous recovery, I decided to start a blog instead of the Oatmeal inspired graphic novel I was planning (yes, the pain and anti-seizure medications were to blame for these lofty goals, I admit that now). Despite having the whole outline completed, the illustrator decided on and an editor in place, I thought this was a lot easier and faster to get out to the people searching for answers regarding impending brain surgery.
I’m also doing this out of gratitude for the person who offered 20 things to expect after brain surgery. My husband found it online after madly searching for anything that could prepare him for the craniotomy to come. Needless to say, the many posts did scare the bejeezus out of him (there were many unknowns at the time) but it did help me a lot. It also pointed out that there weren’t a lot of sources for a frightened spouse to find as far as this topic goes – or further proof that the internet is a poor source of comfort when it comes to medical emergencies (but don’t we all know that before we go to WebMD with a symptom?)
ITAT is an act of purging, really, as well as sharing my experiences with the brain surgery community – a club I never meant to be a part of, but you never know what’s just around the corner. You just don’t.
It Takes a Tumor 