You never expect to hear that you have a brain tumour. It has to be one of the scariest diagnoses out there. You’re not sure how to react and you go into a surreal mode where you don’t really deal with the feelings of the diagnosis, just the day to day realities of doctors appointments and schedules.
 Laura and her family I am a 30 year old healthy mom and wife. I had no symptoms and had been living a happy and vibrant life on maternity leave from my teaching job, raising my one year old son Caden. You expect that people who are diagnosed with brain tumors have symptoms like ongoing headaches or vision problems. I am grateful and blessed that my brain tumour never gave me any of those symptoms.  "I am forever grateful." Instead on a trip to go to my friend’s wedding in Vancouver, I wake up in the emergency room with my husband telling me that I had had a seizure. A seizure! Are you joking? The only time I had ever been in the hospital is when I delivered my son. We were just dancing the night away and celebrating the union of my friends at their incredible wedding the night before. Then the news kept coming. I had a meningioma brain tumour the size of a golf ball on my left frontal lobe. A good kind of brain tumour if you’re going to get one. So as an optimist by nature, I just held onto all of the positive news that kept coming my way. I got into an amazing surgeon very quickly in Calgary. I learned that he wanted me in for surgery right away and that he felt that it was most likely benign and very easy to remove. I also learned that the tumour likely had been there for years! I had the surgery and recovered surprisingly quickly for brain surgery. The best part was that I was able to be a bridesmaid at my girlfriends wedding a week later. I was blessed. I know that there are many people out there that are not as lucky as I was and it is very humbling. It puts your life into a new perspective. I have heard of people recovering from serious diseases who say that life is never the same and you learn to appreciate everything in a new way. I feel that I am starting to feel that way but to be honest the shock of it all still hasn’t settled in. All I know is that I had amazing doctors and I am extremely grateful for the advances in technology that allowed the doctors and surgeons to find the tumour and remove it. My son has a mom and my husband still has a wife thanks to all of the medical research and donations to brain tumour research. I am forever grateful.
Just like Laura, you can share your story here by emailing braintumour@braintumour.ca or submiting this form. |
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I am the mother-in-law of Laura’s story. I can’t tell you how scared and terrified we all were. We are all so grateful the story ended great. With the newest radial arm surgery and surgeons progress has been made, tumors aren’t as scary as they once were. God Bless all of you facing this and may your outcome be as blessed as Lauras.
Maureen and family,
Your story is told with such honesty that a reader cannot help but feel the shock and trauma (psychological and physical) of each situation described with something of its original intensity. What a joy it was to see that your tears turned to tears of joy in the end. We must press on for a cure and aid for brave individuals and their families in need of support. Thank you for sharing your story.
Love the photos of vibrant and beautiful you with your wonderful husband and son. You were so bravely positive and are indeed blessed. Your story will give others courage too.
Love the photos of vibrant and beautiful you and your wonderful husband and son. You were so bravely positive and are indeed blessed. Your story will give others courage.
……I am a friend of your mother-in-law who learned immediately of your tumor, followed your progress daily and prayed for positive results……I am truly grateful to hear your story, thank you for sharing it……
In July, my 35yr old, healthy husband had the exact same thing happen to him as Laura…all of a sudden one night he had a seizure and was diagnosed with the same kind of tumor on his left temporal lobe. As it was so tiny, hardly showing up on the MRI, the docs at St. Mike’s in Toronto decided to follow instead of doing surgery right away. Now he is scheduled for surgery to remove it this Friday, December 9th as it is now the size of a ping pong ball…the docs think he will be fine after surgery but still, I have been freaking out as you can imaging and he has been on anti-seizure meds and sleeping most of the time…I am glad to have come across Laura’s story, thank you so much for sharing. It has made me feel a lot better about what is to come and hopefully the docs are right and he will be fine.
Dear Sarah and Mike:
Hoopefully you have recovered from your surgery and your outcome is looking great. Laura is back to her normal activites, looking after her husband and son and driving again. The ordeal you have been through is felt so much. God Bless and hopefully all is well.
Thank you for sharing your story.
Hi I read your story and I could relate. I too am a member of the “if your going to have a tumour you have the best kind club”. A meningioma in the left frontal lobe the size of a, you guessed it , golf ball. It was removed completely and the pathology showed a grade II, oh well can’t have all the luck. I opted not to have radiation, 50% chance of re-growth. I’ll take my chances. Two MRI’S so far and still clean. I found out about the tumour by having an X-ray for another procedure I was so fortunate, very close to having a grand mal. Like you I had no symptoms. I’m feeling great now and staying positive. I feel that I don’t have the right to feel sorry for myself when there are so many stories that are more heartbreaking. I can’t believe you went to a wedding two weeks after your surgery, that’s amazing. All the best to you and continued good health
Diana