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Diana’s Fight Like A Girl Story (Brain Tumor)

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May
15
2013
Grey Ribbon LR

Just when you think all is going great, life happens. I had just gotten my first 'grown up'  job; 8am to 5pm, weekends off... and it was wonderful. I was at work when my neurologist called my office and told me to come to her office as soon as possible. There she showed me the tumor in my brain. I had been having seizures and horrible migraines and I didn't know why it was happening. I had had CT scans and all had showed nothing until this MRI. I missed a lot of work due to the treatments to shrink the tumor. My one vanity was my hair...and of course it fell out. I wouldn't leave the house for the longest time due to that fact that I was bald. I didn't like the stares and sometimes I would feel like screaming at people I HAVE A BRAIN TUMOR!!!!!! At one outing, I had some ladies whisper loudly that I looked like a boy. That angered me so much that I stopped in my tracks and said 'I have a brain tumor and that's why my hair fell out. Don't judge without knowing someone's … [Read more...]

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Alicia’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Brain Tumor, Seizures)

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Jun
26
2011
Grey Brain Tumor Awareness Ribbon

In December 2002, I was diagnosis with Epilepsy. After doing an EEG, the epilepsy was determined as Begin Rolandic Epilepsy. My seizures were under control through medication and chiropractic treatments. After a change in Neurologist, another MRI was requested in February 2005. At this time, they found an abnormality (no size was defined), thought to have been due to moving during the MRI. My Neurologist, Dr. Ismail, decided to do a follow up MRI several months later. During the summer of 2005, I had one seizure during the day. This was the first time that I had a seizure during the day. During the summer 2006, I had an increase in seizure activity. July 18th, August 1st, and September 1st.  My parents witnessed the seizure on September 1st, which was different from the type of seizures that they had witnessed prior. They took me to the ER, where the doctors sedated me to stop the seizure. Because of the sedation, my breathing was not normal, so the doctors … [Read more...]

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Member Spotlight: Meet Jillian

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May
31
2011
Jillian Cancer Survivor

I love meeting other childhood and young adult cancer survivors because my fellow cancer survivors really "get" me.  They have been through so many of the same things I have been through.  They truly understand all the challenges that come with being a long-term cancer survivor.  Most of all, their camaraderie is so life-affirming and heart-warming. Today I want to introduce you to Jillian Morris-Jenkins, my friend and fellow cancer survivor.  Jillian is the longest living survivor in the world of stage four neuroblastoma. Jillian was diagnosed with cancer at the tender age of two, and underwent two major surgeries, heavy doses of chemotherapy, full body irradiation and a bone marrow transplant. All those grueling treatments made it possible for her to be cancer-free at the end of treatment. Her successful treatment allowed her to move on and become something of an overachiever. She graduated high school at the age of 16.  She currently has an Associates degree in Liberal … [Read more...]

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Susan’s Fight Like A Girl Story (Brain Tumor)

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Dec
10
2010
Grey Ribbon

I've been encouraged by others to post this so here goes; an amazing story of a wonderful, intuitive lil' doxie and how she saved my life. At 12:30 am on Sunday, Mar 2nd, 2008, I awoke suffering multiple seizures on my right side due to a Meningioma (benign) grapefruit-sized brain tumor that apparently had been growing in my head for the past 5 to 10 years. Rather unfortunately, the first time I called 9-1-1, the Oceanside Ambulance and Paramedics team and its training crew came and immediately misread my situation as a more common occurrence they are used to at the pier and began treating me like an addict or an alcoholic going through withdrawals and/or an overall high anxiety, panic attacking, hyperventilating 49 year old woman who should just "Stop shaking my right side and arm and calm down" because I need to just "ride it out". They left with my okay because they couldn’t determine what was wrong with me and, of course, I had no idea either and I was tired of their … [Read more...]

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Melanie’s Fight Like A Girl Story (Brain Tumor)

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Nov
14
2010
Melanie's Story (Brain Tumor) LR

I was sick with headaches for about 6 months, and progressively got worse. I started having slurred speech, my legs going numb when I would walk, the left side of my face was numb, I would black out, and muscle spasms in my neck that were getting worse, and this would all occur with these horrible headaches. I was sick all night on Wednesday 9-9-09 and could not sleep from all the pressure in my head and vomiting. I told my husband that "MY" plans for the day were to take our children to school, he would miss work and take me to the Emergency Room because I could not handle the pain anymore and, when we were finished, we could come home and get our babies to hang out the rest of the day with them! WELL, LITTLE DID I KNOW ALL THAT WAS ABOUT TO BE CHANGED!! GODS PLANS ARE ALWAYS THE ONES THAT HAPPEN - NOT OURS!! We go to the ER and the Doctor told me if the CT Scan showed nothing then I would be sent on my way because he would be done as an ER doctor. Well about an hour later he … [Read more...]

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