I beat the odds!

This is just a small part of what I have gone through in the short time I have been alive. There is more to come when I get to finding it on my blasted computer.

 

I Beat The Odds!

Have you ever gone through your life thinking nothing could possibly go wrong? Always thinking you will always be healthy, and outlive your parents? 

My ex-husband used to say to me “ The past is the past- what happened doesn't matter.”

That might be true for some things, or for some people. But in my case what happened in the past does and will proceed to matter. This story is about my life, well at least the past 17 years going on to the present. This is not for pity, or sympathy on my part. It is to let you know this could happen, and does happen to many people every single day. So here goes:

It all started over 18 years ago, yet during the month of July I woke up to the sounds of my three children watching television. I rose with a moderate headache, and went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. While I let it steep, I turned to go ask my children what they would like for breakfast.

The kitchen had a doorway that lead into the dining room, then to our living room. This was where the kids were huddled around the TV watching cartoons. Just as I got to the doorway, something quite unexpectedly happened to me. Oh yeah, I neglected to inform you that before going to make the tea, I went out to start watering the yard. This was of course an order from my ex ( yes an order!)

But that little tidbit is for another day to relate. First I need to go back to that fateful day that changed my life forever. I don't recall what the time was, and just after making my tea I walked to the doorway and it happened. I had a grand mal seizure! Upon falling to the floor I just missed the dining room table and a chair. I miraculously landed on top of a cushion off the chair. Never once had I hit my head on the table or chair.

My children turned to look my way, and saw their mother on the floor. The oldest took charge of the situation and dialed 911, like she had been taught in school during an emergency. When the emergency crew came in the took charge. I was semi-unconscious, so I didn't know what they were asking me. Also, at this time I was 3 months pregnant with my fourth child. Yet, I kept denying this, it my daughter assured them that I was. And since I wasn't aware of what was happening or going on with me, my daughter took charge and answered all the questions.

At this time, I had 3 children ranging in ages of 2 up to 9. So this was not a great time for mom to get sick, yet there was something seriously wrong. While I was loaded on a gurney, the Police Dept. showed up at my home. While I was being transported to the hospital they watched my children until my (then) husband came home. He took them over to one of my sister's houses, and proceeded to drive to the hospital. This was where he waited to find out just what was wrong with me.

By this time I came out of my stupor, and my Ob-gyn, Dr. Stanley was next to me. Gracious as always he patted my arm and said “ Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this.” All I could muster saying was “alright”. He stepped away so the attending nurses could check my vitals. Then put them into my chart, and handed it to him. Everything looked alright to him, and he replied “ I think you just have low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.”



When he said that, I immediately looked at him and said, “ No, I know that I had a seizure.” 

Dr. Stanley replied with a bewildered look, “ Are you sure?”

I said “yes.”

He said that he would be right back and rushed out of the room. I laid there in the hospital bed waiting for him to come back. I was oblivious as to where my husband was, but didn't care either. But those reasons are for another time. What was going on with me was my prime concern.

It wasn't long before before Dr. Stanley was back. By this time I was fully aware of what happened tome. My doctor informed me he was bringing in another Doctor to evaluate my condition. Also I would be given a series of tests, which follows: cat scan, EKG,EEG, a test to check on the baby inside of me, and finally an MRI!

I went from one end of the hospital to another. This new Doctor turned out to be the best 
neuro-surgeon in Bakersfield, and he was going to be treating me. After a few hours he came back with my tests results. This was when he informed me that I had a growth inside my head! It was a tumor which at the time they assumed it was around the size of a half-dollar!

And according to them it was a big size already. But until I was cut open, the weren't sure of its actual size. So I was now scheduled to have an operation two days later. I was checked out of one hospital and two days later I was admitted to another for the brain surgery.

I was going under the knife to remove the tumor inside my head. After being admitted, I was prepped for surgery at 7:30 in the morning. My head was shaved, and I was given anesthesia- the told to count backwards from 100..... I think I got to 95 before I was out and my surgery began.

What went on during my operation is unknown since I was knocked out, but I do know it was intense. And after six hours, they had to stop the surgery. Mainly because my blood count went severely down, endangering not only my life, but the life of my unborn child. So they stopped the operation, and I was taken into intensive care for the rest of the day.

At first they wanted to airlift me to another medical hospital on the coast. Because at this time I refused to have any blood transfusions. So they were ready to send me to what they believed to be a better one that catered to patients who didn't like taking blood.

The reply was “ We can't do anything more than what you are already doing, leave her there.”

So I was sent to a room to recuperate, and was well monitored the rest of the day. The hospital staff was unsure of how we ( me and my baby) would survive. The night passed, and morning came with me fully awake as if nothing happened to me. I was alert, and ready to eat a nice breakfast! 

I was in the hospital for a week to recuperate from my first brain surgery. This would start my life in a whole new direction. The only thing I would be thankful to learn after this operation, was that my tumor was not a cancerous tumor. I beat the odds!



I have had two subsequent operations after this first. One to remove more of the tumor and to replace the part of my skull where some of the tumor had grown and attached to. I also should tell you that this growth was at the time of removal the size of a small lemon. So I was happy to have this growth removed from my head.

At the time I assumed they had removed all of it. So for years I lived knowing I was tumor free. But a few years ago I began to have headaches again. At first I didn't think anything was wrong. Then one night I awoke disoriented, I couldn't find my bedroom door and was unsure where I was. That was then I knew something was definitely wrong.

I went to the emergency room to see what was going on. All I could think of – was not again, had the tumor begin to grow? The ER doctor was unsure, but as a precaution I was put on an anti-seizure medication to prevent my body having seizures. He also suggested my general physician to have an MRI done again.

This was over three years ago, in which I have been monitored by a group of doctors. I have been on medication ever since they diagnosed the re-growth of my tumor. Periodically I have been given an MRI to check on whether its grown any. Which indeed it had grown from 3 cm. to what it is currently- 5 cm.

Recently I was given the chance to have a non-surgical method of dealing with this tumor. It is called stereo-tactic radiation. Where it shoots beams of high frequency radio waves to kill the tumor cells. This treatment seems to be a success so far. And although it has not grown any, but it has not begun to shrink yet either.

I am hoping that in time I will be tumor free. Then I will truly be a healthy person. So whatever you do in your life, do not take for granted that things will always be good. One day in the blink of an eye it could all change for you. You may not be as lucky as I am, and have a cancer free tumor. My baby that I was carrying during my first surgery is going on 18 years old now. So I have something else to be thankful for while I still regain a totally healthy body.
 

 

 

Reviews

[BABSIE BEE]

This is some story Jen and thank God you are here to tell it !! It's nothing short of a miracle that your baby survived and is a healthy 18 year old now. You must be a remarkable woman. Thanks for sharing.
Take care and may you have many many years in front of you.

Babsie Bee xx

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

My oh my Jen... thank you for sharing this trying experience with us, I think you made the great point that life can turn in a New York minute... your words are very inspirational and motivational.