posted on Apr, 24 2012 @ 05:49 AM
I had one of my bi annual MRI scans last week and for the first time got the scans on disc , so I could see for myself the location and size of the
tumor that remains.
The white highlighted area on the right hand side is the remaining tumour.
I was originally diagnosed in 2002 with a grade 3 oligodendroglioma tumour in the right frontal lobe. I had felt symptoms from 1998, that included
numbness in my mouth, tongue and left hand side. Things got progessively worse as unbeknown to me a large tumor was pushing the right hemisphere of my
Brain into the left hand side of my head. I started to have seizures that would make the whole of my left hand side go numb.
I was young at the time and was so scarred as to what was going on. I was 23 when I got my first diagnosis. It came as a huge shock to all my family
and friends. But for me the diagnosis finally meant I knew what was wrong and that we could finally begin trying to do something about it.
I had brain surgery at the National Brain institute in London. The tumor they removed "the vast majority of" was the size of a large orange. I knew
nothing about Brain tumors and believed that, once removed I would be back to the career I was only starting out on.
Unfortunately it turned out the tumor was malignant and would require both Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy. I had 6 weeks five days a week week
radiotherapy and 6 months of chemo.
I soon got back to normal life but my confidence had been seriously bruised and I suffered a bout of severe depression. Still as time went by my
confidence came back and I felt I was ready to go back to college and train for a new career.
However in 2007 I began to have symptoms again and was being sick in the mornings. I went straight back to hospital, where scans revealed the tumor
had returned. However this time it returned as a grade 4 Glioblastomamultiforme. Pretty much one of the worst tumors you can get.
I had more brain surgery with the same surgeon and more chemotherapy. No more radiotherapy could be given.
Since the last lot of Chemo my tumor has been inactive for nearly 4 years.
Anyway as i got the scan pics I thought some may be interested to see them.