'My Facial Numbness Turned Out To Be A Brain Tumor'

in the course of the 5th month of my being pregnant, I awakened at some point to find that the left facet of my face turned into numb. I had a prenatal visit scheduled that day, and after I informed my medical doctor about it she stated it become likely Bell's Palsy.

I searched the net for Bell's Palsy, and discovered out it became whilst the muscle tissues to your face begin to sag. I idea, Oh my god, i am going to awaken any day now and the left side of my face is going to fall and begin drooping. but it never did.


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on the time, in 2005, i was in my junior year of college, studying standard schooling at the university of Indianapolis. I had simply moved into my first of all-campus rental. I had a three-yr-old daughter, and turned into looking ahead to my second infant with my then fiancé (now husband). i used to be performing some little bit of pupil coaching and preparing for a new child. And up till that doctor's go to, it had been a fantastically pressure-free time in my life.

THE analysis
around two and a half of months later, I passed out and changed into rushed to the emergency room. They did a CAT scan to peer if there was fluid on my backbone, and while there wasn't, they advised I comply with up with a neurologist and have an MRI carried out simply to be at the safe side.

I wasn't sure what it could be—I have been told my preceding signs had been due to Bell's Palsy, that's most effective presupposed to have an effect on the face, so passing out didn't truly match. So I observed up with the neurologist and had that precautionary MRI. a few days later, she referred to as asking me if I ought to come into her office to discuss the consequences.

I informed her that I had magnificence and attempted to get her to tell me over the smartphone, but she insisted. At that point, I did not assume it may be some thing that serious.

At our appointment, she advised me I had a meningioma—a tumor that emerges from the membranes across the brain and spinal twine—on the left side of my mind. It became the size of a golfing ball.

She said that those forms of tumors are generally non-cancerous, however she wouldn't know for sure until they opened my brain up and eliminated it. a million conflicting, overwhelming feelings hit me without delay. i used to be scared for my child, for myself, for my circle of relatives. however I knew I had to be strong for them. I additionally felt severe anger, frustration, and unhappiness inside the truth that I were incorrectly recognized. I should have, no, ought to have, been receiving remedy for this golfing-ball-sized tumor two and a 1/2 months ago. What now?

associated: MARIA MENOUNOS stocks in no way-before-found out details about existence AFTER HER brain-TUMOR prognosis
getting rid of THE TUMOR
due to the size of the tumor, surgical procedure was the handiest choice.

The plan changed into to have my infant first, and time table the surgical procedure after i was recovered. when you're pregnant, you have to be mainly careful to keep away from headaches. At this factor, I had about a month left to head in my pregnancy. before the tumor, i was going to do a vaginal start—however the ob-gyn advocated a Cesarean segment so that there was no risk of dislodging the tumor in some way even as pushing inside the shipping room. apart from having a C-segment, there has been not anything else recommended to me to maintain the tumor in check on the time.

I had my daughter on July 5, 2005, and had my surgery the Monday after Thanksgiving of that same yr.

The surgery took 12 hours. I don't recall who become there, but I recognise my neurosurgeon had a team operating with him. They handiest needed to shave a small portion of my head—about the size of my palm, proper above my left ear.

In surgical treatment, the physician became capable of do away with 90 percentage of the tumor—10 percentage of it was too close to my brain to put off adequately with out risking brain damage. The tumor did grow to be being benign, and that i did not should go through any chemo or radiation afterward.

however, it turned into still critical to dispose of as lots of the tumor as viable since it was mendacity on a nerve in my mind that affected my stability, and it can have impeded manner greater mind feature as it grew.

Watch Maria Menounos describe what it's like to have a brain tumor:

Maria Menounos On What it is want to Have A brain Tumor
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A slow, EMOTIONALLY PAINFUL recovery
after I came out of surgical procedure, I couldn't bear in mind my daughters' names. I stored calling them "the huge one" and "the toddler."

For months, the mind fog persisted. humans could say some thing like, "nicely, this is approximately 50 yards from here," and i knew the phrase "approximately" changed into someplace in my memory, but I could not recollect what it supposed, so i would need to ask. It turned into like any individual spread out all of the file cupboard drawers in my brain, took out all of the files, and threw them across the room. I had to search to discover any given file.

It was an extremely tough time, however I had a totally robust aid gadget. i'm an best infant, so my mother stepped in to help, and my husband helped to attend to the kids after I couldn't and kept things running smoothly while I recovered.

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i will be sincere, I don't take into account parenting lots all through this time. There are plenty of things that I do not recollect for the duration of the ones first few months. I do not recollect having my children around me plenty, however I recognise they have been taken care of by way of folks that love them. After approximately two months, i was in a position to take care of the children on my own. however I nevertheless wished loads of assist.

My neuropsychologist placed me via a chain of assessments to observe my reminiscence, spacial recognition, and IQ. All of it is popular after a brain surgical operation. They deemed my IQ rather high, stated my side consequences were regular, and informed me i might get better. It wasn't that I lost any know-how or that my character changed, it changed into simply greater tough for me to get better expertise and keep in mind matters. They failed to advocate any physical or occupational therapy at that point, so I simply kind of needed to go through it. (It took me approximately a year for my mind feature to get lower back to everyday.)

Going through it, even though, was difficult. I had continually been a very astute pupil. faculty had continually been "my element." The notion of going returned become horrifying to reflect onconsideration on, however i used to be determined to finish my training. I went back to college in January of 2005 for my final 12 months of undergrad,  months after the surgery. I had a number of professors who understood what became occurring and shed some grace on me. i'd take a seat thru lectures and write down the phrases I did not realize, then have considered one of my pals or classmates give an explanation for what each phrase intended.

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TUMOR, spherical 2
In 2008, with my mind up and running at complete velocity again, I went back to highschool to earn a graduate degree in marriage and family therapy. I graduated in December of 2010 and commenced practising in January of 2011. I had my third daughter in 2013.

Then, the tumor grow lower back.

for the duration of my first analysis, the doctor had mentioned pregnancy hormones can reason a sluggish-developing tumor to grow quicker. I can not let you know why that is, but i can tell you that it is extremely frustrating to have a person provide an explanation for this to you in a "matter of fact" manner. I knew there was a chance of it developing again with my 1/3 baby, and a few may additionally say having a third infant become irresponsible, given my brain-tumor history. but i used to be determined to have her. and i did.

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So, in 2016, after I began experiencing complications and greater stability issues than regular, I went to my neurologist, and a experiment confirmed that my brain tumor changed into once more developing.

This time, it changed into the scale of an eyeball—not as large as before, however nonetheless larger than each person would love. because it wasn't as huge, radiation remedy turned into an choice, and that i determined to take it. I underwent a total of 28 radiation treatments over the direction of six weeks. The tumor didn't cut back, however the radiation did kill the cells in order that it would not grow anymore.

As of now, i am in remission. however, to make sure matters live that way, I ought to get annual MRIs of my mind. other than those MRIs—and some lingering stability and headache issues—life for me certainly is not any one-of-a-kind than I consider it'd be if I never had a brain tumor. i've an fantastic profession, supportive husband, and three girls who're beautiful inner and out. i'm particularly fortunate. And, way to my mind tumor, I truly recognize simply how lucky i am.