20th February 2018 would be a day that changed my life in unimaginable ways.
I was diagnosed with a 3.5cm acoustic neuroma, or vestibular schwannoma, a low grade brain tumour that affects just 1 in 100,000, that was causing brainstem compression and causing all sorts of problems. A few months later, I would also be diagnosed with sarcoidosis.
For a very brief moment the diagnosis came as a relief, as I was beginning to think I was going mad, and making up the symptoms that had been plaguing me for weeks. But as you can imagine, that relief was somewhat short-lived.
I was told it was the best of the worst. For me, it was the start of a life-changing journey.
Having scoured in the internet for anything positive about this condition, I discovered there was in fact very little. And so I made a promise to myself, that I would share my journey, and no matter how difficult it became, I would make my story a positive one that would provide a small glimmer of hope to others going through the same experience.
I will be sharing each step of my journey; my thoughts, my worries, my adventures, and some of the amazing people I have met along the way.
My life now is unrecognisable to how it was just a couple of years ago, and despite the ordeals that I continue to go through, I can honestly say that in many ways my life has changed for the better, with opportunities I could only ever have dreamed of.
Thanks sharing my journey…
I’m currently working on my next writing project, How We Rise, but I need your support. You can find out more here.