My Medical Hurdle

Life is an adventure, each is different and in each we all have challenges and rewards along the way. I believe this life long adventure can be broken down into phases, or smaller journeys that occur while we grow and advance as a person. These phases might include the years you spent in college or the path of your current career. I am 29 now and have been in a difficult phase of my life for a little more than a decade. I will choose to call this period of time "my medical hurdle." Nearly 12 years ago, a short time after my High School graduation I was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 17. This is where the hurdle began. When the doctor who ordered the MRI calls at 930pm and says you NEED to be at the hospital at 8am the next morning, life becomes serious very fast. It would take a week of testing to map out my surgeons plan to access the tumor. The first attempt failed due to unforeseen complications. On August 3rd, 2007 80% of the mass in my head was removed as some was not worth the risk taking where it lay. Somewhere between the start of this surgery and the Neuro ICU I contracted bacterial meningitis. I quickly learned I am allergic to the one medicine for the meningitis infection, leaving me to fight off the life threatening bacteria while my brain attempted to heal itself simultaneously. A two month hospital stay and 6 months of out patient therapy would eventually get me back on my feet and my toes pointed toward college again. Fall 2008 I started my Freshman year. It was great, and it felt right being there. I felt good and was committed to the gym daily. As healthy as I aimed to be, my body decided it would reveal a new life challenge not far into my collegiate career. At the end of March, 2009 in my dorm room was the first time it happened to me. I had developed Epilepsy, a neuro disease that effects the patterns of your brain waves. A seizure had left me on the floor for my roommate to find as he returned from class. Research has shown that the lasting effects of meningitis on the brain can produce cases of Epilepsy. Fast forward to today. I have been managing my disease with Big Pharma for 10+ years now. "Managing" being the key word here. Issues between doctors and insurance over the years has finally lead me to my current Neurologist, an Epileptologist, who specializes in seizures. She is the first to offer the possibility of a solution. An end to this phase and challenge life has given me. An option that is only possible with a certain type of epilepsy, which oddly, I need to remember to be thankful for at this time. I am currently doing research studies and testing to prepare for surgery while continuing to scrape by week to week. The operation itself will consist of removing a chunk of damaged brain tissue that causes my seizures. This piece of tissue sits between my midbrain, which is the top of your brain stem, and the posterior cerebral artery in the middle of my head. However accessing this location may allow for additional tumor removal. I work a minimum wage job and my condition keeps me from being completely independent. Post operation will have me out off commission for 4-8 weeks, if not more, as I have lived the unexpected before. I am doing all I can now to save for that time frame. I am so very close to closing this chapter of this phase in my life. So close to finally getting over my medical hurdle. So close to starting my 30s feeling like I have a fresh start. So close to bringing this phase full circle.