Linnea’s Month Off
Donation protected
Hey everyone — Linnea here.
As a lot of people have been filled in over the last few weeks, I have been struggling with my health. About 4 weeks ago, I started having splitting migraines. Originally, I thought it was the side effects of a minor ear surgery I had in March.
Throughout May, symptoms did not go away. I continued to have CONSTANT migraines. There were multiple trips to the ENT, urgent care, the ER, and countless days off. It was debilitating to be a dancer that could barely sleep, walk, speak, look at a phone screen because my head felt like it was going to split in 2.
After 3 weeks of increasing migraines, things ramped up in a matter of 24 hours. I took myself to my primary care — and within half an hour of receiving a painkiller shot & leaving the office, I went to my car and prepared to stop at Rite Aid to pick up the next medication to try to help the headaches. Before even leaving the parking lot, I had a blind spot in my left eye, and became incredibly dizzy & disoriented. Told myself to just make it to Rite Aid and home and I would be okay.
I got to Rite Aid. Walked inside, and immediately turned around, knowing I was NOT okay. I lost control. My brain was telling my feet to move forward one after the other, but my body simply gave out. I collapsed, twice, on the floor of the pharmacy. 2 men helped me make it back to my car, where I threw up again, and then drove the .2 miles home just so I could lay down in bed.
The next 12 hours was nothing but nausea, dry heaving, dizziness and searing pain. Little did I know — I was having seizures the whole time. Saturday morning my friend and I took an Uber to the ER at 6:30am. Where I immediately started to have another seizure as I entered the building.
The staff got me in a bed immediately, and the doc ordered a CT Scan right away. By 8am, I received the news: there was a mass in my brain.
Since then, I’ve been transferred to Glendale to an amazing hospital and am in the best of care, but the diagnosis is clear.
I have a brain tumor.
A fully developed tumor, in my left frontal lobe, at age 25. We don’t know how long it’s been there, or what caused it, and we won’t know more until after surgery.
THE GOOD NEWS: WE CAUGHT IT! And I am confident I will make a full recovery. I’m in good spirits, and I am with family, and I have so much love and support from so many people. Truly, in a situation this bleak, I still feel lucky. But — I am a professional dancer that will be out of the game and laying in bed for a month.
I have been in the hospital for a week now, and surgery is penciled in for Friday. While this tumor will not take over my brain in the next 3 days — it’s time to get that f***king thing out of there.
I am not one to ask for help financially. I like to hustle and work hard to make ends meet for myself. But in this situation, I am calling on the people around me for help. I have no way of working this month — and just want to make sure I can pay my rent as I recover from this completely unexpected event in peace. Honestly, if all you can donate is a positive vibe sent my way, that’s good too. The love and support have been keeping me going more than anything this last week, which has been.....a lot to process.
If you can, I’m asking for some help as a dancer just trying to make it through a rough time. Anything helps.
All the peace, blessings, love, and goooood vibes ❤️
Linnea
As a lot of people have been filled in over the last few weeks, I have been struggling with my health. About 4 weeks ago, I started having splitting migraines. Originally, I thought it was the side effects of a minor ear surgery I had in March.
Throughout May, symptoms did not go away. I continued to have CONSTANT migraines. There were multiple trips to the ENT, urgent care, the ER, and countless days off. It was debilitating to be a dancer that could barely sleep, walk, speak, look at a phone screen because my head felt like it was going to split in 2.
After 3 weeks of increasing migraines, things ramped up in a matter of 24 hours. I took myself to my primary care — and within half an hour of receiving a painkiller shot & leaving the office, I went to my car and prepared to stop at Rite Aid to pick up the next medication to try to help the headaches. Before even leaving the parking lot, I had a blind spot in my left eye, and became incredibly dizzy & disoriented. Told myself to just make it to Rite Aid and home and I would be okay.
I got to Rite Aid. Walked inside, and immediately turned around, knowing I was NOT okay. I lost control. My brain was telling my feet to move forward one after the other, but my body simply gave out. I collapsed, twice, on the floor of the pharmacy. 2 men helped me make it back to my car, where I threw up again, and then drove the .2 miles home just so I could lay down in bed.
The next 12 hours was nothing but nausea, dry heaving, dizziness and searing pain. Little did I know — I was having seizures the whole time. Saturday morning my friend and I took an Uber to the ER at 6:30am. Where I immediately started to have another seizure as I entered the building.
The staff got me in a bed immediately, and the doc ordered a CT Scan right away. By 8am, I received the news: there was a mass in my brain.
Since then, I’ve been transferred to Glendale to an amazing hospital and am in the best of care, but the diagnosis is clear.
I have a brain tumor.
A fully developed tumor, in my left frontal lobe, at age 25. We don’t know how long it’s been there, or what caused it, and we won’t know more until after surgery.
THE GOOD NEWS: WE CAUGHT IT! And I am confident I will make a full recovery. I’m in good spirits, and I am with family, and I have so much love and support from so many people. Truly, in a situation this bleak, I still feel lucky. But — I am a professional dancer that will be out of the game and laying in bed for a month.
I have been in the hospital for a week now, and surgery is penciled in for Friday. While this tumor will not take over my brain in the next 3 days — it’s time to get that f***king thing out of there.
I am not one to ask for help financially. I like to hustle and work hard to make ends meet for myself. But in this situation, I am calling on the people around me for help. I have no way of working this month — and just want to make sure I can pay my rent as I recover from this completely unexpected event in peace. Honestly, if all you can donate is a positive vibe sent my way, that’s good too. The love and support have been keeping me going more than anything this last week, which has been.....a lot to process.
If you can, I’m asking for some help as a dancer just trying to make it through a rough time. Anything helps.
All the peace, blessings, love, and goooood vibes ❤️
Linnea
Organizer
Linnea Hodson
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA
