Serenely Herbal, a desire to help others
Donation protected
Hi I’m Serena. This is my story and the reason I’m looking for funding.
In April 2014 I discovered I had a life threatening brain tumour (meningioma) it had grown to the size of a large grapefruit on the right-hand side and was putting pressure on the central part of the brain and major blood vessels. I had been feeling unwell for some time with migraines, visual impairment, forgetfulness and a change in my normal sunny character, but had put it down to the after mouth of the dramatic birth of my son 18 months previously.
After 7 years of trying to conceive, 5 IVFs and 3 miscarriages I finally fell pregnant with my son. I developed pre-eclampsia in the last stages of pregnancy and had to have an emergency caesarean and two days later my precious baby stopped breathing. Fortunately the nurse at the time new exactly what to do and revived him. I had also lost my mother the year before my son was born - a devastating blow as she was my only remaining relative and unfortunately never got to meet her beautiful grandson.
I thought it was no surprise that I wasn’t myself and it was only when I experienced similar symptoms to a stroke, with my face dropping and being unable to speak , that I was raced up to the local hospital. After some time examining me decided the doctors decided to do a CT scan and discovered the tumour. It resembled a scene from Casualty with two doctors and three nurses running round me telling not to move. I had a massive brain tumour and they were going to send me by ambulance to the nearest specialist neurology unit. All I remember thinking was “I can’t die and need to be here for my son”.
I spent a week having tests and scans and just before going into surgery my surgeon/consultant came to see me. He told me that he had to be honest and that if I survived the surgery, which he believed to be a big IF, I had a 86% chance that I would never be able to use the left hand side of my body again. I looked him in the eyes and said “You get me through this and make sure I wake up and I will do the rest”.
Nine and a half hours later I was out of surgery. I had survived the operation and my fight back to health had begun. For the first two weeks I thought I had lost the sight in my right eye and I couldn’t see my son for about two weeks because I looked so horrific.
Slowly, with sheer determination and stubborness, demanding cold compresses for my eye every few hours and insisting on getting up and walking around, I gained back some strength. One morning I finally managed to open my right eye enough to see a blurred image. Three and a half weeks later I was determined to go home.
My surgeon came to see me every few days and told me I was a walking miracle. But 5% of the tumour had to be left as it was wrapped around the optic nerve of my right eye and very close to some major blood vessels - so there was a strong possibility it would start to grow back.
Once home, I was determined to get back to being a fighting-fit mum and go back to my job as a primary school teacher. It was a job I loved, but I had lost an incredible amount of weight very quickly so was sent for tests. The results showed I had developed an over active thyroid and, after noticing a lump on my neck, was told I had a toxic nodule or goiter and that my bloods were off the scale. I was given three options. One - to have it surgically removed, two to have radioactive therapy (which would give me an underactive thyroid and I would then be on drugs for the rest of my life) or three to go on to temporary drugs. I knew it was because my body was in shock and refused and said I would see the consultant again in six months.
I had always been into natural health and heathy eating as was my mother and I knew that there had to be an alternative. I found an amazing medical herbalist who had a clinic close to my home and a nutritionist. Between the advice on what to eat, but largely taking herbs, my bloods slowly went back to normal and the goiter began to disappear. I went back to the consultant six months later, having gone back to my job as a teacher and feeling better than I had in years. She was astonished, telling me that what I had managed to do was impossible and that my condition could not be cured, but whatever I was doing just keep doing it.
It was then that I truly realised how amazing herbs and the foods that we put in our bodies were and how they can affect our health and wellbeing. My love affair with herbs had truly begun.
I went on a herbal retreat to Trill Farm (owned by the founder of Neals Yards) where I met an amazing herbalist and I realised I wanted to give something back and my calling was to become a herbalist. The path I wanted to take had always been there in the background, but it had taken a health scare so profound for me to realise this was my true path.
My tumour did start to grow again, and I have lost nearly all the sight in my right eye. I have been told by my consultant that I will need to undergo a course of Radiotherapy every day for 6 weeks in the near future but remain optimistic as over the last two years I have managed to keep it stable. I have met some amazing people since my brain tumour was discovered who have inspired me to continue my dream to become a herbalist and I have just finished the first year of a part-time apprenticeship with the well-known herbalist who so inspired me. She runs the course at her home and clinic in the Cotswolds.
I remain determined to continue with year two, alongside an online herbal course to gain my accreditation, so I can become a qualified herbal practitioner and set up my own clinic. I still work part time, now as an ABA Tutor working with autistic children, and I’m looking to raise funds to do the second and third year of the practical herbal apprenticeship alongside the online accreditation course at a cost of around £6,000.
If you are able to donate anything towards my dream which will enable me to help others please do.
My son (now six) is my biggest fan and inspiration. He knows all the names of the common herbs and will often go into our small garden and pick some to make herbal tea. The other day he said: “Mummy you love herbs and I love you - that makes us happy”
In April 2014 I discovered I had a life threatening brain tumour (meningioma) it had grown to the size of a large grapefruit on the right-hand side and was putting pressure on the central part of the brain and major blood vessels. I had been feeling unwell for some time with migraines, visual impairment, forgetfulness and a change in my normal sunny character, but had put it down to the after mouth of the dramatic birth of my son 18 months previously.
After 7 years of trying to conceive, 5 IVFs and 3 miscarriages I finally fell pregnant with my son. I developed pre-eclampsia in the last stages of pregnancy and had to have an emergency caesarean and two days later my precious baby stopped breathing. Fortunately the nurse at the time new exactly what to do and revived him. I had also lost my mother the year before my son was born - a devastating blow as she was my only remaining relative and unfortunately never got to meet her beautiful grandson.
I thought it was no surprise that I wasn’t myself and it was only when I experienced similar symptoms to a stroke, with my face dropping and being unable to speak , that I was raced up to the local hospital. After some time examining me decided the doctors decided to do a CT scan and discovered the tumour. It resembled a scene from Casualty with two doctors and three nurses running round me telling not to move. I had a massive brain tumour and they were going to send me by ambulance to the nearest specialist neurology unit. All I remember thinking was “I can’t die and need to be here for my son”.
I spent a week having tests and scans and just before going into surgery my surgeon/consultant came to see me. He told me that he had to be honest and that if I survived the surgery, which he believed to be a big IF, I had a 86% chance that I would never be able to use the left hand side of my body again. I looked him in the eyes and said “You get me through this and make sure I wake up and I will do the rest”.
Nine and a half hours later I was out of surgery. I had survived the operation and my fight back to health had begun. For the first two weeks I thought I had lost the sight in my right eye and I couldn’t see my son for about two weeks because I looked so horrific.
Slowly, with sheer determination and stubborness, demanding cold compresses for my eye every few hours and insisting on getting up and walking around, I gained back some strength. One morning I finally managed to open my right eye enough to see a blurred image. Three and a half weeks later I was determined to go home.
My surgeon came to see me every few days and told me I was a walking miracle. But 5% of the tumour had to be left as it was wrapped around the optic nerve of my right eye and very close to some major blood vessels - so there was a strong possibility it would start to grow back.
Once home, I was determined to get back to being a fighting-fit mum and go back to my job as a primary school teacher. It was a job I loved, but I had lost an incredible amount of weight very quickly so was sent for tests. The results showed I had developed an over active thyroid and, after noticing a lump on my neck, was told I had a toxic nodule or goiter and that my bloods were off the scale. I was given three options. One - to have it surgically removed, two to have radioactive therapy (which would give me an underactive thyroid and I would then be on drugs for the rest of my life) or three to go on to temporary drugs. I knew it was because my body was in shock and refused and said I would see the consultant again in six months.
I had always been into natural health and heathy eating as was my mother and I knew that there had to be an alternative. I found an amazing medical herbalist who had a clinic close to my home and a nutritionist. Between the advice on what to eat, but largely taking herbs, my bloods slowly went back to normal and the goiter began to disappear. I went back to the consultant six months later, having gone back to my job as a teacher and feeling better than I had in years. She was astonished, telling me that what I had managed to do was impossible and that my condition could not be cured, but whatever I was doing just keep doing it.
It was then that I truly realised how amazing herbs and the foods that we put in our bodies were and how they can affect our health and wellbeing. My love affair with herbs had truly begun.
I went on a herbal retreat to Trill Farm (owned by the founder of Neals Yards) where I met an amazing herbalist and I realised I wanted to give something back and my calling was to become a herbalist. The path I wanted to take had always been there in the background, but it had taken a health scare so profound for me to realise this was my true path.
My tumour did start to grow again, and I have lost nearly all the sight in my right eye. I have been told by my consultant that I will need to undergo a course of Radiotherapy every day for 6 weeks in the near future but remain optimistic as over the last two years I have managed to keep it stable. I have met some amazing people since my brain tumour was discovered who have inspired me to continue my dream to become a herbalist and I have just finished the first year of a part-time apprenticeship with the well-known herbalist who so inspired me. She runs the course at her home and clinic in the Cotswolds.
I remain determined to continue with year two, alongside an online herbal course to gain my accreditation, so I can become a qualified herbal practitioner and set up my own clinic. I still work part time, now as an ABA Tutor working with autistic children, and I’m looking to raise funds to do the second and third year of the practical herbal apprenticeship alongside the online accreditation course at a cost of around £6,000.
If you are able to donate anything towards my dream which will enable me to help others please do.
My son (now six) is my biggest fan and inspiration. He knows all the names of the common herbs and will often go into our small garden and pick some to make herbal tea. The other day he said: “Mummy you love herbs and I love you - that makes us happy”
Organizer
Serena Jardine
Organizer
England
