Brain & CNS Tumors stories
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2026 10:14 am
I was losing my balance and fell down the stairs, and that’s when I said to my mom that something wasn’t right. I lost my speech and the entire left side of my body from head to toe. One morning I was supposed to go for a scan, but that was the same morning I ended up in A&E. Before all this, I was a mother working full-time, living a normal daily life. Then they discovered I had a brain tumor, and everything had to stop and change. Everyone around me had to adapt to my recovery.
I was told I had 12 to 14 months to live. My husband first thought that meant how long treatment would last, and I had to hold his hands and explain that it was actually my life expectancy. That was devastating. I missed the role he had as my husband, and I missed the role I had as a mother caring for my baby. It was hard because a brain tumor changes so much. With many other illnesses, a person might still feel like the same person, but with a brain tumor you can feel completely different.
I realized that people my age could do things I couldn’t, and I’ve been trying to overcome that. It’s a real challenge because even simple tasks became extremely difficult. I couldn’t dress myself. I couldn’t tell which way around my top went. I put my shoes on the wrong feet. I tried to make a cup of tea and knew I needed the kettle, but I didn’t know what to do next. I had to relearn everything again. It was traumatic, not only for me but for my family watching me go through it. For me, I just got on with it because I was living it, but for them it was frightening. They kept wondering how I felt, how I was coping, and what was going through my mind. Sometimes what goes through loved ones’ minds is worse than what’s going through your own.
You really do need support, even from a carer’s point of view. They need reassurance too. At night my family would lie awake thinking, “What if she dies? What are we going to do? She’s our little girl.” We needed support, and we got it. At the start I had no confidence at all. Everything had been knocked out of me. I was in a wheelchair and couldn’t walk, but gradually I learned again. My confidence had been close to zero for much of my life, and this affected everything.
Macmillan Cancer Support was there for me right away, making sure I had the equipment needed for recovery so I could return home as soon as possible. At first, even getting in and out of the bath was difficult, but they provided a hoist, which was brilliant. It helped me keep my dignity. The small things meant so much. Nurses helped me become more capable and more independent than before, and that made a huge difference. They also supported me mentally by helping me understand that it was okay to be the person I am now, even after such a massive life change.
People don’t always understand brain injury or brain damage. When someone first said the words “brain damage” to me, I thought, “That’s me.” Others don’t always see it because you might be wearing makeup and smiling. I’ve used a wheelchair, a walking stick, and aids to help with balance. I even had a tray fitted because I couldn’t balance properly. Support groups for brain tumor patients are so important because you can talk to people who truly understand what you’re going through.
Now, six and a half years later, people look at me and say “wow,” because they can see how far recovery can go. Patients like me sharing our stories can help others believe progress is possible. I’m thankful for everything my mom and family have done for me, and I like to think we’re getting back to who I was, step by step.
I was told I had 12 to 14 months to live. My husband first thought that meant how long treatment would last, and I had to hold his hands and explain that it was actually my life expectancy. That was devastating. I missed the role he had as my husband, and I missed the role I had as a mother caring for my baby. It was hard because a brain tumor changes so much. With many other illnesses, a person might still feel like the same person, but with a brain tumor you can feel completely different.
I realized that people my age could do things I couldn’t, and I’ve been trying to overcome that. It’s a real challenge because even simple tasks became extremely difficult. I couldn’t dress myself. I couldn’t tell which way around my top went. I put my shoes on the wrong feet. I tried to make a cup of tea and knew I needed the kettle, but I didn’t know what to do next. I had to relearn everything again. It was traumatic, not only for me but for my family watching me go through it. For me, I just got on with it because I was living it, but for them it was frightening. They kept wondering how I felt, how I was coping, and what was going through my mind. Sometimes what goes through loved ones’ minds is worse than what’s going through your own.
You really do need support, even from a carer’s point of view. They need reassurance too. At night my family would lie awake thinking, “What if she dies? What are we going to do? She’s our little girl.” We needed support, and we got it. At the start I had no confidence at all. Everything had been knocked out of me. I was in a wheelchair and couldn’t walk, but gradually I learned again. My confidence had been close to zero for much of my life, and this affected everything.
Macmillan Cancer Support was there for me right away, making sure I had the equipment needed for recovery so I could return home as soon as possible. At first, even getting in and out of the bath was difficult, but they provided a hoist, which was brilliant. It helped me keep my dignity. The small things meant so much. Nurses helped me become more capable and more independent than before, and that made a huge difference. They also supported me mentally by helping me understand that it was okay to be the person I am now, even after such a massive life change.
People don’t always understand brain injury or brain damage. When someone first said the words “brain damage” to me, I thought, “That’s me.” Others don’t always see it because you might be wearing makeup and smiling. I’ve used a wheelchair, a walking stick, and aids to help with balance. I even had a tray fitted because I couldn’t balance properly. Support groups for brain tumor patients are so important because you can talk to people who truly understand what you’re going through.
Now, six and a half years later, people look at me and say “wow,” because they can see how far recovery can go. Patients like me sharing our stories can help others believe progress is possible. I’m thankful for everything my mom and family have done for me, and I like to think we’re getting back to who I was, step by step.