Lobe Yourself

I remember feeling so isolated when I was first diagnosed, it was as though I was the only person going through this, and nobody could possibly understand how I felt. I was given a leaflet about my treatment course by my Clinical Nurse Specialist, Mary, who recommended I look up The Brain Tumour Charity, when I was ready to do so- AKA after the big tantrum I was about to have.   After a simple Google I was presented with everything I needed on the easy-to-use website. I downloaded my Information Pack for those who are newly diagnosed which you can find here . In this is all the information you need about your diagnosis, your rights as a patient and how the charity works with you and for you . It turns out there's a huge community of people willing to show their support to you even if they do not have a Brain Tumour. There's also a phenomenal amount of people in my exact shoes who I've been so lucky to be connected with. I truly have never needed to go anywh...

The journey of cancer is one of identity . Cancer somehow manages to strip you of everything you believe to be, and the real challenge is to once again define who you are. I once described myself as a student, a primary school teacher living in London and chasing her dreams . On the 15th of April 2016 I became a patient, a dying woman controlled by the cancer growing through her very core. I watched my life crumble through my hands. When you battle cancer, you realise just how strong you can be when you simply need to survive. I am now happier than I have ever been and it’s thanks to my cancer. When you are sat at the bottom of the well, there will come a day when you try to get back on to your feet and start climbing. You also soon learn who is truly there to help pull you back up, and those who just came to watch. My journey has been some what up and down and its not over yet. Symptoms: It all started on a night out with my best friend where all good tales do. I ma...

It's the week of your repeat scan and nothing is okay. You feel like you might cry, vomit and spontaneously combust all at the same time. The weather is bad, there's nothing on TV and you're on your fourth KFC. Your emotions are in turmoil, you're trying not to think the worst but you can't help it. You play hearing the results in your head like a video tape. Does this sound familiar? Unfortunately, there's no way to avoid the dreaded scan and they don't feel like they get any easier each time you go.  So is there anything you can do to make the build up easier? Well I could sit here and tell you to meditate harder, check into a Spa and consume a whole bottle of  Rescue Remedy  like a shot. (Please don't.) But the truth is, none of those things will 100% rid you of nerves. This is why I choose humour for my tumour. Nothing works wonders like having a good belly laugh when you least expect it.  I recently joined the  Brain Tumours...

Time to stop just coping and start living! If I can do it so can you. Below are a few things I wish I knew when I was first diagnosed. 1 : There's no right or wrong way to process this.  We are all unique and we are all accepting something monumental in different parts of our lives. In my case, it took about 7 months to truly acknowledge that I needed to start finding ways to improve the daily quality of my life. We walk around subconsciously trying to file away the fact that we're actively suffering with a form of post traumatic stress disorder and we literally don't know what to do about it. We become disinterested, upset and unmotivated versions of ourselves- and that isn't our fault. My advice to you if you're still struggling to accept your diagnosis: find something purposeful and progressive to channel the negative energy into and make it part of your routine. A few examples that I found helped me were: Gentle Yoga once a week Doing a Min...

Stress is  commonly  experienced to an extremely high degree in those who are affected by Brain Tumours. Over time, it can manifest and present itself in the most bizarre and painful ways. One of the many presentations is  severe  muscle pain and tension. This can be anywhere in the body but is commonly found in: •  Back and side of the neck (one or both sides) •  Shoulders •  B ack •  Calves Something we all have in common is that once we have noticed that small ‘niggling’ pain it can soon be turned into something much more, and suddenly we’re stressing about having pain caused by stress!  It’s a vicious cycle and I certainly have been known to sulk about it. I recommend a good massage every 3-4 weeks on the areas you most commonly find you have pain. In a study from 2011,  regular  massage had been shown to reduce psychological stress and improve quality of life on patients with Brain Tumours, and especially those...

My journey began back in 2015 when I started University. I was studying a course called Operating Department Practice in London and was subsequently working 37.5 hours on a placement at Great Ormond Street. The hours really took a toll on my stress levels and I began to feel incredibly fatigued all of the time. I started to develop small one-sided headaches that stretched over my face. They didn't last long but they were very intense and I quickly put it down to dehydration and exhaustion: even Student Nurses sometimes don't get breaks. Regardless, I ignored it.  In my second and third year, the headaches became more of a frequent part of my life; but knowing Clinicians so well, I deduced a trip to the GP would result in me coming away with instructions to drink more water, de-stress and potentially try a migraine medication. It was around this time my gut instinct was first telling me what I really needed was an MRI.  By the time I had qualified, I was subconsc...