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...

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...

When I was first diagnosed with my Brain Tumour, I stood up in church to ask for healing. Following what was actually just a public meltdown someone recommended I try Mistletoe Therapy- which I thought was absolutely ludicrous. However, it turned out the lady who recommended it worked for a registered Doctor who prescribed it in various quantities and paired it with other complimentary therapies  for maximum effect . According to the  Helixor  (trade name) Website it is thought that Mistletoe Therapy can: o  Activate  the immune system and the production of  defence  cells. o  Stimulate  “programmed cell death” (apoptosis), particularly in tumo u r cells, which have lost this ability and thus multiply uncontrollably. o  Protect  the DNA of healthy cells against damage caused by cytostatic drugs, so the side effects of chemotherapy are reduced.  o  General well-being improvements , as the immune system re...

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...