Reasons to be Pretty

1 Year Brainaversary

WOW.

Today (February 16th) a year ago I was going into surgery to have a tumour removed from the middle of my brain. As I was being prepared for surgery I was told I would be having a full craniotomy. I would be losing a heap of hair and have a wicked huge scar on my head. When I woke up many hours later I had a tiny scar and tiny amount of hair gone and had endoscopic surgery. It saved my life. Without that surgery I had been given 6 months to a year at the most to live.  I did have a big bleed during surgery, it did some damage but I am still here, still alive and doing better every single day.

These things change your perspective. The little things that you thought were oh so very important before, just don't matter.

It's been an amazing year, its been challenging, frightening at times and yet it is possibly the best year I have had in a very long time. I have been working very hard to recover physically, mentally and emotionally. I have learned a lot about the brain and how it "heals" and the funny things it does when it thinks its under threat.

This really is the beginning of the rest of my life. I have a future now that I never dared to dream of having. I have sent off for information to start study again and I'll (hopefully ) start a traineeship in June. I am excited and inspired and very much looking forward to being more and more involved in life.

Next month (13 months post op) My husband an I are going to be taking part in the Twilight running festival here in Brisbane to raise funds for cancer research. My littlest brother and I are also putting together a team for Relay for Life (24 hour relay) in November also to raise funds for cancer research. I am overjoyed to now be ABLE to do these things and I love doing them.

I have a lot of people to thank For their help support and love along this journey. My family first and foremost for living with me with this beast in my head for eight years and through the last year in recovery. My beautiful friends who have been so gentle with me in my recovery. I can not begin to describe just how very much you have each helped and how very much of an impact it has had on my life.

There is just SO much running through my head this morning! I can't seem to grab the end of any one thread to nail it down :) I suspect it's going to be a big day of reflection.