Saturday, June 25, 2011

How a Brain Tumor Survivor Makes a Better Life

My name is Stephanie Henderson and my issue is that today I live with results consistent with the removal of a slow-growing, brain-invasive, left-hemisphere, meningioma. The pathology report of the tumor suggests that an increased likelihood of recurrence of the mass exists.


The invasion and my medical care have altered my ability to communicate and my memory.

My intent for this site is to explore my deficits to the deepest levels that I can and to expose them for the medical community to digest, to help me and others in the long run.

I am trying to make a better life by structuring this blog in a way that binds me to my purpose and with any luck followers who can join me, that doesn’t allow me to escape in thought or deflect in clever witticism, by being plain and transparent. I am trying to do this in a way that is focused and requires a healthy amount of effort, of routine awareness, brutal honesty and structured chaos.

I’m just trying to reclaim as much of my health as I can and to put myself out on the Internet to see what happens.

My hope is that I will be able to increase my mindfulness through exercises (both physical and mental), and to relate to commonalities with other patients or the recommendations of care providers.

I hope to learn how to integrate the techniques of the routine exercises into my everyday life so I can draw on them so I can feel whole again.

I want to do things that feel right in my gut, and to feel liberated from the diminished capacities left by the resection and the medications and the increased likelihood of recurrence.

Will my survivor plan meet the test of time?

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