Almost three years ago, Patty’s* sinus infection lingered for two months despite several treatments. Then, she began getting horrible headaches. Simply put . . . she felt miserable.
* Her real name, used with permission.
Boom in Her Head
In addition to the headaches that wouldn’t go away, the unexpected “boom” in her head on a Wednesday in August led Patty’s co-worker, who is a nurse, to say, “You have a brain tumor. You need to get a CT scan.” Startled by her words, Patty scheduled a CT scan for Thursday morning. Despite the results showing no problems, Patty fainted Thursday night.
Patty’s brain tumor – just above her right ear (image inverted)
On Friday morning, she shared with her nurse co-worker how she’d fainted the previous night. She recommended Patty have another CT scan. This time with dye. By Friday afternoon, Patty’s new CT results were alarming: a brain tumor about the size of a tangerine was located just above her right ear. “It has to be removed immediately,” the doctor said.
Lightning Speed
The swirl of events to prepare for brain surgery on Tuesday happened at lightning speed. Scheduling a pre-op appointment with a neurosurgeon for Monday solidified the reality she had a brain tumor and it would be removed during brain surgery in just a few days.
Having always been healthy and active, hearing the words ‘brain surgery’ stunned and terrified her. By Monday, dozens of people had shared their opinions about what she should or shouldn’t do regarding the surgery, and whether or not she should do chemotherapy. All of those opinions combined with processing such a serious surgery, she admitted she was an emotional wreck.
Her teenage daughter lost her father to a heart attack the previous year, so she was filled with fear at the thought of losing her mom, too. Patty tried to downplay the surgery, telling her, “It’s going to be fine.” Downplaying it with her son who was just starting his family was also important.
Patty’s husband, James, was frightened and struggled with the seriousness of her health. Praying together over the weekend helped both of them feel more at peace.
James and Patty
The Right Chart?
Her five hour surgery on Tuesday went well, with no complications. Even though her family knew the results of the surgery, they asked the doctor to tell Patty. Wednesday’s news from the neurosurgeon was unexpected and terrifying: “The biopsy of the tumor we removed showed it is malignant. You have adenocarcinoma with disease to the brain and stage 4 HER-2 breast cancer.”
She’d just had a mammogram in April, which made the news of breast cancer hard to understand. Patty remembers thinking, “Are you sure you have the right chart?” It all felt surreal.
She went home from the hospital on Thursday afternoon with a directive to see an oncologist.
My Whole Life Turned Upside Down
“Having brain surgery caused me to feel like my whole life turned upside down. While recovering, I realized I had nothing but time. I had no choice but to examine my life,” she remembers. “God literally put me on my back with plenty of time to read, study, and pray.” Praying healing Scriptures twice a day filled her with hope.
Through that time with God, Patty begged God for direction, which then turned to introspection. Things she hadn’t dealt with suddenly became important. “I learned I had to surrender to God’s will in those areas.” She was determined not to miss the lessons her health struggles were teaching her.
An Innovative Treatment
In September, Patty began full-on, aggressive chemo treatments. It wasn’t long before her hair began falling out. After insurance approved it, she began taking Tykerb and Herceptin. She will take these medications for the rest of her life in hopes of keeping cancerous cells from forming in her body.
When Patty went for her chemo treatments, she would hold a cross in her hand. It filled her with courage and hope. When questioned about the cross, Patty shared her love for God, even offering hope to a women who shared she had no one.
To make sure all the cancerous cells were gone from her brain, Patty underwent an innovative treatment called Gamma Knife. It is a one-time non-invasive stereotactic radiosurgery instrument that uses more than 200 precisely focused gamma radiation beams of Cobalt-60 radiation to destroy malignant tumors. As a follow up and to make sure there are no new growths, Patty has to have an MRI every 3 months.
PET scans, more biopsies, and other tests were completed. The test revealed the cancer had moved into her lymph nodes, so she had surgery in January of 2014.
Through all of this, Patty was determined to continue working as an administrative assistant in a medical office, but in May of 2014, she decided it was time to quit working and focus on her health. Currently, Patty is helping care for her grandmother, which she knows is helping her grandmother in HER time of need.
Learn New Truths
Patty’s journey has been filled with opportunities to learn new truths:
- God allowed me to face hardships, so I can help others through their hardships.
- I can show empathy for others by calling, texting, and sending notes of encouragement and hope.
- I’ m going to spend the rest of my life doing something worthwhile. No more of the boring, daily grind.
- I need to take better care of my body through nutrition and exercise.
- It’s important to be grateful for everyone and everything in my life.
Upside Down to Right Side Up
Patty showing her overcomer “O”
Almost three years after her sudden and unexpected brain surgery, Patty is no longer upside down. In fact, she’s definitely right side up.
She will continue facing her cancer struggle in that she will take chemo medications for the rest of her life, BUT Patty has chosen an overcomer’s mindset. A mindset that focuses on the positives in her life, being more compassionate and understanding of others, and how she can walk alongside/support others who have a cancer diagnosis.
Colossians 3:15 (Amplified version) was Patty’s “go to” verse during her recovery. It says, “Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always].”
Patty, You are a shining light of hope. i am grateful that you are an overcome! Blessings to you.
What an amazing story of strength! You’ve conquered so much and yet still have to continue to fight. I am in awe of your line about no more daily grind! doing things much more meaningful! YAY! Keep up the faith and prayers, as I know many are still praying for you each day! God can heal and each day is a blessing that we have here in our “earth suits”. HUGS!
Wow, Patty, thank you for allowing Melony to share your amazing story. To God be the glory!
So proud to call Patty my friend! What a blessing you are to me!
you are an inspiration to me. i love you so much and so hate that you have been thru this. you keep looking on the bright side always with a smile. i am proud to call you my “daughter”.