I was diagnosed with Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma (JNA) which is NON CANCEROUS!! at the age of 12. It grows in the back of the nose, and in my case it began growing in my brain and behind my optic nerves, the surgery was a success and medical history was made. AMA.

Proof - http://imgur.com/h5e4P7O

/u/rbrychckn simplifies the document I used as proof:

"I'm in this field, so I thought I'd try to simplify the proof document that the OP supplied. The Progress Notes section just lists the multiple procedures that were performed. The class of procedures this falls into is Endoscopic Skull-Base Surgery. A not-quite-the-same but conceptually accurate video is here. The "Stereotactic image guidance" is pretty new and takes a CT scan of the head that was taken before surgery and we place that on a computer screen in the operating room. Using bony landmarks on the head (tip of the nose, bones around the eyes), a set of many electrodes are placed on the face. A probe is used to point at a specific point and the computer shows you where that probe is on the CT scan. A good real-world view of what they look at is here.

"IMAX ligation" has nothing to do with 3D movies. It stands for internal maxillary artery ligation which means that this artery was tied off. This almost certainly means the OP's tumor was being supplied blood from here. As others have noted, this is benign so it is not cancer. Staging of benign tumors do not have the same connotations as a stage IV terminal cancer. Nonetheless, this is dangerous mostly because of where it is (next to the brain) and any mass that continues to grow will erode into nearby structures even if it doesn't invade into them.

Last, the numbness that the OP is describing make sense as the tumor and the surgery was near the nasopalatine nerve that come through the inside of the nose down toward the roof of the mouth or palate. The lip numbness is tougher to explain anatomically but still make sense from what he went through."

Commonly asked questions

Lasting symptoms

-I have numbness of my lip, the upper right portion, the roof of my mouth, and my nose.

-I can only cry out of one eye (left)

Symptoms that made you check it out

-Migraines weekly

-Constant stuffed right nostril

-A very chubby face, chubby cheeks, chubby underneath the eyes. I looked very swollen.

Cognitive side affects

-None

Did you die

-No

Did they let you keep it after surgery

-No, they are using it for studies.

Did you have to start cooking meth

-No, I'm not a chemistry teacher.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, AND CONCERNS!

Comments: 1048 • Responses: 88  • Date: 

Smeeee906 karma

Hey, just a word of caution. Be careful with your personal information. your proof picture includes your first name, date of birth, treating hospital, and medical record number. You may want to censor it further

EDIT: there you go, OP. Carry on.

Unspoken_Myth412 karma

Updated. Thank you!

Floodman11231 karma

How many surgeries did you go through?

What sorts of thoughts or fears went through your head when you heard about the tumour?

Also, did you keep the tumour?

Good to hear you're still kicking!

Edit: spelling it tumour because I'm Australian. We like our u's chilling after the o

Edit 2: re-wording

Unspoken_Myth326 karma

I went through two surgeries, the first one was to seal off the tumor so that I wouldn't bleed out during the surgery. The second one was the removal of the JNA.

I was more worried for my family than myself because they were making it a bigger deal than I was. I couldn't quite comprehend the severity of the situation I guess.

Unfortunately they wouldn't let me :( but I did name it Marla.

Thanks so much!

Floodman11145 karma

Hehehe, Marla the tumour, I like that!

Fair enough, I would bet being that young when diagnosed would cause that lack of comprehension. Has there been any side effects at all since the the removal?

Unspoken_Myth145 karma

Oh Marla.

I have numbness on the roof of my mouth, numbness on the right side of my upper lip, and occasionally I have some renk shit come out of my nose.

_al_p103 karma

"Marla, the little scratch on the roof of your mouth that would heal if only you would stop tonguing it, but you can't".

Unspoken_Myth88 karma

The very one.

Floodman1187 karma

That's unlucky... although, considering the alternative, not too bad. Unfortunately you'll never again feel the pain of the 'roof of the mouth pizza burn' though :P

Unspoken_Myth152 karma

Hot pizza, is the best pizza.

BronJaswell33 karma

Could you describe the shit that occasionally comes out of your nose.

There was no non-creepy way to ask that question. I tried.

Unspoken_Myth45 karma

Hahahah no worries. It kinda looked like this , that , and the other at least three times a week.

get_Ishmael24 karma

i'm a bit jealous. does it hurt?

Unspoken_Myth27 karma

Nope. Just stinks. Doesn't happen as often anymore thankfully.

lumpytuna13 karma

Do you get that checked out on the regular? If there's low level infection then things could get very nasty very quickly if your immune system is ever struggling. That'd suck.

Unspoken_Myth42 karma

No, but I keep my nose pristine. Generally using this awful invention

Zoethor221 karma

Dear sweet jesus what IS that? Leftover tumor bits?

Unspoken_Myth16 karma

Hahah scabs general mucus bloody disgustingness. Probably some left over tumor and gauze. Who knows.

Zoethor218 karma

Seriously, if that was coming out of my nose I would probably faint.

Unspoken_Myth27 karma

I puked a couple of times because the taste. sometimes they would fall in the back of my throat and I had to swallow them cause I would start choking. If I were to try and spit em out I would taste them and just pukes

Rusalka_17 karma

I had jaw surgery at the beginning of this year and I didn't connect that my disgusting bogies might be related to surgery. I've also got the weird numbness. The left half of my lower lip is painfully tingly and I've got numb teeth. But I can bite into ice cream now!

Unspoken_Myth11 karma

Yay for ice cream!! Glad to hear you are doing well!

sarcasmplease49 karma

Why did you name it Marla?

Unspoken_Myth177 karma

Fightclub.

zissou71339 karma

When you got "Marla" removed, did she tell you that you were the world thing that's ever happened to her?

Unspoken_Myth115 karma

No, but she told me I was great in bed.

FleshField3 karma

Had a friend that was diagnosed with testicular cancer and given 97% chance of success. He did not make it through chemo. Every day on facebook he made it out to be a joke and constantly stated "I dont understand why everyones making this a big deal" and unfortunately that was the last status update he made. I believe this is why its a big deal..you never really know what will happen.

Unspoken_Myth3 karma

I'm sorry to hear about your friend. Hope you yourself are doing alright. Thanks for sharing, best of luck to you.

SuperPantry137 karma

Do you look at life differently? Or death differently ?

Unspoken_Myth359 karma

I look at life as more of a gift than I used to. Around that age I thought that I deserved to be here, however after that whole thing, it hit me that I really deserved nothing.

dyoonhee135 karma

How old are you now and do you feel that your illness has caused you to ''grow up'' faster and miss out on being a carefree child??

Unspoken_Myth190 karma

I'm 17 now, and yeah it did make me grow up. It put things into perspective, however I think that I'm a decently carefree child.

JewBoySandler123 karma

Man... You're 17? I'm 17... Do you play Xbox? Nothing would make me happier than to play Xbox with you.

Unspoken_Myth127 karma

Message me your gamertag.

Unidan78 karma

How did you know to first get it diagnosed? How was it detected?

Unspoken_Myth66 karma

I had a constant stuffiness in my right nostril, we originally thought it was allergies and got many nose sprays prescribed. Eventually they decided to take a look and found out it definitely was not allergies.

Vidarr8873 karma

First off I'm glad to see you made it out okay! What were some of your symptoms? What prompted you to go and see a doctor?

Unspoken_Myth104 karma

Thank you! The symptoms were a stuffed up right nostril every day and night, and migraines at least once a week. What promoted my family to take me to a doctor was the constant stuffiness I had, it affected my sleeping mostly.

americanadiandian129 karma

I'm suddenly concerned that I have a stage 4 brain tumor...

Unspoken_Myth600 karma

Go to WebMD for an accurate analysis.

prettehkitteh40 karma

Just wanted to say that it's so awesome you have a great sense of humor after everything you'be been through. You've made me laugh throughout this whole thread. Congrats on your recovery!

Unspoken_Myth37 karma

I appreciate the support! Thank you

Vidarr8833 karma

How bad were the migraines? We talking like debilitating?

Unspoken_Myth56 karma

They were decently bad, but they could have certainly been worse. I had alot of trouble focusing on anything and I was VERY sensitive to light. I usually took something (I don't remember what the pill was called) and laid down for half an hour to an hour until it went away.

supersooshi39 karma

How did they find out it was a tumor?

Unspoken_Myth62 karma

They stuck a camera up my nose and found a blockage, then they did an MRI.

Rageanoid44 karma

I usually check mine with my finger.

Unspoken_Myth38 karma

They generally do the same.

NoOnesAnonymous12 karma

For what period of time did you have the migraines and stuffiness? A few months? A year?

Unspoken_Myth14 karma

a few months. probably half a year.

takaznik64 karma

I don't really have anything to ask, I'm just glad to see that this says HAD instead of HAVE.

Have a wonderful life brah.

Unspoken_Myth29 karma

Thank you for the kind words!

takenwithapotato62 karma

How does it feel to be free?

Unspoken_Myth103 karma

It felt great. I could breathe finally, and the migraines went away.

takenwithapotato62 karma

Grats buddy... live your life!

Unspoken_Myth56 karma

Thanks so much!

watersgreat46 karma

Did they give you the bad news straight up or, because of your age, keep it quiet? And, when you heard the news, what was your personal opinion on your chances for survival?

Unspoken_Myth74 karma

They talked to my parents separately and gave them the run down, and my parents told me that we would need to go to Philadelphia to get my tumor (first time I heard what it was) removed.

I wasn't too worried then, but now that I'm more grown I realize I actually had a pretty slim chance.

Edit: However, at the hospital they did tell me straight up the risks, what they were going to do, and how it might affect me.

coolio57943 karma

Ahh they sent you to CHOP. I always thought that was an awful abbreviation for a hospital of any kind let alone a children's hospital. Needless to say I was terrified when I heard that I had to go to CHOP to see a doctor about my kidneys when I was younger.

Unspoken_Myth28 karma

CHOP is the bomb! Did they chop out your kidneys?

coolio5795 karma

Haha no, to my gratitude. I had to wear a weird catheter for about a week though so they could figure out what was wrong with me.

Unspoken_Myth5 karma

Yep. I know the pain. So strange..

ballju42 karma

"I had a stage 4 brain tumor" I was browsing reddit and started to tear up. No Questions just I'm sorry that you had a Stage 4 brain tumor. I married my wife in September and in May my Mother-in-Law was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer and the tumor was removed and then 3 weeks later it was back to its original size. Three months from diagnosis to death was three months (she died July of this year). Her trial was pain and I'm glad she is in a better place (I believe in a God).

I wish you the best of luck and I hope that you have a long life.

Unspoken_Myth37 karma

I'm so sorry to hear about your Mother-in-Law. Best of luck to you, thank you for stopping by and saying something.

raldara38 karma

Glad you are doing well and I'm sorry you had to go through such a scary thing.

I think it is important for people to note that "stage 4" is used in staging a lot of tumors, but typically people are used to hearing it terms of meaning "most severe cancer" and it can mean many different things in terms of which specific disease it is being used to describe. Often this means the tumor has metastasized into remote areas of the body.

JNA is generally benign (see his proof paper, his was benign), and staging info seems unclear... http://radiopaedia.org/articles/staging-of-juvenile-nasopharyngeal-angiofibromas

Can you tell us why yours was classified as stage 4 JNA? Was it the involvement of the optic nerves?

Why was medical history made? did you get into the medical literature for treating your unique condition?

I was treated for a childhood issue that they discovered a new treatment for and I'm in some medical literature (as child B, lol). It's pretty cool to know your case will help someone else in the future. :)

Unspoken_Myth57 karma

Yes, the tumor was benign.

It was classified as a stage 4 JNA because of the size, as well as its interference with my optic nerves.

The surgeon decided the morning of the surgery to use a device that was never used in any kind of surgery in the head before and he was able to remove all but two little pieces without having to open my head.

douchermann15 karma

Did they open your head to go back for the two little pieces?

Unspoken_Myth42 karma

Nope, that little bit of Marla is still with me.

rbrychckn10 karma

What device is that? Stereotactic endoscopy? A robot?

Unspoken_Myth26 karma

Unfortunately I can't say, that stuff is confidential for reasons I don't know.

Slaytounge36 karma

Do you have a pretty gnarly scar?

Has it had a large and long lasting impact on your family's financial state?

Was it just surgery or chemo and radiation?

Thanks for the AMA and congrats on recognizing life as a gift at such an early age, many never do.

Unspoken_Myth75 karma

No scars, that's why it was medical history.

No, we were lucky and had great insurance and friends that supported us with frequent flyer miles and we stayed at the Ronald McDonald house; which is a great organization that everyone should support.

My first surgery was a radiation to stop the bleeding, however the tumor was benign.

Thank you and thank you for the questions!

coolhandseth21 karma

Yay science! Very cool that your family has not had to endure a financial burden from this. Also, the Ronald McDonald house is fantastic. My cousin was in the hospital for a while (months) several years ago, and my family raved about how great everything and everyone was. I am glad you had a similar positive experience.

Unspoken_Myth5 karma

The Ronald McDonald house is the shit. How is your cousin doing?

Thank you for the kind words.

mjh8428 karma

you said you're 17 now? senior in HS? looking at college?

Unspoken_Myth55 karma

Junior, I should probably start looking for a college.

eukomos28 karma

What were your odds of surviving?

Unspoken_Myth71 karma

Odds of surviving were 50/50, but the odds of having a stroke or being blind were very high. Luckily, everything went perfectly.

KoNy_BoLoGnA23 karma

What has been the most difficult part of this whole process?

Unspoken_Myth38 karma

Probably waiting for the medical team to be assembled. It took two months time, and in those two months my tumor could have ruptured and I would have bled out; most likely while I was sound asleep.

KoNy_BoLoGnA18 karma

Two months!? Why would it take that long?

Unspoken_Myth41 karma

Because it was the worst case they had, they wanted the best of the best.

Edit: for fluency.

MrDrumzOrz23 karma

Do you consider yourself lucky to be alive, or unlucky to be afflicted with it in the first place?

Unspoken_Myth44 karma

Definitely lucky to be alive. The MD did a fantastic job.

kimi2121 karma

My uncle had Stage IV cancer 20+ years ago, when bone marrow transplants were still considered experimental. His chances of survival were extremely low prior to the transplant and other treatments, but he pulled through and has been cancer-free for 20 years now. Wishing you all the best!

Unspoken_Myth19 karma

SO happy to hear that your Uncle survived and is doing well! Thank you so for stopping by and saying something. I appreciate it.

vjosiah18 karma

[deleted]

Unspoken_Myth32 karma

Not much other than school and not being able to carry my backpack for the first two months.

Alstroemerias18 karma

I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. Based on your own experiences, what would be some great ways to support him?

Unspoken_Myth23 karma

Have a positive outlook on the situation, be there for him, visit him often, ask him and his family if he needs anything or for anything to be done. It helps the situation immensely.

RIGHT-IS-RIGHT17 karma

Any brain damage?

Unspoken_Myth70 karma

None to speak of. Unless there actually is and I just don't realize it because of it.

ThomasMinotaur40 karma

My worst fear

Unspoken_Myth22 karma

Agreed.

I_Ejaculate_Clowns16 karma

Uhh, Speaking of fight club, how do you know any of this is actually happening, and you're not just punching yourself in the face?

Unspoken_Myth36 karma

I'm beginning to wonder where all this damn soap comes from.

broccolibush4216 karma

How did your family cope with this?

Unspoken_Myth29 karma

They coped with it day by day because there wasn't much that they could do to help me. However, while waiting for the medical team to be gathered (2 months), they handled the flights and housing for when we went out of state, sent out news letters to their networks, and received alot of positive karma from people they knew and did not through out the process.

Kamoda14 karma

Did they let you keep it?

Unspoken_Myth35 karma

Nope. They did let me name it though. It's name is Marla.

fallingalt14 karma

I'm not here to ask a question, I just wanna say how pleased I am for you to refer to your ailment in past tense.

Unspoken_Myth10 karma

Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate it.

zubumafeau14 karma

What was it like to be given a diagnosis that could have quite possibly been terminal and to come through it? I've heard many patients end up with a serious void or emptiness after coming through similar situations.

I think most patients who feel this way tend to be older, so I'd love to know how ending this chapter of you life feels for you.

At any rate, congrats on making it through. I hope it remains complication free from now on.

Unspoken_Myth14 karma

I was too young to understand the complexity of the situation. However, I could sorta tell it was decently bad because of the way my parents acted toward it. I don't have any void or emptiness because of this luckily, and I think that I'm living a much happier life because of this.

Thank you so much, as do I.

willdill13 karma

Hey, good for you man! I'm really happy to hear it was success.

My friend's dad wasn't so lucky, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and 4 months later, he was gone.

What were the symptoms for you? EDIT: Read the answer, Thanks!

Unspoken_Myth11 karma

Thank you for the kind words sir or madam. I'm sorry to hear about your dads friend, best of luck to their family.

Milk_mann13 karma

I lost my grandfather to a stage 4 tumor behind his nose last July. It was a horrible thing to watch progress. It started behind his nose and traveled down to his neck. His eyes eventually crossed and couldn't breathe through his nose. The last time he went to the doctor they offered surgery, but he decided against it and chose a different route, basically assisted suicide. The doctor prescribed him two drugs, that when combined is lethal. My hats off to you, young man.

Unspoken_Myth6 karma

So sorry to hear about your grandfather. I'm sure he was a wonderful man and will be remembered. Thank you for the kind words.

AlphaoftheNorth11 karma

Do you live in the states? Any medical bills?

Unspoken_Myth13 karma

I do. Yes.

tired_papasmurf3 karma

How horrific were the bills?

Unspoken_Myth4 karma

Horrific.

ShiShoSha10 karma

What breakfast cereal do you feel best goes with orange juice?

Unspoken_Myth49 karma

None. They go better with milk.

Randomdeath3539 karma

How did getting it removed at such a young age affect you at the time and now?

Also are there any continuing effects e.g. Nose bleeds?

Unspoken_Myth10 karma

It affected my breathing and mindset.

No nose bleeds, but I have numbness in my nose, upper right part of my lip and roof of my mouth.

A_Dog_Chasing_Cars7 karma

How has your experience changed your outlook on life, on people, on relationships etc?

Do you or the people who know you find that your personality has changed significantly because of this experience?

Besides, I'm sure, your loved ones, what things helped you get through this experience? Without wanting to go in much detail, I've seen my share of hospitals as well and music helped me a great deal.

Glad you're here to tell the tale :)

Edit: Added more stuff.

Unspoken_Myth8 karma

I look at life more of a gift than a given.

I'd say I'm definitely more cautious about how I treat my body, and I'm much more understanding when it comes to someone who has something similar to me.

Thank you much!

MrHallmark6 karma

When you were told that you have a tumour, what was the first thing that went through your head? Did you ever think you may not make it? How did people treat you when you told them?

Unspoken_Myth13 karma

Yeah it went through my head a few times that I might not make it, but I was too young to think anything of it.

I thought I was going to be fine. Because as a 12 year old, somehow everything would turn out fine.

Sympathetically. Good intentions of course, but it was kind of strange. They were making me seem different than everyone else haha even if I was, just a strange feeling.

BadPun-tss6 karma

did OP die?

Unspoken_Myth11 karma

OP is alive and well.

phorox995 karma

I had a brain tumor in my sphenoid(idk how to spell it) cavity when i was around when i was 10(im 18 now), luckily it was benign.

I am glad to hear it was a success, I wish you nothing but happiness. Brain tumors are a terrible thing.

Unspoken_Myth3 karma

I'm glad to hear that everything went well and you are alive and well. They are indeed, but luckily there are medical professionals out there willing to help. Thank you.

Januvia4 karma

"the surgery was a success and medical history was made" Was it free?

Unspoken_Myth10 karma

It was not.

quarkjet3 karma

congratulations on the success of your treatment. it is an odd gift to live through these situations (ima cancer survivor) ... this new perspective is something not many have or keep.

Unspoken_Myth4 karma

Congratulations! It was a tough thing to live through I'm sure. I'm happy you made it through.

It should be something everyone should have.. Life is not to be taken for granted.

Chispy3 karma

How was medical history made?

Unspoken_Myth12 karma

The surgeon decided the morning of the surgery to use a device that was never used in any kind of surgery in the head before and he was able to remove all but two little pieces without having to open my head.

bogdaniuz3 karma

Do you think you and your family didn't react to your abnormal migraines too fast? I'm not sure how fast brain tumors develop but 4th stage is pretty severe. Or they didn't act up 'till the last stage?

Unspoken_Myth5 karma

We had no idea. The migraines were thought to be part of allergies apparantly. By the time we got it checked out to see if anything was actually going on in my noggin, it was a stage 4 and we got help immediately.

bogdaniuz1 karma

As a sidequestion, if it wasn't treatable do you think skydive suicide is the best kind of suicide?

Unspoken_Myth3 karma

The best kind of suicide is none at all.

Sky diving would've been the obvious option though.

le_mous3 karma

What helpful advice would you give someone facing a similar/same diagnosis?

Unspoken_Myth5 karma

Hakuna Matata

No but in all seriousness, I would suggest you visit a doctor, explore your options THOROUGHLY and choose the best one. But chances are, even if you are an adolescent boy, you won't get it.

Prunecandy2 karma

I buddy of mine fought against JNA for a long time. In high school he would constantly gain and loose weight. He was always a big guy, but to see what he went through was hard. We lost him last year after a long battle. I am glad that you were able to be successfully treated man.

Unspoken_Myth2 karma

SO sorry to hear about your friend.. Thank you for the kind words, best of luck.

just_an_averagedude2 karma

you said you "had" stage 4 cancer does that mean its gone now and if so how was it treated?

Unspoken_Myth6 karma

I didn't say I had stage 4 cancer, I said a stage 4 tumor. Not all tumors are cancerous. See /u/raldara for an explanation on stages of tumors.

cetiken2 karma

Did you develop psychic powers?

Unspoken_Myth4 karma

No, but I did develop an amazing sense of smell. In fact, I can smell you from here.

ET3RNA42 karma

Hello, my uncle (he was 39) passed away from stage 4 brain cancer about a year ago. I was pretty close to him and was devastated when I found out he had it. However, I have no doubt in my mind that we made his last couple of years very enjoyable. We had family gatherings, birthday parties, etc. Anyway, my question is how has your family changed and since been treating you, now that you have brain cancer?

Unspoken_Myth1 karma

I do not have brain cancer, nor did I ever. Luckily it was a benign (non cancerous) tumor. The unwanted mass has been removed and I've been healthy since, luckily my family treats me as if I've never had it, normal.

jonalev2 karma

You went from stage 2 to stage 4? That was fast.

Unspoken_Myth7 karma

Haha, I read that thread and thought I'd bring my personal experience to the table, considering we had different tumors.

huskyholms2 karma

Best use of the word "had" ever. Congrats!

Unspoken_Myth1 karma

Thank you so much!

ysathora2 karma

I don't have a question. I just want to say how happy I am that you're still with us.

Unspoken_Myth1 karma

Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to comment.

jwilkin2 karma

Without sounding somewhat ignorant, what is JNA? Is it a form of cancer?

How much would the surgery of cost had you not had insurance?

Did your condition cause any conflict in your family?

Did the doctors tell you that they were going to be using the special machine on you before the surgery or not? If yes, did it worry you or your family any more than you/they already were?

What was your recovery after the surgery like?

Do you think a free health service (such as the NHS over here in the UK) would of benefited you more or do you think you were better off with the private treatment you received?

Thanks for doing this AMA, sorry I've asked so much! Glad to hear you're back on your feet.

Unspoken_Myth1 karma

JNA is a BENIGN tumor (non cancerous) that occurs in adolescent males.

Half a million.

None whatsoever

I don't believe so, but they told my parents. I was already knocked out.

Not too bad, had about 12 feet of medical gauze stuffed up my nose for some strange reason, got that removed, and recovery took about a week before I could leave, and about a month before I was normal and healthy.

I think free health service should be a thing in the U.S., but with our insurance we lucked out and didn't have to pay that much.

No worries, happy to answer. Thank you for the kind words!

jderm12 karma

What were the symptoms before you knew you had a tumor? How did you first get diagnosed?

Unspoken_Myth5 karma

Constant stuffed right nostril and migraines at least once a week. We went to the doctor several times and they said it was most likely allergies, but when none of the treatments worked they took a closer look and found out it was JNA.

chrisbravo242 karma

Did you at any point accepted that you would probably died? Did you made peace with this idea or did you always had faith you would survive this?

Unspoken_Myth3 karma

I was too young to comprehend death. I thought that whatever happend would happen and it was no big deal.

Ulsterman242 karma

Something something Breaking Bad reference.

Also, congratulations on living good Sir. I doff my cap to your good fortune.

Unspoken_Myth2 karma

Thank you much! I appreciate it

Cobrakilla1 karma

It may of been asked, but when my grandfather had cancer he moved to a more spiritual approach to stay positive. Does that really help you or does it help the family more than the cancer patient?

Anyways good job. Keep fighting the good fight and have a long and happy life :D

Unspoken_Myth1 karma

I'm not a spiritual person, however it is comforting to use that approach. I put my faith in the doctors to do what they could. It's different for each person.

Thank you! I appreciate it.

Buttbadgers1 karma

The number one question burning in my mind is, Did they let you keep it? like in a jar of formaldehyde. I mean personally I would've wanted to keep it to ceremoniously Stab it repeatedly and burn it.

Unspoken_Myth3 karma

I wish :( they kept it for studies.

Dontinquire1 karma

Did you beat that level and move on to stage 5?

Unspoken_Myth1 karma

I lost and moved down four stages.

dsez891 karma

I also have a brain tumor, was discovered when I was in the first grade. The teacher thought I was having issues reading/squinting so they sent me in to get glasses. During the visual field test they realized I was completely blind in my right eye. I at the time never noticed or new a difference as I was 6 and thats how I always viewed the world, through one eye apparently. After an MRI they discovered I have a brain tumor on my optic nerve next to the patuatary gland. Did a biopsy during winter break of '95 (still the first grade), and determined it wasn't cancerous. I have had periodical check ups since and no growth has been detected. I rarely notice and don't have any noticeable disabilities due to it, most people don't believe me when I tell them. I also have a cool scare on my head going from behind my right ear to the middle of my head curving down to my hair line. Glad to hear you are doing well, its a amazing how far modern medicine has come.

Unspoken_Myth1 karma

Thank you for sharing your story, I'ts a relief to hear that its not cancerous. Thank modern medicine for sure.

sharkattax1 karma

Since it was a brain tumour, did it affect your perception at all? Did you suffer from any hallucinations?

Unspoken_Myth1 karma

The only thing I can think of would be sometimes the room would start to swirl and I would get dizzy. Aside from that nothing.

stevejaramillo0 karma

what are you doing to do before you die?

Unspoken_Myth8 karma

Live healthy, hopefully.

[deleted]-6 karma

[deleted]

Unspoken_Myth8 karma

I don't remember.