A nurse discovered a brain tumor in herself by examining a poster at work.
'03.01.2019'
Source: New York Post
Nurse Cantal Smits works with patients diagnosed with brain tumors. One day, after seeing an informational poster at work, a young woman realized that she was suffering from the same disease.
For the first time, Cental began to experience periodic headaches in her first year of college in 2014. She was constantly tired and could even fall asleep at eight in the evening, but she blamed it on her overload because of her studies and work, because at that time she worked on 40 hours a week and worked hard to get an education, writes New York Post.
Smith took painkillers, but did not think that everything was so bad that I had to go to the doctor.
Four years later, the life of 22-year-old Chenthal has changed. She is now a qualified nurse anesthesiologist and assists surgeons who operate on patients with brain tumors. Before discovering the tumor in herself, the young woman suffered from severe headaches every day and took four ibuprofen tablets and four acetaminophen tablets to cope with the agony.
“But I still haven't thought too much about it,” she said, referring to the constant employment of any nurse.
“Once, while on the bus home, I felt something strange - as if rain were pouring down one side of my face. But I still didn't tell anyone about it. Comparing myself to the critically ill I saw every day, I felt that my own symptoms were insignificant and should be resigned to.
In February, 2018, when she accidentally looked at a poster hanging on the wall of a hospital, Smiths realized that she had a serious problem. The poster listed the signs and symptoms of brain tumors in young people and children.
“I thought - hey, come on, wait ... Headaches, constant fatigue, occasional visual impairments - I have it all. Maybe I should see a doctor, right, just in case? "
Turning to a doctor in the same hospital and making an MRI, Smits received disappointing information: a large tumor was formed on the brain stem.
“My first reaction was to cry,” the woman admitted. - Every day at work I see the worst, and I imagined how I would become like those patients with whom I work ... Then I did not know a lot about brain tumors. Now, of course, I know, ”she added.
Now the Smits tumor is not amenable to either study or treatment. No one still knows if she is benign. Doctors check the woman's condition every three months. Until the neoplasm grows, that's good news. The bad news is that due to the position of the tumor on the brain stem, biopsy or removal is not possible.
The student takes medication to suppress the symptoms and listens carefully to himself.
“I do yoga and practice mindfulness and eat very healthy, balanced foods with lots of antioxidants. I am given intravenous vitamins and immunomodulators. I stay as positive as I can, ”she says.
“Caring for people is my calling in life. The fact that I have a brain tumor, like many of the patients I work with, makes me a better practitioner, Smits says. "I can really empathize with them."
Smiths hopes to inspire other people with brain tumors to continue living their lives, rather than “just coping” with the circumstances, she raises money for charity and helping people with the same disease and leads an active social life.
The only thing Smits regrets is that she ignored her symptoms for too long.
“It is very important to know about the possible signs of a tumor, including in young people. In some cases, a delay in going to the doctor can mean the difference between life and death. "
