I Was 18 When My Right Arm Became Paralyzed—Then Came the Diagnosis
I didn’t know anything about brain tumors or the medical world, and was then suddenly thrown into the deep end.
The story begins with the author experiencing strange symptoms at the age of 17 in 2012 when their left arm started spasming randomly. The author, living in Cyprus at the time, didn't seek medical attention as they thought it was their fault for drawing attention to themselves. The spasms eventually spread to their other arm and legs, causing fainting spells and scalding themselves in bath water.
On their 18th birthday in 2013, their entire right arm became paralyzed, leading to further assessments and an MRI scan that revealed a low-grade schwannoma tumor. The author underwent surgery to remove the tumor, which was initially believed to be successful, but in 2023, an MRI scan showed that the tumor had grown back. Despite the setbacks, the author has become a strong advocate for listening to one's body and raising awareness about the experiences of living with a brain tumor.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
