Therapist Talia West, 27, experienced a range of worrying symptoms over the course of a year, including dizziness, fatigue, cognitive problems and migraines, and was told she just had an ear infection. However, it turned out to be a rare brain tumor.
The Melbourne, Australia native finally realized she was sick after seeing multiple doctors. pituitary tumor, specifically a Rathke fissure cyst located near the base of the skull. Pituitary tumors start in the pituitary gland, a small gland located at the back of the nose.a Radke cleft cyst A benign or noncancerous fluid-filled sac that can cause loss of hormonal function.
unusual symptoms
Thalia also developed cognitive issues out of nowhere. “All of a sudden, her memory became bad,” she said. “One day you forget the most basic things, and the next day you’re fine.” RELATED: Doctors tell 42-year-old father that his fatigue was due to COVID-19 for a long time, but it was a brain tumor: Know the signs
“I couldn’t think too much about it because there was always something else going on, like a migraine,” she continued, adding that the pain was “worst in the morning and late at night,” sometimes with fever. I pointed out what happens. There were flashes of chills and “attacks of incomprehensible blurred vision.”
When Talia experienced sudden hearing loss in one ear and a “wet” sensation in her ear, her general practitioner suspected an ear infection and sent her to a specialist. Her doctor told her, “There’s nothing wrong,” and she said, “She went to the hospital.” “What do you think?” she said.
Thankfully, her first healthcare provider was determined to thoroughly understand her condition and eventually ordered an MRI scan, which is how Talia discovered she had a mass. It became.
learn her diagnosis
“I was in denial about it for a while,” Talia said. “I didn’t want to believe it.”
“It was very overwhelming and scary to know that something was growing in my brain,” she added. And unfortunately, she had to wait several more months to see a neurosurgeon.
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After further tests, Tahlia was told, as is often the case with this type of tumor, that the surgical risks meant it was not worth removing. Instead, she is monitored every few months.
“I cried at that time and it was scary because I didn’t really understand it. I felt very alone. My symptoms are very rare and very few doctors know about this.”
Currently, there is no treatment that can help her, and Tahlia, who hopes to one day have children with her partner, is still suffering from intermittent symptoms, even though they still cause her great distress. I’m just trying to live as normally as possible. But at least she knows what’s going on with her body and why it’s causing her symptoms, which gives her some peace of mind.
Talia is sharing her story to encourage others to seek medical help. “By sharing red flags, we were able to build a community and make friends who were in the same position.”
Focus on mental health through health challenges
As a therapist, Thalia knows that taking care of your mental health is extremely important when you are experiencing serious health issues.
People may turn to a variety of means to cope, including traditional therapy, support groups, meditation, and sometimes medical interventions such as antidepressants. When faced with new challenges, it’s important to ensure that these coping mechanisms necessary to care for your mental health remain functional throughout the process.
“I think flexibility is at the heart of how we manage it.” Dr. Samantha BoardmanThe New York-based psychiatrist and author told Survivor.net in a previous interview. “Are the coping strategies I use now as helpful as they were in the past?”
Dealing with long-term mental health
Dr. Boardman encourages people struggling with mental health to examine their belief systems and ask themselves the following questions:
- Could these beliefs be causing me harm (such as self-doubt or negative emotions)?
- Is my way of thinking preventing me from taking positive steps?
Dr. Boardman suggests recognizing negative thoughts that may be making the process more difficult and working to dismantle those thoughts (which can contribute to further stress on the body) doing.
Ask your doctor about a referral to a mental health professional and understand that it may take time to find the right person for you.
protect your health
Be a little pushy when it comes to your health. You know your body better than anyone.
When you see a doctor for a problem, don’t hesitate to make sure your questions are fully answered and that you are happy with your plans moving forward. From a physician’s perspective, every problem requires diagnosis, treatment (or consideration of options to alleviate symptoms, as in Thalia’s case), a plan for follow-up, and a plan for what happens next.
As a patient, if you feel like you are not accomplishing each of these four things, ask. Even if it requires multiple office visits or seeing an additional health care provider for a second opinion. Like Talia, always be an advocate for yourself.
Be forceful and advocate for yourself — don’t compromise.
“Every time you come in as a patient, you have to have a plan for what your doctor is going to do for you. If that doesn’t work, you have to have a plan for what the next plan is.” Dr. Zuri Murrelldirector of Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, told Survivor.net in a previous interview.
“And I think that’s totally fair. And that’s what I, as a medical professional, do with every patient.”
What causes Radtke’s cleft cyst?
According to Radtke cleft cyst, john hopkins medicine, there is no external cause from what is currently known. These slow-growing sacs are thought to form during fetal development and grow in a small space at the base of the brain.
What are the symptoms of Radtke’s cleft cyst?
Radtke’s cleft cyst can press on the nerve from the eye to the brain, causing changes in vision and changes in vision. Other symptoms include:
- frequent headaches
- nausea
- Feeling tired or sleepy
- Confusion, changes in personality or behavior
Cysts can also affect the body’s hormones secreted by the pituitary gland, which can cause symptoms such as:
- Lack of growth or delayed puberty in children
- Irregular or irregular menstruation
- Milk secretion or leakage from the breast that is not related to pregnancy
- Low blood pressure
- Constipation and other digestive problems
- low or no sex drive
- extreme thirst
- dry skin
- obesity
- Difficulty regulating body temperature
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