Wish In One Hand

The true story of a 26 year woman who is misdiagnosed with a brain tumor and after seven agonizing days is given the correct diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

The brain tumor diagnosis left me feeling vindicated and relieved! Living with an invisible illness is torturous. Day after day listening to doctors minimalize my fears and dismiss my concerns I spiraled into an self-induced internal beat down withdrawing from family, friends and life itself thinking I was losing my mind. In a strange way the brain tumor diagnosis was a relief. There are no words powerful enough to demonstrate how much my life changed overnight astonishing myself and others with a ‘don’t worry it’s no big deal’ attitude and an amazing inner strength I never knew existed. Reality slapped me in the face and nothing would change the situation. Clearly I had only two options let the brain tumor take me down or live life to the fullest until they knock me out for surgery.

Steve picked up the phone and listened intently to the Neurosurgeon. After several minutes lapsed Steve hung up the phone turning towards me I see a smile as he says great news you do not have a brain tumor, his statement sounded unfinished, more like a question. I respond okay and… Steve continued you have multiple sclerosis. Falling dramatically into the chair behind me like a rag doll seeing images of Jerry‘s kids, telethons, wheelchairs. Mind now spinning completely out of control, I am terminally ill, I don’t have long to live, I know Steve and the Neurosurgeon are conspiring to spare me this horrible news after all I don’t have long to live anyway!