Linda’s story
Linda Johns has been accessing our support since 2015, two years after her brain tumour diagnosis. She explains the mental challenges faced when living with a brain tumour and how our support has made such a difference to her outlook.
A brain tumour diagnosis, surgery and treatment can be extremely hard mentally. It feels like taking a detour on the road you had been on your whole life, and suddenly travelling down a new and unfamiliar one. This can make you feel very vulnerable – it is the feeling of being out of control, mixed with fatigue, anxiety, fear, anger and much more.
It feels like a grief of yourself. Perhaps you no longer recognise the way you look, you can no longer do all the things you used to do, or you have had to stop working and driving – it all adds up to feeling like you’ve lost a part of you and your identity.
I was already two years post diagnosis when I found Brain Tumour Support, and then suddenly, there you were; what I had been looking for!
It is transformative to have people there who understand what you are experiencing and feeling – the ‘knowing’ that Brain Tumour Support offers is priceless. They build trust and provide a space where you feel safe enough to say all of the things that have been laying heavy on your heart. After feeling like you have to bottle it all up; there is finally somewhere to let it out. For me, that is what their support is all about.
Having people at Brain Tumour Support to help you explore, understand and reach acceptance – both in one to one, counselling and group sessions – allows you to feel more confident with yourself and keep building yourself back up.
Acceptance comes with time, and that timeframe is different for each person. But once you have accepted the new you, it makes everything easier.
Linda Johns | October 2024
