Ependymoma Does Not Define Us
CERN Inspirational Story
By Vickie
In December of 2013, as I was getting out of the shower, I lost my balance and fell hard on my tailbone. The fall knocked the wind out of me. I finally got up and went about my day with some pain, which was expected, from the fall. Over the next couple of weeks, the pain intensified and my fiancé took me to a local emergency room. I was treated for the pain. I was told to follow-up with my primary physician as the CT scan showed what they suspected to be a herniated disc.
A couple of days later, the pain subsided. At the time, I was the mother of an eleven-year-old, enrolled in nursing school and planning my wedding. I figured that I pinched a nerve, causing the pain and that no further follow-up was necessary. Life continued on as usual.
About five weeks after our wedding, I felt a sharp pain as I tried to get out of bed. Again, we didn’t think much of it, figuring that I pulled a muscle or pinched a nerve. A couple of days later, the pain was worse and my husband suggested that we again go to the emergency room. I explained my symptoms to the nurse practitioner and she ordered another CT scan. The scan showed no abnormalities, so they decided that I had a sciatic nerve inflammation, wrote me a prescription for painkillers and sent us home.
The Pain Was Caused By A Tumor
Although we returned to the ER four times the next week, the pain intensified and our questions remained unanswered. My husband decided it was time to call a neurosurgeon. He scheduled an appointment for the following day. By that time, I was not able to do anything because the pain had become crippling. An ambulance had to be called and the neurosurgeon admitted me to the hospital.