In May this year, I visited my doctor because my headaches were getting worse.<\/p>\n
The doctor asked me to describe my headaches, which was tough because I had experienced headaches my entire life. How do I describe a headache that I was born with, and that is all I have ever known?<\/p>\n
The doctor scheduled a CT scan, and in June, they found something in my brain.<\/p>\n
Since that day, everything has been a whirlwind. I was rushed to the emergency room and admitted to St Michael\u2019s Hospital for a week, where they undertook a barrage of tests. I was vomiting every day, had a mild seizure, and underwent surgery to alleviate the pressure of fluid in my brain.<\/p>\n
On June 23, I was diagnosed with pure germinoma \u2013 a rare brain tumour that limited the outflow of my brain fluid and affected my pineal gland, which produces several hormones. As it turns out, I was born with this condition, which explains why I have had headaches my whole life.<\/p>\n
In November, I completed my chemo and radiation. But afterwards, I felt like a husk of a human. I felt like I was given a new body, but I wasn\u2019t happy. I was depressed. I wanted to be alone. I wanted my life to go back to what it was before.<\/p>\n
My sister recommended me to try Wellspring, where I initially signed up for the free therapy session. While that helped me mentally, I wanted something to help me physically, which is why I signed up for the Cancer Exercise Program. At first, I thought it would be no different to any regular gym \u2013 but I was wrong. I was surrounded by other people like me who had cancer. I was told that it was OK to have anxiety. The exercise program gave me the energy to attend my sister’s baby shower. It gave me the energy to give back to my friends and family and gave me the confidence to get back out to the world. It gave me a guideline to keep my body healthy. Each exercise that I am taught has a purpose to help me and my specific situation.<\/p>\n
Joining the incredibly supportive exercise group helped me overcome my social anxiety. It\u2019s an inclusive and welcoming space where everyone helps each other and develops comradery. We’ve developed a closeness so we can help each other improve physically and become healthier versions of ourselves. We\u2019re so close that I even know everyone’s favourite exercise machine!<\/p>\n
I want to thank all of Wellspring\u2019s donors for donating to this program, which has helped me feel less alone and improved my mental and physical state post-treatment. I am so grateful to Wellspring for bringing me out of my shell. Thanks to the donors for keeping the machines running.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In May this year, I visited my doctor because my headaches were getting worse. The doctor asked me to describe my headaches, which was tough because I had experienced headaches my entire life. How do I describe a headache that I was born with, and that is all I have ever known? The doctor scheduled […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":11431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-11422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-member-story"],"yoast_head":"\n