by Kim
I was twenty-three years old when I found out I had an acoustic neuroma. After a month in the hospital and two thirteen hour surgeries later, they removed it all. After that I had a facial nerve graft to try and repair the facial paralysis. I still have the paralysis. When you can't smile people just naturally think your sad, mad, or depressed; why can't adults just ask? Children do!
Once all the surgeries were done, I put all my energy into being a mom and taking care of my two toddlers. All was good for about eight years, then came the third child, and this is a whole another story (a pregnant women with my medical history - it was a nightmare, but everything turned out just fine)! I did lose my hearing in my left ear, have had a few seizures, and still get migraines. I have been in and out of counseling over the past thirteen years for depression. I have had many other bumps in the road but, today I believe life is too short so laugh a little, you never no what tomorrow will bring!
