Trust and faith were my allies

It's been quite a long time now since my diagnosis of a brain cyst, but I remember it all like yesterday. Beyond the painful headaches, I started having problems with my balance as well as my hearing and vision. I went to the doctor on a Thursday and she sent me for an MRI. The results came back and the next day she sent me to meet with a neurosurgeon. The next day I was in the hospital and the day after that I was having a craniotomy (the medical term for having your head sawed open). So, I guess in my case there wasn't much time to handle the diagnosis. It had to be done. The fluid was building up on my brain. The surgeon said that had the MRI test not been available the cyst would never have been detected and I would have likely been brought into the hospital in a coma when the fluid finally shut down my brain's processing abilities.

So, what does this all have to do with handling a diagnosis? Well, in my case I didn't have much time to research or investigate. I didn't even feel the need for a second opinion. There it was, as clear as day on the film and it was no doubt that was my problem.

The neurosurgeon my doctor recommended was very kind and wonderful in explaining everything that would be done as well as what might happen as a result. I was lucky that the operation was a success and that I didn't experience any dramatic change in my personality as a result. Nothing except a new found gratitude for life, that is.

 I remember saying to the doctor before the operation that I was feeling fine, happy that my problem was going to be taken care of and that I was putting my trust in his abilities and my faith in my God. Sometimes, that's all you can do. Luckily, for me, it worked.