Brain Tumors

Never let it be said that I'm not my mother's daughter. For as long as I can remember, my mother has been plagued with one death-ending disease or the other. Not really, but she always thought she was.

So these past few months, what with the vertigo that's been intermittent and the excruciating headaches and blurry vision, I've been convinced that I had a brain tumor. Really. I had convinced myself that must be the cause of all these ailments that I haven't on detail shared until now.

The blurry vision got me, so I finally dragged myself to the doctor.

"What brings you in today?"

"I think I have a brain tumor."

He laughed, thinking I must be joking.

After a bunch of questions, poking, prodding and tests, the doctor comes back in with the diagnosis.

"I'm concerned about a few things," he says.

"Brain tumor?" I ask.

He laughs again. "Allergies. I don't know how you can breathe; your sinuses are completely congested."

I take a deep breath through my nostrils. "I can breathe just fine."

"Hmmm. Well, I want you to try this inhaler and this nose spray. You'll notice a difference. The vertigo - dizziness is caused by the congestion."

"Ok, but are you sure I don't have a brain tumor? What about the headaches?"

"Caused by the pressure on your sinuses from congestion."

"Tiredness?"

"If you can't breathe, you feel tired. You can't breathe."

So, it took my husband to remind me the following morning to use the nose spray and inhaler.

I took a deep breath.

The brain tumor is gone.