when you did tell, how did it go?

[Keeping Up]

I also wonder how much has to do with girl versus boy.  I would imagine, in general, women tell WAY more people than men.

If I remember correctly - I joined the board here, and had my many moments of anxiety.  Told my family pre-diagnosis, the mild hearing loss likely meant 1 of 3 things (simple hearing loss, menieres or AN).  I only had to wait 9 days for a MRI (originally thought it would be 4-6 weeks) but then 2 weeks for doctor's visit for the diagnosis.  I forced my husband to come with me to get the diagnosis, given the choice he wouldn't have come with me.

I told people at work - not everyone, but a few on my team.

My family was supportive but not anxious at all - my mom had just had a double mastectomy, learned it had infiltrated the lymph and was scheduling chemo ... so the diagnosis of a small benign brain tumor got no family press time at all - which in hindsight, was (and continues to be) just fine.  [Most important in all this - my mom is doing absolutely fabulous, she and my dad are now in town after taking the cross-country train from Vancouver to Halifax.]

It think it would have been more concerning if I had a surgery date pending.  The watch & wait makes it pretty easy to absorb.

Ann
 

[opp2]

I told everyone right away, and then started a blog so the world could follow along, too!
But my circumstances were slightly different because 1) they weren't sure exactly what kind of tumor I had but it was on the brain stem so they didn't want me to go to work right from the start, so I had to call work from the ER to tell them to take me off the schedule, and 2) my father-in-law had just died of a brain tumor one week prior, so it was important to me to get the facts out before people heard the wrong thing and really freaked. Plus, that's just the kind of person I am. It worked out well for me because the outpouring of support from just everywhere got me through the month between diagnosis and surgery.

I've just finished reading most of your blog. You're amazing!

I've met many nurses in my time, I used to work as a medical attendant at a hospital and my Mom is an RPN (used to call them that) so I have a real soft spot in my heart for nurses and nursing staff. They work their butts off!

I'm sending you all the best wishes I can for a speedy recovery so you can get home to those babies Girl.

Nikki

[DR]

Make you mention benign first!

This fact is of extreme importance IMO.  Many people associate "brain tumors" with "impending death" and, from my experience, it is important to stress that these tumors are almost always benign.

I told my family and quite a few coworkers immediately.  The news was going to get out regardless so I thought it was best for ME to control the information and reduce the chance of rumors.

[opp2]

I've found that already. If I don't say 'It's not cancer and it's not going to kill me' they ask pretty darn quick.

I'm starting to get over being annoyed at it and I suspect by this time next month there will be very few folks who even think about it when they see me.

After all I, my consult isn't until January, surgery sometime after that. Here's hoping for no growth on the December mri.

[Nickittynic]

I've just finished reading most of your blog. You're amazing!

I've met many nurses in my time, I used to work as a medical attendant at a hospital and my Mom is an RPN (used to call them that) so I have a real soft spot in my heart for nurses and nursing staff. They work their butts off!

I'm sending you all the best wishes I can for a speedy recovery so you can get home to those babies Girl.

Nikki

Thanks Nikki! Here's hoping your MRI and consult go well!!

[Kiwi Don]

Hi OPP2,
From a Newbie like yourself, I did the obvious, tell the family first.
Then I stepped back, got the pen and paper out and tried to decide who needed to know, as I had no date for an appointment with the Neuro Surgeon I decided to wait. After the Neuro meeting and a a possible timeframe I went out and let those that I regularly have dealings with know that I had a tumor, Gosh I made a couple of real fauxpas trying to explain things , then I would have too really think of what I was going to say when someone asked a question. But hey, it did get easier.
For my my two cents worth, it's all up to you, you have to be comfortable to talk about it, and remember they will ask questions.
Hang in there, you are among a great bunch of people who have a great wealth of knowledge.
And Welcome to the ANers Club.
Don

[jaylogs]

Well, personally, I wanted to go the the TLC channel and try to pitch a reality series called "This White Blob" and try to make some money off of it, I am that comfortable with sharing this.  But as everyone has stated before me, this is truly a personal choice and I believe that everyone will react differently to it, whether or not you told them right away.  I told my co-workers right off the bat because I wanted to prepare them for my eventual long term absence whilst I heal from the surgery.  So you shouldn't feel like you've been holding out on everyone, they all should accept your decision to do what you did and move on...let's see THEM get an AN and see how THEY handle it, by golly  Cheers!

Jay

[Vivian B.]

Sorry for the late reply. It's a very good question and a personal choice. When I was diagnosed I was so freaked out I missed a week of work. I told my Supervisor first but finding out that my whole team was helping out with my work, I decided to tell everyone. I was fortunate that in my kind of work (disability case manager) we see many disability cases, so everyone was very understanding. However, I know how you feel about people thinking that you are impaired in some way. I also found co-workers sharing their stories of a medical experience of either themselves or someone close. Overall, everyone is humane and things happen.

Vivian