Kathy shares her story of being diagnosed with a sphenoid wing meningioma in 2025 — a diagnosis that came after what felt like “just a few headaches” and migraine episodes.

Kathy initially went to her doctor for migraine medication. When it didn’t help, she was referred for a CT scan. Six weeks later, she almost didn’t go — worried she was being “attention seeking” for a headache — but her boyfriend encouraged her to attend.

After the scan, staff walked Kathy straight to the emergency room. She assumed she’d had a stroke, especially after Googling symptoms. About an hour later, a doctor told her they’d found a large mass in her head. They suspected a meningioma (often non-cancerous), but Kathy was told she needed to go immediately to another hospital in Calgary where a surgeon was waiting.

Kathy describes the shock of being admitted and monitored for surgery she didn’t realise was imminent. Her neurosurgeon showed her the scan: a tumour measuring 6cm x 5cm x 5cm, causing an 8mm midline shift and significant pressure. He explained it had likely been growing slowly for around 10 years, allowing her brain to adapt — but due to its size and impact, it had to come out.

Kathy was admitted on May 26, and after a short delay due to emergencies, she had surgery on June 2. The operation lasted 11 hours. She remembers waking frightened for the first time, disoriented by the tubes and monitors, and then the relief of seeing her mum waiting as she was brought back to her room.

A huge part of Kathy’s focus was getting home to her six-year-old son, and protecting him from fear. She explains how she kept the language simple: “a ball in my head” that doctors would “cut out.” She also shares touching moments of her son calling her “baldy,” laughing with her, and reminding her not to lift more than 10 pounds.

Kathy’s recovery went well overall. Her vision was temporarily affected but improved within around six weeks. She describes one lasting issue — burning when her eyes tear up — likely from nerve damage. An occupational therapist gave her “rules to live by,” encouraging brain-friendly activities like puzzles, cooking, and multitasking exercises while her brain adjusted to the extra space.

Kathy now runs an Instagram page, @BrainTumor.Awareness, driven by what she wishes she’d known sooner — especially that new migraines, numbness, and speech changes can be red flags. She also speaks about how stress, anxiety, and ADHD can mask symptoms, and why she wants people to understand a vital message:
Benign tumours can still be extremely dangerous — location and size matter.

Kathy ends by thanking her neurosurgeon, her son (her guiding force), her boyfriend, and her parents, who kept her son’s life as normal as possible while she faced surgery.

⚠️ Content note: This episode includes discussion of emergency admission, brain surgery, and recovery.

Maxine's Meningioma Story