Welcome to Life in Full Bloom

My Unexpected Journey: How a Brain Tumor Transformed My Health & Champion Transformations

Welcome to Life in Full Bloom, the official blog of Champion Transformations! As the founder, I am thrilled to launch this space dedicated to helping you cultivate your most vibrant, authentic life. And there is no better place to start than with my own recent journey, which will profoundly shape everything you’ll find here.

Last summer, I began noticing something was “off”. My hearing in my right ear was getting worse, I couldn’t hike or run with the confidence I should be able to. My breathing was harder, my heartrate faster. A physical showed nothing amiss, but a trip to the audiologist (hearing specialist) brought up some unexpected questions. Upon her recommendation, I booked an appointment with an Ear Nose and Throat doctor (ENT). The earliest appointment was three months out! Upon the advice of a neurologist friend, I asked my primary care physician (PCP) to schedule a brain MRI to have on hand when I finally had that ENT appointment.

With a background as a nurse, I half-jokingly said to the technician “I’ve seen so many brains over the course of my career, I’m curious to see my own. Can I have a copy of the scan?” She complied. September 12, 2024 my “off” feeling landed in the pit of my stomach.

I was right, something was amiss.

I had a brain tumor.

It was diagnosed as an Acoustic Neuroma. A fairly good sized one.

It was shifting my brainstem, causing me to lose my hearing, and causing an imbalance leading to my lack of confidence. In consulting with several specialists, leaving it alone wasn’t an option. They all recommended surgery in the next 2-3 months.

Not what you want to hear when you’ve just quit your job and are growing your new business.

My plans for amazing programs to finish off the year came to an abrupt halt as I instead spent my energy finding the right team for my own treatments. I’ve spent a career in the medical field, mostly the Intensive Care Unit, and I had a better idea than most what was ahead. In some ways, that was comforting, in other ways incredibly frightening.

Ultimately, I’m grateful for my career experience, as it helped me choose the best team for my particular situation. After speaking with a number of specialists, I chose Dr's Friedman and Schwartz at the University of California, San Diego. I was incredibly grateful for that decision when the morning of my surgery, I experienced sudden and complete right sided facial paralysis. The paralysis started as we pulled into the parking lot of the hospital, and was complete by the time I walked into the pre-operative area. I couldn’t move anything on the right side of my face.

The surgeons were gob-smacked when they saw me, stealing a quick glance at each other with jaws dropped. Not exactly the greeting I was going for that morning, especially as I was absolutely terrified.

However, after a quick assessment and a head CT, I was on my way to surgery to decompress my facial nerve. My case ended up being a first for them, which says something, as they are one of the most experienced teams in the world. After my first surgery, I regained full facial function, something both surgeons and the fellow described as a miracle. (All of the timing and events that day showed the gracious hand of God!) Due to the uniqueness of my case, I ended up being the talk of the neuro-surgery unit, and the subject of a case study. Definitely NOT things on my goal list!

As of this writing, I’m a little over five months past my second surgery. Recovery has been slower than planned, and at times incredibly frustrating. This tumor has left me with some permanent deficits that sometimes cause extreme frustration. As I don’t have a balance nerve on my right side, I will forever have balance and proprioception (where my body is compared to the environment) issues. I am completely deaf in my right ear. I have other struggles today that are getting better, but they will never completely diminish.

The tools I teach have been invaluable to my own healing.

The past few months have been challenging.

They’ve also been a blessing in disguise.

The majority of the time, I’ve been the care-provider, not the care-receiver. I’ve now been in both shoes, on a pretty extreme basis. As part of my healing journey, I’ve put into practice a number of the strategies I’ve been sharing with my patients, and more recently my coaching clients, for years. I’ve also learned new strategies of breath and stress reduction along the way. I’ve been fortunate to have a supportive community and family, and for that I am eternally grateful.

As nurse, a coach, and now a functional breathing instructor, I haven’t just talked the talk. I’ve walked the walk.

I share my experience so that I can help others.

So that if you are going through a challenge, you can know that you aren't alone.

My goal is to use the combination of my career and personal experiences to serve you.

To help you live more authentically.

More vibrantly.

To live a life out of abundance, not the leftovers.

This is just the beginning of our journey together.

Here on Life in Full Bloom, I’ll regularly be sharing practical insights, evidence-based strategies, and authentic perspectives on personalized wellness, functional breathing, and ways to truly thrive. Some ideas may resonate with you, and some won't.

But that is okay!

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. Use what works for you, don't fuss about the rest. Please feel free to share any tidbits with others who may find them useful.

If something feels "off" in your life, be sure to seek out the answers you need. Don't hesitate in being tenacious. Ask questions until you feel satisfied that you've found the right answer.

If you need a guide or a helping hand along the way, I'm here for you. Ready to be your Champion.

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In good health,

Amy