Surviving the Odds

About the Book

BOOK DESCRIPTION Sarah was born in 1978. Her childhood was not one of the greatest, but made the best of what she had. In High School she became very rebellious, left school and to top that she fell pregnant with no support from her family. She was forced to get married, without her knowledge of him being abusive, eventually after her second child she managed to leave her ex-husband. She then decided to make a new beginning for her children. After a few months she met the most wonderful man in the world that treated her like royalty. The more they spent together, the stronger their love grew and still growing. Not even a year after getting married to the most wonderful person in the world. The first time any of her family actually approved of the man she loves. She fell ill more often than usually. She felt a lump on her head and wanted to have it looked at. The first time she went to her doctor the lump was not that big so he told her there is nothing wrong with her and gave her some inflammatory tablets. A couple of month down the line Sarah went to the doctor again after collapsing on the steps at work and with the lump getting bigger. The doctor did not even look at the lump; he asked her if she has headaches and explained she suffer from Migraine ora. Gave her some tablets – again he gave her with inflammatory tablets - the pink ones. By now she had developed every two hours for a few seconds she can’t see, it is completely black in front of her. It has been now 6months trying to find out what is going on with me. I decided to go for a second opinion, he sent me to the hospital for a few days with test to be done, Sarah had an ex-ray done of her head – where they said that there is a bit of swelling by her sinuses and presumed that she must be getting flu so they ruled that out. They then did a lumber punch, which still came back negative. The doctor in the hospital then decided that she was imagining this, so they suggested that she see a psychiatrist while she was still in the hospital. A day after this went by and sent me home with no results. Stating she was imagining this, but still no explanation as to why she was having the black outs or the lump on her head. Sarah left it, but things got worse for her. After about a year after the last examination she decided to go and see her old family doctor, She saw him twice before he suggested that it had to be removed in the daily local surgery and should be out of hospital the same day. A week later she went to hospital and went to see the lady in reception, explained to her that she can have it done locally. The receptionist did not want to do anything and advised Sarah to see a Nero specialist because it was on her head. He also didn’t want to touch it either and suggested that Sarah must have a CT Scan, with her type of medical aid she had, she had to go to a different hospital – semi private and pay cash as her medical aid would not pay for this. The doctor in return refused to operate as he was scarred that it might be attached to her brain. He sent Sarah to a different doctor, a neurosurgeon. The neurosurgeon did some physical tests and then sent her for an MRI to see how far and big this lump is, because the CT scan did not show it properly. The MRI returned and he was not happy at all, the lump has pushed though her scull and attached itself to her brain. He needed to remove it ASAP. But her medical aid was being difficult and gave the doctor 3 days to find out what it was and if anything else was wrong and if he could shrink the lump with out surgery. Two weeks of test was pushed into 3days. Sarah felt like a lab rat afterwards, medical aid eventually agreed that I can have the surgery, but was given a deadline as to when she must be out off the hospital. After 3 hours of surgery, the biopsy was sent for tests. The doctor came to see her after the operation and said everything went well. After 2 days the doctor came back with the re

About the Author

Lelanie Dobson was born in 1978. She first lived in Gauteng and then moved to Kwa-Zulu Natal, living there since 1995. Living with her loving husband and her beautiful children, in a small town called Amanzimtoti. She was diagnosed with Cancer in December 2005 and is now in remission. This book was hard for her to write, but she was motivated. Hoping it would help or even inspire people that is either going through or had a similar experience. For them to know they are not alone.