Megan realized that one of her eyes seemed to droop slightly in the image, which, combined with some recent cognitive issues, caused her to worry about potential health concerns.
In 2016, she scheduled a doctor’s appointment, who then referred her to a neurologist for a comprehensive evaluation.
Sadly, after undergoing numerous tests, it was confirmed that Megan’s intuition about her drooping eye was indeed correct.
It turned out to be an indication of a more serious condition.
The tests revealed that Megan had a significant brain tumor.
Reflecting on when she first noticed her eye drooping, she said, “I’m like, ‘oh, that’s weird. That picture looks weird.’ Little did I know.”
Thankfully, the tumor was benign yet aggressive, and doctors managed to treat it by performing surgery to remove it, followed by another surgical procedure and 23 sessions of radiotherapy after discovering additional growth.
During her treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center, doctors also identified a more perilous tumor known as a glioma, which can cause brain damage.
Megan stated that the most challenging aspect was coping with the cognitive difficulties that ensued.
She shared with Fox 13 last year, “Dealing with the cognitive issues and dealing with the memory loss and stuff like that, that was probably the hardest, because I know that I’m smarter than that.”
“I’m more capable than that. I can do more. But, it’s learning how to give myself the grace in the midst, too.”
Neuro-Oncologist Dr. Sepideh Mokhtari recalled discovering the tumor, stating, “It was very tiny.”
“And as we are following it over the years, we are seeing a little bit of increase in size over time.”
Despite the circumstances, Megan feels fortunate about her current health status.
She remarked, “A low-grade glioma is like a blessed juxtaposition, I guess you could say, because it’s like you’re on a cliff, and you know what’s going to happen.”
“You know it will progress. You will have to do treatment for it. You know it may very well be what could jeopardize your mortality in the future. But, you know, at the same time, you’re like waiting for it to do something.”
