Prior to the day of my tumor diagnosis I had very few symptoms: a couple days of dizziness, twice I had flashing in my peripheral vision that I chalked up to a migraine (though I had never had one before) due to the fatigue of mothering twin babies, and the day before my diagnosis I was struggling with focusing on simple tasks such as making lunch for my kids. That’s about it.<\/p>\n
October 5, 2016: tumor diagnosis day<\/strong>.\u00a0 I was at the playground with my twin babies when I called my husband to take me to the emergency room;\u00a0 I couldn’t figure out how to get my twins out of the baby swings and though I could feel with my right arm, it seemed to my brain that it wasn’t part of my body. I was concerned with these stroke-like symptoms.\u00a0 At the ER I received a CT which revealed a brain tumor in my temporal\/parietal lobe.\u00a0 The next day we consulted with the neurosurgeon where we were given the impression the tumor was benign.<\/p>\n October 19, 2016: surgery day<\/strong>.\u00a0 Gross tumor resection removed all visible tumor.<\/p>\n November 2016: My life changed forever, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.\u00a0<\/strong> Mother to a 4 year old daughter, I had also just celebrated my twins\u2019 1 year birthdays.\u00a0 I was given a prognosis of 12-18 months survival<\/strong>.\u00a0 Even though my surgery was so successful, I was informed that you can never remove all of the cancer since glioblastoma is so invasive.<\/p>\n For the next 6 weeks I underwent radiation treatment 5 days a week along with concurrent oral Temozolamide chemotherapy.\u00a0 Subsequently, I had 6 more rounds of 1 week on daily oral Temozolamide chemotherapy followed by 3 weeks off.\u00a0 (Standard of Care) Since then I have received no treatments and had no recurrences.<\/p>\n Navigating the post-treatment wilderness was challenging. I processed my trauma: the chaos of going through treatment while having a very young family (I was still nursing my twin babies when I was diagnosed!), facing a dismal prognosis, looking death in the eyes and confronting existential questions \u00a0was overwhelming. To fully live<\/em> my remaining days I wrestled anxiety, underwent an identity crisis, and became an expert of my thoughts, feelings, and personality. My husband affectionately calls me “The new and improved Cheryl.” I am grateful for the anchor of my faith and my supportive family and friends who empower me to thrive in the crazy and impossible moments of my life.<\/p>\n I have journeyed from the hopelessness of my diagnosis and prognosis towards a living HOPE.\u00a0 Remembering the voices of HOPE along my way I am compelled to spread the HOPE that I have encountered.\u00a0 I graciously invite you to journey with me by subscribing to my emails, following me on Instagram or Facebook, and someday (hopefully sooner than later!) by reading my book.\u00a0 I greatly appreciate your company along this journey.<\/p>\n xo, <\/p>\n FAQs<\/strong>: What supplements do you take? Do you use any complementary treatments?<\/em> Never lose hope!\u00a0 I firmly believe we have the power to positively impact our quality of life and longevity! In the words of Christopher Reeve: <\/p>\n Disclaimer: This website is for information only.\u00a0 Cheryl Rostek is not a doctor, social worker, or mental health professional.\u00a0 Please consult your medical or mental health professional for these services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My Brain Cancer Story in a Nutshell Prior to the day of my tumor diagnosis I had very few symptoms: a couple days of dizziness, twice I had flashing in my peripheral vision that I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-655","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nCheryl<\/p>\n
\nWhat sort of a diet do you follow?<\/em>
\nAfter speaking with an oncology dietician, I’ve adopted what I call a “vegan-inspired diet”: slowly our family’s diet is becoming increasingly vegan-like.\u00a0 I try to eat an abundance of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds.\u00a0 I minimize\/avoid simple sugars, processed foods, and junk food.\u00a0 However, I also give myself much grace in my diet, as I’m feeding 3 young children and aiming to enjoy life!<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>Essentially none.\u00a0 As a pharmacist I saw that the best way to receive nutrients was through food itself, so as much as possible that’s what I try to do!\u00a0 I drink turmeric, cinnamon, and pepper in hot water as a tea in winter and am trying to spice up my cooking, as much as my family allows!<\/p>\n
\nI believe in a holistic approach to health and when I take care of my mental and spiritual health, I am also taking care of my physical health (and vice-versa).\u00a0 Counselling (through my cancer centre) was important for me to learn relaxation techniques and to learn about areas of my personality that needed some TLC.\u00a0 I\u00a0 meditate regularly and believe a strong sense of community, whether faith based or otherwise, is extremely vital (I have to remind myself of this often since I highly value my independence!). I also fast from food for 3 days every couple months or so and refrain from eating most evenings (check with your doctor first, my oncologist recommended intermittent fasting- I chose 3 days because it’s difficult, but do-able.\u00a0 I first had the idea for 3 day fasts based on the biblical story of Esther fasting for 3 days before making a life and death request to the king.)<\/p>\n
\n“once you choose hope anything is possible.”\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n