I want to share my recent experiences, reflections, & lessons after learning I had a large brain tumor & its removal while pregnant. I am recovering well, and the overwhelming support from family, friends, colleagues, & @OSUAstro has been crucial in getting through this 1/n

The backstory: I started having daily dizzy spells in December 2020, a possible symptom of pregnancy. However, when one happened while I was teaching, I realized I lost my ability to understand words for a minute. From googling, I realized I was having focal aware seizures 2/n

I told my primary care doctor on March 10, & she referred me to @OhioStateNeuro who saw me on March 11. They attributed the seizures to pregnancy lowering the seizure threshold and started me on medicine to decrease the seizures' frequency and intensity 3/n

Medicine helped, but then the seizures got worse. I got an MRI on March 31, and the results on April 1 showed a 3.5-cm size mass behind my left eye (I'm the new Left Eye Lopez?). The neurologist told me to go to the ER at @OSUWexMed immediately to talk to neurosurgery 4/n

I was 24 weeks pregnant at that time, and the news was terrifying. I wondered if they would want to deliver the baby so I could start treatment, and I worried that the baby would not survive. 5/n

I was grateful that I had been fully vaccinated at @ohiostate against COVID-19 before going to the ER that day, so I did not have to worry about contracting that on top of my brain tumor and my pregnancy 6/n

They admitted me that night at the @OSUCCC_James, and they scheduled me for a craniotomy to remove the tumor on April 6. Over the next days, I met dozens of doctors (neurosurgeons, neurologists, oncologists, OBs, neonatologists) who worked together to protect me and the baby 7/n

On April 6, @HardestyDouglas fully excised the tumor, showing the tumor who is boss. Using an incision along my hair line, he folded my face down & accessed my brain through my skull at my temple. It is amazing that such an invasive surgery only leaves scar hidden by my hair 8/n

The residents of @HardestyDouglas visited daily before and after the surgery, and I found I never took off my (figurative) professor hat, asking them all the same questions (and reflecting on their divergent answers) so they could learn from the experience. :-D 9/n

Nine very stress-filled days later, we got the biopsy results that the tumor was a benign meningioma (one that does not commonly spread or come back)! While awaiting these results, I reflected a lot on my life thinking it was possible I could die soon. 10/n

In these moments, I recognized that I am quite happy with my life and what I have achieved. I feel lucky to have such amazing family, friends, and colleagues. I have faced a lot, but I am strong, and I feel like I have had a positive impact on those around me. 11/n

This whole experience has taught me many lessons/reflections that I will share: 1) if ever you or a loved one is sick, google your symptoms with specificity. I was able to self-diagnose that I was having focal seizures in my temporal lobe this way. 12/n

2) If ever you do not feel like yourself for an extended period, go to a doctor. Do not wait for it to get worse. Earlier action improves the prognosis, particularly because there's a lot of wait time built into the healthcare system. 13/n

3) Find a primary care physician who will advocate for you. My doctor called neurology repeatedly until they agreed to see me just so she would stop calling. I will always wonder what would have happened if she hadn't done that for me. 14/n

4) I also wonder what the outcome would have been if I did not have OSU's outstanding network of doctors who worked together to protect me and the baby. 15/n

5) Even more importantly, I wonder what the outcome would have been if I did not have healthcare coverage. 11% of the US does not have health insurance, and my insurance has been billed $32K so far for surgery+hospital. 16/n

Finally, I want to say thank you to Dr. Juliet French-Vallabh, Dr. Jaysingh Singh, Dr. Annie-Marie Sinay, and @hardestydouglas. You are the reasons I am able to continue life as an astronomer and a soon-to-be mother, and I am forever grateful to you. 17/17