In June 2018, Qaseh (not her real name) and her husband learnt they would be having a baby. Her 12-week scan indicated her due date would be Feb 12. While they could not have been happier, she started to get headaches and was told it could be due to the pregnancy as she had suffered from migraines in her teens.
In her second trimester the headaches increased. They would start mild and then worsen, with the pain being unbearable. She would also experience nausea. At 32 weeks, she experienced a really severe headache with vomiting. Her husband rushed her to the hospital, where she was given medication.
Her pain carried on for several days, during which she remained in bed.
One Saturday, an ultrasound scan revealed the baby wasn’t developing well. Qaseh had to be monitored and, at 34 weeks, it was decided their baby would be delivered by C-section on Dec 23.
On the day of the procedure, Adam Putra (not his real name) was brought into the world, bigger than expected at 2.6kg. He was fed by tube, so mother and son were kept over the Christmas and New Year season in special care.
A few weeks after having Adam, the headaches grew even worse and she experienced some loss of peripheral vision in both eyes. She was sent to an eye hospital and was referred for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
The scan found a pituitary tumour on her brain, which was bleeding slightly, affecting her peripheral vision.
Qaseh was so scared as she couldn’t understand what was happening. This was supposed to be a happy time with her family.
The doctor explained that early intervention was the best solution. Subsequently, Qaseh underwent surgery to remove the tumour, which was responsible for her thirst, headaches, nausea, loss of balance and visual disturbance.
All this was overwhelming and she couldn’t have got through it without her mum and husband, who were there every step of the way.
Now they take each day as it comes. Some days she feels great; on others, her body is weak, which affects her balance. Fortunately, her vision has returned to normal and she has returned to work.
The hospital has given them plenty of information. Qaseh wears a medical bracelet and carries a card detailing her condition and a list of medications in case of an emergency. She has regular checks at the hospital, including visual-field assessments, and they monitor her hormone levels through blood tests.
Qaseh hopes that in telling her story, people will find hope, take each day as it comes, and realise they are not alone. She is so grateful little Adam is growing up well, even though she is not sure she will have any more children in the future.
TELEME Healing Life Stories is a collection of inspirational stories of how ordinary people triumph over their health conditions and recover to lead a healthier life after that. Feel free to email [email protected] to share your story.
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