Types of loss

Here are some of the types of loss or diminishment that brain tumor survivors report experiencing:

physical strength or stamina
motor skills
physical comfort
hearing
eyesight
fertility
hair
capacity for learning
relationships
friends who are also ill
sense of security (financial or health)
self-confidence
parts of your identity or personality
goals or dreams (including athletic activities, career choices and higher education)
faith

As you may also have experienced, the journey with a brain tumor or cancer can be a positive one in many ways. Some survivors express feelings that their faith grew stronger, that their goals and dreams, though perhaps changed, involve new choices they might otherwise not have considered or that certain parts of their personality have been enhanced by what they have experienced. As with everything else in life, the brain tumor journey and its impact on you will be unique to each survivor.