I am a Brian Tumor Survivor 

  My name is Bradley Jerold Green.  I am 61, born 3/16/1962

  I have had 6 non-cancerous tumors in my life and multiple ones still growing.

 
 The first one stared when I was 9 years old (1971) it was not found until I was 12 (1974) at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.  I was at the U of M Station 40 all the time.  After the orange sized tumor with roots was in the back of my head, they had to cut the bone out to get it out & could not replace it, because I was still growing.  So, I could not do anything that would hurt me.  Preparing for surgery a guy come in to put a tube in my arm to check the fluid level in my heart while I was flat on my back.  I said that the Doctor told me I would be setting up so they could take the tumor out of the back of my head, he said that I needed it & took the IV out of my right arm and put it in the left one then put a tube in the right one then sent me to x-ray to check.  It was in the wrong arm, so he did everything again.  This time it was not in far enough.  Finally, he was done they started to give me the drug to put me to sleep.  I was pushed into the operating room still scared and awake.  The Doctor noticed that I was awake and said why are you awake and what is this other stand holding the heart fluid thing doing here.  I said the guy told me I needed that to check he fluid in my heart while I was flat on my back.  The Doctor said no you don't and took it out and I fell asleep.  The next thing that happened in surgery was -   I woke up above my body I was lying flat on my back & the Doctor was leaving.  All the sudden someone grabbed my hand and said let’s go I turned toward him and seen the pearly gate and said I am too young, the next thing that happened was I woke up in the recovery room and asked for my mom.  The nurse said that my mom could not make it at this time, I fell back to sleep.  When I woke up again, she was there.  I asked her where she was, she said that she is there now.  They kept it from me.  She was gone because the Doctor left to tell her that he lost me, and she had a breakdown of her own.

  They could not take the roots of the tumor out.  I had to have 28 treatments of radiation, lost most of my hair.  When I went back to school the principal gave me a pass to wear a hat since most of my hair was gone and I had a scare on my head.  The kids didn't care they would just take my hat and throw it.  My sisters would see that and tell them to leave me alone.  I didn't care I was alive my sisters would go home crying.  I wrote an assay in English class about criticism, I got an A+.  I had a follow up at the U of M, while I was there the English teacher called my mom and read her the assay and asked if it was alright to read over the intercom, she said sure.  I went to school the next day and could not believe how everyone changed. I got home told mom everyone was nice to me, and she told me about the assay.  I said that I was glad. 

  My next surgery was my left eye it was pulled in by the roots.  That went all right.  I could see single instead of double.

My mom told me that I was her million-dollar boy, I said what?  She showed me the U of M bill it was over a million for 3 years stay, all the test, surgery and all the rest.

  The next time a tumor acted up I was 24(1986).  It was at the top of my head.  I was living with my brother and family.   I was married had a son I thought it was a good life but was living check to check because of all the doctor visits, MRI and other test I must take.

   Ended up getting divorced May 14,1996 paying my bills on my own along with child support.  Then I met my second wife in 2000 and we got married August 18, 2007, that I still have and love.  Live was going fine until April 1st, 2002, I had Viral Encephalitis when I was 40.  After a few days I got the antidote.  I ended up having a seizure.  Which made them keep me even longer.  So, I thought it was a tumor not Encephalitis.  After I returned home, I turned on the TV and heard that 2 younger men died from it.   

  Then when another tumors number 3 was found affecting me.  I had that tumor removed OCT. 7,2010 at the age of 48 from the back of my head the surgery went great.  When I woke up. I thought that the surgery was postponed, because I felt no pain and I guess I wanted a cigarette.  The Doctor said, "NO Mr. Green we are done".  I told them the other ones will have to wait until 2011 and they did. 

  The next one is larger and attached to my brain right behind my left eye pushing on my optical nerve. 

  The doctor will remove as much of the tumor as they can without effecting my eye.  That was done on January 17,2011 also at the age 48.  The Doctor said I may have problems with that later.  The last surgery was in my sinus cavity that was removed March 23,2011 at the age 49.  On June of 2011 I needed a radiation treatment done on my brain also.   Well here the bills started again I will never get ahead, so I have nothing to show no boats, no motorcycles, no 4-wheeler's, not anything extra.  But I am still alive & married have a house with payments behind and a car that is paid, but warranty and insurance payments behind.   We had to file Bankruptcy in 2011; the bills were too much.  

 
  Sorry it's not over yet.  In January. 2017 My wife’s son looked at me and said I looked half-baked!  I said what.  He said that my left eye was all red and my right eye was not.  Well, I went to the eye doctor they found an ulcer in my left cornea, so I needed a cornea transplant.  I had the cornea transplant June 15,2017 out of work 4 months.  The new cornea ended up getting an ulcer also.  So, another transplant was needed on February 5,2018 out another 4 months and it was after the start of the new insurance policy.  Well, the 2 transplant did not go very well it also had an ulcer and the doctor wants to do a 3rd transplant, I said no you already tried 2 times with no luck.  You cut into a lot of veins and nerves for $10,000 + which I must pay.  Besides that. I needed the cataract done on that eye first they waited tell after and the half hour surgery took an hour and a half my wife thought they gave me a new cornea.  The doctor had to break the cataract up to get it out of my eye.   Now I am still seeing the eye doctor monthly and nothing is changing.  I can’t afford to go to the U of M and have my MRI done on my tumors.  To top it all off - when I had 28 treatments of radiation on my brain at 13, they could not shield my teeth.  So, the upper ones began to chip away.  I had them surgically removed and dentures put in when I was 23.  Now my bottoms ones that I have left are getting bad and cannot be fixed.  On Feb 10th, 2020, I had to go to ER with an abscess.  The ER Doctor scheduled oral surgery the next day at a doctor that was not in our insurance network.  That cost more along with the ER visit.  The Doctor looked at the x-ray and said how many are we cutting out today.  I said only the one that was hurting I need some of them to eat with.  Then I thought about it there was another one on the other side that was starting to hurt, so I decided on two.  Well, when that was done, I had to pay 20% out of pocket, the final bill was over $2,000.

  I may have forgot something along the way.  It is probably because of my brain tumors.

                     

BUT THAT MY STORY AND I'M STICKING TO IT !!!!'

 Here is an update since Feb 2020 Covid-19 hit and April 15,2020, I was let go from work as I have COPD and could not wear a mask it was hard to breath, I took care of the floors - shampoo, waxing and housekeeping for 18 years.  I was scheduled for 2 MRIs in May 2020 for my tumors.  The results were not good it showed that I had 2 tumors that came back and were growing now and a new one in my head.  I contacted my Neuro Doctor he got the MRI results in June 2020.  He said it was not good and we are going to have to fix the left eye because the tumor is going the effect the right eye.  I said great 3 Cornea transplants on my left eye what is that going to cost this time?  He said it didn't matter it has to be done, then we can work on the tumors before they get worse.  So, on Aug 18,2020 everything started over.  My 3rd cornea replacement was done Nov 17,2020, I have been back 6 times since for them to fix my eye.  On Feb 24,2021 I met with a Neuro eye doctor, He wanted me to get 2 more MRIs so they are current, and he will see me in 6 months.  My MRIs were March 1, 2021.   Not working trying to get disability for almost a year.  It is not getting the bills paid again.  We may have to do bankruptcy again just to get ahead.

  I got on disability June 16,2021.  Have had more MRIs to check the tumors and they were still growing.  My wife has been with me the whole time.  She has worked for over 25 years in Long Term Care at the same place I worked.  Her back was causing some problems.  I told her before I do anything with my tumors, we are going to take care of you. So, Feb 3,2021 she had back surgery and was out of work for 4 months recovering.  The journey was long – she was back to work.  Some of the bills had to wait.  Well know everyone wants money we don’t have.  She said we will make it we always do don’t worry.  I told her we need to get help like grants or something because I am going to have to take care of my tumors before they take care of me. February of 2023 my wife’s job ended as she was not able to perform her duties, due to alcoholism – due to pain, she could not even stand or walk from not eating or caring about life.  She was in the hospital for 2 weeks.  She was released on a lot of drugs to help her recover from everything she had been through.  We almost lost her.  She is doing a lot better now and does not even want to drink alcohol.  Her eating has got a lot better. Once again the bills are piling up. She is not working trying to get unemployment and I am disabled making $1,809 a month.  I need to take care of my COPD and Tumors. 

  I don’t know what to do can you help us?

 

                                                         I AM STILL STICKING TO IT!!!!!!