Emily Suess had been a technical copywriter for years. However, in 2017 she was diagnosed with an Inoperable Diffuse Astrocytoma. She has had to go through, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Her tumour has caused her a lot of problems physically and mentally. She had to leave her 9-5 job to cope with her daily battles. She goes through the struggles of never knowing exactly when her brain tumour will cause even more problems.
“My husband Dan is my hero. He had done everything for me, without complaint or begrudging, from buying me pyjamas and underwear when I was first admitted to the hospital to making the bed every week while I was so sick during chemotherapy treatments, that I was unable to do it for myself” – Emily Suess
Here is Emily’s passion:
Blogging and Zentangle
To like to keep my mind active and to process all I have to go through, I blog where I share my Zentangle designs. I’ve been blogging in some form or another since about 2006. This particular incarnation of my BLOG has been around since about 2014 when my symptoms were still a mystery, and I was working through a misdiagnosis of fibromyalgia.
My blog is about me, my healthcare journey, my fight to get a real diagnosis, my eventual brain tumour diagnosis and subsequent treatments, and my recovery and “new normal” trying to make the most of my disabled life.
I’m a writer by profession and have always gravitated toward blogging to mark exceptional moments in my life as well as practice my craft. I hope that by sharing what I’ve learned, I can help other people with chronic illnesses advocate for themselves and bring awareness to others about what it’s like to have brain cancer.
I am currently working on writing a memoir, creating a YouTube channel related to Zentangle art, and building a system of financial support for my work on Patreon.
You can follow me here:
Who is your personal hero or are your heroes?
It might sound cheesy, but my husband Dan is my personal hero. He had done everything for me, without complaint or begrudging, from buying me pyjamas and underwear when I was first admitted to the hospital to making the bed every week while I was so sick during chemotherapy treatments, that I was unable to do it for myself.
Tell us something about yourself that people probably didn’t know?
I wrote a two-page letter at a job I once had. In it, I outlined the horrible things the company had done and how my bosses were incompetent. I emailed it to my bosses and Human Resources at 4:30 on a Friday, just before leaving work for the day. I never returned.
I also was once on the local news when I worked in a cemetery because someone was stealing grave decorations and our office was being interviewed. My 15 seconds of fame. Ha!
“Aside from having a brain tumour/brain cancer, the most challenging part for me is feeling understood. So much of the experience just doesn’t translate into words, that it’s hard to explain the thoughts, feelings, and struggles that we face every day, both to family and friends and to strangers.” – Emily Suess
Conclusion: Emily is really open about her feelings and the process she is going through while fighting Diffuse Astrocytoma. In addition, she shares her deepest thoughts with the world in the hope it will benefit others. Although I doubt she realises how helpful her blog posts really are to others.
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