Marguerite- 36 years- 2 Méningiomes- 10 years of Androcur and Lotéran

“I have promised Emmanuelle since last February to tell my journey, but it is so difficult to come back to all these events that have been chained, without crying or being depressed.
I have to do that to Emmanuelle, which has always been there, and it is true that my story is both not banal, and both representative of what many have experienced, and if I can help you. Let the common tumor (it is you who say it!) But also our love of our country, Normandy, and a shortening of our first names in childhood (it manou, and me Margot).

I took these damn treatments for endometriosis, Androcur, and luteran for sure , and maybe others too, I don't know. I have no children, and as I lived with a woman, I didn't need a contraceptive method. But I did not say it to doctors, and when the gynecologists said to me "it also serves you as contraception", I didn't answer anything. My partner wanted to go to Japan, for his work, in 2014, and I followed him. She knew the language, not me, and it was not easy. We sometimes believe that love can make everything accept, let's move on. I continued to take my treatments there I no longer had my period, and therefore much less pain. It lasted these treatments for 10 years

I started to become irritable, often with my headache, I put it that I would integrate myself quite badly, and that my friend found that I did not make enough effort to speak Japanese properly. I was trying, but I couldn't do it. In fact, I sank without realizing it, I always found a rational explanation for what was going on. And then I dropped objects, and there my partner has arranged so that I pass an imagery of the brain. It fell just before I returned to France to find my parents, as often in summer.

I ironed an MRI in France, I had 2 meningiomas, I looked for "meningiomas" on Facebook and came across the association. My mother had already found a neurosurgeon for me, and everything was chained quickly, too fast. I had had the information by the association that the meningiomas could stop growing with the cessation of treatment, but the neurosurgeon seen did not believe it, and my mother was afraid and wanted me to operate quickly before having more problems. As I would have a lot of bad things to say about this neurosurgeon, I will not say his name or the hospital. I didn't have Emmanuelle's chance, that's for sure.

And I left in an infernal gear: operation, and everything that goes with it.
Not to mention that I hate hospitals! Sporty, not smoky, 36, never drinking alcohol, I did everything to delay a possible health problem, and yet I was put on the ground. I thought I was going to die. It's terrifying. Being faced with what you think is your end, it changes the perception of everything. I kept praying when I am not a believer, what irony. We don't only do logical things in life.

It is chaos and complete uncertainty. It's creepy all these things in the head. I was a zombie, I was 90 years old, and people aged 90 are more fit than me! I continued to let go of objects, to have tremors and ants everywhere, to no longer be able to concentrate for months. Ah yes, and then stop in the middle of the sentences knowing more what I was going to say. And these swells at night. And tired all the time, so tired. Start having a less confused brain at noon when you got up at 9 a.m. Take a nap, so as not to collapse in the evening at 8 p.m. And I always wake up at least 2 times a night.

I was in a body that I did not know, that I had to learn to know. A brain that does not work is the worst that can happen. So we eat, we wash, we sleep, that's it. In fact, we die and we have to relive with the new person we have become. But yes, I died, and no one realizes it! Ah yes, my partner realizes it, and I know that between us, it's over. What would I be without my parents, especially my mother.

I regret the choices made before, but I can't change them anymore. I regret that gynecologists are not asking more questions when they initiate such kind. There were times when I would have preferred to die than to experience this.

What I read in the testimonies is that these treatments that we have taken are making a lot of weight, and losing a lot of self -esteem. They do a undermining work, slyly destroy, in silence, for months, years, our most beautiful years.

I thank Emmanuelle for having supported me, in addition to my mother of course. You can't get out of this alone. Brain tumors are little known, taboo, but you have to talk about it. For us, it is too late, for other women, there is still hope that the meningiomas do not go through them. These tumors can drive crazy.

For the moment, I don't see much positive for all of this, and that's why I didn't want to testify. Emmanuelle told me that it was going to come back, it was only a year that I was operated on, and in addition I must live with the fact that I may have been wrongly operated, like the second meningioma, certainly smaller, has decreased since the treatment. In addition to having not had the information of the possible meningiomas with these treatments, the neurosurgeon did not give this information either. I was unlucky.

The only positive is that I did not think I was able to endure all of this, to get out of it.
The health authorities do not really protect us, so you have to count on everyone as a combative to alert your daughters, your cousins ​​your friends, your girlfriends, your big friends, the one you don't know but who could be your best friend.

I told Emmanuelle to put in image of this testimony the painting made to him by the Norman artist Vanluc, because I don't want us to see my current face. As I have hair length, it can work!

I am happy that Emmanuelle is not in revenge or in receiving only a financial compensation, as is the case of other victims associations, which I will not name either, any more than the neurosurgeon.

Thank you to her, and thank you to all those who bring this association to life, by giving time or by joining. Above all, we are an important weight! ”

Other testimonials here: https://amavea.org/tag/temoineage/

The Van Luc artist's website: http://vanluc.fr/

Marguerite- 36 years- 2 Méningiomes- 10 years of Androcur and Lotéran