Dealing with a range of emotions
After her heart tumor was diagnosed, Maria went through several emotions. At first she wasn’t shocked, because her intuition told her something was wrong, and she knew her body well enough to sense that news – whatever it was – was about to arrive.
“It was kind of an affirmation because you had that feeling,” she said.
However, hearing the word “tumor” in a diagnosis can evoke a range of emotions, some of which may be unexpected.
“I was laughing a little bit at the time. It sounds really bad, but I don’t react well to things, and then I went with my family, and I kind of panicked because I saw (it) … a big mass in your heart,” she said. “So you panic a little bit, but then I went to the hospital and I calmed down a little bit.”
At that time, Maria also struggled with missing out on certain things due to her tumor, things that she saw through the eyes of her friends.
“I knew I was being recorded for that purpose, so it just felt relaxing,” she said. “Because at least they’re not just saying, ‘Oh, we’ll keep it in you.’ They wanted to take it out, so I guess that was more reassuring, if that makes sense. Moreover, I had very good doctors like Dr. Cusimano.”
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