One Day at a Time: Living With a Diffuse Astrocytoma

Kirsty was diagnosed with a grade 2 diffuse astrocytoma in December 2014 — during her second pregnancy.It began with an excruciating headache that was brushed off as dehydration. Months later, on the morning of her daughter’s due date — the day she’d planned a home birth — Kirsty had a tonic-clonic seizure. She was rushed to hospital, initially treated for suspected preeclampsia, and induced. She delivered a healthy baby… and then the seizures continued.Kirsty doesn’t remember that day. The next thing she recalls is waking up in hospital two days later — convinced she might be dead — and seeing her dad beside her, having travelled from Scotland to Australia. Soon after, she was told the words that changed everything: a brain tumour.In this episode, Kirsty shares:pregnancy, headache symptoms, and the seizure that led to diagnosisemergency hospitalisation, memory loss, and the shock of waking up to life-changing newssurgery and living with the reality of a diffuse tumour (microscopic cells remain)the emotional rollercoaster of watch & wait and scanxietycoping strategies for anxiety — including “future me already has it sorted”a second surgery years later and the impact of fatigue and reduced staminaa new gene-targeting therapy trial opportunity and what it changed for her mindsetbuilding a global support community and starting TuMerd (a dark-humour, truth-telling brain tumour space)finding hope in “one day at a time” livingKirsty also shares gratitude for her medical team, therapists, family, and community — and the power of connection when life changes overnight.⚠️ Content note: This episode discusses seizures, childbirth, brain tumour diagnosis, surgery, and scan anxiety.This is Day 5 of Brain Tumour Awareness Month 2026 — shared entirely through Kirsty’s own answers.