How often do you think about your brain health?
We can maintain our brain health with everything from exercise to quality sleep, but conditions such as brain tumors can affect the brain and disrupt our lives.
For Brain Tumor Awareness Month in May, Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio is partnering with the Low Grade Glioma Registry to raise awareness of brain tumors, real people with brain tumors, quality of life, and caregiving among the Latino population.
Follow along for a month of amazing content!
7 Things You Should Know About Brain Tumors
About 90,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor every year?
For ourselves, our familia, and our comunidad, we should know a few important things about brain tumors so we can help all those impacted by a tumor diagnosis.
Thankfully, the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) has amazing resources to help.
Tony Rentas: A ‘Soldado’ Helping Others Fight Battles Against Brain Tumors
U.S. Army soldier Tony Rentas, a native of Puerto Rico who dreamed of serving in the U.S. military all his life, had a seizure while on a mission in Kosovo.
Tony was diagnosed with low grade glioma, a type of cancerous brain tumor.
“I remember walking out of that appointment, sitting in the car, just trying to process things. A couple of tears coming down,” he said.
Cancer would change Tony’s life – but also opened a new path to helping others.
Read the Story on May 7, 2024!
Learn How to Recognize Low Grade Glioma
A glioma is a type of cancerous brain tumor that forms when glial cells – the “support” cells for the brain and spinal cord – grow out of control.
Anyone can develop a glioma.
But risk factors may boost your risk, including White race/ethnicity, being older than 65, having certain inherited genetic disorders, or prolonged exposure to radiation or certain chemicals.
Read the Story on May 13, 2024!
What Does Life Look Like with a Brain Tumor?
Of course, no one wants to hear they have cancer.
But if you or your familia have received a cancer diagnosis – such as a brain tumor like low grade glioma – it is natural to wonder what life will be like next.
This is what we call “quality of life” (QoL), or an individual’s sense of well-being and ability to enjoy and participate in life.
From rehabilitation to mental health to return-to-work resources, let’s dive deeper on life after cancer.
Read the Story on May 21, 2024!
Caring for the Caregivers of People with a Brain Tumor
Many Latinos are expected to take on the respectable, but high-stress, role of caregiver.
While many are providing care for their family members, including those diagnosed with a brain tumor like low grade glioma, it can be difficult to juggle other priorities and outside factors.
Fortunately, caregivers have access to many resources and support networks.
Read the Story on May 28, 2024!
Editor’s Note: These articles are part of a partnership between Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio and the International Low Grade Glioma Registry to raise awareness of brain tumors, real people with brain tumors, quality of life, and caregiving as part of Brain Tumor Awareness Month in May. This work is supported by a grant to Yale University by the National Cancer Institute (1 U2C CA252979-01A1). Its contents are the authors’ sole responsibility and do not necessarily represent official NIH views.
The post Take Action for Brain Health During Brain Tumor Awareness Month! appeared first on Salud America.
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