Episode #3 | The First Visit: Clarity, Confusion, and the Watch and Wait Plan | Understanding the Diagnosis and Next Steps

🧠 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Every story has a moment where everything starts to make sense, even if it is hard to accept.In Episode 3 of I Have a What? Surviving a Brain Tumor, I, Johnathan “TeflonJohn” Smith, share the day I went to UVA Medical Center for my first major appointment. It was the day I would finally get clarity about what was happening inside my head and what my future might look like.

Before meeting my neurosurgeon, Dr. Ryan Kellogg, I had another MRI scheduled. That scan would become part of my new six-month routine. I take you inside that moment, describing the sights, sounds, and emotions of the experience. The cold room, the mechanical knocking of the MRI machine, the stillness you must hold for what feels like forever, and the thoughts that fill your mind as the minutes drag on. You think about your family, your life, your purpose, and you realize how powerless you feel when all you can do is wait.

After the scan, my wife and I had hours before seeing the doctor. Those gaps between appointments became our new normal. We would grab coffee, talk about everyday things, or just sit in silence trying to stay calm. Those hospital visits turned into all-day experiences, filled with hope, fear, and prayer. It was not just physical fatigue, it was emotional exhaustion.

When Dr. Kellogg entered the room, his tone was calm but serious. He explained that my tumor was located in the parietal lobe, the area of the brain that controls balance, coordination, and spatial awareness. For the first time, everything began to connect. The dizziness, the headaches, and the pain behind my eye were no longer random. He told me the tumor appeared to be a meningioma, likely benign and slow growing. It was a relief, but hearing the words “brain tumor” still made time stand still.

That was when I heard the plan: watch and wait. No surgery yet, just close observation with follow-up scans every six months. It sounded simple at first, but emotionally, it was one of the hardest things to accept. I talk about what that plan really means, both medically and mentally, and how it tests your patience, faith, and mindset. Living with something you cannot see or feel every day creates its own kind of anxiety. It makes you question everything while trying to look normal on the outside.

This episode also touches on how my grandfather, James Smith Jr., taught me to stay calm in the middle of chaos. He showed me through his life that peace is not about ignoring fear, it is about facing it with stillness and grace. His lesson became my anchor through this stage of uncertainty.

If you have ever experienced a health scare, waited for test results, or had to live in the unknown, this episode will speak directly to you. It is about learning to breathe through fear, to trust time, and to find strength in surrender. It is about understanding that patience is not weakness, it is quiet courage.

Every episode of I Have a What? is meant to give you insight, encouragement, and real-life perspective from someone who has been there. My goal is to help others recognize symptoms early, advocate for their health, and hold onto hope through every season of life.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe to I Have a What? Surviving a Brain Tumor on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music.

Join me as I share my journey of faith, awareness, and resilience, one story at a time.

🎧 Support the Show

If you enjoy my content and want to help me keep creating inspiring stories and conversations, you can support my work here: https://buymeacoffee.com/Teflonjohn

Every coffee helps fuel new episodes, better equipment, and meaningful content for the community. Thank you for your support! ☕️