Episode #7 | The Emotional Weight I Carried After My Brain Tumor Diagnosis

🧠 Episode Description

In this emotional episode of I Have A What?! Surviving a Brain Tumor, Johnathan “TeflonJohn” Smith opens up about one of the hardest parts of his journey, the part no one could see. It was not the headaches or the dizziness this time. It was the emotional pressure that slowly built inside him after hearing the words “you have a brain tumor.”

Life did not pause after the diagnosis. Work kept going. Family life kept going. Responsibilities kept going. But inside, a quiet tension was rising day by day, the kind you cannot always explain, the kind people do not notice unless you tell them. And like many survivors, Johnathan tried to keep it all inside so he would not worry the people he loved most.

This episode explores what that silent pressure felt like. The fear that grows when you try to protect your family from the truth. The guilt that shows up when you feel responsible for everyone’s peace. And the emotional weight of pretending to be strong when you are scared on the inside. Johnathan talks about how he tried to hold everything together at home while keeping his deepest worries hidden from his wife and child.

Along the way, he shares how this season gave him new empathy for his wife, who had survived her own brain tumor years before. Seeing his own fear made him understand hers in a new way, and it deepened his appreciation for her quiet strength.

Johnathan also reflects on a powerful life lesson from his grandfather. As a child, his grandfather took him to youth sports practices and taught him never to quit, no matter how hard things felt. That childhood lesson became a source of strength during this emotional chapter, reminding him to keep going even when the pressure felt overwhelming.

If you have ever protected your family from your pain, if you have ever carried fear silently, or if you know the feeling of trying to hold everything together after life hits you with something heavy, this episode will speak to your soul. It is honest, it is vulnerable, and it is a reminder that emotional weight is real, but you do not have to carry it alone.

💭 In this episode, Johnathan shares:• What emotional pressure felt like after his brain tumor diagnosis• Why he hid fears from his family to protect them• The weight of trying to stay strong for others• How his wife’s past brain tumor journey took on new meaning• The spiritual and mental battle he faced in silence• A powerful lesson from his grandfather about never quitting• How this emotional chapter leads into the next turning point in his story

💬 If this episode connects with you, leave a comment on Spotify or share it with someone who may be carrying more than they show. Your feedback helps build this community.

☕ Support the podcast:If you want to support this mission of encouragement, storytelling, and awareness, you can visit BuyMeACoffee.com/TeflonJohn. Every contribution helps spread hope to others walking through difficult seasons.

📱 Follow the show for more real stories of faith, resilience, and survival.

#IHaveAWhatPodcast #SurvivingABrainTumor #BrainTumorJourney #TeflonJohn #EmotionalHealth #InvisibleWeight #FaithOverFear #HealingJourney #BrainTumorSurvivor #ResilienceAndRecovery #PodcastStorytelling