BELLEFONTE, Pa. (WTAJ) – LeeAnn Tripp was diagnosed with brainstem glioma in 2014, an often fatal form of brain tumor. She miraculously survived – but remission brought its own challenges.
After receiving radiation treatment in 2015, Tripp’s cancer went into remission. While the news was good, remission was not a break from the hardships.
“I really struggled in remission more than I expected to,” Tripp said.
Anxiety, depression and survivor’s guilt were all emotions tormenting her as the tumor shrank. Compounding the issue was the constant fear that the cancer would return.
“You kind of feel like you’re living in a purgatory,” Tripp said. “You’re waiting for the other shoe to fall.”
Fast forward to 2024 and Tripp is in a better mental space than before. She recently published her memoir “Finding the Rainbow: The Other Side of a Cancer Journey” as a way to potentially help others who may be facing the same challenges she did.
“I wrote the book to really give inspiration to, of course, the cancer community, brain tumor and brain cancer community,” Tripp said.
The book has already made a name for itself, being added to the Brain Tumour Research Center’s recommended reading list. The book is available at the Schlow and Bellefonte libraries, along with most major retailers.