“I NEED YOU to pray that I have a brain tumor!” Linda Nichols clasped hands with her friends as they bowed their heads inside her home. After everyone left that evening, her husband, Howie, asked, “Why would you ask them to pray for such a thing?”
In 2012, while rambling through the woods on their property that borders the Duck River, Linda stepped into a hole, and her ankle popped. Over the next eight weeks, she lost complete control of her right foot. What started as her toes not moving became worse, and she had to wear a brace to help with “drop foot.”
Linda made an appointment with her doctor, and he soon confirmed that she had indeed torn a tendon in her ankle. But he insisted that the symptoms she was experiencing were coming from something more sinister. He told her that it was probably a tumor in her spine, knee, or brain and that he was referring her to a neurologist. What she was experiencing could also be the symptoms of Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) and multiple sclerosis (MS).
“Immediately after leaving that first appointment, I called my husband and told him that Dr. Rungee said I have a tumor,” recalled Linda. “I thought he was crazy when he referred me to a neurologist, but his early diagnosis likely saved my life. A group of women from my church, Shelbyville Mills Baptist Church, came to visit me after I received the three options from the neurologist. They asked what they could do to help and what they should pray for. As crazy as this sounds, I asked everyone to pray specifically that I had a brain tumor. Both MS and ALS are not curable, so a brain tumor seemed like the best option in my situation. After several doctor’s appointments, various nerve and muscle tests, months of waiting, and the fear of the unknown, the diagnosis was confirmed — I had a brain tumor.”
The diagnosis showed that Linda had a meningioma on her brain, which doctors said had a 96% chance of being noncancerous, but she needed brain surgery immediately.
“An incredibly special family member of ours had already begun talking to doctors on my behalf. Within a few days, I was prepping for surgery with one of the best neurosurgeons at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which is miraculous! It was a good thing, too, because during that week, my tumor had grown from the size of a golf ball to the size of a tennis ball, and it was pressing on a major artery in my brain.”
Doctors had warned Linda there was a chance she would never regain the use of her right foot.
“When my foot moved the night after surgery, we called my nurses into the room and threw a party! I was in physical therapy for months to rebuild my strength and mobility. The support and the care we were shown through this time was overwhelming. Friends, family, and church members were continuously bringing flowers, sending cards, calling, and providing meals. My husband was able to return to work much earlier than expected. My family and some of my best friends from high school volunteered to sit with me.
“I don’t think Howie and I had to worry about cooking for a solid two months. When I saw my doctor one year later, he showed me the MRI and told me that if another doctor did an MRI, he would never know I ever had a brain tumor. Brain tumors are more common in women than in men, and most people don’t realize they have one because they don’t cause problems.”
Looking back on this difficult time, Linda said, “You never think something like this will happen to you. I was reminded during this time that God is always in complete control, and we must trust Him to get us through hard times, no matter the outcome. We don’t always get the answers we want, but in this case, I did. My tumor was in the best possible location, and the prayers from everyone helped get me through. Trials are a test of our faith, and they help us grow in our dependence on God.
“My advice to anyone in this situation would be don’t wait around to get answers. And to those who know someone who is going through an illness, a loss, or some other kind of struggle, don’t wait for others to take care of them. Be the one to do it. I have more compassion for people going through illnesses because I know how hard it can be. My co-workers at First Community Bank even made me a prayer quilt, and they all signed it.”
The Nichols’ land on the Duck River provides a place of solitude, rest, and a welcoming space for friends and family, but it also saved Linda’s life. It was that very land — that soil from her native Bedford County — that led to the injury and the diagnosis that ultimately saved her life.
“Bedford County is full of beautiful land, and I am so grateful to own a small piece of it. We just love to surround ourselves with friends and family and celebrate life. Every morning, I wake up, and I pray for the Lord to put someone in my path that I can encourage.” GN
