Policewoman Mom Of Three, 30, Had A Seizure In Her Squad Car And Thought She’d Been Shot: It Turned Out To Be Cancer

“I remember looking down at my body and I thought for a second like, ‘I must have been shot or something,’ because the last thing I remembered was working,” Ragsdale said. “And then I’m all of a sudden in the hospital, and I don’t know what’s wrong. All to find out that it was a seizure and then to learn that that seizure was from a tumor that is cancerous.”

After undergoing an MRI, doctors found three masses on Ragsdale’s brain. She was diagnosed with astrocytomas.

“At first it was shock. I definitely cried, I had a lot of different emotions,” she said. “It’s a lot.

“I’ve said that numerous times and numerous people. I don’t know how else to put it into words. It’s just it’s an overwhelming feeling.”

Meanwhile, her children ages 5, 8 and 10 are scared for their mother. Her 8 year old even asked about whether or not her mother would die from this.

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“I told her that it’s possible but that we can’t focus on the negative and that we have to just hope for the best and just take it day by day,” Ragsdale said.

Ragsdale is now meeting with doctors to decide if she qualifies for a clinical trial. We’re hoping for nothing but the best for this brave mom of three.

Navigating the Emotions of a Cancer Journey

It's very normal to have negative feelings throughout your cancer journey and it's okay to express them. Anger, shame, fear, anxiety they're all to be expected. But how you handle the rollercoaster of emotions that can come with a cancer journey is up to you.

Evelyn Reyes-Beato, like Brianna Ragsdale, is a resilient woman who's also had to deal with the complexity of emotions during a cancer journey. The colon cancer survivor comes from a culture where health issues and feelings aren't normally talked about, but she found that expressing her emotional pain was a big factor in helping her overall physical health.

You Just Have to Let it Out: Survivor Evelyn Reyes-Beato on Healing Emotionally After Cancer

"You have to let it out," Evelyn previously told SurvivorNet. "Your mental and your emotional help your physical get in line. If you keep all of the emotions in, the way I see it, is that stuff is going to eat you up inside and it's not going to let you heal."

Danielle Ripley-Burgess, a two-time colon cancer survivor, is another inspiring cancer survivor. She was first diagnosed with colon cancer in high school and proceeded to beat the disease not once, but twice. Understandably so, Ripley-Burgess has had to work through a lot of emotions that came with her cancer and its recurrence. Even still, she's always managed to look at life with a positive attitude.

How to Cope When Recurrence Rattles Your Faith At The Age of 25Two-Time Colon Cancer Survivor Danielle Ripley-Burgess Shares Her Story

"As I've worked through the complex emotions of cancer, I've uncovered some beautiful things: Wisdom. Love. Life purpose. Priorities," she previously told SurvivorNet. "I carry a very real sense that life is short, and I'm grateful to be living it! This has made me optimistic. Optimism doesn't mean that fear, pain and division don't exist they do. Our world is full of negativity, judgment, and hate. Optimism means that I believe there's always good to be found despite the bad, and this is what my life is centered around."

RELATED: Stay Positive, It Matters

She moves through life with a sense of purpose unique to someone who's been faced with the darkest of times. Happily in remission today, she's determined to, one day, leave the world better than she found it.

"We can choose to stay positive, treat others with respect and look for the light in spite of the darkness," she said. "This type of attitude and behavior will lead to the kind of legacies I believe all of us hope to leave."

Understanding Brain Tumors

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), brain tumors account for 85 to 90 percent of all primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors. The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord and acts as the main "processing center" for the nervous system. Normal function of the brain and spinal cord can become difficult if there's a tumor present that puts pressure on or spreads into nearby normal tissue.

There are many different types of brain and spinal cord tumors. Some are more likely to spread into nearby parts of the brain or spinal cord than others. Slow-growing tumors may be considered benign, but even these tumors can cause serious problems.

Astrocytomas, generally speaking, develop from certain star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders. Grades I or II astrocytomas are nonmalignant (noncancerous) and may be referred to as low-grade. Grades III and IV astrocytomas are malignant (cancerous) and may be referred to as high-grade astrocytomas. Grade IV astrocytomas are known as glioblastoma multiforme. Lower grade astrocytomas can change into higher grade astrocytomas over time, so it's important to catch these tumors as early as possible.

We don’t know exactly what grade Brianna Ragsdale’s astrocytoma is, but it is either grade III or IV since we know it is cancerous.

Kicking Cancer's Ass One Survivor's Advice for Taking On Brain Cancer

Symptoms of brain tumors, as a whole, are often caused by increased pressure in the skull. This pressure can be caused by tumor growth, swelling in the brain or blockage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), according to the American Cancer Society.

Increased pressure can lead to general symptoms such as:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Blurred vision
• Balance problems
• Personality or behavior changes
• Seizures
• Drowsiness or even coma

It is important to note that these symptoms are not exclusive to brain tumors. Still, you should always consult with your doctor if any health problems arise.

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