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Two Steps Forward: Embracing life with a brain tumor
Friday morning, 14 May 2010, Claire Snyman opens her eyes to find the room spinning around her, the light fixture dancing above. Then she develops her first migraine ever. What is this about? She must just be overdoing it at work. As a busy marketing executive with a husband and young son, Claire is used to pushing her limits. But it’s not too much it’s a rare non-malignant brain tumor. The diagnosis completely blindsides 34-year-old Claire and her family. Together they face the new reality of her condition while trying to navigate conflicting medical advice and cope with her new onset of symptoms. Two Steps Forward opens the door on life with a brain tumor and life after brain the frustrations, challenges and successes. A brain tumor touches not only the person with the tumor, but also their loved ones. In this compelling book, Claire documents her personal awakening as she learns to be her body’s own advocate through the often-harrowing journey of life with a brain tumor, her misdiagnosis and the brain surgery and recovery that followed. As she slowly recovers, she comes to realize that life’s small delights are just as important to embrace, be grateful for and believe in. This inspirational story is told with honesty, clarity and revelation. Two Steps Forward is an enlightening and compelling book for readers walking a similar path, but also for those facing a life-changing situation or for anyone looking for a positive and uplifting story.
- GenresNonfictionHealth
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2015
10 people are currently reading
391 people want to read
About the author
Claire Snyman
3 books8 followersIn her first book, "Two Steps Forward - Embracing life with a brain tumor", Claire, who lives in Vancouver, Canada with her husband and son, gives a vivid description of life with a brain tumor as she learns to be her body's own advocate through this often-harrowing journey, her misdiagnosis and the brain surgery and the recovery that followed.
Her hope is that Two Steps Forward will be an enlightening and compelling book for readers walking a similar path, but also for those facing a life-changing situation or for anyone looking for a positive and inspiring story.
Learn more at www.clairesnyman.com or join the Two Steps Forward community at www.twosteps.ca.
Claire is a marketing and business development consultant, lover of life and nature, wife and mother and loves to explore new ways of achieving balance in life. She is a member of the North Shore Writers Association (NSWA) to fuel her passion for writing. She considers herself lucky enough to have lived in three of the most beautiful places on earth: Africa, Australia and Canada!
Her hope is that Two Steps Forward will be an enlightening and compelling book for readers walking a similar path, but also for those facing a life-changing situation or for anyone looking for a positive and inspiring story.
Learn more at www.clairesnyman.com or join the Two Steps Forward community at www.twosteps.ca.
Claire is a marketing and business development consultant, lover of life and nature, wife and mother and loves to explore new ways of achieving balance in life. She is a member of the North Shore Writers Association (NSWA) to fuel her passion for writing. She considers herself lucky enough to have lived in three of the most beautiful places on earth: Africa, Australia and Canada!
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 7, 2020
This validated a lot of my own struggles, and for that I am grateful.
September 18, 2016
I found Claire on twitter through a friend of mine known by the name of Lou and twitter handle of @TumorWarrior. He and I have been mutual friends for years, and he has led me to understand, support, and even understand many kinds of brain tumors.
When I found Claire on Lou’s page, I read up about her, and found that she had written a book, and learned everything I could about her, before I even contacted her. And then I decided more needed to know about her, and learn the things I have been learning.
Many do not know about brain tumors, and many think that once people get tumors, they are a lost cause, and see them instantly and assume for the worst. I am not saying that that is not the case, but I want to let you the readers see, that sometimes there are lights at the end of the tunnels, and I also want you to see, that there are in fact, many struggles along the way.
My goal here is: to help you as the reader, to see many new ways to look at brain tumors. Not just to cross the person off your list as a lost cause, and think that there is nothing more you can do, and not just to walk away. People with brain tumors have many different survival rates, and they need you and I. Just as much as anyone else.
So allow me to share with you the insight I found when I read Claire Snyman’s beautiful book that allows you into her mind where she takes: “Two Steps Forward.”
In the beginning, Claire just thought she had a migraine and had been over doing it at work. She was only 34, married and has a young son. No one plans to get a brain tumor.
Claire shows you her feelings, her thoughts, her anger, her pain, and everything she has felt from the beginning and how she even dealt with it.
Her tumor was discovered to be a colloid cyst in the third ventricle and it caused vertigo and many migraines. It led her to the ER frequently, which is how it was discovered. It was 1.2 centimeters. And no sign of hydrocephalus or ventricular enlargement. It is considered to be a moderately large cyst. The neurosurgeon states that if it is removed, they are uncertain if it will result in any improvement of Claire’s headache symptoms.
Claire and her husband decide to go and see Doctors in UCLA give her a much different opinion which is no longer watch and wait, but now a more subtle kind of “you matter, let’s get this taken care of.” approach.
After a year of dealing with the tumor, Claire’s migraines have continued and now she has a problem with blurred vision in one eye.
Although Claire is still working, she has found that her priorities seem to be changing. She wants to spend more time with her four year old son Aiden, and even her loving and supportive husband. Life now, seems more important than work. Life matters more now, and Claire wants to live it to its fullest and enjoy every moment.
Next comes a ringing in Claire’s ear, and hearing loss, to the point that she has to lip read, and is unable to hear a lot of things. This is another disappointing step for Claire.
One day, while in the Doctor’s office Clair noticed a ‘Team in Training’ pamphlet. Said pamphlet supports a program to do a half or full marathon to support people with a variety of blood cancers through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. Claire, thinks this will be a nice thing to do, only walking it. She hopes she can do it, the farthest she had ever walked or ran was 10 kilometers. This was 2012 the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon. But after raising $1400 for the marathon Claire ends up tearing a ligament and it must be put on hold for that May.
In August 2012 Claire learns the cyst has grown almost fifty percent in size. She has been having constant migraine and vertigo, nausea, and made best friends with her toilet. She knew something was wrong.
Shortly after that, Claire’s life becomes a blur. Her legs have stopped working, she is sleeping all the time, she is much weaker, and she has little to no coordination. Her short term memory has been impacted, and she cannot recall anything. Her husband Marchand gets a hold of the doctor feeling this means it is high time to get the ball rolling before Claire deteriorates any further.
Rather than keep giving you all of the details of this book, which I have skipped over quite a few, I feel you should get your own copy. I just want you to know, this book is very heartfelt, and deep. My emotions had the best of me throughout, and I cried. And then, I even felt relief in some places, and sometimes I cried again.
This book is full of all kinds of emotions and it is an amazing read. You truly need read this, whether you are a cancer survivor, or know someone going through this, or just want to know. This is a five star read. A very wonderfully strong written five star read. Truly, I am touched by Claire, and her husband. I just cannot say that enough.
This book, “Two Steps Forward,” is just…amazing read, and so are Claire and her husband. Please check it out, I promise you will be impressed. Thank you Claire, for allowing me the honor and privilege of this interview and reading your book.
When I found Claire on Lou’s page, I read up about her, and found that she had written a book, and learned everything I could about her, before I even contacted her. And then I decided more needed to know about her, and learn the things I have been learning.
Many do not know about brain tumors, and many think that once people get tumors, they are a lost cause, and see them instantly and assume for the worst. I am not saying that that is not the case, but I want to let you the readers see, that sometimes there are lights at the end of the tunnels, and I also want you to see, that there are in fact, many struggles along the way.
My goal here is: to help you as the reader, to see many new ways to look at brain tumors. Not just to cross the person off your list as a lost cause, and think that there is nothing more you can do, and not just to walk away. People with brain tumors have many different survival rates, and they need you and I. Just as much as anyone else.
So allow me to share with you the insight I found when I read Claire Snyman’s beautiful book that allows you into her mind where she takes: “Two Steps Forward.”
In the beginning, Claire just thought she had a migraine and had been over doing it at work. She was only 34, married and has a young son. No one plans to get a brain tumor.
Claire shows you her feelings, her thoughts, her anger, her pain, and everything she has felt from the beginning and how she even dealt with it.
Her tumor was discovered to be a colloid cyst in the third ventricle and it caused vertigo and many migraines. It led her to the ER frequently, which is how it was discovered. It was 1.2 centimeters. And no sign of hydrocephalus or ventricular enlargement. It is considered to be a moderately large cyst. The neurosurgeon states that if it is removed, they are uncertain if it will result in any improvement of Claire’s headache symptoms.
Claire and her husband decide to go and see Doctors in UCLA give her a much different opinion which is no longer watch and wait, but now a more subtle kind of “you matter, let’s get this taken care of.” approach.
After a year of dealing with the tumor, Claire’s migraines have continued and now she has a problem with blurred vision in one eye.
Although Claire is still working, she has found that her priorities seem to be changing. She wants to spend more time with her four year old son Aiden, and even her loving and supportive husband. Life now, seems more important than work. Life matters more now, and Claire wants to live it to its fullest and enjoy every moment.
Next comes a ringing in Claire’s ear, and hearing loss, to the point that she has to lip read, and is unable to hear a lot of things. This is another disappointing step for Claire.
One day, while in the Doctor’s office Clair noticed a ‘Team in Training’ pamphlet. Said pamphlet supports a program to do a half or full marathon to support people with a variety of blood cancers through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. Claire, thinks this will be a nice thing to do, only walking it. She hopes she can do it, the farthest she had ever walked or ran was 10 kilometers. This was 2012 the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon. But after raising $1400 for the marathon Claire ends up tearing a ligament and it must be put on hold for that May.
In August 2012 Claire learns the cyst has grown almost fifty percent in size. She has been having constant migraine and vertigo, nausea, and made best friends with her toilet. She knew something was wrong.
Shortly after that, Claire’s life becomes a blur. Her legs have stopped working, she is sleeping all the time, she is much weaker, and she has little to no coordination. Her short term memory has been impacted, and she cannot recall anything. Her husband Marchand gets a hold of the doctor feeling this means it is high time to get the ball rolling before Claire deteriorates any further.
Rather than keep giving you all of the details of this book, which I have skipped over quite a few, I feel you should get your own copy. I just want you to know, this book is very heartfelt, and deep. My emotions had the best of me throughout, and I cried. And then, I even felt relief in some places, and sometimes I cried again.
This book is full of all kinds of emotions and it is an amazing read. You truly need read this, whether you are a cancer survivor, or know someone going through this, or just want to know. This is a five star read. A very wonderfully strong written five star read. Truly, I am touched by Claire, and her husband. I just cannot say that enough.
This book, “Two Steps Forward,” is just…amazing read, and so are Claire and her husband. Please check it out, I promise you will be impressed. Thank you Claire, for allowing me the honor and privilege of this interview and reading your book.
September 11, 2015
This is a very valuable read for many who are seeking a positive, practical path through life's challenges. For those challenged with a brain tumor, this book is a lifeline and a heart to heart gift. Claire shares her story authentically all the while maintaining a practical perspective of how she can best help those going through a similar experience. Two Steps Forward isn't inspirational fluff. It is solid, with the soles of the feet firmly planted with each step, as Claire walks you through her experience. Life challenges are opportunities to bring our soul's purpose to the forefront of our lives. Claire is living her purpose and is providing the means for all of us to be inspired in how we too can step forward boldly into embracing the fullness of our lives!
May 28, 2023
Two Steps Forward: Embracing life with a brain tumor
This was an easy reading book written by Claire Snyman who actually went through two brain operations while relatively young in marriage. I’m so glad to have read it!
This was an easy reading book written by Claire Snyman who actually went through two brain operations while relatively young in marriage. I’m so glad to have read it!
February 9, 2023
Extremely complex tumor story, travel to US for surgery, complications, raising a son. Thankful the author took the time to write out her story to share and help others learn.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews