Siré Oosthuizen – Perfectly fine

Siré Oosthuizen radiates joy and an uplifting lightness as she explains why she felt perfectly fine when diagnosed with Stage 3 astrocytoma brain cancer.

Siré Oosthuizen (29) lives in Alberton, Gauteng with her husband.

The majority of Siré’s primary school years, she suffered with migraines, so she would always have a migraine kit with her to manage them. Thankfully, the migraines stopped during high school. 

It was in her first year of varsity that she started getting headaches again. At first, she thought it was due to studying and the strain on her eyes, so she went for an eye test towards the end of 2016. Though, her eyesight was good.

In 2017, Siré was in her second year of university and was about to start the second semester. While away on holiday, she got double vision and each time she got a headache, she would be nauseous and vomit; this would make her feel better. 

Once she was back home, another appointment was made at a different eye specialist and various tests were done. 

She was diagnosed with papilloedema (swelling of the optic disc caused by increased intracranial pressure) and sent for an MRI scan to find the cause. 

Siré was informed that she had a cancerous brain tumour (8cm x 6cm x 3 cm), called an astrocytoma, located in the left frontal lobe.

“When I received the news, I was alone as my sister who was driving me was waiting in the car. The nurse looked at me and asked, ‘Are you okay?’ I replied, ‘I’m perfectly fine. 

I know the Lord won’t bring something like this on my path, if He is not planning on healing me or making a testimony of my story. And if I were to pass away, at least I’m going out with a fighting spirit.’”

Sharing the news

She informed her close group of friends along with a lecturer. “When I saw them, they were all crying their eyes out and that was the only time I cried. Not for myself, but for them…to see the effect it had on them.”

Brain surgery

Siré, along with her parents, consulted a neurosurgeon. Surgery was discussed as well as all the side effects, which included change in personality, paralysis on the right side, speech impairment, seizures, and lack of sensation. The surgery took place in August 2017. 

“Before the surgery, I was asked if I wanted a calming tablet. I declined as I was perfectly fine. The surgery took roughly seven hours, which was longer than expected, so when I came out of theatre I was coming to and was wheeled past my parents and I smiled.

When they came into ICU to see me, I said (in Afrikaans), ‘Mom and Dad, that was the strangest experience ever’”, Siré explains. 

Siré’s recovery after brain surgery is nothing short of a miracle. She recognised every family member who visited her and has no major side effects whatsoever. She was only in ICU for two days, then skipped high care and went straight to a normal ward for another two days.

Further treatment

It was found during surgery that the tumour had spread to other lobes and was a Stage 3 astrocytoma. Due to this, Siré went on a daily oral chemotherapy pill in September 2017 until July 2018. 

The side effects were nausea which she was prescribed medication to manage as well as hair loss all over her body.

She started six weeks of radiation (33 sessions) at the same time as chemotherapy. 

Gap year

Her lecturer, whose husband had also battled cancer, advised Siré to take a year off from studying to give her brain a chance to fully recover. During this period, she experienced fatigue, short-term memory loss, and weight loss.

She was also given memory exercises from her oncologist so her parents could check if she was recalling words and objects. 

Her hair was only shaved where the neurosurgeon cut, almost like an Alice band. Friends raised money by selling bandanas to buy Siré a wig. “I didn’t really need it, but the gesture was beautiful,” she says. 

The hair still doesn’t grow properly where the tumour was but Siré takes it in her stride.

Going back to university

Before Siré went back to study, she did a gun competency test (her family are hunters). “It’s a hobby and was a good way to test if my brain was functioning properly,” she says.

Her oncologist also wrote a report stating she is fit to continue studying physiotherapy. In July 2018, Siré went back to university, starting the second semester. Siré completed her studies in 2020 and did her community service in 2021. She got the first job she applied for. She disclosed the brain cancer when asked why there was a gap in her studying.

Meeting her husband

Once Siré was fully recovered, in 2018, she shared her testimony at church. Little did she know, it made such an impression on her future mother-in-law that she shared it with her son. 

He then reached out to Siré to check how she was doing, and they formed a friendship then a romantic relationship and now have been married for four years.

A heart full of gratitude

Siré is thankful for how everything has turned out. “This has nothing to do with me. Technically, I’m not supposed to be here or even survived the op…but the fact that I’m a living walking testimony gives honour to the Lord. His grace, His goodness and healing hands. I’m thankful for the job I have, for my husband, for my family who grew closer. More thankful, I can’t be,” Siré says.

Laurelle Williams is the editor at Word for Word Media. She graduated from AFDA with a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Live Performance. She has a love for storytelling and sharing emotions through the power of words. Write to [email protected]