Kirsten Storms is recovering from brain surgery after the Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century alum revealed on Instagram Sunday that she had been diagnosed with a large cyst on her brain after experiencing a series of “random health issues” over the years. The General Hospital actress, 37, opened up about her diagnosis while “on the mend” from her surgery, thanking her friends, family and fans for all their support during this time.
“I spent the last few years having random health issues that I disregarded as side affects (sic) to my medications or just something I was experiencing due to age,” Storms wrote. “When I went to get an MRI for some severe neck pain I have been experiencing for the last few months (I assumed this neck pain was also causing my frequent ‘migraines’) my amazingly thorough orthopedist ordered an MRI of my head just to be on the ‘safe side’ – even though that isn’t his area of expertise. Truly a great doctor.”
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It was then that the doctor discovered a “rather large, very full of fluid, cyst” that was attached to the lower portion of her brain. “I feel very fortunate that my situation wasn’t more serious and that I had a wonderful neurosurgeon who immediately knew how to fix it,” she explained. While the prospect of getting brain surgery was a scary one, Storms said it was good for her mental health to continue working.
“Work is a great place to be everyday (sic) and for the 2 months leading up to my surgery I found a lot of comfort being around the people I’ve worked beside for so many years,” she wrote. “I’m excited to get back to it after my recovery. (Yes, they shaved a portion of my head, so please no comments if you don’t like my hair. It’s temporary.)” She then thanked everyone who had sent “positive vibes” her way, assuring they had not gone “unnoticed.” Sharing that she planned to knit to pass the time as she recovered, the star added, “Fun fact: I now firmly believe the new plates in my brain will give me some sort of special ability. Fingers crossed I can suddenly knit a sweater in 1 day. Ooo maybe 1 hour.”
Storms’ former co-star Emme Rylan was one of the people who stepped up to care for Storms as she began her recovery, acting as a caretaker before her home nurse began. “What they had to drain and remove was not cancer — I want to clarify that right now before the internet goes crazy wild with rumors about this,” Storms clarified on her Instagram Story on Friday. “I had a very large cyst that had split into two and the doctor said it was like so full the pressure was very noticeable when they opened up my skull, sounds so weird.”
