“I DON’T TAKE SMALL STEPS— I TAKE SPLITS”: THE STORY OF ELENA, WHO CAME BACK TO LIFE AFTER A COMPLEX SURGERY

A few weeks ago, we shared the story of Elena from Samara, who underwent a highly complex surgery to remove a cholesteatoma, a benign growth in the brain. In just a few hours, surgeons at National Medical Research Radiological Centre successfully removed the mass while preserving all vital functions. However, Elena needed a rehabilitation course, as the tumor had compressed her cranial nerves for a long time, affecting her hearing, swallowing, facial expressions, speech, and even her voice. She also experienced paresis on the right side of her face. Today, we want to tell you about her journey to full recovery.

Elena is a performer. A singer, teacher, choreographer, and director of a musical theater, she has hundreds of students ranging in age from three to seventy. They all thought she was going to Moscow for “training” because she didn’t want to tell them about her illness. But when Elena first saw her reflection in the mirror after surgery, she admitted she didn’t recognize herself. Her face was asymmetrical, she couldn’t hear in one ear, and her eye was constantly watering. “But I’m a singer. I needed to stand up, walk, smile. I didn’t just need to come back to life—I needed to come home even stronger than before!” she recalls.

“At first, my children (Elena is a mother of many) would call to check if I still remembered them. They were afraid I had lost my memory. And when I finally got out of bed, I realized that walking was a skill I had to learn all over again,” Elena shares.

Taking the first steps was a challenge. “The floor felt like it was slipping away. I was afraid I would fall and fail.” There were moments of despair, but specialists from the oncology rehabilitation department were there to support her. “We started working with Elena from the very first day after surgery,” says Anna Merzlyakova, head of the oncology rehabilitation department at the P. Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Institute – branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution of the “National Medical Research Radiological Centre” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. “The task was not easy: to restore mobility, all motor functions, and bring back facial symmetry and normal expressions.”

The rehabilitation process included physical therapy tailored to Elena’s needs, physiotherapy, magnetic therapy, laser therapy, and speech therapy. Thanks to this comprehensive program, she not only recovered but emerged even stronger.

“Today, our rehabilitation programs are becoming more comprehensive and, most importantly, more accessible,” notes Anna Mikhailovna. “We develop them individually for each patient, taking into account their specific needs, and all treatment is provided within the state healthcare program.”

Two weeks later, Elena is confidently moving toward her goal. Her walk is as steady and energetic as it was before her treatment. Her face is once again lit up with a broad smile and bright, shining eyes. She has even admitted that she is preparing not just to return to her students, theater, and stage—but to take part in the show The Voice.

“I don’t take small steps—I take splits,” she laughs. And it seems no one doubts that for a second!