Isabella opens up about second brain surgery

Mumbai: Michael Strahan’s daughter Isabella Strahan is facing a brave battle against medulloblastoma, a form of brain tumor. The college student’s health journey was shared on Good Morning America, revealing her diagnosis and emergency surgery in late October 2023.

Isabella was treated after the mass was removed with the support of her father and medical professionals at Cedars-Sinai on October 27, just before her 19th birthday. Recently, Isabella gave an update on her health journey as she had an unexpected second brain surgery.

Isabella Strahan, the daughter of Good Morning America host Michael Strahan, recently underwent an unexpected second brain surgery after suffering a setback while recovering from an initial round of chemotherapy for a brain tumor. The 19-year-old student and model shared the update in the 12th installment of her YouTube series on Wednesday. Isabella previously underwent emergency surgery in October 2023 to remove a large medulloblastoma, a malignant tumor located in her cerebellum.

In her latest vlog, Isabella revealed that surgery was scheduled for 8 a.m. to undergo her second craniotomy, nearly five months after her initial procedure. This development comes as she continues to document her health journey and the challenges she faces along the way.

“I’m really nervous,” she said. I’m more nervous about it because it’s not like my brain is what they’re messing with; It’s not that deep … but I’m curious what recovery will look like,” she said. “I’m not excited at all. I’m actually a little nervous. “Wow. How lucky am I to have another brain surgery?”

Isabella went into detail about the surgical procedure, explaining that doctors reopened the wound at the back of her head to clean it and drain fluid to prevent infection. Additionally, they replaced part of the bone that was removed from his skull during his initial surgery. Following the operation, Isabella shared footage of herself lying in her hospital bed, her head completely wrapped in bandages.

She added, “I’m in a lot of pain…and it sucks. I was in so much pain before, I felt like screaming. It’s not fun. Hopefully, that’s why I have a fever and “I have been in the hospital for a week. So hopefully after I recover from this, I will be able to go home soon. But I don’t feel my best.”

Isabella showed a glimpse of the back of her head, which was stapled after surgery, giving viewers a raw and intimate look at her post-op experience. She shared a particularly harrowing moment when her doctor removed a tube from inside her skull, capturing her screams on camera. Despite the challenges, Isabella courageously detailed the rigors of the recovery process while attempting to maintain optimism throughout her journey.

“My face is so swollen, it’s crazy,” she said. I feel really bad, and I wasn’t expecting to come out with my head wrapped like this. I am in a lot of pain right now. it’s useless. I was too drunk for my first surgery because it was more invasive.” Isabella continued, ”It’s no fun getting your head chopped off. It’s not fun but I’m so glad I can still walk and talk and they didn’t touch my brain because it would be really hard to do that again and I don’t think I could do it… I Can do it but it will harden again.

Isabella revealed that her second round of chemotherapy was delayed by a week due to an unexpected craniotomy. He stressed the importance of allowing yourself to fully recover before chemotherapy and described it as “terrible” to continue treatment without adequate recovery. In her vlog, Isabella shared footage of herself taking a slow walk to the hospital, with the help of one of her doctors. He was also accompanied by a support group of friends who visited him during his stay in the hospital.

Isabella’s unexpected surgery came while she was hospitalized for four days after suffering a high fever while recovering from chemotherapy, as she documented in her previous vlog earlier in the week. She explained, “I think this is the worst fever I’ve had. I didn’t feel as terrible as the first time. I just had a really bad headache, so I didn’t think anything of it, and now we’re in the ER.

Isabella further said, “I am not feeling well. “I don’t feel terrible,” Isabella admitted. “I feel bad, but I don’t feel good. I feel like I can barely walk now.”

Kayla Quick, Isabella’s father’s girlfriend, said that just two days earlier, Isabella was walking easily in the hospital. However, Isabella herself admitted that her situation had deteriorated significantly since then.