Change in Behavior Leads to Brain Tumor Discovery Kim Olson’s sister knew something was wrong and got her to the hospital By Simon Floss, Sanford Health
K
im Olson always knew she wanted to come back home to Jackson, Minnesota after working in Pennsylvania for 32 years.
Her sister’s worry grew to the point where she thought Olson needed medical help.
She retired and made the move back to the Midwest to bunk up
She called an ambulance to take Olson to the Sanford emergency room in Jackson. Olson didn’t remember anything about the visit.
with her sister in Jackson. Everyone was excited. However, as soon as she moved in, her sister noticed something wasn’t right with Olson. One of the first changes her sister noticed was how Olson struggled to do common, everyday tasks. “I had no motivation at all,” she said. “I guess it progressively got worse,” said Olson. One morning, Olson’s sister went into the basement to find Olson sleeping on the floor next to her bed. 58
SiouxFallsWoman.net | October/November 2021
Later on, she talked with the emergency room doctor who cared for her that night. He told her that she could barely communicate. The doctor ordered a CT scan, which again, Olson didn’t remember. But, what happened next Olson will never forget. “I do remember him coming into the exam room and told me I have a large mass in my head, and I’m going to need surgery,” she said. As soon as the mass was discovered, Olson was transported to Sanford Health, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The next morning, she met with Sanford Health neurosurgeon Shawn
