RHONJ: Victoria Wakile Diagnosed With Her Second Brain Tumor
On season four of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Kathy Wakile, shared her beautiful family and home with viewers. Seeing a loving and grounded family on the series was a welcome departure from the dysfunctional family feud that plagued season four.
During that season, Kathy opened up about her daughter’s past medical struggles. Viewers discovered Victoria Wakile, 20, was diagnosed with a brain tumor as a child and underwent surgery in 2004.
Regrettably, Victoria has recently endured her second brain surgery for an Astrocytoma.
Astrocytomas are a type of cancer of the brain. Astrocytomas are the most common glioma and can occur in most parts of the brain and occasionally in the spinal cord.This type of tumor does not usually spread outside the brain and spinal cord and it does not usually affect other organs.
The kind mild-mannered college student spoke with OK! about her ordeal. Read the interview in it’s entirety below:
OK!: What was it like to go through the brain surgery as a child?
Victoria Wakile: I was scared, but really did not know the depth of what was actually happening. My parents told me it was something serious, but being so young [I] was not sure what it all meant.
OK! News: Kathy Wakile explains how she vacations with her family drama-free.
OK!: How did you feel when you were diagnosed with the brain tumor as a child?
VW: When I heard about that it was a brain tumor I was scared. But my family was there for me every step of the way, every second I was awake. Since I was a child they were allowed to be with me the entire time.
OK!: How did you feel when you found out again, on April 1, the tumor had started to regrow and you would need surgery?
VW: I was a bit nervous, like why did it happen again? But since I was 20, not 10 anymore, I had to face things in the hospital as an adult, which was challenging. However I wanted to be strong and stay positive.
OK!: Physically, how are you feeling today now that your surgery has been completed?
VW: I feel good, but definitely not back to myself completely. I have to take things slow and get back my strength and ability. After surgery the body has a way of telling your mind, ‘slow down.’ Not ready to go go go yet. Each day, I get more energy, stamina, and my thoughts are clear.
OK!: What has been the hardest part about this whole experience for you personally?
VW: The hardest part of this whole experience is understanding that we all have our daily lives that we live with, [with] plans, goals, expectations… And when something in your health changes, those things take a slight detour. It is hard to shift and refocus, but it’s important to do so. One thing I learned—when I was 10, I told myself and family I wanted to be a nurse and help others. After the same experience 10 years later, now that I’m 20, it validated that I am making the right choices, in school for nursing!
Avigail is an Entertainment blogger at All About The Tea, who specializes in The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Real Housewives of Potomac. Avigail has a background in marketing. She’s a Brooklynite living in the Bahamas, with a passion for travel, writing, reality TV watching, pop culture and spoken word.