Family sends message after health scare

AUSTIN (KXAN) - An Austin man who had a serious health scare says he's alive because of his family's love and concern.

They knew something bad was happening to him but didn't know what.

Cooperation, compassion and kindness are building blocks in the Moreno family.

So when changes took place in Art Moreno over several years his wife and daughters began to worry.

"He was short, very short tempered, very lethargic, apathetic," said his wife Gloria Mayo-Moreno.

Family gatherings and things he used to love no longer appealed to him.

"We knew something was going on and they would go to doctor after doctor and mom would come back and give us report after report," said his daughter Leticia Caballero.

Several physicians thought it was depression, but Gloria Mayo Moreno knew her husband suffered from something much worse.

"He thought I was over-exaggerating some of these things but as a spouse you can tell," she said.

Eventually behavioral problems turned into physical ones, loss of balance, slurred speech, headaches, weakness on one side of his body then a facial droop.

"They thought he was having a stroke and they brought him to the emergency room," said Dr. Hari Tumu, Neurosurgeon, Seton Brain & Spine Institute.

An MRI revealed a golf ball size brain tumor.

"You can see this bright white tumor extending behind the eye," said Dr. Tumu. "These parts of the brain control anything from movement of the left side of the body to memory, problem solving, social beahvior, impulse control, memory and even some people's speech," he said.

Dr. Tumu immediately scheduled a surgery to remove it.

"He has an extremely supportive family and it's a testament to their hard work and their persistence that he made such an amazing recovery," he said.

"I'm glad they never gave up on me because I was a hard case," said patient Art Moreno.

Today Mr. Moreno is better than ever.

"I think I'm very energetic," he said.

"Oh my gosh it's like living with a new person. He's got more energy now he tires me out," said his wife.

Their message to others is family plays an important role in health care, not just doctors.

"What go us through this was faith and family. We talked to each other constantly gave each other updates. No one person could do it alone," said Caballero.

Fortunately the tumor was not cancerous and Moreno fully recovered after rehab.

Doctors say the type of tumor he had is fairly common but rarely grow that large.

The family encourages people to be persistent, take notes about what they see, and get second, third or even more doctor opinions.