A woman relieved after a "brain tumor" turns out to be a parasite

NEW YORK CITY – New York doctors expect them to discover a malignant brain tumor when they open Rachel Palma's skull.

Instead, they found a parasite.

"The good news is that I do not have cancer," Palma told WABC-TV.

Neurosurgeons made the discovery last September at Mount Sinai Hospital.

"We were delighted," said Dr. Jonathan Rasouli. "We applauded and applauded.We were so happy.When we walked in and found that it was a lone worm, we said to ourselves" YES! & # 39; We were so happy! "

It was in January of last year that strange things began to happen for Palma, aged 42.

She would suddenly fall off her cup of coffee. She could not remember the words. She tried to call dead parents.

After countless doctor visits and numerous brain scans, Mount Sinai specialists uncovered the problem and developed a plan of attack: a three-hour surgery.

The big mystery of this story is how the parasite got there.

Palma has never traveled outside the United States. She does not remember eating uncooked meat.

And frankly, she says that she gave up trying to find an answer.

"I stopped asking questions and I started celebrating and making the most of life," she said, "because in an instant, she can be removed."

Doctors say that they had known that it was a solitary worm and not a tumor causing all the problems, perhaps a high dose of antibiotics would have served as a cure.

But that does not put Rachel Palma in phase.

"There is no doubt in my mind that they saved my life," she said. "And they made me my life."