Name
Jason Burris

Brain Tumor Type
Craniopharyngioma

Date of Diagnosis
1992

Participant Group
Brain Tumor Survivor / 21 and over

Category
Photography/Digital Art

Artist Statement (include type of art, techniques & materials used, what it means to you)
Here is a photo I took with my Canon R8 camera using its Rf24-50mm f4.5-6.3 kit lens. It was taken at 50mm, at F/16 at 1/400 of a second. It took it at a local car show. It is a 1957 Ford Country Sedan. I like the patina and rust on the car. It symbolizes a bygone era of automobiles and living. It also speaks to be about aging gracefully. The rust I think also speaks to me of scars which kind of goes back to my poem that I wrote.
"Scars"
Oh the scars I bear
Both internal and external
Some visible
Some hidden
Physical, Mental, Emotional,
The battles I’ve fought,
Some I’ve won
Some I’ve lost
Some draws
And some still ongoing
The ongoing struggles
Oh the scars we bear.

Artist Bio: Tell Us Your Story
I am a pituitary brain tumor survivor from childhood. I am therefore on total hormone replacement which means a lot of meds and focusing on taking care of myself. Some of my hormones are also not replaced either due to side effects, them not being available as a medication or having been discovered yet. I struggle with physical and mental health. I have co-morbidities as a result of the tumor and its aftereffects. I have metabolic issues and problems with hyperphagia as well as balancing meds and electrolytes.