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When Your Body Knows Something Is Wrong | Charles Young
Sometimes your body starts sending signals long before anyone can explain them.
Dizziness. Disorientation. A sense that something is deeply wrong, even when tests come back “normal.”
In this episode of Blind Spots, Charles Young shares what it was like to live inside that uncertainty, and how listening to his instincts ultimately saved his life.
Host Gayle MacDonald sits down with Charles Young to explore his experience of living with a rare, benign brain tumor that went undiagnosed for years. What began as unexplained vertigo and nausea eventually escalated into psychosis, hospitalization, and emergency brain surgery.
Charles reflects on navigating the healthcare system, losing his career overnight, and facing the emotional aftermath of survival. This is not a story about easy answers. It is a grounded conversation about self-advocacy, recovery, and how perspective can shift after trauma.
What You’ll Hear or Learn
- What it feels like when your symptoms are real, but answers are slow to come
- How psychosis showed up and what awareness looked like from the inside
- The moment Charles chose to actively participate in his recovery
- Letting go of negative self-talk during illness and healing
- Grieving the loss of a career while building a different kind of life
- Why connection matters more than isolation during long-term illness
- How sharing your story can help others feel less alone
About Charles
Charles Young is a former educator and senior leader in learning and development with
the Government of Alberta. Raised on a family farm in rural Alberta, he built a career
rooted in service, teaching at NorQuest College and Grant MacEwan College before
moving into provincial leadership roles supporting staff development across multiple
ministries.
Charles’s life changed dramatically when he was diagnosed with a rare colloid brain
cyst that caused severe neurological and psychological symptoms. After a high‑risk
seven‑hour brain surgery at the University of Alberta Hospital, he began a long recovery
journey marked by resilience, determination, and what he calls his “great reset.”
Now nearly two years post‑surgery, Charles embraces a healthier lifestyle, prioritizes
mental well‑being, and openly shares his story to help others facing medical or mental
health challenges. He is an active member of global colloid cyst support groups, offering
hope and encouragement to people navigating similar diagnoses.
Known by friends for his newfound gentleness, perspective, and gratitude, Charles
advocates for connection, self‑advocacy, and the importance of strong health benefits
and early life planning. Though legally disabled and unable to return to work, he
describes his life today as meaningful, connected, and better than before.
Connect With Charles Young
Listen with curiosity. Reflect on where you may need to trust your instincts more deeply. And if this conversation resonates, consider sharing it with someone who may be navigating illness or recovery quietly.
View all episodes
By Gail McDonaldSometimes your body starts sending signals long before anyone can explain them.
Dizziness. Disorientation. A sense that something is deeply wrong, even when tests come back “normal.”
In this episode of Blind Spots, Charles Young shares what it was like to live inside that uncertainty, and how listening to his instincts ultimately saved his life.
Host Gayle MacDonald sits down with Charles Young to explore his experience of living with a rare, benign brain tumor that went undiagnosed for years. What began as unexplained vertigo and nausea eventually escalated into psychosis, hospitalization, and emergency brain surgery.
Charles reflects on navigating the healthcare system, losing his career overnight, and facing the emotional aftermath of survival. This is not a story about easy answers. It is a grounded conversation about self-advocacy, recovery, and how perspective can shift after trauma.
What You’ll Hear or Learn
- What it feels like when your symptoms are real, but answers are slow to come
- How psychosis showed up and what awareness looked like from the inside
- The moment Charles chose to actively participate in his recovery
- Letting go of negative self-talk during illness and healing
- Grieving the loss of a career while building a different kind of life
- Why connection matters more than isolation during long-term illness
- How sharing your story can help others feel less alone
About Charles
Charles Young is a former educator and senior leader in learning and development with
the Government of Alberta. Raised on a family farm in rural Alberta, he built a career
rooted in service, teaching at NorQuest College and Grant MacEwan College before
moving into provincial leadership roles supporting staff development across multiple
ministries.
Charles’s life changed dramatically when he was diagnosed with a rare colloid brain
cyst that caused severe neurological and psychological symptoms. After a high‑risk
seven‑hour brain surgery at the University of Alberta Hospital, he began a long recovery
journey marked by resilience, determination, and what he calls his “great reset.”
Now nearly two years post‑surgery, Charles embraces a healthier lifestyle, prioritizes
mental well‑being, and openly shares his story to help others facing medical or mental
health challenges. He is an active member of global colloid cyst support groups, offering
hope and encouragement to people navigating similar diagnoses.
Known by friends for his newfound gentleness, perspective, and gratitude, Charles
advocates for connection, self‑advocacy, and the importance of strong health benefits
and early life planning. Though legally disabled and unable to return to work, he
describes his life today as meaningful, connected, and better than before.
Connect With Charles Young
Listen with curiosity. Reflect on where you may need to trust your instincts more deeply. And if this conversation resonates, consider sharing it with someone who may be navigating illness or recovery quietly.