SAN ANTONIO – A local man who was diagnosed with a golf ball-sized brain tumor is sharing his story of surgeries, treatment and recovery to raise awareness about early detection and support others facing similar diagnoses.
Isaac Robledo said the first warning signs were easy to dismiss. He experienced a brief dizzy spell, a foggy moment and sudden chills. Still, he decided to get checked.
“That’s when we then went into the scan and where he said that I had a tumor the size of a golf ball in my head,” Robledo said. “That was an eye-opener to hear that news. I just thought it was something different. I didn’t think I’d ever have a tumor in my head.”
Robledo was officially diagnosed with a brain tumor in February 2025. At the time, his wife said the diagnosis was difficult to process.
“In that moment, we were just kind of in shock,” Vee Robledo said. “How does this happen to, at the time, he was 46 years old, doing his exercises, playing pickleball, things of that nature. But it definitely flipped our world upside down.”
A month after the diagnosis, Robledo underwent a craniotomy. Vee said complications followed within 72 hours, sending him back into surgery.
“There were some complications within 72 hours that he had to go back into surgery, which essentially caused a stroke,” she said. “He lost feeling all on the left side of his body.”
Robledo was sent to rehab, where he went through physical therapy and used a walker to get around. In June 2025, he began 30 rounds of radiation and 42 days of chemotherapy.
Despite the toll on his body, Robledo returned to the pickleball court the next month, in July.
“His doctors were pretty impressed with his dedication and motivation to get back out there,” Vee said. “He’s a fighter, and he’s continued to show just how resilient he is.”
In September 2025, Robledo began another 12 cycles of chemotherapy. That same month, he participated in his first Head for the Cure 5K, an event focused on raising awareness and support for people affected by brain tumors.
Robledo said the experience gave him another way to share an important message.
“What I’ve learned in this journey is early detection is the best defense,” Robledo said. “When she told me about this race, I said, ‘Well, let’s do it,’ because I do want to continue to bring awareness. That’s where we got family and friends, co-workers involved to do it. It’s a beautiful thing to bring awareness.”
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