Have you ever had a headache, and your first thought was, "it's a tumor"? It happens to me all the time. My mother tells me it's all in my head, but if I had a brain tumor, it would be all in my head, so she wouldn't exactly be wrong.
Amelia's surgery to remove her brain tumor has everyone by her side for support. She isn't sure what's real and what's the brain tumor talking anymore but tries her best to convey her feelings to those she loves. Amelia is battling her postop without drugs because of her addiction, which is the biggest test she has to face yet — but she shows just how far she has come to beat it.
I think the theme for this episode is "the struggle is real and so is your brain tumor." This episode is so essential because she has to struggle with her addiction. Going into a surgery and opting out of all pain meds because you're an addict is a very real thing that people have to do. The struggle shows just how strong she is, even after having a brain tumor for almost 10 years. And Amelia's people are still there for her. They've forgiven her for all her mistakes. Knowing that they can look past all of the times she made them question her choices — since it was not really her — shows just how strong a bond they all hold with each other. Going into Season 15, we have posttumor Amelia, who has taken on fostering a drug-addicted teenage mom and has made it out of her own struggle that she is able to help others with theirs.
