HATEBREED’s Wayne Lozinak Shares Update After Tumor Removal Surgery

Hatebreed guitarist Wayne Lozinak has opened up about his recovery following brain surgery earlier this year, revealing how doctors removed a benign tumor and how he’s made his way back to the stage.

Speaking with ‘The Mike James Rock Show’, Lozinak reflected on how the issue first surfaced during the band’s European tour over the summer.

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He recalled:

“I had symptoms at [the U.K.’s] Download Festival [in June]. I went to the doctor in France the next day. It was weird — my lip got numb, and I was, like, ‘That’s kind of weird.’ But then I couldn’t talk. It was almost like I was having a stroke.”

Although he began to feel better the following day, Lozinak said it was his girlfriend who convinced him to seek medical attention.

“My girlfriend actually told me… I was, like, ‘I’m fine.’ She’s, like, ‘You’d better go or I’m gonna come out there.’ I was, like, ‘All right. All right. I’ll go. I’ll go.’ And then I got the scan and they saw a big tumor.”

After being kept overnight in France, he underwent an MRI that confirmed the tumor was benign.

“No cancer, which was good, but it was big. They said it’s probably been there for years. The doctor said, ‘It’s not an emergency, but get it done within the next three months.’ So I went back to the U.S., made an appointment with a surgeon. I got it taken out, and now I’m here [back on tour with Hatebreed].”

Lozinak went on to describe the aftermath of his August 4th surgery.

“I couldn’t even talk when they first took [the tumor] out, ’cause it was in my speech center, so I actually had a mild stroke when they took it out. So I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t write. It was almost like I just forgot how to speak. So I needed a speech therapist, all this stuff.”

Despite the complications, his determination to return to music never wavered.

“I was in the hospital for five days, something like that. So I was just in bed. When I got home, it was slow. When I first got home, I picked it up. That was one of the first things I did. I was, like, ‘All right, I know the chords.’ And then as time went on, then I was fine.”

Doctors estimated a four-to-eight-week recovery window, and Lozinak didn’t hesitate to ask when he could tour again.

“They were, like, ‘Don’t headbang too crazy.’ That’s my one thing. I’m, like, ‘I’ll try not to.’ It’s hard, but, yeah, that was about it. But I’m pretty good now, so I’m happy.”

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