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Meningioma: Anyone else? I'm frightened

Brain Tumor | Last Active: 8 hours ago | Replies (212)

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@cscmaryann

I'm 71 and had a crainiotomy for one of two meningiomas pressing on my optic nerve on August 1, 2023. (second meningioma on other side of optic nerve was treated at Mayo with proton therapy radiation treatments this past May). I was sent home two days after August '23 surgery and thought I felt great (on steroids - had no idea they make you feel good). Weeks later had tremendous headache/pain. In and out of ER to try to find out the issue. Surgeon who did crainiotomy did a flush out surgery to remove any infection which did not work. Eventually another bone specialist surgeon discovered I had infection in the bone flap from the hardware put in after the crainiotomy, along with a bone chip and other debris left from the crainiotomy. After that all was removed this past January, the horrific pain headaches went away. The surgeon who removed the items causing the pain warned me I would have headaches. I didn't for a while, but now have them intermittently, and the wound where 3 surgeries took place is now what he calls a "nuisance wound" that may not ever completely heal, and the bone flap may never heal, but we're checking it every 6 months. I'm actually doing well, considering all of this. Has not affected my health or vision in other ways. I figure I will just have to deal with headaches off and on. I'm an optimistic soul, in general, have a lot of faith, don't believe in blaming situations for what they are, so, I'm not sure my age has much to do with it. I have good genes. My parents were incredibly adaptable, overcame a great deal in their lives, lived to be 101 and 95, and taught me a lot about planning for tomorrow and living for today, and living with faith.
I think if you trust your doctors and have done research to get the best (I was told not to fly or I would have chosen a different situation, in hindsight), you should go forward with a positive mindset. The body is amazing in its ability to heal itself over time.
Each situation is different. If you're healthy, I don't think your age is a factor in your healing.

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Replies to "I'm 71 and had a crainiotomy for one of two meningiomas pressing on my optic nerve..."

cscmaryann: I has benefited from your earlier post back in August 2023, two months before my own craniotomy the following October. And what you wrote today should give all of us hope and such good advice to try and stay positive. I still have 2 more meningiomas (6 mm & 8mm) that I am currently on a watch-and-wait protocol and will always keep your forward thinking at heart rather than let their existence bog me down.