← Return to Meningioma: Anyone else? I'm frightened
DiscussionMeningioma: Anyone else? I'm frightened
Brain Tumor | Last Active: 11 hours ago | Replies (301)Comment receiving replies
Replies to "Hello, my name is Mary. I am 51y female. I was diagnosed with a meningioma this..."
Mary: I went to the ER 3 years ago b/c of tingling down my arm. My husband was worried about a stroke. (It was a nerve issue in my neck.) But, the MRI showed I had a meningioma. I informed my primary care doctor and he said not to worry b/c they found meningiomas all the time when screening for strokes and they usually were benign and didn't cause any real problems. Interestingly enough, I had seen this same doctor at least 4 times about these vague symptoms I had been having over the course of 3 or 4 years. Finally, I put 2 and 2 together and asked him for a referral to a neurologist. I told the neurologist I suspected that maybe these symptoms I had been complaining of were from the meningioma. ( Symptoms are correlated to where the meningioma is and what nerve or struture it is pressing on.) I asked the neurologist where the meningioma was. He actually had the report in hand from the prior MRI. He said, and this is a direct quote, "I don't know." He then excused himself from the room and said he was going to call the radiologist. I heard them talking for 5-10 minutes in the room next to me. The neurologist came back and told me, per the radiologist, that it was pressing on my trigeminal nerve and, yes, those symptoms I had been complaining of could definitely be associated. The neurologist referred me to a neurosurgeon. I will always respect the neurologist for being honest and not trying to b.s. his way through a question he did not know the answer to. I have since been told that a neurologist specializes in diseases of the brain. So, I tend to be long-winded, but you will get an answer to your question most definitively from a radiologist (but we, as patients, don't consult with them) or a neurosurgeon. You didn't mention in your post whether the doctor who is ordering the MRIs is a neurosurgeion but if he is not, I would definitely ask for a referral to one. Also, educate yourself as much as you can before any consultations. Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkin all have good websites discussing meningiomas. Then, I always write down questions I have which I take with me during the consult.
I went to two doctors to make sure this was what i was dealing with, and both doctors (in totally different cities) told and showed me exactly where this was. Ask your doctor who did the MRI or your neurosurgeon.