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Meningioma: Anyone else? I'm frightened
Brain Tumor | Last Active: 6 days ago | Replies (421)Comment receiving replies
Thank you for your reply, back when I was diagnosed with the meningioma (in June of 2024), the neurologist told me that many people live up to 30 years with these things in their heads, because they grow slowly. When I had this second mri done, it has grown. Now I went to see the neurosurgeon and right away he said I should have it removed. I have so many questions, I am really nervous and anxious. I don't know what to think. I told him yes that I wanted to have this surgery done, but I'm really having doubts if I should have the surgery. I'm afraid of all the things that can during the surgery and also after, like possible side effects.
I would also like to mention that I had Leukemia as a child, when I was 10. I underwent treatment including radiation. This neurosurgeon said that a lot of patients that had radiation treatment might develop this meningiomas.
Replies to "Thank you for your reply, back when I was diagnosed with the meningioma (in June of..."
Like you, I was diagnosed around the same time. They were looking for a cause for my newly developed tremor, but found the meningioma instead (lucky me). I've spoken with a few doctors and they agree that surgery is a good option if it's at the stage where they need to act. Right now they got me at "wait and see" and have done another MRI to see if it's grown (stable so far). Keep asking questions and documenting their answers and your health.
Wishing you a speedy healing with which ever method you and your doctors choose.
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Mary, when I was diagnosed a year and a half ago with a 2.7 centimeter close to my optic nerve the neuro-oncologist said radiation. But a different neurosurgeon I consulted said remove it. Did the neurosurgeon you saw explain both and then state why he was suggesting surgery rather than radiation? I think removing it is always preferred unless your age and general health precludes that possibility. (General anesthesia is harder on older people.) Radiation would be the second line of defense if the location is too dangerous to operate in. Or, if the meningioma is too large (I was told 3 centimeters but others on this forum have quoted 4 and 5 centimeters) radiation is not an option. With all that being said, I did have a craniotomy and it was not the nightmare I imagined it to be. A much easier surgery than the hysterectomy I had years ago.