1. < Brain Tumor

What's your life like after Brain surgery?

Posted by lisa88bloom @lisa88bloom, Mar 22, 2017

I had a 4 cm mengioma removed last year. It was in the skull base and was 14 hr surgery. I have a small regiment left, but watching with yearly MRIs....still have unbalance and numbness. I was curious if anyone else had a situation like this one. I spent a month in the hospital.

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intheyear2525 | @intheyear2525 | Apr 19, 2019

Hello my name is Jim just wanted to tell you I've had brain surgery in the past 4 yrs and now two cyberknife treatment cause tumors won't go away got 6 tumors hit by cyberknife and will go back in three more month to get checked out. I still golf fish and play ping pong haven't lost in years .I'm 70 years still fighting hang in there

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Mentor
Scott, Volunteer Mentor | @IndianaScott | Apr 19, 2019

Hello @intheyear2525 That is an amazing story! I hope the positives continue to follow you for many years to come!
Cheers to you!

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gloriajean | @gloriajean | Oct 27, 2019
In reply to @tiffanygal "I had 2 Brain tumors removed in 2005. One was the size of a softball and..." + (show)
@tiffanygal

I had 2 Brain tumors removed in 2005. One was the size of a softball and the other was like a golf ball. All went well till 2016. For the last 2 years I can’t stand without swaying, dizzy always and totally fatigued. Went back to the neurologist and was told it was from scar tissue. There is nothing that can be done to help me he said.

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I had brain surgery 2 yrs ago - successfully removed a benign 3 cm meningioma.
Sounds great
but I have balance problems, severe depression, ostopenia & other stuff. In reaearching all of these problems,
I've found out that the anti- seisure med (Kepra) causes a lot of these problems! .No doctor warned me of this.. So
my quality of life after surgery has been disappointing

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2 replies
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Oct 28, 2019
In reply to @gloriajean "I had brain surgery 2 yrs ago - successfully removed a benign 3 cm meningioma. Sounds..." + (show)
@gloriajean

I had brain surgery 2 yrs ago - successfully removed a benign 3 cm meningioma.
Sounds great
but I have balance problems, severe depression, ostopenia & other stuff. In reaearching all of these problems,
I've found out that the anti- seisure med (Kepra) causes a lot of these problems! .No doctor warned me of this.. So
my quality of life after surgery has been disappointing

Jump to this post

@gloriajean, what activities do you do to help correct the balance issues and depression? Do you find physical activities help? They may also help ostopenia.

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Christel Pareigis | @pranas | Oct 29, 2019
In reply to @gloriajean "I had brain surgery 2 yrs ago - successfully removed a benign 3 cm meningioma. Sounds..." + (show)
@gloriajean

I had brain surgery 2 yrs ago - successfully removed a benign 3 cm meningioma.
Sounds great
but I have balance problems, severe depression, ostopenia & other stuff. In reaearching all of these problems,
I've found out that the anti- seisure med (Kepra) causes a lot of these problems! .No doctor warned me of this.. So
my quality of life after surgery has been disappointing

Jump to this post

I had my surgery 7 years ago and since then I am on Keppra. I had similar problems of feeling sad/depressed (1-4 years) but now I am so used to Keppra and don't have any more issues. By the way, I take 2,000 mg daily. Sometimes...not always...time helps ...specially with brain issues, this is my opinion.

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sarcomasurvivor | @sarcomasurvivor | Dec 5, 2019
In reply to @jamienolson "Hello @robinlynn, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! Thank you for posting. This community is a safe..." + (show)
@jamienolson

Hello @robinlynn, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! Thank you for posting. This community is a safe place for you to meet other people discussing their medical related experiences. We all learn from so much from each other!

Here is a link to Mayo Clinic's discussion on Pituitary tumors http://mayocl.in/2h5kGbu where they discuss treatment. I have also added another link to our research information center http://mayocl.in/2rpp3SW in hopes of digging up information on post radiation therapy. I hope you find both helpful.

What other problems besides fatigue have you been experiencing?
I wonder if starting a new topic thread in the cancer group about post radiation symptoms and how others are coping would be something you would be interested in? If so, I can walk you through the process or you can give it a go if you are interested. I am curious in knowing how many other people are asking some of the same questions.

Jump to this post

I think starting a thread about the late effects of chemo/radiation would be beneficial, along with ways to cope.

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kcl | @xsk8er | Dec 9, 2019

I had 2 meningiomas and one was removed from the frontal area of the brain and futurantely it has not return in the last 3 years. I have one on my optic nerve and it cannot be removed. I am futurnate that I had protron radiation on this one and it has not to this point changed. I do have a mri every year at this point but it was every 6 months until now. No change is good. I had a lot of dizziness and balance problems before surgery but I have to say I am very lucky because I have been able to return to normal again but I do experience some headaches still and my brain is a little slow on vocabulary and memory. Good luck to you hope your symtoms less over time. Mine did. It does take awhile.

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tiffanygal | @tiffanygal | Dec 9, 2019

It’s been 15 years since my brain tumors were removed. First 10 years no problem but the last 4 years I suffer horribly.
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1 reply
Moderator
Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Dec 11, 2019
In reply to @tiffanygal "It’s been 15 years since my brain tumors were removed. First 10 years no problem but..." + (show)
@tiffanygal

It’s been 15 years since my brain tumors were removed. First 10 years no problem but the last 4 years I suffer horribly.

Jump to this post

Sorry to hear you are suffering horribly, @tiffanygal. Will you share more about what has been happening the last 4 years?

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tiffanygal | @tiffanygal | Dec 11, 2019

Extreme Fatigue 24/7
Dizzy 24/7
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