Hello and welcome. It is frightening and shocking to be diagnosed with an object growing in your head. Has a steroid been prescribed for the edema? It may help with the headaches. It may be a little early in the process, but has radiation treatment been discussed as an alternative to surgery? In what part of the brain is the tumor located? If it does come to surgery, be assured that most people on this site have reported minimal pain following a craniotomy. I only took Tylenol following surgery to remove a 6.3 cm meningioma from the frontal lobe. If possible, bring someone with you when you see the neurosurgeons. They can ask more questions and take notes. Good luck and let us know how it goes.