Watching a Meningioma Brain Tumor
I've just been diagnosed with a 2cm meningioma tumor on the right front of my head. I am 59 years old and the surgeon has told me I will need to "do something" with my tumor someday since I am younger. What is the benefit of waiting?
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Hello @bosslady18769
You mentioned the possibility of getting a second opinion from a neuro-oncologist. Just wondering if you were able to get an appointment yet. Are you still troubled with migraines? How are you feeling otherwise?
what did your existing NS say would be his solution to an existing 6
cm meningioma? Did he says it was a benign grade 2 tumour? What meds does he have you on - antiseizure meds??
did your NS say why you would have to wait till May for another MRI? His schedule or what reason
?
I've got a watch area where a new tumor is trying to form just a bit below where they took out the 7.2cm one. They want me to go back on double temozolomide and I really don't want to and at 66 I would not like anymore surgery.
Hi @bjh369 Always hard when we get into the waiting and watching times with our medical journeys. Plus the kinds of decisions you are having to make are incredibly difficult ones. All I can say is when my wife was presented with care options she did her best to gather all the input and information she could and then made her personal choice based on her mantra of always opting for the choice she felt was offering the best quality of life for her, even if it wasn't the one that might have meant more quantity.
Best of wishes and strength to you!
Thank you.
Hello - I had a grade 1 benign meningioma tumour removed over a year ago. It was completely removed & determined to be non-cancerous. It'd diagnozed on Oct. 17 in 2013 as a result of my first & only seizure. The NS waanted to operate within 2 days - I believe more because of the edema - than because of the existing benign tumour. Because of extreme fear of craniotomy & not having any time to figure out & realistically look at all options, I simply let each day go by without commiting to surgery. Just couldnt do it. My NS put me on anti-seisure meds & I just got on with my life. It wasnt until April 2017 that I started to have real problems..MRI was done & the tumour has shrunk 10% in size & its shape changed. So I knew I had to go ahead with the surgery. I will not get into the details - I dont want to add any more to your worry. My reason in replying to you is that you MUST ask your NS about the post surgery outcomes & your quality of life! I didnt not - didnt really know ai should ask those ki ds of questions & my bloody NS never, ever told me about the problems I most likely would happen. My head healed well, the tumour was removed successfully but ....
Do as.much research about after-effects & what will be your quality of life & the provlems you will have. it is such a decision to reach. I wish you well!!!!
Thanks for sharing your experience here, @gloriajean I believe it is very important to get a wide variety of views and experiences shared! These things are so different from person to person! Thanks again and I hope things are going OK for you now.
I am a young 68. I have been on watch and wait for 10 years. Last year it grew, and the surgeon said it needs to come out, but I had parathyroid surgery scheduled. (Now I have Grave's Disease and Thyroid Eye Disease.) This month the MRI showed no change, so the surgeon said we can watch and wait again or I can have it removed. I chose to not have my head cut open this year. If it grows again, the surgeon may tell me now is the time. But at my age? The fun don't done.
Man I don't blame you for not wanting your head opened back up. I am a young 66 year old just starting the wait and watch game. I had emergency surgery Sept 27th, 2018. Did 6 weeks of radiation and 6 weeks of tremozolomide. Right now everything looks good even looks like it's backing off a little. I'm doing old Chinese medicine and therapeutic doses of vitamin C IV drip every other week. I will pray yours backs off for good.