Meningioma on brain

Hello @susanbeer and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. In order for me to help you connect to members who have experience that would apply or an existing conversation, can you please share a little more with regard to the status of your meningiomas and why your doctor feels waiting 5 months is the right call?

He believes it is benign. His opinion. He thinks if it was a problem I would have more symptoms. I was ok waiting the first 5 months, but I’m 70 and now would feel better if I had answers.

That is understandable. This other discussion may be useful to you as you navigate your next steps.

-Watching a Meningioma Brain Tumor:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/watching-a-meningioma-brain-tumor/
If so, I invite you to join the discussion!

Hi Susan, I was having vertical double vision at night and my opthomologist sent me to a neurosurgeon who ordered an MRI. When I met with the neurosurgeon and he told me I had a meningioma, I was very scared. He said they are slow growing and recommended having an MRI every 6 months to monitor it's growth. He said most of them are benign. 2 years later it stated to grow and I had Gamma Radio brain surgery. I had no problems. That was in Jan of 2019. I had MRI's every 6 months and now it's every 2 years. He told me if I have any symptoms to call him. I am 76 and have no problems. Jill (from this group) helped out a lot. It's a scary diagnosis but as brain tumors go- a meningioma is - I think- the best one to have. I have a friend who is 80 and has never had to undergo surgery. She gets an MRI for it every 2 years also. I hope this helped. Oh, the double vision isn't related to it! The docs can't figure it out! Take care, Joan

I’ve just read your post from 1 yr ago. Did you have your surgery ?
I had a long same surgery ( frontal lobe meningioma) in 2004 and have never looked back ..

I decided to be proactive when a meningioma was discovered in 2012. A Gamma Knife procedure was carried out with no problem at Mayo. I flew from Minnesota to California the next morning and attended my friend's birthday party on arrival. I did not experience side effects. Mayo (Rochester) has monitored this closely. I had a different meningioma appear later. True Beam was administered in 2017 with excellent results. This involved a one-time strong dose of radiation via the robot. I returned home upon completion. The two treatments for meningiomas were during my advanced senior years. I have had outstanding physicians. I am grateful and truly blessed
Belle

Meningiomas do generally grow slowly. I had no symptoms with mine. Had I not fallen and hit my face on a heavy oak cabinet I would not have known it. As it was I was informed that had I waited just a little longer I would have had a stroke. Mine was also a frontal lobe meningioma that had numerous flanges growing out from it. Surgery was done in early 2009 and not all the flanges were removed because of their locations. I was followed yearly with MRI for 5 years. During this time I was informed that another one was forming on the top of my brain near the fontanel area. Since the surgery I have developed mild cognitive impairment. I now experience pain in the area of surgery like scar tissue pulling. The location of the incision in my skull seems to be expanding and I can feel a deep gap. I am 67 now.

I am recently diagnosed w a meningioma that is inoperable +untreatable w standard options. Been evaluated by two renown top 10 Specialist+ received the same conclusion at both evals. The obstacle is the tumor location +extension into critical structure. I'm symptomatic but it's not clear where individual ones are originating from bc I have severe post COVID syndrome following 2nd COVID infection. I had cerebral edema which was purely tumor originated +treated. I was in the medical profession which gave me an on the job preparation for the reality that no one knows when or if a disease, accident or life event will enter their lives. I have acceptance bc I understood that. I appreciate that I never had any organ disease or condition or chronic illness in my life and we can expect to get 'something' eventually. This tumor is what I developed after many years of very good health. My brain was investigated after COVID II bc of the severity of symptoms. It was ordered to rule out a COVID related blood clot. MRI revealed this tumor instead. I read about experimental intracranial growth inhibitors and biologicals +will be looking into those innovations. I have an interest in learning if I'm a candidate for the Proton Beam. Will pursue inquiry also. I'm accepting of myself with deficits as they emerge. Yet Im concurrently hoping some of these will be reversed when treatments for Long COVID are discovered. These are all the medical specifics I wish to share about the brain tumor. I decided to connect with others for community connections. I don't lose sight of positives beyond the existence of this tumor or obsess on the tumor itself. It's a part of my life that I have to deal with but it's not all of life. This is my way of living bc I have a very deep faith. Thank you for reading/listening.