Watching a Meningioma Brain Tumor

I’m sort of in the same boat.
Which doctor to choose /which approach to choose, etc. I’m waiting and watching and my anxiety and depression have turned me into someone I don’t even know. I haven’t had any energy and I cry most days. I’m on antidepressants and anti-anxiety, but I wonder if it’s the tumor causing this.
The doctors say no, bc of the location of the tumor. I was diagnosed last august and I feel like I’ve lost almost a year of my life living in fear/depression/personality changes/mood swings.

It is scary. But hopefully you will find that it stays small and doesn’t cause you any problems. It’s stressful to live with but it’s better to have a meningioma than the type that are cancerous. I’ve managed to live 14 years with mine and on the last check it had not grown at all as compared to the previous year. Good luck to you.

Thanks. I hope I’m as lucky as you that I’ll just wait and watch . I see the neurosurgeon in 3 weeks.

👋 I had a similar opportunity to wait and watch on two meningioma lesions. One is not located in an area they feel comfortable removing the growth from and is about 5/8 inch. The other is approximately 1 inch and in an easier location to remove. I decided not to watch and wait on removing the one inch growth. I will be 55 in July, But I am not going to get younger or healthier. If this is remotely connected to some fatigue, foggy thinking, memory problems, I don’t want to continue battling the frustration. My symptoms could also be menopause related, or related to my autoimmune (Hashimotos)—however this is a known factor and will only eventually have to come out, so I have asked my neurosurgeon to schedule the procedure at the end of August.

@bellachele68, welcome. What type of surgery will you be having? Is gamma knife an option for you?

@pixie49247 and @courtneyizquierdo, checking with you two too. How are you doing?

Hey there. New Dr says it grew 1mm in 6 months and bc of the location, he doesn’t recommend surgery. He recommends doing radiation over the course of a month in small doses.
I would prefer 1 dose witn the gamma knife so I’m praying that is a good option. Many thx for reaching out. How are u doing?

Hi there. Sorry for the delay. I will be having a craniotomy. According to Dr. Chaichana I am too young to do laser and he did not mention gamma knife. I am scheduled for August 23rd.

Another update here. So I feel really confident in 1 Dr. who is out at Stanford medical. He said we will wait and watch (😫) for a year bc mine only grew 1mm. If it grows 3mm or more in a year, and my symptoms have continued to be the way they are, then he will gamma knife. If my symptoms worsen with that growth, he will remove it.
So, for a year, I need to pretend and stay very very busy.
I did receive a report from a neuro-radiologist last nite and she noticed my ICA has narrowed. I wonder if this has anything to do with symptoms that I’ve been dealing with for the last 5 years: extreme pain in my foot, then it becomes numb, and heavy-feeling, and then it turns into a bruise when the pain and numbness go away. I also feel my heart beat racing for a few seconds maybe a few times per day.
Has anyone dealt with the blood flow issue that i mentioned above where it is related to a brain tumor? I did some research on my own both of those symptoms would make sense if my ICA has narrowed.
I just found this out last nite, today is my birthday and so I’ll be looking for good cardiologists today 🫠 along with a Dr who specializes in blood flow/arteries??
I always appreciate feedback. God bless each of you.

I in the same boat ..I had radiation wen I was 5yrs old wen I was diagnosed wth cancer..just found out a few months ago I have 3 menigenom's n my head..I'm 46 yrs old now..who would of thought it would come back to bite me in the butt 41 yrs later.

Hi there..I feel ya..I just found out I have 2 undergo cranial surgery..after wat they thought was just a bump on my head..after MRI they found 3 meningenoma in my head. They have 2 cut most of my front skull to take 1 out ..and replace it with a plate...not looking forward to that..apparently the radiation I had as a kid from cancer is the cause of these meningenoma I have 41hrs later..go figure