What's your life like after Brain surgery?

Yes, my friend. I had an ependymoma tumor removed from my spinal cord as it was near my brain stem. I was at Mayo 52 days and therapy for 4 years. I have numbness in my arms and legs and burning in my right hand especially. I do have balance issues but I work on this through exercise. I am 66 years old now and my surgery was ten years ago.

I had a golf ball sized one removed, (but did not have a balata cover), still have numbness in face, jaw, and eye, chew on wrong side, but still drink a beer, run a little. When the doc is good, the rest is up to you and GOD.

Hey Lisa88. I also had a tumor on my brain stem ( a medullablastoma ) after a 6 hr surgery lost nearly every bodily function for 2 weeks but after chemo, radiation speech and physical therapy was able to leave the hospital after 3 months. Still had major fatigue, some facial paralysis and total loss of balance but could function for the most part. Even got stronger over the years.

@1997bcs I also had a germinoma brain tumor that was by my hypothalamus and pituitary gland in 2009. Also had radiation and chemotherapy, and brain surgery. I have had Diabetes insipidus since then, and just recently found out I have growth hormone deficiency as well, and am still working on getting the hormone replacement. Definitely deal with chronic fatigue. Cancer sucks man. And the affects of chemo and radiation seem to be never ending. Wishing you the best! Its rare to find someone else with the same tumor type and treatment.

@hannahbananakevin, you're right that it is rare to find another person with the same type of rare cancer. Germinomas are rare tumors that primarily occur in children and adolescents. May I ask how old you were when the tumor was diagnosed?

I had a sister in law that just had brain surgery in right front and was cancer . In rehab now 2 wks later , not strong enough for chemo yet . Cant urinate on her own , but what do I expect for the future ? Will she recover ?