Meningioma: Anyone else? I'm frightened

I’ve been having headaches and MRI shows that I have a small meningioma. I’m frightened regardless of the size. My doctor has referred me to a neurologist. I’m so worried.

I’ve been having headaches and MRI shows that I have a small meningioma. I’m frightened regardless of the size. My doctor has referred me to a neurologist. I’m so worried.

I had one in April 2022. I understand every person’s results are different. Benign meningioma was successfully removed. I woke up with drop foot and possibly neuropathy. My sister, an RN, suggested possibly that restraints on arms/legs surgery were not routinely loosened and retightened. For blood flow. I guess I would make that a point to doctor. Be your best advocate.

Thanks for sharing

I just got the news and I’m just seeing how others are doing with a tumor

Yes, I had a meningioma. I first noticed something was not right with my vision in summer of 2007. My left eye was seeing thing 'too bright' .I could have worn sunglasses with right lens removed. My ophthalmologist thought is was just 'dry eyes' and to come back in 2 months if no improvement. Next visit , I did a 'field of vision' test and found the bottom left quadrant was extremely diminished. 'More eye drops were needed' was the prescription.
In January, I could smell a natural gas leak in my house. The gas company inspector came right over but could find nothing leaking. I went out to the library and grocery store. Yes, I could smell nature gas leak in both of them. I knew the whole city was going to explode.
Next visit in February, I suggested an MRI. "No, No. No, That's too expensive. It must be 1 of the 1643 diseases of the eye". I got an MRI. the following week on "Hypochondriac's Night". I came out of the MRI and there were 6 doctors there to hold my hand. '"Don't worry about a thing son, It will take a month for a radiologist to read it and another month for your doctor to get back to you". That night , in bed, in the dark, with my eyes closed, I noticed light in my left eye as if I had left a light on in the house somewhere. That was the tumor pressing on the optic nerve. Next morning, the phone is ringing at 8 am. It's the ophthalmologist's office wanting me to come in for a little discussion . The news was that I had a tumor, and to see a surgeon. After lunch , a surgeon phoned and wanted to meet, NOW. The doctor who had done over 700 of these types said that is must come out. They bumped everyone on the surgery list for me . The doctor said "be to the hospital by 7:30 am. -In by 8, out by noon.". By 4 pm my other have was worried, and phone the hospital. The surgeon said that the tumor was big, hard as wood and full of veins. They finished at midnite,16 hours and only got half of it. They told me to book another surgery in a month. It took 10 months to get back in for another 16 hour surgery due to patients
having more serious needs that me. The tumor ate through my olfactory nerve so I can't smell or taste anything.
That's what causes the sensation of 'nature gas leak'. Others report a smell of burnt toast. I still have a residual tumor , slow growing. There's lots of room for it to grow . They said "Your tumor was bigger than a golf ball , small than a tennis ball". My 'field of vision' tests still show the diminished left eye. Moral of story, Get an MRI if you've got a medical problem that isn't getting better. Doctors are only human and they make mistakes, too.

Hi I had one removed two years ago April 18th. It was successful with some minor defects. What size is your? Where is it located? Do you currently have symptoms from it? How did they find it? Do you have a neurologist? Is it going to be removed? Mine was rather large & was causing lots of major problems & disrupting my daily quality of life when I wasn’t sleeping 20/22 hours a day. My surgery was successful with a few permanent defects.

Yes, the surgeries were 2007 & 2008.
Recovering from the anesthesia was interesting. The sensation was like being trapped in a semi transparent white cone, a few feet taller that me and extending down to my feet. Some times the bottom of the cone rise up a few inches some times up to my knees. I could 'see' clearly the world where the cone had lifted. The cone lowered after a minute or so.

I wasn't supposed to drive the car for 4 weeks.

I waited 4 weeks, then for the first trip, I drove the 'back roads' - no real traffic , for a distance of 4- 5 city blocks. Seemed to be OK. The next trip was driving in real traffic
to a shopping mall. As soon as I stepped into the mall, and saw dozens of people, chaos and noise, I was overwhelmed . It was like there was no gas in my tank. I sat down to recover and needed to sit down a few more times while shopping. I drove home but I needed a 4 hour nap to recover.
The tumor was in the front of my head, the third eye. Interestingly, within 2 months I met 3 others who had the same operation . One person 's tumor was discovered because a biological family member had a tumor so they were given an MRI . It was located in the back of their skull and affected their vision processing
I was getting MRI up until last year. They cut me off the MRIs when I turned 75.
I really think they cut me off for making a bad joke. When I walked into the MRI waiting room, they asked me what I was here for. I said that I was here to meet a Mister Eye. "No person by that name ,Could you spell it for me" . Sure thing M-R-I. The nurse said she had being in the department for 40 years and never heard that joke before. "Of course nor, I just made it up"
I am trying to get an MRI but the problem is to get a neurologist to read it.

softie: So your surgeries were back in 2007, 2008? You sure went through a lot, including an extremely long time under general anesthesia. Thank you for the reminder that sometimes we need to push for an MRI. The "olden" days of just trusting "Dr. Welby" (tv show aired 1969-1976)
are over. We know when something is not right with our bodies and need to be our own health advocate.