Meningioma: Anyone else? I'm frightened

I RECENTLY HAD A TUMOR REMOVED. IT WAS 7CM.
IT WAS BENIGN! LIKE YOU, AN MRI, AND MY DOCTORS FOUND IT.. I HAD BEEN SUFFERING WITH LOSS OF MEMORY AND BALANCE, WHICH WAS SCARY. PRAYERS FOR YOU..

@jayjuli wish i had the funds to help, best thing i can do is pray for you and your mother that she find strength to go through this. maybe put an add in the paper or start a donation sight maybe, i believe in prayer so saying a prayer for you now-------------- sent. maybe try the churches in your area to get a donation pot going. have a blessed evening and keep faith its all we can do for certain.

My mother was diagnosed of meningioma early this month. All symptoms are obvious including loss of balance, blur vision etc. Am a Nigerian and the cost of her surgery is 11 thousand dollars, which I do not have to pay in a private hospital. Sadly the government own hospital has been on strike since October 2025. We just rely on dexamethasone that the Nurosurgon recommended. But it isn't doing much as surgery is the best option.

@as72: I had a 2.7 centimeter meningioma removed, via surgery (a craniotomy) 2 years ago. Dr. Theodosopoulos stated to me that if the other 2 remaining meningiomas I do have become a problem (they are 6mm & 8mm) I will need to have radiation. And he said that he "runs" the radiation clinic. Am also sending you a private message.

@mkoch
Thank you for responding. They received my images. Did you have a meningioma and what size? Did you have craniotomy? What do you mean he is in charge of meningioma surgeries?
Was thinking of seeing Dr Aghi or Dr Berger.

@as72: I saw Dr. Theodosopoulos. I think to secure an appointment with a neurosurgeon UCSF requires you to forward any MRI scans that you have had done previously whereby the meningioma was cited by a radiologist. If the MRI scan was forwarded digitally to UCSF then you could just have a ZOOM/video visit with Dr. Theodosopoulos if that is more convenient for you. That is what I did. He needs to know your symptoms and relaying that information and reviewing the MRI (with you, online) will guide him in determining what course of action he thinks is appropriate. I was very happy with Dr. Theo. He answered all my questions and when I apologized for asking too many he said, "Don't apologize, that's what we're here for." I am so happy to hear that you are being seen at UCSF. U.S. New & World Report rated UCSF #2 in the United States for neurosurgery for 2025-2026. (N.Y.U. was rated #1) And, Dr. Theo. is in charge of overseeing meningioma surgeries as well as the radiation clinic if it is decided that surgery (craniotomy) isn't a good option. I would really like to hear how your visit goes so please keep me posted. You can send a personal message through this forum via @mkoch if you'd prefer.

@mkoch
I just got into UCSF. What neurosurgeon did you go to? Were you happy with them?

@as72: I am not a medical professional in any capacity but based on all the information I collected when dealing with my own 2.7 cm. meningioma it would seem your 1.8 cm. meningioma is definitely causing symptoms. I didn't really have a headache, per se, but if you pressed on the left side of my forehead, right above my left eyebrow, it was tender and somewhat painful to touch. I also had persistent (and annoying) burning in my left nostril. (Saw an ENT 3 times and he said, "Can't see anything going on here." When the meningioma was found incidentally it was discovered it was pressing on my trigeminal nerve. The tingling down your neck sounds nerve related. Meningiomas are usually treated by surgery or radiation if they are causing uncomfortable symptoms regardless of the size. My neurosurgeon at UCSF said if possible the best outcome would be surgery to remove them. But if one's health, or the location of this usually benign tumor makes surgery not a good choice, then stereotactic radiation is a good second choice. If your neurologist says to just watch-and-wait, please get a second opinion from a neurosurgeon. In fact, I would want a second opinion from a neurosurgeon anyway because both benign and malignant tumors are in their wheel house. A neurologist's specialty is more about diseases of the brain. (But I know a lot of insurances require a referral from a neurologist to see a neurosurgeon.) Let us know it goes after you get your first consult.