02/26/2024: The Details

 Updated 02/26/24


*I have had a lingering cold and cough for a couple of months.


*On Thursday, 02/15, I had an intense headache, dizziness, and nausea, which was very unusual. I was going to just take a Tylenol and sleep, but fortunately, I decided to go to the ER. The doctors' original diagnosis was migraine, and they just gave me some Benadryl and Zofran, a nausea medicine through IV 

 

*Out of abundance of caution, the doctor ordered a CT scan, which showed the possibility of a tumor in the meninges, the fibers between the skull and the brain. Even at this point, the doctor was convinced that what I had was migraine. He initially suggested that I go home and get an MRI scheduled to rule out a tumor. But then, he had a change of thought, and said since I may not get an MRI appointment for several months as an outpatient, that it may be best to stick around in the ER and get it done. That, in hindsight, was an extremely fortunate call, for the MRI confirmed the Meningioma. 


*Meningiomas are very slow growing, often benign, more common for females. It is possible that I have had this for over a decade or longer. Mine in particular is about 3 cm wide, just on the cusp of what is treatable with radiation alone. So, surgery is necessary. Additionally, it sits on my sagittal vein, the main drain for the brain (some Dr. Seuss action there :)). 


*There is a risk of stroke if that sagittal vein gets compromised during surgery. For this reason, they need me to get a diagnostic angiogram done to estimate the extent of damage, if any, to this vein. One outcome is that it is intact and no damage - in this case, the portion of tumor above the vein will be left alone during surgery and addressed later with radiation. Another outcome is that there is damage to this vein, in which case they will remove the tumor completely and reconstruct part of the damaged vein. I am still working on figuring out the timeline for this angiogram, likely in mid-March. 


*Surgery is tentatively scheduled for mid-April. There is a 6 week recovery time from this, and any additional radiation needed would add to that timeline.


*Though this all seems daunting, I am expected to make a full and complete recovery.


Next steps:

  1. ENT CT scan: March 5th. The symptoms I have been experiencing are unlikely to be caused by the tumor. The ENT thinks the infected sinuses are the root cause for what put me in the ER in the first place. The ENT CT is to confirm it is just that and that there are no other underlying complications in my ENT areas.

  2. Angiogram: TBD (pending insurance approval)

  3. Surgery: TBD (pending insurance approval and OR availability- there seems to be an acute shortage of anesthesiologists at Providence)


I feel fortunate that the issue got discovered early enough for me to have a shot at making a full recovery and leading a perfectly normal life post recovery.


Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers! Really appreciate the positivity that surrounds me!

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