It was the size of a tennis ball...

That's what I was told about my meningioma by my surgeon when he met me in the hospital the day after my diagnosis.  

I asked if it had to be removed.  He said that it would keep getting bigger and keep impinging on my brain in ways that it would eventually interfere with my ability to function. So this wasn't something I had to avoid.  My meds allowed me to function fairly normally even though I wasn't allowed to drive, but that would only last for so long.  

There was quite a bit of confusion about when my surgery would happen.  Initially, I was given a date in September.  However, that was a problem for my insurance coverage.  As a retiree, I was still covered by my health insurance from my job as a teacher, and that would last until the end of August.  Starting Sept. 1, I would start a new insurance plan under my retirement package from STRS.  After several conversations about the importance of having my surgery in August, that was finally set for August 26.  Then there were several changes made about which hospital this would actually take place in.  My surgeon preferred the facilities at Mount Carmel East, so eventually, that is where I went! 

In the years since my brain surgery, I have shared much information about it with students in the anatomy classes at Westerville North.  I created a slide presentation that explains much about the whole process.  I will attach a link here for you to look at if you are interested in more details:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13ND1WSwIO4huFBXQenmwDUKyPm-vP6AQ7YzpUvAroME/edit?usp=drive_link

I came home from the hospital on August 31.  The recovery process was very interesting and took a few months before I was really mentally functional again.  I was told that I would have therapy, but that didn't start for several weeks.  During that time, I relied heavily upon my husband and my cousin to help me regain my normal brain power.  Initially my short term memory was strongly affected, and I had trouble coming up with the right words to express my thoughts.  

My cousin was great about taking me for walks and making sure I took my meds on time.  My husband worked with me on reviewing words using flashcards.  He also encouraged me to write down names I needed to relearn like banks, grocery stores, streets and addresses.  My husband also created slide shows of famous people, and I had to guess their names.  Sometimes it helped if he could give me their initials.  

As soon as I woke up in the hospital, I could state my name, birthdate, SSNumber, as well as that info about my husband.  Knowing that much was a good sign.  It took about 2-3 months before I regained a lot of memories and was able to have mostly normal conversations with my friends.  I tried reading books, but at first, that was a bit overwhelming.  I also couldn't play word games for the first couple of months.  

I still have trouble remembering some words and names.  When I struggle over a word, I need to repeat it many times or write it down many times to make it a more common memory.  

I am also taking Keppra again to keep from having brain seizures.  After my surgery, I didn't have any seizures for many months, but there came a time when I started having them frequently.  That was a sign that the scar tissue in my brain was changing and evolving.  My seizures are very mild.  They usually cause a tingling sensation that goes through my body, but it only last for a minute or so and is not debilitating at all.  I will likely need to take meds to control this for the rest of my life.  

For several years after my surgery, I needed to have an MRI done annually to make sure there is no sign of a new brain tumor.  So far so good!  

The main experience of dealing with my meningioma was about the last 6 months of 2021. I feel very fortunate that I had a great surgeon and excellent hospital care. I now have a tennis ball printed with "Amy's Meningioma 2021" on it.  It was a life-changing experience that I will never forget!

Thanks for listening!  

🙌 Have a great day!  

Amy