A Tale of How it All Began...
I had no idea...when I bumped my head inside that fridge....over 8 years now....that my life....would change forever. Not at first anyway....I thought I was just careless....when I put my head in too far and bumped it on the switch....which really hurt.....and so I thought that I just bruised it good. I didn't get knocked out...so I thought why go to a doctor?
Not good advice...to ignore any head injury EVER! Well...it hurt for a while and got better...so I thought everything would be fine. Months later though...it really started to hurt....so I went to my doctor....which at this time....is no longer my doctor....but that is another story in itself. He said I probably just bruised it bad...and it would just take some time to heal. Well...it got better and then it got worse. I had a skull x-ray...and it showed nothing. He put me on something for pain and a sedative...so I could sleep. I had to stop taking the pain meds...because I started having muscle aches. WONDERFUL! It got better over time again...so I thought it was just badly bruised and would take time to heal.
By August of 2007..just after my father passed away from Alzheimer's....I went to see a neurologist. He said it was a pulled muscle and to do exercises...and this would help it get better. He also said we could do a CT....but we would more than likely not find anything...so believing in my doctor...I did nothing....other than go home and do the exercises. Little...did I know at this point...that there was something actually WRONG!
I went home...like a good little patient...started doing the exercises and it did seem to get better...so I thought....maybe they were right...about the pulled muscle.
The next spring 2008....it was getting much worse...I was starting to feel like something was really active in there....but you know how the brain works. When you feel it on one side....the culprit is actually on the opposite side. I really did not know...anything conclusive at this point.
By summer....I just could not take it anymore. I asked my doctor's nurse...if I could have a CT? She called me back...and this one still makes me ANGRY...when I think about it. She said not once but twice in our telephone conversation....if we find nothing on the CT...we are done. She asked me if I understood? Well...I just knew they would have to find something.
So in August of 2008...we did a CT....and lo and behold they found a lesion in the right side of my head. I was not crazy after all. YEAH! They scheduled an MRI for that same week. I thought...now I will finally have my answer. WRONG! I went to the hospital for the MRI...asked me if I was claustrophobic? I really didn't know...but BELIEVE ME!...I knew just after 6 minutes. I told them I had to get out of there. They said they could reschedule under anesthesia but another day. I was devastated. I just couldn't believe...I couldn't handle the MRI. I had been through so much already!
So I had the MRI the following week...without any problems...other than being really sick afterwards.
I got home that night and there was a message on my answering machine...from my doctor. So I called...but he was having dinner and his wife asked if he could call back? I said that would be fine. He called back and told me...that I had what is called a Meningioma...no larger than a walnut. He said it could be watched. Now...I wanted that thing out of my head yesterday!
He said to call his office the next day...and they would set up an appointment with a neurologist and if he felt a neurosurgeon was necessary...they would go from there. I was not excited about seeing that same neurologist again. You see..to him everything is a joke. This was no joke to me. I didn't even realize...at the time that this was an actual BRAIN TUMOR! I was in shock!
I had to wait another week...the longest week of my entire life. My mom and I walked in the room and the nurse asked a few questions. The neurologist entered the room....and I gotta tell you folks...it did not look good. He said it probably had been there for over 20 years and the other pain was not the cause. Maybe so...but that alerted me...to ask for the CT in the first place. My point is here...YOU know when something is WRONG with your body. Don't EVER be afraid to ask for any tests!
The examination went on...he showed me the mass...it now looked like the shape of an egg. I really had no idea how large it was at this point. Anyway...he finally asked if I wanted to see a neurosurgeon? Just like that...things started to turn in our favor. I said yes...he said today...and I said yes. He walked me over just down the hall to one.
When his nursing assistant walked in the room...I instantly liked her. She was so understanding. She said he would be right in. When he walked in...OH MY!...was he a hunk! My mom wondered if he could possibly be old enough to be a doctor? He showed me the tumor in depth...contrast and non contrast. He asked if I wanted it out...as he said we will know nothing concrete...until we look under a microscope. I of course...said YES! That was Thursday...Sept. 4th....2008. The craniotomy...would take place on Monday....Sept. 8th.
My things were moving quickly. This was meant to happen...the procedure that is. Anyway...another CT was performed...and the surgery scheduled.
Monday...Sept. 8th a day...when my second chance began. My surgery was to be about 2 hrs. It only ended up being 1 hr 1/2. Reason being...that the tumor was very solid and very easy to get at. It measured at 2.5 x 2.3 x 2.6 cm. and was located in the right frontal lobe and ended up being a little bit smaller than a golf ball. He had told my mom a marble...but quickly corrected himself.
WOW!...so that is how it all began. If I would never have bumped my head in that fridge...I probably would still have this tumor...and it would have headed right toward my motor skills. That's at least what the neurosurgeon said. Scary thought isn't it?
Always listen to your body and its signals.
Until next time.
Brenda ; )
Not good advice...to ignore any head injury EVER! Well...it hurt for a while and got better...so I thought everything would be fine. Months later though...it really started to hurt....so I went to my doctor....which at this time....is no longer my doctor....but that is another story in itself. He said I probably just bruised it bad...and it would just take some time to heal. Well...it got better and then it got worse. I had a skull x-ray...and it showed nothing. He put me on something for pain and a sedative...so I could sleep. I had to stop taking the pain meds...because I started having muscle aches. WONDERFUL! It got better over time again...so I thought it was just badly bruised and would take time to heal.
By August of 2007..just after my father passed away from Alzheimer's....I went to see a neurologist. He said it was a pulled muscle and to do exercises...and this would help it get better. He also said we could do a CT....but we would more than likely not find anything...so believing in my doctor...I did nothing....other than go home and do the exercises. Little...did I know at this point...that there was something actually WRONG!
I went home...like a good little patient...started doing the exercises and it did seem to get better...so I thought....maybe they were right...about the pulled muscle.
The next spring 2008....it was getting much worse...I was starting to feel like something was really active in there....but you know how the brain works. When you feel it on one side....the culprit is actually on the opposite side. I really did not know...anything conclusive at this point.
By summer....I just could not take it anymore. I asked my doctor's nurse...if I could have a CT? She called me back...and this one still makes me ANGRY...when I think about it. She said not once but twice in our telephone conversation....if we find nothing on the CT...we are done. She asked me if I understood? Well...I just knew they would have to find something.
So in August of 2008...we did a CT....and lo and behold they found a lesion in the right side of my head. I was not crazy after all. YEAH! They scheduled an MRI for that same week. I thought...now I will finally have my answer. WRONG! I went to the hospital for the MRI...asked me if I was claustrophobic? I really didn't know...but BELIEVE ME!...I knew just after 6 minutes. I told them I had to get out of there. They said they could reschedule under anesthesia but another day. I was devastated. I just couldn't believe...I couldn't handle the MRI. I had been through so much already!
So I had the MRI the following week...without any problems...other than being really sick afterwards.
I got home that night and there was a message on my answering machine...from my doctor. So I called...but he was having dinner and his wife asked if he could call back? I said that would be fine. He called back and told me...that I had what is called a Meningioma...no larger than a walnut. He said it could be watched. Now...I wanted that thing out of my head yesterday!
He said to call his office the next day...and they would set up an appointment with a neurologist and if he felt a neurosurgeon was necessary...they would go from there. I was not excited about seeing that same neurologist again. You see..to him everything is a joke. This was no joke to me. I didn't even realize...at the time that this was an actual BRAIN TUMOR! I was in shock!
I had to wait another week...the longest week of my entire life. My mom and I walked in the room and the nurse asked a few questions. The neurologist entered the room....and I gotta tell you folks...it did not look good. He said it probably had been there for over 20 years and the other pain was not the cause. Maybe so...but that alerted me...to ask for the CT in the first place. My point is here...YOU know when something is WRONG with your body. Don't EVER be afraid to ask for any tests!
The examination went on...he showed me the mass...it now looked like the shape of an egg. I really had no idea how large it was at this point. Anyway...he finally asked if I wanted to see a neurosurgeon? Just like that...things started to turn in our favor. I said yes...he said today...and I said yes. He walked me over just down the hall to one.
When his nursing assistant walked in the room...I instantly liked her. She was so understanding. She said he would be right in. When he walked in...OH MY!...was he a hunk! My mom wondered if he could possibly be old enough to be a doctor? He showed me the tumor in depth...contrast and non contrast. He asked if I wanted it out...as he said we will know nothing concrete...until we look under a microscope. I of course...said YES! That was Thursday...Sept. 4th....2008. The craniotomy...would take place on Monday....Sept. 8th.
My things were moving quickly. This was meant to happen...the procedure that is. Anyway...another CT was performed...and the surgery scheduled.
Monday...Sept. 8th a day...when my second chance began. My surgery was to be about 2 hrs. It only ended up being 1 hr 1/2. Reason being...that the tumor was very solid and very easy to get at. It measured at 2.5 x 2.3 x 2.6 cm. and was located in the right frontal lobe and ended up being a little bit smaller than a golf ball. He had told my mom a marble...but quickly corrected himself.
WOW!...so that is how it all began. If I would never have bumped my head in that fridge...I probably would still have this tumor...and it would have headed right toward my motor skills. That's at least what the neurosurgeon said. Scary thought isn't it?
Always listen to your body and its signals.
Until next time.
Brenda ; )
Thank you for sharing this
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