Brain Interruption

It was a perfect vacation — until it wasn’t.

We had reserved a two-week stay at our Minnesota cabin. The whole family was there, minus our patriarch who will always be missed. We were cruising around the lake on the pontoon. Kids, swimming and tubing. I, soaking it all in — family, fun, the sun. Except the next thing I knew I was on a stretcher enroute to the local ER.

So began the brain interruption.

I had passed out, which is not totally unusual for me (I have a needles phobia). However, this outage lasted a little over five minutes. Long enough for the family to go into panic mode. All the usual tests appeared normal. The doctor mentioned a CT scan. I waved it off but he proceeded with it. He promptly returned to say that he believed an MRI was in order. WHAT? WHY? A mass? Good grief.

The MRI did in fact reveal a mass — something called a meningioma. A what? Having recently returned from a vacation in Rome, that word sounded more like an Italian wine. Actually, it is a slow growing brain tumor that grows from the meninges, the protective layers of tissue covering the brain, and the vast majority of them are non-cancerous. As to why I fainted, the doctor “sort-of” concurred that I may have been dehydrated.

After a little emotional recovery from the news and an intravenous solution for hydration, I was sent home with a CD of the MRI and the directive to see a neurosurgeon. Back in Nebraska, the specialist was not as eager to pass off the fainting spell as dehydration. In fact, he suspected a seizure of sorts and prescribed anti-seizure medication. He also strongly discouraged flying. So much for my planned New England fall vacation.

As he explained the photos in the MRI, I saw the little tumor (about the size of a grape) in the parietal lobe or near the back and top of my head. He also pointed out what he said was some additional swelling which he attributed to the brain being “angry” about having that little tumor in its environment. While many people go through life having meningiomas without even knowing it or just letting them be, in my case the doctor recommended surgical removal . UHG.

I am now two weeks out from surgery. Stitches have been removed and just yesterday I received the pathology report. Good news there. It was in fact a grade 1 meningioma, slow-growing and benign. No need for additional follow-up (like radiation) other than periodic MRI’s to make sure the little rascal doesn’t try to grow back again.

I am beyond grateful for all this good news. Grateful, too, for family and friends who were at my side and checking in regularly about my wellbeing. There’s a little book I write in occasionally that has a quote from a notable woman on each page. Yesterday morning it carried one from June Carter Cash:

“If you have material things, that’s fine. God has blessed you. But things can be taken away from you, so you’d best hold on to the things that mean something like your health and just having each other.”

You’re so right, June.