#meningioma

[dr-tussin]

Menings;-;

[beaujagr]

venting about health stuff

this is long but I have barely been able to talk about how bad this is for me right now and I feel horrified all the time about how challenging and scary and confusing it all is. I need people to understand, even if it's just one or two people. I don't know what to do to deal with this and therapy is only doing so much, medication only does so much. I am in an existential terror because I don't have answers and I don't even know if I have the time to find them. I'm sorry I'm like this.

content warning: physical health, mental health, delayed & unreliable healthcare, confusing/scary symptoms, brief mention of breast dysphoria, brief mention of alcoholism, harm reduction, unplanned breast size change

I cannot find anything anywhere that says there can be a cause for lymph nodes swelling after having alcohol aside from Very Scary things and I am really just not feeling cool about having to wait literally fucking months to see a rheumatologist to address the repeated swollen lymph node issues while I'm ALSO trying to figure out why I have more lesions or something similar in my brain (next followup Monday). argh argh

how do I not freak out about this shit? I have spent the last SEVERAL years with multiple terrifying health crises, from the head injury & subsequent two years of PT, the pandemic itself & having COVID (with weird lymph side effects), effective malpractice that caused medication to almost kill me in 2020, the blood pressure/heart irregularities from August to last month, and now this shit. I am so fucking scared. :(

I keep having meltdowns because of ambiguity over tiny things (plans for the evening, scheduling, etc.) because I feel like I am in a quagmire of ambiguity, within the US healthcare system that is totally not dedicated to my care - I have some decent doctors, but it's a fucking mess financially, structurally, systemically - and about what the fuck is going on with my body and brain. I am struggling bad.

I want to do fun things! Enjoy my life! I'm 35 and I'm sitting here trying to figure out how I'm going to fill out an advance care directive because every time I've been supposed to do one I have fucking panics and can't do it because I don't want to have to yet again encounter whether I get to live or die as a daily fucking concern. It's hard enough being trans & disabled in the US, I don't know how much more I can take.

I've reached the point of pretty notable depression, my insomnia is probs the worst it's ever been (it's hard to get more than a few hours of sleep even with sleeping medicine or melatonin or any other method of getting better sleep I've tried), & the state I'm in is affecting every part of my life in a devastating way at this point. Even with insurance, I don't even know if we can afford treatment if I end up needing it.

I'm trying to survive all of this but it's so hard to live when I feel like every day is a wild card of whether it's going to be lifelong deteriorating illness, too rapid a death, or *spins wheel* unexplained symptoms & suffering for the foreseeable future? Every bitcosts money, & makes it less likely I'll ever be able to live somewhere safe & healthy for me with my partners.

So if I'm... not fun? not happy? This is why.

I'm sharing all this because I'm scared and hurting and I don't know if or when I'll have answers or what those answers will be. I don't think people understand why I am struggling so much & so messed up all the time. I feel like Shroedinger's cat. I'm dying but not dying but no one knows which or what they'll find when they open the box, least of all me, & I feel like I'm invisible while I'm experiencing it. I'm sorry.:( p.s. I really don't drink much - harm reduction has worked for me, I'm pretty careful, and I haven't been drunk since December 2015. For holidays & the occasional dinner or shower/bath time I'll have like, a drink or two? Today I had a single rum & coke, with John's approval on the rum measurement, and my arm has a swollen lymph node, I hurt everywhere, & my boobs are so swollen my bra barely fits. I like my boobs *at normal size*, but this sucks.

[ginstermoff]

Dear optic nerve: please work, I really want to draw a bit for relaxation, please optic nerve

[crazyman1925]

I have no words for what you mean to me. I am pushing to be so much more than I am I can admit I've never hurt like this. The idea of failing you kills me, it's been 5 years of fighting and I still feel like I'm losing you. I'll always hold you even if I'm sinking and if I die I hope you know you were all I lived for.

[s2rt-han-r]

A Fear of Flying

Episode 14 of my podcast is now available. In it I discuss how I cured my fear of flying and the used the same technique to control my fear of my brain tumours. https://open.spotify.com/show/7ejKe9hK0CEhukktFzjbhg

[kondavanelos]

Μηνιγγίωμα εγκεφάλου.

[medical-23]

Illuminating the Path: Innovations in Meningioma Treatment

Meningiomas, the most common primary brain tumors, require careful consideration and personalized treatment approaches. These tumors arise from the meninges, the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The landscape of meningioma treatment has undergone remarkable advancements, providing hope and improved outcomes for affected individuals. This creative article explores the intricacies of meningioma treatment, delving into innovative surgical techniques, targeted radiation therapy, emerging molecular therapies, and the importance of multidisciplinary care. By illuminating the path of meningioma treatment, we strive to empower patients and healthcare professionals alike.

Understanding Meningiomas

Meningiomas are tumors that develop in the meninges, predominantly affecting the outer layer of the brain. While most meningiomas are benign, some can be aggressive and exhibit malignant behavior. These tumors can cause a variety of symptoms depending on their location and size, including headaches, seizures, vision problems, and neurological deficits.

Surgical Innovations: Maximizing Resection and Minimizing Risk

Surgery is often the primary treatment for meningiomas, with the goal of achieving maximum tumor resection while minimizing the risk of complications. Innovative surgical techniques, such as skull base approaches, neuroendoscopy, and intraoperative imaging, have revolutionized meningioma surgery. These advancements enable surgeons to access and remove tumors in challenging locations while preserving critical brain structures and minimizing the risk of postoperative complications.

Targeted Radiation Therapy: Precision and Efficacy

Radiation therapy plays a crucial role in meningioma treatment, particularly for tumors that cannot be completely resected or are recurrent. Recent advancements in radiation therapy techniques, such as stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and proton therapy, have significantly improved treatment outcomes. These modalities deliver precise and targeted radiation to the tumor while sparing surrounding healthy tissue, reducing the risk of side effects and promoting tumor control.

Molecular Therapies: Unlocking New Possibilities

Emerging molecular therapies are reshaping the landscape of meningioma treatment. Through the identification of specific genetic mutations and molecular pathways, targeted therapies, such as receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors and hormone-based therapies, are being explored to disrupt tumor growth and improve patient outcomes. Clinical trials and ongoing research aim to uncover novel therapeutic targets and advance personalized treatment options for meningiomas.

Multidisciplinary Care: A Collaborative Approach

The management of meningiomas necessitates a multidisciplinary approach, involving a team of neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, and other specialists. Collaborative tumor boards, where experts from different disciplines discuss individual cases, ensure comprehensive treatment planning and personalized care. This multidisciplinary approach facilitates optimal decision-making, tailoring treatment strategies to each patient's unique circumstances.

Rehabilitation and Supportive Care

Meningioma treatment extends beyond medical interventions. Rehabilitation therapies, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, are essential for individuals to regain functional abilities and improve their quality of life. Supportive care, including psychological support and symptom management, helps patients cope with the emotional and physical challenges associated with meningioma treatment.

Promising Future Directions

The future of meningioma treatment holds promising prospects. Advancements in genomic profiling and molecular characterization of tumors will enable targeted therapies to become more precise and effective. Immunotherapies and novel drug combinations are also being explored to enhance treatment outcomes. Additionally, ongoing research aims to identify biomarkers that predict tumor behavior and response to treatment, further guiding personalized therapeutic approaches.

Conclusion

Meningioma treatment has witnessed significant advancements, providing patients with renewed hope and improved outcomes. Innovative surgical techniques, targeted radiation therapy, emerging molecular therapies, and multidisciplinary care are transforming the landscape of meningioma treatment. By staying at the forefront of medical innovation, researchers and healthcare professionals strive to improve patient outcomes, reduce side effects, and enhance quality of life. With continued research, collaboration, and patient-centered care, the path to overcoming meningiomas becomes increasingly illuminated.

[wetslug]

how it feels when ur gross diagnosis is different than the pre-op diagnosis and u check the final dx and u turn out to be RIGHT

[izvmimi]

i told my friend about ai character bots and she's following in my footsteps of randomly using them to study by asking things like 'what's a meningioma' but she works in tech so she's like 'how do virtual nodes on consistent hashing rings work"

but then she said albedo was wrong so now we're both upset

[dopescissorscashwagon]

📸 Meningioma Host

[burningladywitch]

Parasagittal Meningioma Meaning, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Parasagittal Meningioma Meaning Meningiomas result from spinal cord and brain membrane tumors. It can compress or pressure the nearby brain, nerves, and veins even though it is not technically a brain tumor. The most frequent head tumor is meningioma. Most meningiomas grow extremely slowly, sometimes going undetected for years. However, in some cases, they can cause permanent impairment by…

[hmsdesk]

(via Meningioma Surgery Cost in India)

[throwing-roses-into-the-abyss]

I get where she's coming from, but gun's mom asking tinn not to tell gun she's seriously ill, is something VERY big that she shouldn't be putting on his shoulders like that. I get that she wants to make sure gun can really put all his attention towards the hot wave competition but this is so incredibly unfair towards both tinn and gun.

[s2rt-han-r]

Episode 13 of my Podcast is now available.

[drarunsaroha123]

Dr.Arun Saroha

Oct 11th 2022

First symptoms of Meningioma

As medical science is getting advanced, our doctors are getting to know about various diseases which were impossible to diagnose or treat without the help of high-tech equipment and technology. Aliments related to the brain were hardest to treat and even harder to diagnose. Neurologists often see patients with one-of-a-kind symptoms of meningioma that are impossible to diagnose with prior records or textbook studies.

 A lot of neurological diseases are uncommon, but due lack of awareness, we never understand the signs and symptoms and fail to get them treated at the right stage. It has become important for the general public to understand the signs and symptoms of meningioma so that they can get diagnosed and treated in time.

What is Meningioma?

A meningioma is a kind of tumour which forms in our Meninges, the three-layer of tissue that protects our spinal cord and brain. As per the expert doctors, Meningioma tumours can be cancerous or benign. It typically originates from the arachnoid cells in particular. These cells cover the brain in a spider web-like structure and are one of the three layers of Meninges.

Neurosurgeons have explained that Meningioma tumours are usually near the top and outer curves of the skull. Spinal Meningioma is very rare.

Meningiomas are hard to diagnose. They grow slowly and inward, which makes them harder to diagnose at an early stage. Not all of these tumours are often cancerous. They can still be fatal as they pressurise and compress the nearby areas of your brain.

They are common along the dural lining in the venous sinuses and base of the skull where arachnoid cap cells are abundant. Meningioma is subdivided based on the location of the tumour. There are 15 variants based on the location of the tumour. Some of the most common types are:

Convexity meningiomas: these grow on the surface of your brain. They exert pressure on the brain as they grow.

Intraventricular meningiomas: commonly grow within the ventricles of your brain.

Olfactory groove meningiomas: located between the brain and nose at the base of the skull, these tumours grow near the olfactory nerve, which is responsible for your sense of smell.

Sphenoid wing meningiomas: Located along the ridge of bone behind the eyes.

Causes of  Meningiomas

The cause of meningiomas is still unknown to neurosurgeons and specialist doctors. Research shows that 40-80% of these tumours are formed due to abnormality in chromosome 22, which is involved in the suppression and control of tumour formation.

These tumours occur spontaneously. Certain hormonal and genetic factors are one of the causes.

Signs and symptoms of  Meningiomas

Meningioma is a slow-growing tumour that often stays asymptomatic throughout the patient's life. Even the best neurosurgeon gets to diagnose them after they become large enough to compress any particular part of the brain or surrounding areas. The symptoms of Meningiomas greatly depend on their location.

Neurological symptoms which are more location specific :

Falx and Parasagittal- Impaired brain functioning, like memory loss or reduction in reasoning capacity. If located in the middle of the brain, it would affect leg muscles, numbness in the legs or seizures.

Convexity- can cause seizures, headaches and neurological deficits.

Sphenoid- loss of Vision, reduced sensation in the face, facial numbness and seizures.

Olfactory Groove- a reduced sense of smell from compression of the nerves between the brain and the nose. compression of the optic nerve can cause low vision or total loss of vision.

Suprasellar- compression of the optic nerves can lead to loss of vision.

Posterior Fossa- Facial symptoms or loss of hearing due to compression of cranial nerves, unsteady gait and problems with coordination.

Intraventricular- can block the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, potentially leading to obstructive hydrocephalus, causing headaches, lightheadedness and changes in mental function.

Intraorbital- creates pressure in the eyes. Bulging appearance and potential loss of vision.

Spinal- back pain or limb pain due to compression of spinal nerves.

Other symptoms of meningioma that appear at the primary stage may include:

Headaches

Seizure

Loss of vision

Week muscles

Dizziness

Vomiting and nausea

Loss of memory

Difficulty in motor functions

Behavioural and personality changes

Week reflexes

Paralysis in certain body parts

Diagnosis of  meningiomas

It is often difficult to diagnose these tumours. They are slow-growing tumours found in adults after 60, often mistaken as signs of ageing. They get diagnosed after they grow in size and cause compression on specific areas to show neurological symptoms.

If your healthcare provider suspects any signs of Meningiomas, they will refer you immediately to a neurologist for further examination.

When a patient has symptoms related to brain dysfunction or regular seizures without any evident physical issue, neurologists recommend imaging tests after the first neurological evaluation.

Advanced imaging techniques like computed topography (CAT) and, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRI) can detect any presence of a Meningioma inside the brain.

A radiological study can be done after the detection of Meningioma. The neurologist often performs a biopsy to obtain tissue for examination and detect the possibility of a cancerous tumour.

Who is more prone to Meningiomas?

Meningioma is found in adults above the age of 65, but children can also develop it due to exposure to radiation at an early age.

Females are more likely to develop meningiomas due to hormonal therapy, birth control pill and other hormonal factors. People can develop meningiomas due to genetic factors.

Treatment for  meningiomas

The treatment depends on whether the tumour is benign or cancerous. Neurologists, after a careful examination, evaluate and plan the treatment procedure depending on the size, location, nature and patient's age about the course of treatment to follow.

Surgery

Meningiomas are primarily benign and can be removed with the help of surgery. Neurosurgeons can perform surgery by opening the skull through a craniotomy to gain full access to the tumour. The main aim of the surgery is to remove the meningioma, including the fibres attached to any part of the brain.

Although the main aim is to remove the tumour but is also the duty of the neurosurgeon to preserve the patient's neurological functioning.

Observation

In some cases, observation can be the best course of action in some cases if:

The tumour is small and asymptomatic.

Little or no swelling in the surrounding areas.

The recovery chance of the patient is low due to old age.

For patients, the treatment carries a higher risk of loss of motor functions.

Patients who choose alternative treatment options instead of surgery.

Radiation therapy

It is the first line of treatment when the meningioma is located deep inside or have a chance of potential side effect when removed surgically.

Radiation therapy is used in cancer treatment where a radiation beam kills the cancerous cells. It has been successfully treating benign tumours and meningioma.

Chemotherapy

It is uncommon for meningioma except in special cases where surgery or radiation therapy has been unsuccessful. It is recommended only in cases where the meningioma is recurrent and does not respond to radiation or surgery.

conclusion

Every individual responds to medical procedures differently. In the case of meningioma, early diagnosis leads to better recovery. As it is more prominent in adults, the younger the patient, the higher the chances of recovery. If you feel symptoms similar to those meningioma, you should immediately consult a doctor for evaluation and treatment. Dr. Arun Saroha is one of the most eminent neurosurgeons based in Gurgaon. He has more than 14 years of experience in neurosurgery in Gurgaon.

[angiethewitch]

hey if you're on or have been on the depo provera contraceptive injection you should know there is a current class action lawsuit against pfizer regarding depo because it has been linked to brain and spinal tumours, specifically meningiomas. I've been on depo for 11 years now and I've never heard of this being a side effect. thankfully I had a bunch of scans a few months ago because I had a suspected brain tumour which turned out to be transient ischemic attacks, so im clear, but please get checked out if you can.