In my situation I had no choice but to have brain surgery, after I had a biopsy and they could not get it out without surgery as it was located in the center of my brain, The most important thing I could ever say to someone who is going to have to have that kind of surgery is nomatter what, stay by that persons side, I believe if i would have had that through everything I went through I would have gotten better faster as I did not have that and it took me a long time to get to where i am today. Having people who give up on you for one reason or another will just hurt that persons chances to get back to who they once were, I know it\'s not easy for either person in that situation, it takes a lot of love and devotion, and faith and time, but if you get that person back because of your devotion and love I think it is worth it.

My friend had surgery originally but was told they couldn't get all the tumor. I'm not sure of the name of her cancer but it is basically a bone tumor in her brain and has wrapped itself into the brain. It sits on her brain stem on the left side of her head.
She's had radiation and cannot have it again. Now they're telling her that she must have surgery again because the tumor is aggressively growing. They can remove parts of it but not all of it. She will lose her hearing on the left side but the surgeons hope to stop the facial spasms. The tumor is pressing on nerves that control some of her facial features. Her surgery is schedule for the end of May.
We will be there for her. She doesn't want to go through the surgery again because the first time it was so hard on her.

i had surgery on my mengionma tumor in 2003 that was located between the two halves of the brain,it had grew downward from the skull, after i had gamma knife radiation,and so far no sign of regrowth.
would i do it again,yes,in a heart beat.

My friend, Mo, just had her 2nd surgery last week. Hers was a 'bone' cancer in her brain. The surgeons explained that if it had been anywhere else, they could just cut it out but it has buried itself in into her brain. It's mostly on the left side towards the top of her head and it sits on her brain stem.

They left 'slides' of it over her brain stem and other places because they would have damaged the underneath portions of her brain to go further. She lost all the hearing in her left ear and the surgeons took all of her inner ear to make facilitating the next surgery easier. Her left eyelid is mostly closed and she can't raise it yet. They're expecting her to get movement back.

She was put into a nursing home because her balance is way off. Until she gets most of her balance back, they can't let her go home. She's working really hard at her physical therapy.

In between the surgeries, she had radiation for 7 weeks. She says if the tumor grows back, she probably won't have another surgery. Her tumor is an aggressively growing one but does not metasticize. They will be trying a new drug on it which works well with other types of tumors.

One good thing is her thinking processes. Before she had to think of what she wanted to say and words didn't come to her quickly. Now she can talk, talk, talk! It's a wonderful change.

Hi Doug. Mine worked although I found this year they didnt get all of it but as it was Polysystic astrocytoma (low grade slow growing) it shouldnt grow fast! Mine had to be done as it was pressing on brain stem and effecting cerrebellum which controls functions like movement, co-ordination, hormones/mood. I had to have two shunt ops as complications gave me hydrocephalis unfortunately. I dont know what my future holds but i am living and when I need my next surgery i will just deal with it - life is precious we should embrase all we have!

My Mom had surgery initially 6-1-06 and the doc told us he got as much as possible, as it is difficult with glioblastomas. The radiation and chemo was tough but she made it through it all with no deficits. January this year she had major aphasia (difficulty speaking), and generalized weakness. The MRI looked like it had grown back so we headed back to the OR. The surgery went great but has a little more aphasia this time. I think as long as the surgeon is good and you have the utmost trust, will make the difference in experience. Oh yeah, the second surgery was not necessary after all because the pathology report showed necrotic tissue from the radiation and chemo, but we would not have known until the surgery. Now she has to have PET scans instead of MRI because of the last results.

My 10 yr old son, Brandon, had surgery last year. He didn't really have much of a choice. The tumor was pressing on his brain stem and very large, the size of a golf ball. The doc said that if he didn't have it he would not be here. They done the surgery in about 16 hours. It was a very long day. They called out to the waiting room and let us know how things were going every couple hours. The doc was great. He came out and told us how everything went when it was all done and what to expect when we went up to see him. It was still overwelming when we saw him but I was so happy that it was over. But it had only just begun. He had to stay in the hospital for 2 months, so they could put in a feeding tube, a trach, a 3rd ventriculastomy, and finally a VP shunt. All, the doc said, because it was such a large tumor and where it was located. He had to learn everything over, how to walk, talk, EVERYTHING.We had to go to a rehab center for 3 months. He is doing better now although he still has a ways to go. His last doc appointment, in January, everything looked great. His ventricles were back down to size,no signs of tumor regrowth, and the shunt was just working like an overflow( not doing much). His tumor was a polysitic astrocytoma(low grade slow growing tumor). He did not need follow up chemo or anything. For the longest time I could not figure out why, but now I know there IS a purpose. God has a plan for him, it is just hard to figure out what it is. I wish he would just wish be ok NOW. I do know it will take time.

I have a meningioma, slow growing, benign, however it was about the size of a tangerine. It was wrapped around my carotoid arteries. I had a small corotal stroke during surgery. Sugery took about 10 hours. I debveloped meningitis and blood clots in my legs. Also pain med is very constipating. May have to have a second surgery as there is quite a bit of tumor left that couldn't be reached. Would do it again.
My right eye won't open, the nerve was paralyzed because it is very delicate and the doc said he had to peel the tumor off of it. There is a 50% chance that it will come back, otherwise there will be three surgeries to try to fix my eye. We are praying for the third nerve to come back on its own.

I had surgery in Feb 2007 to remove a 2 inch meningioma. The doc thought he got it all but it is growing back in two places. Plus I had surgery in April 2007 on same area because the skin flap got infected. So now because the tumor is growing back and fast I need to have a third surgery within the next 3 months. After this one the doc wants to do gamma knife to make sure he gets all of it.

My husband had an anaplastic astrocytoma grade 3 in his right temporal lobe. It was about 4 cm. He had 98% of it removed this past April. He had to have his surgery in the Brain Suite at MD Anderson.

Three weeks after the surgery we went back to MD Anderson in Houston for him to have radiation. He had the treatment for 6 weeks Monday thru Friday with the weekends off. He had very few side effects. His taste buds were messed up and he was fatigued but otherwise did great! We just got home two weeks ago and he goes back to MD Anderson this next Monday. They will take and MRI and see if the risidual tumor shrank, stayed the same or grew. We both feel very positive and think things will go well. We have had a wonderful experience at MD Anderson and have met some wonderful friends through this experience.

God is in control and we are just taking one day at a time.

I have enjoyed hearing everyones stories and we will continue to share ours.

My surgery in 1993 was a miracle. The type of tumor I had was an oligodendroglioma, which looked liked normal brain tissue to the surgeon when he did the crainiotomy. He had to work off of the MRI scans. There was great risk involved because of where the tumor was located, right next to the mortor strip. The surgeon hit a home run and got all of the tumor without paralyzing me. I had two months recovery in bed with a very sore head, but then went back to work. Nine years later, the tumor came back and we are dealing with it again. They are saying that surgery is not an option now because of the risks, plus I am 14 years older.

I had surgery to remove a benign epidermoid tumor in the center of my brain. The surgery was 8 hours. My surgery was about a month ago and I am doing very well. My scar is in the back of my head and I had 29 stitches. I had to be on a high dose of steroids for about two weeks after surgery so that my brain would not swell and the steroids were horrible. My face swell, I had steroid acne, I was very depressed, and my muscles were extremely weak. My surgeon was amazing...he removed 95% of my tumor. I am 26 years old and I have had the tumor since birth, it is very slow growing. The Dr. said it may grow back and may not, if it does it would take 10 to 20 years. I pray that it does not!! The surgery went really well, there were many risks but neurologically I am fine!! I was having vision problems and that is what lead to me finding out I had a tumor. Emotionally and physically it has been hard but everything seems to be working out and I am on the road to recovery. My faith in God has gotten me through this experience along with the support from my friends and family.

I had surgery on 5/8/07, to remove a golf ball size tumor behind the back of my right eye. Everything went good, and I am recovering real good. I had 36 stiches but you cannot see the scar. I had no movement on the right side of my face but it is now slowing coming back. My right eye does not tear and does not close all the way, so I have to keep it medicated all the time. I has gotten a little better since the surgery. I just want yo know if everyone has experienced mood swings. Sometimes I just feel so down. I know I am blessed that things turned out the way they did and that lord was watching over me.

i'm a brain cancer patient also, mine was a anaplastic astrocytomas its been eight years next month since my surgery but starting to have problems would love to talk to you

i had a benign brain tumor a little less than a year ago in high school. It was caught in the early stages and i had surgery immediately after it was diagnosed. Despite a long and painful recovery, within a month i was back in school and managed somehow to pull enough credits together to graduate last may.