Becky Morgan
A debilitating migraine led me to the emergency room. The MRI showed a small tumor – a meningioma – behind my nasal cavity. The doctors surmised that due to the location and type of brain tumor, it did not cause the migraine; it was purely coincidental.
I remember the doctor being kind and sensitive and not simply blurting out that I had a brain tumor. He said they noticed an abnormal growth … and it was awhile before he even said the word “tumor”. When he finally did, I was shocked and numb and confused. He needed to confer with other doctors, but he was almost certain that this tumor was benign (which it was). As I learned later, most meningiomas are benign.
They kept close tabs on the tumor growth with MRIs every three or six months. It was growing but at a slow rate. Another year passed and the tumor had a growth spurt. It was large enough that if it had another growth spurt, it would have to be removed via a craniotomy. Instead of waiting to see if the tumor had the growth spurt, I wanted to do what I could to stop it from growing. For that reason I opted for the non-invasive treatment: gamma knife radiosurgery.
My gamma knife radiosurgery was two years ago, and the MRIs since then have been good – showing no additional growth. The only medication I’m on is for seizures, which is attributed to the tumor.
The Mark Linder Walk for the Mind has been a God send. It brings me close to people who are fighting this same fight; I am not alone on this journey.