A man called David LaPlume from New Jersey was diagnosed with a benign meningioma, a kind of cancer that grows just under the skull, above the brain. In going through the process of surgery for the tumor’s removal, his surgeon at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in NJ took photographs before and during the (successful) surgery. Now about two weeks later, LaPlume has posted the photos to Flickr, giving an amazing documentation of his surgery as well as the before-and after, like his girlfriend giving him a mohawk the night before so that he didn’t have a lopsided haircut!
The little dots on my head were used during my pre-operative MRI. Software is used to assign geographical coordinates to the image, enabling the surgeon to pass an infrafed pen over my head, and see the actual location on the MRI screen. This, in turn, allows them to find the precice location of the meningioma (tumor) before cutting into my head.
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Hi! Everyone. I’m so glad to accidentally find this site. I too had meningioma removed thru surgery. I had 2nd opinion from Stanford hospital Neuro surgeon who agreed with my Neuro Surgeon’s advise that I undergo surgery. I’m blessed to have found a great dr who specialized in Brain & Skull surgery & have been doing it for the past 30 years. During surgery, he found another tumor(w/c did not show on MRI prior surgery) at the back of my right eye; so initial 5-hr became 8 hr procedure. His asst Dr validated only his expert experience can handle such delicate surprise. Thank God! I feel His hand guiding my Dr. I stayed in the hospital 4 6 days w/o complications. But first 2 weeks@ home was hard coz I developed allergic reaction to pain medication; can’t hold solid food so survived on pedialyte H2o for almost 2 weeks. When I started to hold food & got energy I started my 4 week theraphy to learn how to walk again & make right side of my Boston sync with left coz half oft body was temporarily paralized. After 3-month disability leave; am now back to work n driving (though I don’t use freeway as precaution).My energy level is still low. Ultra sensitive to all kinds of sounds, my walk gets woobly when i’m tired & I manage sporadic headache w/ Tylenol. My Dr said full recovery may take couple of years. My learnings from this path to recovery is: be patient (there will be bumps along the way but don’t be discouraged), listen to your body coz only u would know what feels right for you and that lots of sleep help your Brain recover (NY Times bestseller : My Stroke of Insight a brain scientist’s personal journey by Jill Bolte Taylor, P.H.D. is highly recommended book to read). To everyone who shared this life changing experience, we can & will overcome this challenge; just trust in God. God Bless us all n take care:)
My husband had a “sinus infection” last year that actually was a meningioma. He was med evac’d to seattle and had emergency surgery. He had had awful headaches (he is not normally headache prone) excruciating and he would get pale and sweaty, but they would wax and wane. He was having a little trouble with words.
His tumor was on the left front side, about the size of a ping pong ball. The surgery was long (they had to rebuild his sinus, scrape some bad bone, etc). However, recovery, all things considered, was a breeze. He was very ill from the morphine, but as soon as they took him off of that, he did great! He was given strict instructions about how much he could lift, etc. But honestly, he did not have much problem at all…a little weak, but nothing major.
Just wanted to give an account of a very blessed discovery and surgery and recovery for those who are afraid. Each person is different, of course, but he had NO seizures (which really surprised everyone). Just bad headaches. No real personality change (he was slightly more edgy and less…”fun” before his surgery, but truthfully that much constant pain would make anyone grouchy. After his surgery he was good).
The only after effect is that now, after a head cold we all got in Feb, he still has lingering pain in the same area (he was FINE until the head cold). He had an MRI to check, but everything is good. They are checking for arteritis, but other than that we have no idea. I think it is probably nerve irritation (like how a knee goes bum after injury). In any case, everything else has been good.
Hi everybody!
I am glad I am the only meningioma warrior! However rather rare to have had atypical parasagital meningioma operated 7 years ago. That one was 4×4x5 cm and unfortunately it reoccurred three years ago. It was a personal decision not to re-operate but undergo cyberknife when the tumor was still less than 2 cm. Since than it shrank. The last MRI showed a possible slight increase. I am now observing it and thinking what my next step will be: another cyberknife or stereotactic fractionated radiotherapy.
Anyway I think I am starting to get used to the idea I will live with this, I will fight against it and maybe one day die with it… but I am decided not to die from it! Best health to all.
I am presently recovering from having my meningioma removed about a week ago. The surgery was done in Allentown at Lehigh Valley Health Network by Dr. Li. The neuro science ICU group was the BEST group of people I have ever met in my entire life….competent, caring and basically got me through this entire ordeal and I am doing well. If anyone wants to chat, my email is djmckee33@rcn.com.