Welcome to My Mind... and My Meningioma*
Welcome to Healing Headspace! I'm Rachel, a 36 year old Doctor of Physical Therapy recently diagnosed with a 4 cm skull-base meningioma. Follow along with me as I navigate this journey of diagnosis and treatment... and healing along the way.
About Me
Originally from Missouri, I now live in California with my husband and our pup Finnley. As a physical therapist, I am not used to being on the patient side of healthcare. Many times in my life I took to journaling to cope with tough situations so I thought, why not journal publicly? That way friends and family can stay up to date with my condition and maybe we can learn something together.
Diagnosis
How did I get here? Well, it all started about a year ago. At the time I was working for a home health agency. After getting home from a day out in the field, I sat down rather abruptly at my desk to start charting notes, and experienced a sudden, sharp, stabbing pain in my head. I thought, "That was weird." But it quickly subsided and I continued on with my evening. Over the following months, pains similar to this became more frequent. Eventually I developed a what I call my "background noise" headache, a pain inside my head, slightly to the right which is always present. The pain became worse with straining, exertion, and changing positions. At times, it was so severe it would stop me in my tracks!
Cue a visit to the doctor. At first, my primary care physician was hesitant to order imaging. Understandably, as medical imaging is often over utilized. We tried a week of lifestyle modifications- no alcohol, magnesium supplement to aid my sleep, and a daily allergy pill to make sure my sinuses were not the culprit. However, deep in my gut I knew something more serious was afoot. One CT scan and MRI later, I found out I have what appears to be a 4 cm meningioma* at my skull base (*full confirmation is not possible without a biopsy). My physician immediately sent a referral to UCSF neurosurgery and here I am waiting for an appointment and starting a blog about my experience to help me not lose my mind!
Current Thoughts
I'm not going to lie, being told I have a huge mass in my head scared the hell out of me. Here are some things I'm grateful for:
No notable neurological symptoms. Tumors in this area of the brain can cause problems including double vision, loss of hearing, difficulty swallowing, facial paralysis, facial numbness, problems walking and/or with balance. Today, my current symptoms are headache, ringing in my right ear and intermittent nausea.
The term "extra-axial". This term on the MRI report is VERY promising. It means that my brain tissue is intact and that a mass separate from the brain is occupying space where my brain should be.
My support system. I'm so appreciative to my husband, family, and friends who have all shown me lots of love and support as navigate this journey.
Further Reading
If you want to learn more, I recommend this website by Dr. Aaron Cohen-Gadol. He provides a fantastic summary of what I'm dealing with. Take a look!
