eeny meeny miney mo.. whats your poison .. TBI or Tumor meningioma

[trishy63]

Well, survived that horrific car crash, got a Sub Arachnoid Haemmatoma, midline shift and possible secondary damage with hypoxia, but hey, 2yrs on and im still here ... The evil insurer sent me for an MRI to prove I had the deficits that i was 'claiming' .. (dont even ask!..) and now it seems I have an ATypical meningioma.... So trauma to the Arachnoid, and now a brain tumor, gosh, what a co-incidence... I didnt have either before that driver went head on into us crossing the white line ... I wish i could say im not bitter, but honestly, i think lemons sweeter than me now ... anyone have any thoughts on whether trauma can be directly linked to tumors?

[cat3]

Hi Trish. I'm sorry to see that you've discovered further complications, meaning yet more treatment. But this can and will be dealt with and all the better for early diagnosis. Let's just say you've plenty of ammunition for the insurers !

Couldn't find much online except for this info. from 'Disabled Veterans.Org' and copied & pasted it ; see what you think :-

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Abstract: Meningiomas are common and mostly benign intracranial tumors, which originate from arachnoid cells of the meninges, and account for approximately 25% of all primary intracranial tumours.

Many external etiological factors have been described as etiology of meningioma in the literature, one of which is head trauma. However, trauma as a cause of meningioma remains a controversial subject.

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I found no definitive proof anywhere, just evidence that connections have been considered but nothing conclusive.

Please keep us updated with your progress Trish..............Good to see your humour is still in tact BTW !

Best wishes & big hug, Cat xx

[trishy63 in reply to cat3]

Thank you so much for going on that wee quest for me Cat xx Info quite scarce as you say, I guess that in general Trauma and Tumour oft contested (probs initiated by evil insurers). Thank goodness for this site to share my worries with. Before I had the MRI I had a consultant tell me that the cause of headaches and poor balance was likely to be PTSD. I demand a taxpayer refund of his very expensive education!! Mine is an ATypical meningioma, not so good as a common or everyday one 85%, but not so aggressive as a Malignant 5%one. Not looking forward to telling my daughter the whole story just yet... Hugs back to you, hope you are doing well xx

[LukeB]

I don't know about tumours and trauma but I wish you all the best💪❤👍

[Elenor3]

Life just doesn't seem fair sometimes I'm really sorry to hear that this has been discovered on top of everything else you've already suffered. I agree with Cat - early diagnosis has got to be a good thing, but I suspect you've had enogh of medical interventions to last you a lifetime. I wish you good luck with getting it swiftly sorted out. It was interesting to read Cat's post re associations / links between the two. Your right about insurers though - they seem set on looking for the nearest escape route from their responsibilities and try to wriggle out of their duty to the claimant wherever they can......I totally understand that you might feel bitter about all of that. Try to not let it all get to you (easy for me to say that I know), but don't let them impact your life any more than they already have if you can help it. I've gone to great lengths to try to avoid letting negativity in, and it's worth the effort if you can keep it up.....but it's a constant struggle. Sending you a big big hug xxx

[trishy63 in reply to Elenor3]

thank you Eleanor,,I agree re not letting the negativity in, and that has Always been my own mantra. As you say though, it does take real effort, its like yoga for the emotions. I have a good, much younger than me, in her 30's, friend with 2 beautiful girls, aged 1 and 5 who was diagnosed with secondary cancer a year ago. She is an absolute inspiration and I cant 'lay down' for long knowing her prognosis. Good people have to be treasured don't they. Thank you for hugs Eleanor,have some back xxx

[RogerCMerriman]

I think it would be very hard not to be bitter or blame any one who had changed one in some way. I'm fairly glad that for myself though I don't know for sure, mine was a mistake of mine, no one else's.

Did they give any idea as to treatment?

[trishy63 in reply to RogerCMerriman]

Thank you Roger. Treatment not yet discussed, I have a follow up appointment for Scan 2 with contrast .... in October!!

[RogerCMerriman in reply to trishy63]

NHS moves quickly if they are worried on the whole, so though serious it has time.

[trishy63 in reply to RogerCMerriman]

It was found on non NHS scan by insurers private radiography consultant, Albyn. His report stated 'may be a typical meningioma'. And private Neurologist consultant reported Nothing of concern, its a benign tumour. Hmm, tumor un a closed skull can be far from benign. The radiologist report didn't read properly, so I called the private hospital to clarify. Ah, now that we've looked again, the voice recognition software picked it up wrong, it should have said Atypical meningioma. Oh well then, I will just hang around!! Its the difference between a Grade 1'it can wait' and Grade2,more aggressive. NHS gave been given wrong info. I called GP surgery, they want me to get a written amended report before even considering speeding up referral. Unfortunately lost my temper, GP didn't feel comfortable with my tone! , so I guess NHS will have me at the bottom if the queue. TBI dashed hard work!!

[peaches2]

Hi Trish, I too have a meningioma. I bumped my head at the end of the school day as I was saying goodbye to the children, I felt really sick, even the next morning but I went to work and my boss told me to go straight to the doctors as I looked awful. I was sent for a ct scan and received a phone call the next morning to say they had found a mass...shocked was an understatement, I asked if they meant brain tumour and yes they did. I was home alone at the time too! I was then sent for an mri. The emotional roller coaster continued from then on in. It had to be removed quickly as it was around the main vein in the middle of both sides of the brain at the top of the head. I couldn't wait to get it out, I ran onto the hospital trolley and thank god I did or I wouldn't be here today! They said they had removed it all but three years later I was told it was growing again so I had to have stereotactic radiotherapy last September. I'm so glad to be alive but yes it can be such a struggle some days...although most people have absolutely no idea how much of a struggle it can be and to be honest it could have been so much worse! So hang on in there missy, you will get there. Keep plodding on through it all, I know it's easier said than done and you have been through such a lot by the sounds of it but don't give in to the bad feelings, talk everything through that worries you and let all your emotions out! This is a super great forum full of friendly people as you have experienced, so keep updating us all on how you are. I am so sorry you are having to go through even more, life can be so cruel. Btw I too had a very bad car accident when I was seventeen years old. I was a passenger and I went through the windscreen at around 60mph maybe more, hit the bonnet and back into the car and I always wonder if that was the cause of this damn thing growing....I lived most of my life after that not really feeling too well and feeling so detached from the world, I thought it was stress. Like you I do think that crash changed my life entirely! Oh and even better.....after being taken to hospital by ambulance from the road side, covered in blood from head to toe....I was stitched up on my nose, (which was squint) my forehead(everywhere), I had a gaping hole at the top of my forehead beside my hairline, black swollen eyes....and lo and behold....I was sent home. No scan, no overnight stay nothing! Two weeks later, my friend who bumped her head on the car door as she got out of it was kept in for two nights! So yes I feel pretty bitter too! Best wishes to you, take care and please try to stay positive about it all. xx

[StrawberryCream]

I looked it up on the brainscience foundation website. It said the meningiomas are sometimes found at the site of a previous trauma such as a brain injury but the relationship is not yet fully understood. There are other predisposing factor too.

[trishy63 in reply to StrawberryCream]

Thank you for doing that StrawberryC 😘, I had thought that all I had to do was recover from the TBI, didn't count on any added extras! Went out one day with no Brain issues at all ... Xx

[StrawberryCream in reply to trishy63]

Yes I can relate to that issue in some ways as well. My bi was caused by bacterial meningitis, cerebral abscesses, cerebritis etc etc. Went in a fit, healthy and active adult ..... but came out with the physical problems of an old lady! For me amongst other probs I developed fibromyalgia. Sometimes I am in so much pain it hurts to move but also hurts to sit or lie down! Again the relationship to BM&S is not understood but it is one of the conditions that is recognized to be quite common after meningitis. It is so difficult isn't it when you are faced with the challenge of one thing eg bi but the it snow balls into others. Have you seen a consultant yet to know if it is wait and watch, or other treatment is indicated?

[trishy63 in reply to StrawberryCream]

oooh u have been in the wars too. My friends daughter was only 22 when she develoed similar to yourself. Many scary shunts later, she is home now. My efforts at trying to get a consultant hampered by my own inability to communicate in a civil fashion once emotions are 'up there'. Probably get struck off the GP practice now for swearing during a phone consult. She was asking me to chase things up myself, I tried to explain I needed help, but I made her feel uncomfortable and she just refused to speak to me. Hope she never has to cope when challenged! So hard to navigate 'professionals' sometimes 😣 x

[StrawberryCream in reply to trishy63]

Yes meningitis is a very nasty life threatening illness. Hope your friends daughter hasn't been left with too many after effects.

If you are reasonably happy with your GP surgery, how about considering writing them a letter to the GP to explain that your BI has affected your ability to manage your emotions, and which were very much provoked by being terrified by being diagnosed with a atypical meningioma. You were feeling that you needed to be referred to a consultant asap but were struggling to manage the how and who. Consequently the confusion, not knowing, needing help to get things happening which were all accompanied by absolute fear of the meningioma resulted in you losing control and swearing at her etc.

Just a thought but may help?

[trishy63 in reply to StrawberryCream]

Thank you SC, what a thoughtful lady xx And an excellent suggestion, I will get onto that just now. I find this emotional stuff uncontrollable, and it certainly cannot endear folk. Yours is a practical suggestion, and i'm very grateful for your input xx

[StrawberryCream in reply to trishy63]

The meningitis left me with a frontal brain injury/dysexecutive syndrome and likewise I dreadful trouble manage my emotions and am reactive, very easily provoked and have no brake on what spills out verbally. I find this 'new' personality very had to accept and manage! Has put me in a few situations with others as well. I seem to do lots of explaining and if appropriate apologising too! x

[angelite]

Oh my goodness, Trish. I had no idea there was a possible link between tumours following TBI. So sorry to hear of this - they have caught it early and will get it sorted for you. Life can seem pretty unfair sometimes but the evil insurer has just inadvertently done you a favour, where your own consultant failed you badly. Could you ask Headway to help you chase up an ammended report ? Sending all good wishes, Angela x

[trishy63 in reply to angelite]

Hi Angela, thank you for support. I am seeing my GP next week and I'm hoping he can chase things up for me. Oh no, I hope I have not frightened my BI friends. That's the uncontrollable emotions from the frontal lobe injury I guess. I may just be panicking, and I didn't mean to worry everyone else, what an idiot I am, never even considered that when pisting 😢 xx

[trishy63 in reply to trishy63]

pisting? Spell check be gone 😌 I meant of course POsting xx

[angelite in reply to trishy63]

There has been no definite connection proved but further research in this area would be interesting. Don't apologise for posting, Trish ! We can all only speak from our own experience, thoughts and feelings. x

[sanju_littu]

Oh trishy and peaches you have really scared me. I also never knew trauma can cause tumour. What a complicated lives we all are in. Aleeady we are suffering so.much withy brother in law's accident and TBI. In last 1.5 yrs thrs not much of recovery. On top of it such facts are depressing. But one thing I can say is you both have had even tougher phases than us. Yes as cat said this forum is a blessing in disguise. People are so friendly and understanding. I wish you all the good health.

Love sanju

[trishy63 in reply to sanju_littu]

oh no Sanju,,please do NOT worry. As CAT discovered, the online info does not come down on the side of proved. My Case manager says its unrelated, and coincidence, I'm not so sure. As I say I went out with no brain issue, and my night ended with an aquired Sub Arachnoid haemotoma. Now theres an Atypical meningioma at Arachnoid. Maybe I am putting 2 plus 2 together and just stressing out till definative diagnosis. The question I will be asking the Neuro specialists is 'Have studies concluded that there is evidence of No link'. Some say I should just be grateful its been found ..... I'm trying, but the bounds of my positive thinking don't stretch quite far enough to quite accept it, never mind be grateful in any way for any kind of brain tumour.I am though so very very grateful for the opportunity if discussing it on this forum. As you say the support here, and the hugs wrapped around us, are so comforting 😍 xx