burn scars

[foren6chick]

i was given some unfortunate advice in 2016 to treat my brain meningioma with very high dose radiation as opposed to surgery. i had a horrible reaction with swelling and pain and ended up having the surgery anyway. with lots of PT and determination i'm now walking (from a walker to now a cane) and am speaking much better. my balance and coordination have been slower to come along and in the last 6 weeks seem to have deteriorated somewhat. i'm aware that there is some pretty significant scarring around where my tumor used to be (a "ruffle", if you will) that might be causing my issues. my question is, might the scarring get better or is it more likely to be a permanent condition? will i be stuck at this level of ability or might it improve? my neurologist is vague when asked directly, and only encouraging me to 'keep pushing', which i will of course, but i'd really like to know if the actual scarring will dissipate or if i will just improve on my 'new normal'. which ever it is, i will factor into my recovery. thanks in advance for your response.

~~ dizzy in Colorado

[cat3]

This really is a question with no answer. Unlike an external scar which we can more or less guarantee will heal with care, brain tissue is so delicate and brains so complex that (as you've found) not even the most experienced neurologist can predict the eventual outcome.

My neurosurgeon, three months on from my procedure to coil a bleed, showed me my scans, before and after, expressing delight at both the results on the screen and at my general progress and abilities. But in answer to "Will my issues improve ?" he explained that he didn't know and that the answer would reveal itself in 2=3 years time.

I'm 7 years on now and my answer's still a vague one. It's that I cope better nowadays, but don't know whether I've progressed or whether I just manage the new me better after years of practice/trial & error. Once the resentment had cooled and I realised many issues were here to stay, I learned to work with & around them, resting on bad days and making the best of the good ones...…....

I hope you'll improve further m'dear ; I reckon I plateaued at around the three year point but some say they still see progress further along the line. And If you can bear to lower standards and expectations a little bit, it really helps take the pressure off. 😏

All best wishes, Cat x