My son took me to the nuerologist who said explain the MRI finding to us. Of course neither of us with any medical knowledge, it was all foreign to us. Doctor reviewed the MRI films and said, “there is a very large mass located within the left greater sphenoid wing. The mass has a large dural tail; which also extends and involves the left orbital cavernous sinus and the left orbital apex, extending along the lateral aspect of the left orbital wall. The extenstion of the orbital apex may involve the superior and lateral rectus muscles. The extra-axial mass also markedly erodes in the the bone. At this point, I can’t assertain whether this it was an extra-axial, dural-based mass with is greatly involving bone, such as an agressive meningioma or a meningiosarcoma/hermangiopericytoma, or was it actually a bone lesion which had expanded through the osseous cortex into the lateral orbital apex and sphnoid wing. ONly surgery can tell that.”
My son was my rock, and he spoke up and just said “give it to us in simple terms”. Doctor said – “she has a very large tumor that is so close to her brain, that these films don’t tell me for sure that is isn’t already attached to her brain. The positive I can give you is that since you are not having any motor-skill or speech problems, there’s a hopeful chance it isn’t attached, but it still could be recently attached and the problems haven’t materialized yet. I can’t tell you if it is cancerous or not until a biopsy is done, but from the films it appears to be a very “clean” mass. Cancerous masses are usually more sloppy and mushy looking in the films. This mass is specific and clear. I advise you to have it removed immediately as if you wait, if it is not already attached to your brain, maybe 2 months before it will be. Once attached, there will be addtion problems, even more serious. If it isn’t attached, it will be easier to remove. The reason you are having vision problems is because the tumor mass is attached to the rear orbitz area of your eye. You need to see a Neuro Ophthalmologist for more on that as he will have to assist in the surgery in that area.”
He told his secretary to schedule me for the very next available surgery date. That would be in 2 weeks. I’d be in the hospital at least a week, the surgery would be about 10 hours long.
Okay, whatever.