From Cory (husband):
For the geeks in here… Jenni’s details:
She has a 4.3 x 2.9 x 3.3 cm dural based mass overlaying the left frontal lobe, superior to the operculum. It is (likely-95%) a benign neoplasm. The Meningioma has grown between her meninges and has encroached on the brain. It’s likely been there growing for 20-30 years. She has increased bone mass over the site due to the tumor, which is one way they can tell it’s been there a long time. She has had very little symptoms until recently.
She is having a left parietal craniotomy to have the tumor removed. Sometimes they can just open the skull and pull it out whole. The issue with Jenni is that the tumor has blood vessels criss-crossing it. Because of that, the surgeon will need to collapse the mass from the inside so he has room to whittle away at the areas around those vessels. This is the main complication and the part that has the most risk (i.e. of stroke, bleeding, etc)The surgeon is fantastic and we don’t expect any issues.
She has largely been asymptomatic, however, she has had two episodes of seizure like activity. So the Doc will keep her on anti-seizure meds throughout the procedure as a precaution, and then for a while during recovery until he sees how her brain takes the surgery. She will have at least one day in the ICU and then will be given a room on the neuro ward for a few days.
The pic is from an fMRI, so it’s not quite as clear, but you’ll get the picture. I’ll see about posting a clear pic of her other MRI later.
