When you are dealing with an illness, it is important to remember that every patient is an individual and everyone should get the best possible treatment. I think the most important message of my story is to never accept one doctor’s opinion – get a second and third if necessary. Treatment guidelines are useful but may not be appropriate for everyone. Every case is different.
My headaches began after an ordinary bout with the flu. My primary care physician ordered an MRI to determine the exact cause. Since I had had a head trauma about 20 years ago in the same location of the headaches, he suspected a cerebral aneurysm. Instead, he found a ping-pong ball sized tumor in the middle of my brain. Other than the headaches, I had been experiencing light and noise sensitivity and my normal sleep patterns changed. During the MRI, I began feeling confused and felt a weakness on my left side as well as problems with my eye. I was admitted to the hospital, and the following day the doctors performed a stereotactic brain surgery needle biopsy. My diagnosis was confirmed – Glioblastoma Multiforme.
My doctors told me that surgical resection was not an option and they offered me conservative treatment and experimental protocols with an estimated survival rate of two years. This was not good enough. I needed a second opinion. Unfortunately, after speaking with another doctor, the consensus was the same – a resection was not an option.
With the help of some friends, I was referred to another neurosurgeon at Columbia Presbyterian [Dr. Jeffrey Bruce], who had developed the surgical technique of removing a tumor in the pineal region, the same area mine was located in. After reviewing my MRI and various other test results, and taking into consideration my young age and otherwise healthy condition, he decided to remove the tumor. The pathological analyses of the tumor showed a lower grade tumor (Anaplastic Glial-neuronal) than was originally diagnosed by the needle biopsy. After 6 hours in surgery, I had a relatively easy recovery – I could even talk and walk the following day and by the 10th day, I had no symptoms at all. As a precaution, I received a 7-week proton therapy.
Now, I feel healthy and strong and have no remaining after-effects of the tumor. My follow up MRIs show no new growth. My long-term prognosis is good! Because my brain tumor was removed, my quality of life is better. Because my brain tumor was removed, my chance for long-term survival has increased significantly. With God’s help, I will now live to see my young sons grow up.