I have a doctors appointment today. I'm nervous, because a couple of friends of mine, with everything going on, said that it could be a brain tumor. So I was wanting someone else's advice to ask if this sounded like a brain tumor.

I constantly have a headache, more so when I wake up. I'm nauseated, dizzy and sometimes I do vomit because of that. I haven't gained weight, I've actually lost. Sometimes I have trouble focusing my vision on a certain object and others, my ear feels like it has volume control. I can hear really good and others it's like I can't hear at all. I've been having muscle spasms, mostly on my right side. Twitches, too, in my ankle. My right arm has gone completely weak before. Then my face...my left eye has twitched for two whole days before, my chin has spazed out, my jaw's gone numb, not to mention I've had three blackouts from my headaches, I'm assuming. Two where I couldn't really speak afterwards or say the word, "recordings."

If someone could help me out with this, I'd really appreciate it. My doc doesn't think it's serious but I've had to live with it for months and I didn't want to admit it before but I think that it is serious and I'm afraid that when I see him today, he won't do anything about it...again.

Thanks,

Missy

Missy,
so how did the Drs app go? I hope he is sending you for an MRI or CAT scan. Your symptoms could be many different things. Whatever you have you need to find out so they can treat you. No one should have to live in that much pain. If your Dr didn't listen to you then please go to another one until you get the help you need. good luck and let us know how it has all turned out. tina

Thanks for your reply, Tina. My doctors appointment went okay. He's finally sending me to get an MRI and an EEG sometime next week, so for that I'm thankful for because I got sick again this morning and I'm always so tired and I don't know how much longer I can go like this but I am trying. My doctor said that it might be complex migraines, multiple sclerosis or something around that, but he's not real sure right now and he said that we can find out alot from an MRI and that, if it's necessary, he might do a spinal tap, though I hope he doesn't. But thank you for your reply, though, and I'll keep everyone updated on how things go.

Missy

Missy,
My husband has been having some problems similar to you but not exactly the same. He had an MRI that turned out ok. They are treating him with Medication for tremmors and it also helps to prevent migraines. He is doing better not always great but better. We were also worried that it was MS or a brain tumor. I feel so sorry for him when he has one of his episodes. I am glad he has found some relief with the medication. I hope you have as good of results if not better. tina

Thank you Tina, I hope so too. I am a little bit worried, though, since other things will factor into this but I thank you again for all of your help and support.

Missy

I highly doubt it is a brian tumor. And if it is, they should be able to remove it without problems because melignant brain tumors usually cause seizures, and you havent mentioned any so Im guessing you havent had any seizures.

Well, the doctor calls them seizures, but they don't seem like seizures to me. Those blackouts that I have, he calls those "seizure-type deals". It doesn't seem like a seizure to me but then again, he's the doctor so I guess he would know.

Missy

What day are your tests, Missy?
I always send out "the troops" :angel: :angel: :angel: on those days...
Ruth

Hey Ruth,

I'm not sure what day that the tests are on. Someone from the doctors office called me today, just asking me questions for the tests and they said they'd make me an appointment on Monday so it might be either Tuesday or Wednesday. They said they were going to try and schedule them for the same days, and I hope that they do so I can just go there for one day and be done with it until I go back to my doctors office a week later.

And send out the troops? Am I right to assume that they are the angels? Because if they are, I greatly appreciate it. I'm going to have an anonymous prayer tomorrow at my church and put it in the book because I hate people asking questions and knowing what it's about. I may tell one woman who's like an aunt to me, but that'll be it.

Missy

Mellissy, I'll be thinking of you as you have these tests. You are in my prayers. Let us hear from you. Prayer Warriers will be at work.

mellissy,

a spinal tap needn't be that bad ... i've had two, and the first one i didn't even know i was having (my neuro was just sitting behind me as i'd curled up into the requisite fetal position) ... i said, "have you started yet?" and the reply was oh yes, he'd inserted the needle yadda yadda ... my second one i could feel, some slight nerve pain, but it wasn't bad ...

hope all goes well and it's "just" a migraine ...

jb

Thanks cody48 for the prayer warriors. I need all the prayers that I can get.

JB, I hope it is just a migraine. The spinal tap only has me a little worried now but I did go and pick up my papers that I need when I go and have these tests done. They're both next Thursday, so I'll be at the hospital all day (instead of going to math class) and the doctor noted that these tests were to be done due to "seizure activity" so again that makes me a little worried, but I'll hopefully keep myself calm because I've looked up every possible answer to these symptoms and none of them are good. But thanks everyone for the prayers :) I hope that despite all the possible answers that things will go well.

Missy

mellissy,

sometimes a little knowledge is a bad thing:I've looked up every possible answer to these symptoms and none of them are good. i find the 'net very useful for most things (like 95 percent), but when it comes to something as complex as the brain, it's better left to the experts to interpret (not that you can't do your own research -- in today's world, where everything is so complicated and there's a wealth of information available, god forbid), but it may seem like :eek: SOMETHING!! :eek: when it is, in fact, :) a small thing :) , or a merely annoying :mad: thing...

i once had a sudden loss of vision (the only thing that galls me is that it COULD have been a detached retina) that turned out to be a migraine, and i had a "stroke" about eight years ago that they think now may be mitochondrial disorder (i've had every test known to man -- that's how i know about lumbar punctures -- and had many consults to boot) ...

so try not to worry, and if you're told it IS a bad thing, get a second opinion ... my stroke was dx'd as a brain tumour on my first MRI, and only when my neuro had the wit to get a second opinion from another pathologist was it considered a stroke ...

good luck, and adding warriors :angel: :angel: :angel:

jb

Thanks again JB :) I can try to get a second opinion, though I'm not sure how well that will go, since I don't have the money or insurance to pay for too many doctors or testing. I don't have to pay for this, but any doctors outside of this hospital isn't on the medical assistance I have with the hospital, though I will try and get a second opinion, especially ifit doesn't seem like it could be true.

Missy :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel:

I <3 the prayer warriors

There could be so many things that could be causing what you have. When my mom found out she had a brain tumor they weren't even looking for that. She was having dizziness but when she found out she had the tumor they said her dizziness wasn't caused from the tumor. That is really weird! Anyway my mom didn't start having seizures till after she had a brain surgery. She has had two brain surgeries for a tumor that grows back. I think they said her tumor was a Medulloblastoma! Anyway good luck with everything and just know if you did have a brain tumor it doesn't mean that all hope is loss, my mom is only 41 years old and shes had 2 surgeries and shes walking and talking and living her life normal as ever!

nancy/mellissy,

AND if you do have a brain tumour, it may not be malignant ... an acquaintance of mine had one that grew back again after a few years, so had two surgeries (the first one a laser knife), but it wasn't malignant ...

jb

Yea my moms also comes back. They are not sure if she had the brain tumor when she was young or what. They didn't think it would bother her but she wanted to have surgery done just in case. ever since she has had surgery for the tumor it keeps coming back and she has had seizures in the past. Hasn't had one in a long while though. They think there is another one. It grows all the same place but sometimes in different areas. The one they think she has now is close to a part that could affect her eye sight and movement. They say it is in a very dangerous place. The one before I think was near the cortex of the brain. The doctor that did her last two brain surgeries said it looked like scar tissue to him. She had the MRI's sent to him because he moved away to another state and it caused her to have to have another doctor. Anyway shes trusting what her old doctor says because he is the one familiar with her case. The tumor has a tendency to grow back every four years for some reason.

I hope that the tumor is not malignant, though again I'm afraid. I wish I could trust in my old doctor and allow him to be able to be my doctor again, but I can't afford him any longer so that's out of the question. Besides, he's a pediatrician, so that's another reason why he's out of the question.

Also, I was just wanting to know something. If cancer runs in your family, like really bad, does that put you more at risk? I just need to know.

Thanks again everyone, and I wish that my tests were sooner than what they are because I'm on edge, I don't know if I can wait but I think everyone for being there for me and answering my questions.

Missy

...
Also, I was just wanting to know something. If cancer runs in your family, like really bad, does that put you more at risk? I just need to know.
...
Missy

ok, here goes:

there's a thing called "family cancer syndrome" (i just found out about it myself), which in my family consists of the blood-born cancers (hodgkins/lymphoma/myeloma/leukemia)... my maternal g'mother died of hodgkins, my mum died of multiple myeloma, and my uncle died of lymphoma .. he had three daughters (my cousins) -- one survived lung cancer; one is untouched; one cousin died of breast cancer (probably related) and of her two sons, one died of leukemia and the other has been treated successfully for hodgkins; i'm untouched and so is my half-sister (knock on wood) ...

if you have a certain type of colo-rectal cancer in you family, it puts you at an increased risk for liver, pancreas, brain, and other types of cancer ...

you might want to undergo genetic testing if you think it will help (tho' insurance might be an issue -- the risks/benefits are discussed at http://cancer.duke.edu/hcc/) ...

what types of cancers run in your family? you can type "family cancer history chart" into your browser and get a form that you can fill in to provide a profile (many sites have them, but we're not allowed to post them) ...

i think you said your tests are tomorrow? i'm sending even MORE warrior angels to protect you :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel:

i'm hoping that it will be something totally out of the blue, that you'd never thought of, that isn't serious (might be a virus -- ever thought of that? i had a virus that made me so dizzy i couldn't walk for six months -- i had to lean against the corridors to go from office to office - i was a nervous wreck, thinking it was MS, a brain tumour, anything absolutely disastrous) ...

good luck mellissy -- gotta go -- thunder booming :eek: and dark and the cats aren't in!!

jb

I didn't have my appointment today. That's next Thursday. I think that Kentucky just works slower than other places :(

As for cancer in my family. My mother died of breast cancer ten years ago. As for other cancers, I know that a few of my uncles (my mom's brothers) have died of cancer, I just don't know what kinds. My dad's uncle died of cancer, but again I'm not sure what kind. I'd have to sit down with my dad and talk to him about this to figure out what kind of cancers they died of and if anyone else in our family has had cancer.

And it could be a virus, I'm not going to rule anything out until I know, but it just...it doesn't seem like a virus and it doesn't "feel" like a virus (hard to explain). It feels like something that's never gone on with me before and I'm still trying to figure that one out.

Thanks again for the prayer warriors! I'm going to add a few more for my own peace of mind :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel:

Missy

P.S. This took me a few minutes to type. I kept forgetting words and that's also something else that worries me because they shouldn't be words that I just forget.

Have you had your MRI yet? I was diagnosed with a brain tumor when I was 13 years old. Through many years of treatments I have come. I'm now 27 and doing wonderful. Depending on the outcome of that MRI I have some opinions on the treatment that I can explain. BUT, lets find out IF it is a brain tumor.

God Bless,

Dan

P.S. Keep your chin up and stay positive!!! :)

Yea, I had my MRI without contrast. Nothing showed on it, so I think Brain Tumor is ruled out, definitely. They said it could be a number of things...they just won't tell me any of them, because I also have these weird red dots (sometimes) and nightsweats. They did more tests at a good hospital two hours away on Tuesday...I just don't know anything, yet.

Thank you,

Missy

Hi ....goggle psuedotumor cerebri...see if any of your symptoms sound like those. My daughter was dx'd with this a year agao. Everyones symptoms are alittle bit different though. if they do an LP they will know from the opening pressure if this is what you have. It's not a brian tumor but the symptoms mimic one. Hence the word psuedo meaning fake....although there is nothing fake about the symptoms thats for sure. Good Luck and I hope you feel better soon

My symptoms do sound a lot alike that of pseudotumor cerebri. However, I'm still waiting on my doctors to get back to me. I'd ask them about it, but they knock me down everytime I voice my opinion, though I think the next test on the list for me is a spinal tap, so that should show if I have it or not. But thank you. I'll keep reading more and more about it and see if I can't find more information. And thanks. I hope I feel better, soon, too.

Missy