Welp I have a Brain Tumor

originally posted by: JAGStorm

originally posted by: rickymouse
Tumors are constantly forming in people, but once triggered, the body fights them and destroys them. It is cancer if it has rapid growth, it is a tumor if it is just slowly growing. Some food chemistries actually stimulate apoptosis of cells in tumors and some stimulate autophagy. If it is in the brain, it is protected somewhat by the blood brain barrier and the brain has a somewhat separate immune system from the body's immune system because of that barrier. If it is shrinking it is good. Hopefully it all disappears and never comes back again.

I wonder what kind of cells are growing in there, did they tell you what kind of tumor it is? Is it cells that do not belong in the brain, or is it braintissue that is balling up in the wrong spot?

It is a microadenoma
Have not been told if it is functioning or non functioning yet
They suspected Cushings, half my test are abnormal half are normal. I also do not look like a Cushings patient, (I am small and lightweight) Thank God my Dr. did not go by looks alone and goes by testing.

There are cases where these adenomas just disappear and medical science does not understand why.
They are currently studying it.

Is it in the pituitary gland? That gland is very important, hopefully it keeps going away. They can operate on it if it starts to get bad I think. I never studied that kind of tumor much, but do know a little about them, enough to be dangerous. You probably have way more information gathered on that kind of tumor than I ever did, because it is important to you. Something you are doing is increasing an immune response to it if it is getting smaller, maybe something you are eating or now not eating is helping, or your immune system just found it and is now attacking it. Hopefully whatever is getting rid of it will continue till it is gone.

a reply to: rickymouse

Is it in the pituitary gland? That gland is very important, hopefully it keeps going away. They can operate on it if it starts to get bad I think. I never studied that kind of tumor much, but do know a little about them, enough to be dangerous. You probably have way more information gathered on that kind of tumor than I ever did, because it is important to you. Something you are doing is increasing an immune response to it if it is getting smaller, maybe something you are eating or now not eating is helping, or your immune system just found it and is now attacking it. Hopefully whatever is getting rid of it will continue till it is gone.

Yep in the pituitary gland. Mine are not in the sinuses or near the optical nerve.
Yes the pituitary controls so much and I think I've had this for many years.

Treatment options, -watch to see if it grows, medication, surgical removal through the nose, radiation, radiation with gamma knife. Gamma knife is seriously amazing, and they do it while you are AWAKE!

A lot depends if it is producing or non producing. The surgical removal through the nose seems the most scary to me.
I don't know if I'm a candidate for that as mine is very small.

On a side note, I believe I had Covid March of 2019, after that I had a period of extreme stress - family death, and other extreme life changes.
Some think these tumors are caused or activated by viruses, or even stress.

Prayers for you and nothing but positive thoughts.
Sounds like you are on the healthy track with your positivity.

I'm glad it's curable and hope the treatment will be easy on you.

Seeing the title of your post made me sad and anxious. I sometimes avoid reading these kind of posts for want of feeling worse for the poster.

Instead, I'm happily relieved to read that things are looking brighter for you. Your initial panic is perfectly normal, but your outlook is very important in overcoming the issue. Positivity is half the battle won!

Stay well, get better!

originally posted by: tamusan
I'm glad it's curable and hope the treatment will be easy on you.

If I have to have the Gamma Knife that will be pretty funny, it looks just like Hannibal Lecter in the face cage!
You know what has been the worst thing so far........?..... I've discovered I have claustrophobia with MRI machines!!

a reply to: JAGStorm

First.. That sucks about the tumor. As you said, it doesnt sound like its as bad as it could be, but its still not exactly a "good" thing, eh?

If you arent already, I would suggest completely avoiding talking on your cell phone with it next to your ear..

As for MRIs, you can try to find the models that have open sides. They are much better. Im not claustrophobic, but those tubes are far from pleasant for me.

You can also request sedation. Due to pain, I cant stay still for the hour+ or so required for my MRIs and was eventually informed that it was an option. MRIs used to be an absolutely dreaded annual thing for me.. Something about having to stay completely still coupled with the vibrations is really rough, but the sedation helps dramatically.

I dont really care enough to get the MRIs anymore, but I hope that helps

HEy jags. glad the tumor is not going to be a problem.

originally posted by: lostgirl
a reply to: JAGStorm

Hi Jag,
I am sorry you have to deal with this but glad that you've been able to put it in perspective and keep your spirits light about it!

Would you mind sharing how you happened to realize 'something' was wrong and the process toward getting diagnosed?
I'll add you to my prayers

Also, I agree with everything you wrote about healthcare!

I had sinus headaches and was just off. I was told to use a nasal spray.
I used the nasal spray and almost passed out right after using it.
I knew something was wrong. Through a series of tests something was abnormal with my cortisol.
Lots of tests and more MRI's.

MRI showed tiny tumor on the pituitary. Even small ones can cause problems.
Still waiting to see if I have Cushing's.

PS. Almost all the symptoms I'm having mimic Menopause!! (headaches, nausea, dizziness, weakness)

From what I've been reading two very common things people have with this is:
unrelenting weight gain, they diet they exercise and just can't lose weight
infertility

I had neither which is why I was brushed off at first.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Non cancerous, curable, degenerating (going away.)
These are the big take away. I'm sure I would have freaked out initially as well. I'm glad you've come back to center, actually seeing the glass half full. That alone does so much for our health!

You have my prayers. And you have my shared belief that you will overcome.
Sometimes when our mortality stares us in the face, random life moments become more precious, our world seems more beautiful. I hope that part happens to you!

a reply to: Serdgiam

You can also request sedation. Due to pain, I cant stay still for the hour+ or so required for my MRIs and was eventually informed that it was an option. MRIs used to be an absolutely dreaded annual thing for me.. Something about having to stay completely still coupled with the vibrations is really rough, but the sedation helps dramatically.

Yes I get valium to do MRI's. One MRI I thought I'd just take one pill instead of the 2, Big mistake!
Two pills no problem and you get a nice nap after.

originally posted by: new_here
a reply to: JAGStorm

Non cancerous, curable, degenerating (going away.)
These are the big take away. I'm sure I would have freaked out initially as well. I'm glad you've come back to center, actually seeing the glass half full. That alone does so much for our health!

You have my prayers. And you have my shared belief that you will overcome.
Sometimes when our mortality stares us in the face, random life moments become more precious, our world seems more beautiful. I hope that part happens to you!

Thank you so much for the kind words. One thing this has taught me is that I need to keep my stress in check.
Life is Beautiful

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
Sorry to hear this, but glad it’s okay.

I know it doesn’t always catch it, but regular eye checks are always a good thing.

Yes and it is important to go to ophthalmologist vs optometrist!

a reply to: JAGStorm

To all of you that have PM'd me. I really appreciate it.
The love from this group is off the charts.

I feel like many of you have been my virtual office coworkers over the years.
Just the fact that we are on here signals that we are constantly seeking more information, and won't just
accept things as they are presented. Some serious brilliant minds in here. I am listening.

Even though I may have debated with some of you, I can honestly say some days just coming here and reading
stuff has brought me great relief and has taken my mind to other places. That is priceless. Thank you. MUAH!

On a funny note, found out my ultra conservative, ultra skeptical father, that had top secret access in the military
told me he fully believes in Big Foot.... but that's another story for another day.

Wishing you the best during your treatment and thankful for your being here! Take care and be easy with yourself!

a reply to: JAGStorm

That suck, sorry to hear but happy its not Cancer. I have heard a lot of people accept that its somehow the bodies response to something and it ends up being a positive thing to them, accepting God and in times it just goes away. That's the gist of what I have seen anyway.

I got drilled by Lightning and after waking up in the hospital I thought I made it without any serious problems other than the large burn on my shoulder. 30 days later while at work I go into a full blown seizure. I was walking to the dock, to jump into a boat at the dock. Had it happened one minute later I would probably have went into the water and drown or fell on top of a running engine.

After an MRI, something our cheap hospitals do not do unless they need to do surgery they found the lighting had ruptured a blood vessel in my Temporal lobe. They tried to talk me into surgery after i had pretty much got the once and awhile seizures under control.

I said no thank you, nobody is cutting on my good looking head just to have an opps lol.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: rickymouse

Is it in the pituitary gland? That gland is very important, hopefully it keeps going away. They can operate on it if it starts to get bad I think. I never studied that kind of tumor much, but do know a little about them, enough to be dangerous. You probably have way more information gathered on that kind of tumor than I ever did, because it is important to you. Something you are doing is increasing an immune response to it if it is getting smaller, maybe something you are eating or now not eating is helping, or your immune system just found it and is now attacking it. Hopefully whatever is getting rid of it will continue till it is gone.

Yep in the pituitary gland. Mine are not in the sinuses or near the optical nerve.
Yes the pituitary controls so much and I think I've had this for many years.

Treatment options, -watch to see if it grows, medication, surgical removal through the nose, radiation, radiation with gamma knife. Gamma knife is seriously amazing, and they do it while you are AWAKE!

A lot depends if it is producing or non producing. The surgical removal through the nose seems the most scary to me.
I don't know if I'm a candidate for that as mine is very small.

On a side note, I believe I had Covid March of 2019, after that I had a period of extreme stress - family death, and other extreme life changes.
Some think these tumors are caused or activated by viruses, or even stress.

Well, I sure hope it goes away by itself. Our immune systems are very complex and actually very good if they operate properly. Many times breast cancer comes and then the immune system attacks and kills it and slowly over years gets rid of the dead tissue. This is different but hopefully the same thing happens, hopefully you heal on your own.

It is nice to know they have made it possible to remove a tumor like that but I wish they would straighten out the food and environmental chemistries that are causing them in the first place. Cancer has always been around but since the seventies, the incidents of cancer have rose, but they have gotten better at treating it too. So the death rate is lower even though the number of cases are way up in the USA. I think our health agencies should do research to see what unnatural chemistries are causing the raise in cancer and get rid of them.

I know some ways to treat cancers, but so far have not figured what will work on that type of tumor because I have not read any research on that one yet. Evidently you are already fighting it if it seems to be shrinking, and of course, that is not cancer, it is a tumor so cancer and tumor treatments are most often different. My research is on how to make it so we do not need treatment or get the disease, but there are so many unnatural chemistries in the environment, I may never be able to find what is causing what.

But I can pray that this tumor keeps shrinking and goes away or just never grows anymore. People have tumors of all kinds that once die just leave scar tissue. It is good they identified it early and hopefully things will go well for you.

Some viruses can cause cancer, because if you are fighting the virus, you have less immune system chemicals to fight cancer for a while. Some viruses do stimulate our immune system to fight certain types of cancers too though, the common cold virus can fight cancer because it can target some fast replicating cells.

Stress lowers our immune system effectiveness most times, it messes with it's proper attack of cancer and diseases. Some viruses are very carcinogenic, but I have not heard whether covid 19 virus is this way, in fact, it may have triggered your body to fight that tumor. I can only tell what I know and I have never studied the relationship of this virus in respect to cancer, but do know that if you have cancer, it can cause way more bad symptoms, is that because it also stimulates the body to attack the cancer? I do not know.

originally posted by: JAGStorm

Not to get political, but I have to...
On the flip side I can honestly say my beliefs in private health care has never been stronger.
I have read TOO many accounts of people in Canada and UK that have this condition that can barely get
a MRI, or are waiting months, or in some cases YEARS for proper treatment.

First of all, deeply sorry to hear this but a huge high five to it not being cancerous!

Very interesting that so many people have these tumours. I'd never heard that. Kinda disturbing but also good in a way that they are often found on autopsy... assuming the person died of something else.

I'm in canada and while what you say does occur with the wait times, my friend had surgery for a cancerous brain tumour this summer and due to the covid clearing the hospitals he was seen immediately. He'd gotten really drunk with his buddy and tipped over backwards in a chair, clocked his head and was out cold for quite some time. His buddy called an ambulance and it all led to him getting a lot of testing and they found the cancer. He also found out he has lung cancer, so while the brain cancer has shrunk due to treatment he still faces the lung battle.

I favour universal health care but it sure needs improvement and suppose either system would be just fine if either were tweaked to be available but also quality and timely. My mom had some weird wasting illness, assumed to be cancer, but the waits here were so long that she went down to california and paid for the preliminary tests that ruled out cancer. That way she wasn't so worried about the waits having had it confirmed. Extreme but she had the money and didn't trust our system.

Take care and hopefully this wrinkle in the matrix will get ironed out soon.

originally posted by: rickymouse
Some viruses can cause cancer, because if you are fighting the virus, you have less immune system chemicals to fight cancer for a while. Some viruses do stimulate our immune system to fight certain types of cancers too though, the common cold virus can fight cancer because it can target some fast replicating cells.

Stress lowers our immune system effectiveness most times, it messes with it's proper attack of cancer and diseases. Some viruses are very carcinogenic, but I have not heard whether covid 19 virus is this way, in fact, it may have triggered your body to fight that tumor. I can only tell what I know and I have never studied the relationship of this virus in respect to cancer, but do know that if you have cancer, it can cause way more bad symptoms, is that because it also stimulates the body to attack the cancer? I do not know.

I know I had Covid but I don’t know if it caused or helped the tumor.
I know my stress was off the charts last year and that is the absolute worst for the body.