Beating Brain Tumors: What to Know about Neurosurgery

It’s hard to think of a more frightening phrase than “brain tumor.” If you’ve been told you have one, you’re probably freaking out. One of the best ways to calm yourself is by gathering the information you need to understand what is happening to you. Modern medicine can do amazing things and, although neurosurgery is intimidating, it’s also pretty amazing. If you’re facing brain surgery, here are four things you’ll want to know.

You Might Be Awake during Surgery

It sounds terrifying, but this is actually a good thing. There are no nerve endings in your brain, so brain tissue is not capable of feeling pain. Waking you up during surgery lets your doctor ask you to perform simple tasks like counting or moving your arm. Observing your brain as you perform these actions lets him know what areas to avoid. Although possibly being awake during surgery sounds scary, your surgical team will make sure you don’t feel a thing.

There Will Be Obstacles

Your doctor will do his best to anticipate any challenges you’ll face after surgery and tell you about them, but he may miss a few. Tinkering with your brain can cause some odd side effects, so expect a few surprises. If you’re bilingual, you may find yourself speaking in one language when you mean to use another. You could find that it takes an extra minute before you can put a name to a face.

Dizzy spells or confusion are also possible. In reality, it’s difficult to say what exactly you will experience. Be patient with yourself if you experience a few oddities after neurosurgery. These after-effects are common and temporary.

But You Can Overcome Them

Your recovery from surgery will not be left to chance nor will you be left on your own. When you leave the hospital, you will have a team of therapists working with you on your post-surgical care. Although everyone is different, you can expect to have a team of therapists to help you recover, including physical, occupational and speech therapists. Dealing with so many therapists and appointments may feel a bit overwhelming, but these specialists will help you retrain your brain as necessary so you can get back to normal.

You Will Sleep a Lot

Brain surgery is taxing on your body, as are anesthesia and many of the post-operative medications you will be sent home with. For the first few days to weeks after your surgery, you’ll be fortunate if you can stay awake and focused long enough to make it through a 30-minute television program. Anticipate and accept this rather than trying to fight it. Patients often underestimate how tired they will be after this type of surgery. If possible, have someone stay with you for a few days to help you with everyday tasks that you may struggle to stay awake for.

Brain surgery is a scary prospect, so take your time processing your diagnosis and get a second opinion from a neurological clinic like the Billings Clinic or someone else. Above all, know that you are not alone. According to the Yale School of Medicine, about 78,000 people will be diagnosed with a brain tumor this year. If your brain tumor is operable, you’re actually one of the lucky ones, although it may not feel like it right now. Brain surgery can literally save your life and improve your quality of life by alleviating the problems your tumor is causing. Neurosurgery is just a bump in the road. It’s admittedly a big bump, but that makes getting over it even more satisfying.