Post-Needle Biopsy

In April, I had my first follow-up MRI. Unfortunately, I had to go with another neurosurgeon as I found out that my original neurosurgeon, Dr. Nguyen, is not within my insurance provider network. The first neurologist I ended up seeing to get the results of my follow-up MRI to see if anything’s changed did not work out unfortunately. So I made an appointment to see another neurosurgeon, Dr. Devin Binder, whom I met last week. For this first follow-up the best news would be that the temporal-parietal lesion has not grown and that the splenium lesion would have reduced in size.

Dr. Binder brought up the MRI scans on his computer and we went over everything. I hold him how the operating neurosurgeon believes the temporal-parietal lesion to be a hamartoma. After looking at and considering everything, he told me that in his opinion, it’s not a hamartoma, and that as it stands, it is inconclusive as to what it might be. Looking at my follow-up MRI, he pointed out that the area in which the samples were taken were from the upper portion/fringe of the lesion instead of in the middle. He felt that this may have been the reason why the sample taken seems not very definitive. He ended up recommending that I have an open biopsy done to remove up to about 75% of the lesion. Or course I indicated to him that I very hesitant about this. Just from my first biopsy which was relatively non-invasive, it’s taken me awhile to recover, and I still don’t feel fully all there. I can only imagine how it will be after this recommended procedure, one that I really don’t want to go through. Luckily, as it seems to be slow growing, I’ve decided to seek an opinion from UCLA neurology as it’s only a month away. It was suppose to be my 2nd opinion for which I had scheduled back in late February, but now has become the de facto third opinion.

Anyway, since this whole thing has started, it’s been kind of difficult to cope with things. I’ve found focusing and concentrating on tasks hard to do. I don’t know if the biopsy is the cause of it or just the lack of sleep from worrying about everything, but I have noticed that my memory has gotten just a tad worse, and that I’ve been having a bit of trouble with conveying a clear and concise thought. At work, over half of the time, my mind is just wandering and racing at times thinking about a possible ticking time bomb in my head. I’ve tried to put on a brave face and act like my normal self, but in truth, I know nothing is normal and I’m not the same person. It doesn’t get any easier because I am a person who internalizes everything and sure enough, I haven’t really spoken much to people about anything really because I don’t want to burden them with my problems. When I have reached out, it’s hard too because they don’t exactly know what you’re going through. I don’t know if it’s the right approach, but I feel like this is a journey I am to take alone. Well, I am anxious to see what UCLA neurology has to say and to see if an open biopsy really is needed. I hope not, and I hope an alternative can be found.