meningioma

Several weeks ago I started noticing that I was spelling words incorrectly, having some difficulty writting on paper (a pause or delay before I start to write), and hitting the wrong keys on the key board. I have been complaining about vocabulary loss for several years, and feel that it has become worse, and my memory has become terrible,  I have also had some subtle balance problems.  
I have been ignoring the memory & vocab issues thinking it was related to menopause, but when the spelling, typing, writing issues started I went to my primary. I had an MRI done which showed a 2cm left parietal meningioma with mild mass affect to the underlying sulci. When I saw the neurologist, she told me the meningioma had nothing to do with my symptoms, and asked if I had ever seen a psychiatrist. I asked her about possible hormonal influence on meningioma growth and she said she has never heard of any connection between hormones and meningiomas.
Nothing she has told me makes any sense to me based on what I have been reading.
Feedback would be appreciated

[rumpled]

Find another neurologist.
Also, and I speak from experience since my tumors were hormone secreting ones, hormone play a part in most things - from memory to most body functions.
There may not be a direct connection except the location if it is near the hypothalmus or putting pressure on the hypothalmus and who knows that.
I know of at least one other person with a meningioma and major hormone issues, but hers is located near the pituitary and hypothalmus.

[crwstar]

How big does a tumor have to be for it to cause problems? I'm sometimes amazed at what doctors say to us. I think half the time they speak when they should be honest and admit they don't know and simply refer us on to someone who might.
Definitley make sure you see another doctor. Best bet is probably to get a referral to a neurosurgeon and do your homework. My grandfather had a menigioma, he opted out of surgery. It was what would be considered a fast growing tumor.  There are plenty of posts on Medhelp about these types of tumors....

Best of luck.

[LivingInHope]

Meningioma is the kind of brain tumor that my mother has.  They kept an eye on it for a while.  They are slow growing tumors.  She has hers right between her eyes.  It grows on the the lining or meninges of the brain.  If it gets too big, it start pressing in.  They discovered my mom's because she had a severe migraine that they did a cat-scan over.

  My mom had gamma-knife surgery and her tumor shrunk at first and lately has remained the same size.  They almost waited until it was too late to do this kind of surgery, because it is not supposed to be bigger than a certain size to be able to do it. It was also very close to her optic nerve.  Yours, I believe is still small enough.  

The gamma-rays are supposed to kill the DNA in the tumor.  She insisted that it be gamma knife or nothing when the neurosurgeon wanted to cut her skull and remove it by his hand/knife.   She had gamma knife done back in Feb., 2002.  Nowadays, I've read where there is an advance on gamma knife (sometimes called a bloodless surgery, although there was a tiny amount from the screws to the helmet they put on my mom to hold her head still for the gamma rays).  The latest in technology that I've heared about is cyberknife surgery.  I highly recommend having like what my mom did because it has worked so well for her.  Perhaps you have watched the movie Miracle of the Cards?  They refer to gamma knife surgery in it.

My grandfather, my mom's father had a brain tumor, likely the same type as it is hereditary.  The doctor thought he had a psychiatric problem.  He was passing out before they finally realized that he had a tumor.  When they operated, it was the sized of a lemon and too late.  So don't wait to see someone who will do gamma or cyber knife surgery until it's too late.  Meningiomas are benign in that they are non-cancerous.  It is also good that these are slow growing tumors.  But they can kill if they are untreated for too long, as in the case of my grandpa, who died when I was less than three years old in his early fifties.  

[grendslori]

Reading your post really hit the nail for me! I am having the same kinds of issues that you are writing about as well. I have severe Fibromyalgia and having balance problems and memory problems so my PCP sent me to see a neurologist. I saw him a couple of days ago and he was wonderful! he did a cognitive test which I was told: "for your age, I would have expected a better score." (he wants me to go for a neuro-psche testing). He checked my balance which wasn't too good and muscle strengths again, not quite up to par. I have high insteps on my feet and he told me that there are some genetic neuropathies that that plays a part in (my daughter is experiencing the same issues) He ordered a copper level test along with other bloodwork saying that the copper level can cause symptoms like I'm having. The MRI I had done showed a small brain tumor ib the front of the brain as well. See another neurologist!