“I had been irritable, lethargic, sedentary and overweight and when I passed out one night on a ceramic tile floor in 2018, it was the emergency room CT scan that showed the brain mass at the root of my behavioral and lifestyle dysfunction. Dr. Sekula was on call and diagnosed the mass as a large benign olfactory groove meningioma. He discussed the surgical options, risks, complications, scarring, recovery process, and how any potential regrowth would be monitored and addressed. The clear choice for me was the suborbital craniotomy as it was the least invasive, introduced the least risk of complications post surgery, offered a quicker recovery, and would not leave me with noticeable scars from the procedure. A small portion of the tumor was intentionally left behind after surgery and would be monitored with annual MRIs.
One year post surgery, a small amount of regrowth was identified and I underwent Gamma Knife Radiosurgery to address it. This was a single minor radiation application intended to kill any future growth. Thankfully, this has proven to have been effective with every follow-up MRI since.
I am now 6 years post surgery, and healthier and more active than I was in the prior 2 decades. I have no surgical scars, emotionally or physically, nor anxiety about any reoccurrence. The surgery has changed how I live my life in the most positive way. I am grateful and blessed that Dr. Sekula was on call that night in 2018, and he continues to provide such compassionate follow-up care with genuine concern for my well-being through today.”