Essential Resources on Brain Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment

Surgery can be a scary and nerve wracking event, especially brain surgery. Being mentally prepared and having some knowledge of what to expect will help you better understand the post-surgery process.

The typical hospital stay can be anywhere from 2-14 days depending on the patient. The length of the stay varies per person and is dependent on prior health status, location and size of the tumor resected, and possible side effects or “neurological deficits” after surgery. It is very likely that you will spend at least one night in the ICU and then be transferred to a less intensive level of care. After brain surgery the concern for swelling and bleeding requires close monitoring. This includes taking your vital signs and nurses performing “neuro checks” every 1-2 hours depending on the facility’s protocol and then progress to every four hours. These neurological assessments include assessing your mental status, level of alertness, and strength.

Whether the tumor is low or high grade you may experience the following after surgery:

• Generalized weakness or weakness on one side of the body
• Headache
• Difficulty with speech
• Poor balance, lack of coordination, or difficulty walking
• Confusion or forgetfulness
• Seizures

Although headache is normal and expected, you may not develop any of the listed above side effects. Some of these side effects may only last for a short amount of time although some will possibly last longer. Make sure that you communicate with your healthcare staff about the onset of any new changes that you develop.

While in the hospital, depending on your condition, your healthcare team will collaborate with you on whether any physical, occupational, or speech therapy is required either in a outpatient or short term rehabilitation setting. Your healthcare team will collaborate with you and help decide what your best plan for success is.

It is normal to be nervous and scared for this journey. Education and knowing what the hospital stay is all about can help ease that anxiety. If therapy is required, stay positive and work hard with therapy. Always keep in mind to be patient and kind to yourself throughout this process!

Aphasia is a language disorder that affects the ability to communicate and understand verbal and/or written language. Although it is most commonly found in stroke patients it can also occur in brain injuries and brain tumors.

People with aphasia have difficulty understanding others, expressing themselves or they may struggle with both. It is very common and natural for people with aphasia to become frustrated, angry, and depressed. Being trapped in your own mind and unable to communicate your needs, wants, and thoughts can feel hopeless.

Trying to determine what someone with aphasia is attempting to communicate can also be frustrating for their loved ones. Friends and family may sit there going around in circles while trying to figure out what the patient is saying and likely resulting in both people getting very frustrated and losing patience. When the person with aphasia becomes frustrated it becomes even more difficult for them to communicate. Below are some helpful tips in communicating and helping someone with aphasia communicate.

• Speak in short and brief sentences
• Use yes or no questions
• Do not ask open ended questions
• Slow down your speech and annunciate your words
• Communication board- single words or pictures to point
• Eliminate background noise
• Give them time to express themselves
• Celebrate moments that a person successfully expresses themselves

There are many speech therapy programs designed to work with aphasia patients. It may also be helpful to attend these sessions with your loved one in order to implement the methods used in therapy. The idea is to continue using these techniques at home in order to overcome or better manage aphasia. Providing support, communication training, and resources will help improve the quality of life of both person with aphasia and their loved ones.