When you are diagnosed with a brain tumor

Healing Yourself (1)
When you are diagnosed with a brain tumor, it can be very frightening... you can lie down, or, you can get up, take a deep breath and prepare to live. It is when you start to make choices that the tumor is no longer in control.
"I am in charge of my brain tumor. My brain tumor is not in charge of me."
The important thing is to remember that you must be your own advocate and maintain a balance of responsibility and trust. You cannot afford to be a bystander. Learn to ask questions and reach out for the best possible care your community has to offer.
Your first step in taking charge is choosing a healthcare team that gives you confidence. After you have done this, direct your energies toward understanding and taking an active role in your treatment plan. Believe in its effectiveness and look on it as a welcome friend. Fear is a formidable enemy!
Your medical team will do everything to treat your body but you must support them by treating your mind. You can see your illness as an opportunity for change. Many people have used various strategies to improve their quality of life for varying reasons. You can do this, too! You may be able to assist your mind in helping to heal your body. Positive thinking and positive living will always help to increase the quality of life.
You could consider carefully looking at your nutritional habits; not just when you are sick but also when you are feeling well. Our society's steady diet of "fast food" may need to be re-examined. Consider learning more about good nutrition and/or consulting a nutritionist.
Regular exercise is also important for a feeling of wellness. Each person will have a different activity level whether it is running a mile every day or having someone push you around the block in a wheelchair. Examine your own abilities and set regular patterns of exercise for yourself.
A positive attitude is essential to improving your quality of life. Much has been written about this in recent years and various strategies have been presented to help. Among them are meditation, humor, relaxation and other complementary therapies. Some of these may be of benefit to you. You may want to browse your local bookstore, library, or the internet for interesting reading.
Take care of yourself.
Give your body a positive environment -socially, emotionally, nutritionally and spiritually. The body's self-healing abilities can do a great deal.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET): PET provides a picture of brain activity rather than structure by measuring levels of injected glucose (sugar) or methionine (amino acid) that has been labelled with a radioactive tracer. Based on recent research, some scientists believe that PET scans offer important clues for diagnosis of brain tumors. For example, physicians sometimes have trouble detecting recurrent tumors with CT or MRI scans. Recent studies have shown that PET may make it easier to detect recurrent brain tumors. Scientists are also examining whether PET can help physicians tell the difference between benign and malignant tumors before performing a biopsy or surgery.
Biopsy
Available Treatments
Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are the three most commonly used treatments - individually or in combination - for brain tumors. In addition, research is rapidly introducing new treatment methods in the search for a cure.


Rehabilitation
coordinated efforts of a variety of specialists.
Neurology. Neurologists work closely with neurosurgeons to provide for the medical care of patients with brain tumors. One of their responsibilities is to organize the overall rehabilitation plan.
Neuropsychology. Neuropsychologists test for learning disorders and other deficiencies of higher brain function. They work closely with vocational training programs and schools to ensure that educational programs are matched to the skills of the patient.
Occupational therapy. Occupational therapists focus on functional rehabilitation, particularly of the upper extremities and hands. They work with patients to restore compromised tasks of daily living, or skills that are needed for education or employment. They often administer driving evaluation programs for both teenagers and adults.
Physical therapy. Physical therapists concentrate on rehabilitation of strength, endurance, balance and independent mobility. Their emphasis is on gross and fine motor aspects of walking, running, and stair climbing, and they assess for the need of functional aids such as braces, canes, walkers or wheelchairs.
Speech, language and cognitive therapy. Speech therapists work with patients to restore the ability to speak clearly, and work with communication specialists to devise aids of communication when speech is not clear. They may also help with cognitive skills (problem solving, attention, organization) and teach strategies to compensate for short-term memory loss.
Vision. Ophthalmologists provide assessment and correction of visual deficits. In some cases where vision loss is particularly significant, they work with low vision specialists to provide visual aids.
Vocational rehabilitation specialists provide guidance for work re-entry. They can be located through your state’s rehabilitation commission, and, if applicable, through your state epilepsy organization.
Specialized rehabilitation for patients with cranial base tumors (which may produce facial paralysis, weakness or numbness) can include facial reanimation surgery or facial neuromuscular retraining. Theses services are usually only available at large medical centers.
Vestibular rehabilitation for persons coping with balance disorders is occasionally available at established rehabilitation hospitals and clinics.
Together these specialists work to restore functions or provide adaptations for deficits that arise from injury to the nervous system. The aim overall is to return brain tumor patients to a full life as their therapy is completed.