recovering from a craniotomy to remove a brain tumor...

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Mcoffee96
Mcoffee96 Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have had a crazy 6 weeks, I woke up from what I thought was a bad dream only to find myself in the ICU where I had been sedated for a couple of days and learned I had a brain tumor. I went to bed with what I thought was a migraine and had multiple seizures in my sleep. My sister found me at noon the next day still asleep and called 911. I had a tumor the size of a small orange removed from my frontal lobe. I have been very lucky, the tumor is not cancerous, no further treatment is needed at this time, just MRI's every 3 months.

So now my goal is to get back on track with my health and get rid of all the extra weight I've put on. My surgeon didn't really have any suggestions as foods to embrace or avoid, but my goal is to also avoid having the tiny bit of tumor left grow or cause more seizures. I know I can't really control my tumor but would like to do anything I can to help things stay on the right track. Every time I have a seizure it means no driving for 6 months, so I would really prefer for that to never happen again. I will be returning to work in two weeks and am looking for ideas to not only lose weight but to also gain strength. Any ideas out there as to what kinds of foods I should be embracing or avoiding? I already avoid bread/gluten as much as I can and have juiced quite a bit so I'm willing to go back to juicing. Thanks in advance for the advice!

Replies

  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    Sorry to hear about your tumor! That's absolutely terrible. Congrats that it wasn't cancerous, though.

    Unless your doctor knows of any foods that would make your tumor worse, there's no reason to avoid anything, really. Why are you avoiding gluten? Many people on this site have successfully practiced losing weight simply by eating at a calorie deficit. There's no magic food. If you want to get stronger again, you should try lifting weights and doing some cardio. I'm not sure what your physical limits are that point. No matter what you do, don't push yourself too hard until you're healed. And make sure to run any workout you do past your doctor first to make sure it isn't too much.
  • willrun4bagels
    willrun4bagels Posts: 838 Member
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    I can't offer any advice but very glad to hear you're doing OK and hope you continue to do well in your recovery :flowerforyou:
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    I suggest you read this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/918358-they-cut-my-head-open-your-excuse-is-invalid

    Perhaps you can PM her and ask for advice.
  • Mcoffee96
    Mcoffee96 Posts: 11 Member
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    I'm avoiding gluten because I feel better when I do. I don't have gluten intolerance but notice that I don't feel as good when I eat bread on a daily basis.

    The only thing I'm not allowed to do is swim because of my incision. I'm starting to feel more like myself but I did two loads of laundry and 5 flights of stairs and now all I'm good for is typing and a nap. :) This is a huge leap from how I felt on Monday when none of that would have been possible.
  • amyg007
    amyg007 Posts: 52 Member
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    Hi there, sorry to hear about your tumor. Thank goodness it was not cancerous. I myself just went through some health issues. I had 2 small blood clots in my lung. I was in the hospital for four days. It was awful. I am finally jumping back into some exercise after 2 months. It is tough to get back to it because it is so draining. What was easy before is no longer. My suggestion to you would be to start slow as I am. I am using the treadmill on a walking setting. I also use the bike on a slow setting. As for weights, I am starting with the smallest amount. Take your time getting back in, as you don't want I hurt yourself. It is very hard, I know. I was lifting quite a bit and very active before I got sick. But if you take it easy, it will come back and you'll feel great too. :)
  • moragaragazza
    moragaragazza Posts: 2
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    Hi there! I just want to say I'm so glad you are better and please check with your doctor before starting any diets.
  • Nightwing1990
    Nightwing1990 Posts: 17
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    Forget about losing weight for now imo, just try to eat healthy and enjoy yourself. You deserve it.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    I suggest you read this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/918358-they-cut-my-head-open-your-excuse-is-invalid

    Perhaps you can PM her and ask for advice.

    Mcoffee,

    I am so glad you made it through your surgery, and I hope you are doing well.

    I read the thread that I quoted. It's really inspiring and might help inspire you. Man, compared to you and the lady who posted that conversation, I've been through nothing in my life.

    You can achieve your weight loss goals. :smile: Just make sure you eat healthy, eat enough, and don't diet because it's not necessary. Just change your lifestyle habits.

    Get input from your doctor, too, on what's best for you right now.
  • arcona
    arcona Posts: 4 Member
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    If anyone has or had a meningioma tumor, strongly suggest an on-line support group called Meningioma Mommas. Very supportive, helpful and private. I love it and it is helping to save my sanity.
  • tekkiechikk
    tekkiechikk Posts: 375 Member
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    Call your surgeon's office or specialist and ask them to refer you to a nutritionist. So glad the tumor was discovered and removed. Thank goodness for sisters who check in on their brothers, too :smile:
  • pinkteapot3
    pinkteapot3 Posts: 157 Member
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    Just to add, if you're still recovering from major surgery, you shouldn't eat at a deficit yet. There was a thread on here recently about someone going in for surgery and the number of calories they should eat afterwards - it was higher than maintenance. Your body needs energy to heal.

    Not sure where you are in the healing journey but you mention you can't swim due to an incision so it sounds like you're still healing! I wouldn't go for a calorie deficit yet unless your doctor says it's OK. Heal first, lose weight second.
  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
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    This thread is a year and a half old... let sleeping dogs lie!
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Hi! I just saw this. I had a craniotomy 11 years ago after a ruptured cerebral aneurysm/SAH.

    Full craniotomy recovery takes two years. Don't be surprised if you feel like your energy is sapped for quite a while--that's the healing process. Just knitting those bones back together takes a lot of energy, not to mention all of the nerve and brain healing that needs to happen.

    I can't imagine that there is any particular way that you should be eating that will prevent tumor re-growth. Certainly make a list of questions like this and ask all of your doctors to see if you can get answers. The challenge is that there is still so much that is not known or fully understood about the brain. You may never get concrete answers from your doctors about some things, because the truth is that they do not know and you will just have to wait and see how things work out in your particular case.

    Eat well certainly--lots of proteins, lots of fluids, real foods. There is certainly no need for juicing and it's not healthier than other approaches to eating. Are you thinking about losing weight during the healing process?

    I will add you as a friend--feel free to PM me any time you need to.

    ETA: Oops! Didn't realize this was an old thread...

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