Updated Info? - Not Really

I read today that there has recently been an Interphone project carried out to study, once again, the possible effects of long-term heavy use of mobile phones and the increased risk of glioma or meningioma.

The International Journal of Epidemiology concluded that the topic still requires further investigation and the authors make it clear that there was insufficient data for a clear interpretation.

The main concern here is the heat generated by cell phones, believed by many as being a cause for pre-cancerous changes resulting in brain tumours. The recent study did show though an increased risk in the highest use group i.e. phones used for more than 30 minutes per day.

What are the flaws of the study?
a) A possible conflict of interest as a percentage of money to conduct the project was supplied by the phone companies.

b) Out of date results. The study centered on exposure during the 1990s and resultant brain tumours between 2000 and 2004. We are now 2010 and I personally feel usage has increased considerably and to rely on peoples recollection of their phone usage during this time is probably difficult and unreliable.

c) Data of child usage was not taken into account for the study. An important group because of their developing brains and their high usage.

It would appear therefore, as per my previous report, that the jury is till out! The UK has launched a larger study and will collect data from 250,000 people over a period of 20 to 30 years so we will have to await results.

So readers - you tell me what you think!
I am still of the opinion that the bottom line is that it would still make sense to limit prolonged use of a mobile phone and to use a headset - I have been doing this since my surgery as my precious brain tells me: -

WHY TAKE THE RISK WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO!

4th Anniversary Today!

Well I'm still here and feeling great. 4 years ago today I was under the knife and my whole life (not to mention the lives of all around me) was in complete tumoil.

I think that at the time of writing I was just coming round in a whoosy state not quite sure if I was going to be the same person. Well, I actually don't think I am exactly the same person as I was. The whole experience changed my perspective on life, made me think about what is important and what's not but most of all made me really appreciate all that is around me and the people who are in it. Don't believe I don't sometimes lose my cool because it would be crass of me not make you believe otherwise but I do certainly think I have mellowed and try to follow the old cliche of 'living life to the full'.

It's now time for me to raise a glass to celebrate another year of good health and wish all of you that may be fighting a harder battle than was mine all my best wishes.

Bottoms up!

Hi Everyone - Not Been Here For A While

Hi Again

I can only be held up as an example of someone that is enjoying life so much that I honestly haven't had a great deal of time to come back and update this blog. However, a few things have occurred recently that have made me check back and add a few notes.

#1. It will be my 4 year anniversary on the 19th of this month and although everything is brilliant in my life I feel for my own peace of mind it is time for another MRI just to make sure. I know I am paranoid and everybody tells me that this is unnecessary but just to quell the niggle and the occasional throb in my head I will make my appointment next week.

The thought of this always makes me teary and to be honest quite scared. I will welcome with great glee being told all in clear but what if the demon is back?

#2. I learnt with sorrow this month that a male friend who lived in the same village as me in Cornwall over 10 years ago had been diagnosed with a brain tumour. Unfortunately I do not have the full facts as to what type of tumour he has or where it is located but he has recently had surgery and the outcome is not fabulous. They have only been able to remove a third of it and he has been told it is an aggressive strain. This left me very sad for my friend and also pondering whether there could be any chance of an environmental correlation. He has always lived in this village as far as I know but I only lived there for about 8 years. So if anyone has any comments on this possibility I would love to hear about it.

#3. And, last but not least, my beautifully cool God-daughter Sarah has some GCSE coursework to complete and guess what her subject is? Brain Tumours and the possible link to mobile phones! So Sarah, my lovely take a look at the entry in older posts under Sat June 28th 2008 at the time there was great discussion on the subject. You might also be interested in reading older post: Nov 7th 2008 but there should be plenty of stuff on the blog to help you out. And, don't forget you said you would let me have any info you have on the Cornwall situation. Love and kisses - Auntie Lynda x

I will be back within the next two weeks to let you all know the outcome of my MRI and in the meantime stay well and happy everyone.

Meningioma Symptoms

This very tricky brain tumor still has the researchers baffled and no-one has yet conclusively shown why they appear or why they choose their victims.

What is apparent though is that nobody has the exact same experience or meningioma symptoms which also make it tricky to diagnose. Having read through meningioma survival stories and spoken to neurologists it would appear that everyone has a different story to tell. The one thing that they did all share though is the emotion of shear panic when the diagnosis if confirmed.

Meningioma symptoms are very varied due to location and what body parts or functions are being affected in that part of the brain. Before they become troublesome, many people have subtle symptoms, experienced over a long period of time, that they do not associate with brain interference and are often surprised when the meningioma is diagnosed.

Meningioma symptoms such as memory loss, carelessness and vision blurring are also problems many people have to put up with as they get older and therefore these symptoms alone would not necessarily alert us to any major problem. Meningiomas may cause focal neurological defects and these are the symptoms that often send us to the doctor initially:
Arm or leg weakness
Seizures
Constant headaches

Other meningioma symptoms that may be passed by as insignificant on their own are:
Hearing loss
Loss of smell
Loss of sensation in the face
Vision Loss or visual problems

All these symptoms are caused because of increased pressure or restriction of the related function in the brain. The meningioma is fighting for space as it grows and if it is benign (non cancerous) and slow growing, can become fairly large before any symptoms become apparent. Appropriate treatment options are dependant on location but surgery is recommended if accessible to remove all or as much as possible of the meningioma.

A meningioma is a tumour of the meninges. The meninges are protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord. 90% of meningiomas are benign, 6% are atypical, and 2% are malignant. Research so far has shown that meningioma brain tumours are more common in women than men and seem to be more prevalent in the 40 - 60 year old age group. Research continues to be carried out into the possible causes of meningioma as at the present time, as with most brain tumours, no conclusive cause has been found.

The majority of meningioma brain tumors are benign - the word benign is misleading in this case as, when benign tumours grow and constrict the brain, they can cause disability and even be life threatening if not treated.
Take note of what your body is trying to tell you. If you are experiencing any strange or unusual symptoms that you are uncomfortable about, a visit to your physician is always the best remedy.

First seen at Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_H_Carter

A Meningioma Brain Tumor Diagnosis Needn't Be the End of the World!

I thought I'd share with you a few articles written by my husband over the last year.
First seen at : http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_H_Carter

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Let's face it, on the list of scary things that can happen to someone, being diagnosed with a meningioma type brain tumor has got to be pretty high on anyones list. But, whether it's happened to you or to a loved one, a meningioma brain tumor diagnosis needn't be the end of the world.

In the summer of 2006 my wife was suffering from involuntary spasms in her leg. She initially thought this was probably a trapped nerve in her back, (Note to reader:- Unless you're a doctor, self diagnosis is a big no-no)!

When this started to happen on a fairly regular basis it became more than a little annoying and so a trip to the doctors was arranged. Thankfully we have a very good doctor who decided as a first option rather than a last one, to arrange an MRI scan. But an MRI scan on the head and not her back, where she had thought the problem may be!

The MRI scan was carried out and being rather optimistic by nature, we both thought that it would reveal nothing and that it would then be a case of physiotherapy or some such treatment. What happened next changed our lives overnight. A meningioma brain tumor was diagnosed as being the cause of the 'kicking leg' effect.

To say we were both shell shocked would be an understatement. When someone tells you you have a brain tumor, the automatic first thought is that you are going to die. Period. I know that was true for my wife and I'd be less than honest if I said that it wasn't the first thought in my head as well.

I believe it is the case that benign meningiomas are far more common in women than they are in men. The fact is though, that a meningioma type brain tumor can be one of the most operable type of tumors there is. Also, they are most often benign, which was the case for my wife.

After the initial shock had subsided a little, we started to try to think positive again. We made an appointment with the neurosurgeon and my first question to him was, "how much pain will my wife experience?" His answer came as quite a surprise.
"No pain", he said. This man was exactly the sort of person you would want if someone was going to open up your skull and start delving around inside! He was the epitome of the word 'calm'. He exuded such a relaxed attitude to the whole affair that he instilled a great deal of confidence in both of us. We both began to feel that perhaps a meningioma brain tumor diagnosis was not going to mean the end of the world after all.

And so it proved. The 5 hour operation was a completed success. The meningioma was removed in one piece and after a few days in intensive care my wife was moved to a general ward area of the hospital to complete her recovery.

I kept asking her if she was in any pain and always the answer was "no". In fact we now look back and laugh at the fact that the most pain she experienced during the entire hospital stay was indigestion from the hospital food!

Within 10 days my wife was back home and the day after that she was back working on her computer. I tried to stop her but she wanted to do it, saying she was bored and just wanted to get back to normal.

So although it's a very scary thing to be told - A meningioma brain tumor diagnosis need not be the end of the world.
You Can Read One Woman's Uplifting Story Of Her Meningioma Brain Tumor Diagnosis (and recovery) at http://www.mybraintumor.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_H_Carter