Unlikely Signs of a Brain Tumor: How My Mother's Diagnosis Took Us by Surprise

I can't get away from brain tumors. About three weeks ago, there was a Law and Order, SVU where a principal was arrested for having affairs with her students. Come to find out that she had a large brain tumor that was affecting her impulse control. About 2 weeks ago on Grey's Anatomy, a patient got his brother killed because he touched a bear cub, causing the mother bear to attack the group. He knew better, but he couldn't help it...and he had also impulsively married a waitress that he hadn't known very long. Meredith's suspicions were confirmed by MRI-brain tumor.

I just sat there with a knowing smile on my face...for my own mother was upstairs in bed, recovering from her brain surgery. In both of those TV shows, the tumors were a surprise twist. There were none of the common symptoms like headaches or constant dizziness-only personality changes that were so gradual that they could be explained away by job stress or mid-life crises.

In my mom's case, hindsight is 20/20. There were the personality changes. She was withdrawn at work, but she was also being browbeaten by a new boss and on the verge of quitting. She was pretty snappy at my dad, but he does bring a lot of that on himself. She stayed inside the house for most of the week last year at the beach, but we just blamed it on hormones. The only thing that ever really concerned me was her loss of her sense of smell. That was it. I had been trying for at least a year to get her to see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist about that, thinking it may be something with her sinuses. There was a nagging suspicion that it was a tumor, but it was easy to brush off because there were no other physical signs.

What finally got her into the MRI was, of all things, her eye doctor. Her vision had been improving to the point that she didn't need glasses to drive anymore, but her reading distance was giving her troubles. After failing a field-of-vision test twice, the doctor referred her to a neurologist. The MRI was 3.21.08. The brain surgery was 3.28.08. Just like that.

I got to thinking. If mom's vision hadn't changed, that thing may still be growing in her skull. As it was, it was the size of a golf ball and wasn't causing any pain. So I wanted to share this list of NON-symptoms that could spell trouble.

1) Gradual personality change. Dig deep and ask questions about the change in moods, job performance, or overall change in attitude toward everyday life.

2) Dizziness when turning over in bed. Mom said that it didn't happen often, but every now and then when she would switch sides during the night, it felt like someone just spun the bed like a merry-go-round. If you have dizziness have it checked out. It could just be vertigo or an inner ear infection but it needs checking.

3) Loss of smell. While this could just happen, it's not common and should be investigated.

4) Vision changes. It is normal to need new glasses every 2 years or so (I used to work for an optometrist). If you are having blurred vision, or you notice that your vision is changing often, check it out.

5) Forgetfulness, frequent repeating. Don't chalk it up to "senior moments" if they happen a lot.

6) Diagnosis of Meningitis. Mom had a prolonged illness in December that presented as viral meningitis. Turns out, it could have been the tumor, which was a meningioma-which grows out of the menenges resulting in the same kinds of symptoms.

7) Tremors. What the neurologist thought was the onset of early Parkinson's disease was also a result of the tumor.

8) Family History. Although meningiomas are more common in women in their 40s and 50s (Mayo Clinic website), I could not find any substantial mention that they could be hereditary. However, my great-grandmother had a very similar kind of tumor removed in her 80s and now my mom. Needless to say, anytime I get dizzy, I wonder...

Here's the disclaimer. I am not a doctor. If you have any or all of the above symptoms, it doesn't mean that you have a brain tumor. If you don't have any of the above symptoms, you still could have a brain tumor. The above list is that of my mom's symptoms that didn't add up to a tumor, but that is what it turned out to be. The whole point is to make you aware that something could be lurking where you'd least expect it.