Jamie Butcher 

Tracy  Sefcik

I suffered from seizures and migraines for about six years and never had an MRI. Just getting different

medicine when the first one stopped helping or if they didn’t help. So after the years went by, I went for a

second opinion. My Posterior Fossa Meningioma was found on Nov 18 th , 2016. At the time, it was small,

so they placed me on a Watch & Wait for status, with yearly MRIs and visits to my Neurologist to check

for any changes with the Meningioma; there was growing every year, however, not much until 2018, my

Neurologist stated he couldn’t see me anymore and referred me to a Neurosurgeon.

Well, over the years, with slight growth, it was on Jan 4 th , 2020; under my Neurosurgeon’s advice, it was time to come out. We discussed craniotomy and what it would involve; with the pro’s: he would get all of it and be able to find out what Grade it was. And then the con’s: I would be deaf in one ear or a permanent feeding tube for the location affects your swallowing. I would also need to see an ENT surgeon due to the placement of the Meningioma, and it was aligned with my hearing. So, I met Dr. Kurshner and had a hearing test completed, and he told me what he would be doing, for he would be the first one when they cut my skull open.

I had my surgery on 5.20.20 for a posterior fossa meningioma 2.1cmx1.7cm. During the surgery, my Neurosurgeon found that I had Hyperostosis of the bone. Hyperostosis is the excessive growth of bone. It may lead to exostosis. This is where the Meningioma was growing, and they shaved down the bone. Before the surgery, I was given an IV in my hand, and the EKG leads were placed on my chest. The Anesthesia doc, the ENT surgeon, and my Neurosurgeon all came in to talk to me for a few minutes. Once it was time, I was taken to the operating room, and I remember it was so big, and two nurses were there getting things ready. I said to them,"wow, the room is so big and has so many instruments"they said back to me, "well, you are having brain surgery." We all chuckled a bit. That is the last thing I remember; I was on my way to Brain Surgery.

When I woke up in the Recovery room, I had three iv in total, plus an arterial line in my right wrist was a thin catheter inserted into an artery. Dr. Germanwalla also removed some of my belly fat to put in my brain and patched the hole where they removed the tumor, so I had a drainage tube.

The dressing on my head and the final IV stayed in until it was the day I was discharged from the hospital.

I stayed in the ICU for one day and then transferred to a regular room for additional four days. In 2020, it

was tough because Covid was in full effect, and I could not have any visitors visit; I made many calls and

Facetime with the family. I was finally able to see where they shaved my hair and where they cut me

open.

My days at home recovering were hard but okay. I had to sleep in my recliner chair to keep the swelling

down in my brain. However, after the first 11 days, I could not stand it anymore and sleep in my bed. I

was on a high salt diet for the first week for my Neurosurgeon said it keeps the brain from swelling, and

on the flip side, I take medication due to my hands and feet swelling. Dr. Germanwalla had called me to

tell me it was a Grade I – Psammomapous -Fibrous Meningioma; that news was a relief.

They don’t tell you what some of the effects are after the surgery; I still suffer from migraines, I now have

tinnitus which I call a hummingbird in my head, and when it rains out, I get a pressure feeling in my brain

and end up with a migraine. When I am sleeping, I hear the plates and screws moving and making noise

as I turn from one side to the other, and in the cold weather, my head freezes, and I feel instant pain.

Then around week twelve, I was depressed, hit the big time, crying, and didn't want to be around anyone.

The emotions of everything, the Meningioma, and all the past six years were starting to hit me, the six

years of waiting and watching to have my posterior fossa meningioma removed. I found myself going to

bed at seven pm and sleeping all night. This way, I didn't have to deal with anyone or my thoughts.

I had my first anniversary MRI on July 9 th , 2021; I went into this MRI very positive mindset. I just knew it

would come back clear. However, when the results came back, it was good and bad news on my part.

There was no new enhancement in the left posterior fossa at the previous tumor site. However, a new 6x5mm Left Olfactory Sulcus – Planum Sphenoidale. I am on watch & wait once again for yearly MRIs, and when this one gets larger or I have symptoms, it will be removed via my nose with an Endonasal endoscopic surgery. He told me that this one would be more aggressive and that he was stunned that a new one was there, and he went back on my last three years of MRI, and it wasn't there. So once again found myself positive thoughts to negative ones, trying to push the news of a new one to the back of my mind. I wonder, is it growing? How big is it now? Is it going to start having symptoms, or is it staying the same, for it is something I can look at in the mirror and see the tumor sticking out the side of my body somewhere, fore it is contained in my skull and can’t see any bulging? I have gone with all the Why Me again, and the unknown causes so much anxiety. So, I now go daily to see what will happen to me. It isn't a great feeling to know that at any time, I could have these symptoms:

- Personality changes

- Increased aggression and irritation

- Weakness on the side of the body

- Difficulty walking

- Vision / Speech problems

So as I closed one chapter by riding my bike from San Diego, CA to St Augustine, FL, raising over $30k

for Disabled Veterans in 2018, my surgery in 2020, and 2021 cycling from Chicago to NYC, raising over

$27k for Disabled Veterans.

I try to push all this new information to the back of my head and forget it until next year; it is always “Next

Year.” It is much easier than done. This next chapter has me involved in a few organizations, such as

Brains Get Famous and the American Brain Tumor Association, and I also have my Instagram page

where I try to talk to others in the same boat as me. I try to live each day to its fullest and help as many

people as possible.

Born in Madrid.

Interior architect graduated from the Polytechnic University of Madrid in architecture. Entrepreneur and director of real estate and rental management since 2006.

Director of a tennis school for 20 years. Tennis player, being champion of spain by infantile teams champion of madrid of all the categories from SUB 11, up to absolute and already of veteran. he is champion of madrid of +35 and +40.

I was born in Lithuania I immigrated to America with my parents and brother when I was 6 years old. I was raised in Lemont Illinois. I graduated from Western Illinois university in 2016. In 2020 right in the middle of the pandemic while I was working from home I went to my parents house to let their dog out during my lunch. When I got there I started feeling really weird. So I called my fiancé (Wife now). She came to check on me to find me passed out in my parents basement. A couple days later I awoke from a coma only to find out that I had a grand mal seizure and that there was a cancer in my brain after that I fought like hell went through chemo, radiation a brain surgery. After my treatments it was all gone. Sometimes I feel like I am the luckiest person in The world in a strange way. Anyways now after everything I spend as much time as possible hanging out with my family, lifting weights, playing guitar and, proving to this cancer that it wont stop me.