Geisinger patient shares journey during Neurosurgery Awareness Month
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DANVILLE -- Darnetta Yusko, of Shavertown, was at her daughter's travel softball team in Philadelphia when the unexpected happened.
While watching her daughter play from the stands, she was struck in the back of the head by a softball from an opposing field. She was certain she had a concussion, but weeks later she still seemed to be experiencing symptoms. She had tingling in the right side of her face when she bent forward and recurring headaches that would wake her from a sound sleep.
Doctors thought she was experiencing post concussion syndrome but an MRI of her brain revealed a tumor near her brain stem. It was a meningioma which is a tumor that begins in the brain or spinal cord.
"The doctor said that impact from the softball may have shifted the tumor slightly causing me to feel some symptoms and realize it was there," Darnetta said.
She was referred to Rafael Martinez-Perez, M.D., a Geisinger neurosurgeon, who recommended taking a wait and watch approach with the tumor.
"Some meningiomas grow slowly and may not cause immediate neurological symptoms," Dr. Martinez-Perez said. "Skull base tumors, like Darnetta's, require careful consideration to minimize risks and preserve functional independence."
Darnetta was uncomfortable with the approach and sought a second opinion.
"I went to another large health care system outside the area and had an awful experience," she said. "I waited an hour and a half to see the neurosurgeon. When I finally did see him, he had a terrible bedside manner. He told me that he was not willing to perform surgery until I started having seizures. He said, 'That's it. You can take or leave it.' He lacked empathy and professionalism."
Darnetta returned to Geisinger and met with Dr. Martinez-Perez and together they made a plan to repeat an MRI in six months to see how much the tumor had grown.
At the repeat MRI, Dr. Martinez-Perez found the tumor to be growing quickly and Darnetta was experiencing more symptoms.
"In Darnetta's case, with the tumor growing at the base of the skull, it can pose significant risks due to the proximity to critical neurovascular structures," he explained. "The rapid growth was now causing compression of the brainstem resulting in symptoms like facial pain, vision loss and gait disturbances."
Dr. Martinez-Perez explained the surgery to Darnetta and told her because of its location that he would not be able to remove the entire mass. As the surgery date got closer, Darnetta expressed her anxiety and concerns.
"I told Dr. Martinez-Perez I was anxious and frankly terrified of brain surgery," she recalls. "He looked at me and said, 'I guarantee you I will treat you as if you are my own sister in that operating room.' That made my anxiety melt away. His bedside manner was incredible, and he was so empathetic."
As expected, the tumor was benign and was considered a grade 1 meningoma -- meaning there is a small chance of it growing back.
"While grade 1 meningiomas are considered benign, there is a small risk of recurrence even after a successful resection. Therefore, we closely monitor patients like Darnetta with annual follow-ups, to ensure the tumor does not return," Dr. Martinez-Perez said. "The likelihood of recurrence decreases over time post-surgery, but long-term surveillance is essential."
A scan in January of this year showed no growth and Darnetta is doing much better. She has some mild double vision from the tumor and the surgery that she corrects with glasses, but she cannot say enough about the care she received.
"I think people should know that we have this kind of care here in our backyard. Dr. Martinez-Perez was incredible," she says. "Who would think getting hit in the head with a softball would turn out to be a blessing?"