Calming Care For Brain Tumors
May 01, 2024
In 2022, Annette Craig was diagnosed with a large meningioma, a tumor in the membranes between the skull and the brain, which required surgery. The devastating diagnosis brought back a childhood anxiety.
“I had migraines ever since I was young,” the 57-year-old Greenwood, Indiana, woman said. “All my life, I was scared I had a brain tumor.”
Terrified, Craig delayed scheduling surgery at Franciscan Health Indianapolis, but said working with neurological surgeon Kushal Shah, MD, made all the difference.
“He made me feel comfortable and I never feel that way with anybody,” Craig said. “He let me know he was confident and that everything would be OK.”
Dr. Shah, an independent neurosurgeon who chooses to practice at Franciscan Health, praised the “outstanding” brain tumor program at Franciscan Health Indianapolis, emphasizing the physician-patient relationship at the heart of the care model.
He said the neurology team – including nurses, certified surgical technologists, a specialized team of medical experts, a brain tumor navigator and more – are all critical to the patient’s success.
Craig underwent a craniotomy, in which bone from the skull was removed to access the brain. After the tumor was removed, the bone was replaced and fastened, and her scalp was closed.
Craniotomies are performed for a variety of reasons, most commonly for the removal of brain tumors.
“Craniotomies are one of the most common neurosurgical procedures,” Dr. Shah said. “Franciscan Health is equipped to perform the simplest to the most complex cranial procedures. Our specialized team and tools allow us to care for patients in the best way possible.”
Craig said she recovered well after the procedure.
“If I had known before what I knew after the fact, it would have been so much easier to schedule,” she said.
Craig, who has eight grandchildren, credited the support of her family, especially her husband, Joe, for helping her through the process.
“He has been here through everything with me, so I couldn’t have asked for any better,” she said. “I feel like it’s all thanks to Dr. Shah that I get to enjoy my life with my family and friends.”
Dr. Shah said he and his team were, “humbled for the opportunity to care for Annette.”
“Success stories such as hers help us continue our mission of positively impacting our patients,” he said.
