Mark B.'s Story
Brain tumor-induced seizures threatened to stop Mark in his tracks, but meticulously planned skull base surgery got him back to work – and white water sports – in just weeks.
Mark went from brain tumor-induced seizures to white water sports in seven weeks
“I don’t have time for this.”
That was the first thought that crossed Mark B.’s mind when he was diagnosed with a skull base brain tumor. With a high-powered legal career, hobbies like waterskiing and paddle boarding, and an equally active family at home, it was hard for Mark to fathom slowing down.
Mark was used to having a clean bill of health and being the type of person who never even catches a cold. That started to change when he began experiencing episodes where he would zone out – which he learned later were seizures.
In one instance, Mark was working at home and his wife, Sonja, noticed something was off. His typing came to a noticeable stop as his right arm cramped up, and when she asked if everything was ok, his speech was noticeably slurred.
Sonja insisted Mark get medical help and his three daughters agreed. At urgent care, the doctors told Mark he was having a stroke. He went immediately to the emergency department, but they couldn’t find any real symptoms of a stroke.
It wasn’t until he had an MRA scan – a special type of MRI – that a brain tumor, specifically a frontal lobe meningioma, became part of the discussion.
Mark’s first call was to Ronald Benitez, MD, who is the chair of endovascular neurosurgery at Overlook Medical Center.
“I knew Ron personally but more importantly, I knew about the outstanding reputation,” notes Mark.
“I knew that I needed to see a brain surgeon, and I quickly learned there are many kinds of brain surgeons, just as there are lawyers, each of them specializing in treating different parts of the brain,” says Mark.
The personalized care I received was simply outstanding. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.
Dr. Benitez connected Mark with one of the leading brain tumor surgeons in New Jersey, Yaron A. Moshel, MD, PhD.
“There are a lot of uncertainties when it comes to brain tumors, but when a mass starts impinging on the brain and affecting someone’s life in any way, as in Mark’s case, it’s a telltale sign it needs to be removed,” explains Dr. Moshel, who also serves as co-director of the Gerald J. Glasser Brain Tumor Center at Atlantic Health System’s Overlook Medical Center.
“Dr. Moshel was not only incredibly knowledgeable and methodical, but also very empathetic. He’s the kind of guy everyone wants to be around,” explains Mark. “Still, I made it a point to get second opinions from some of the big-name hospitals in New York City. That’s what everyone’s told to do when they get news like this, so I did my rounds in Manhattan. Surprisingly, I was told to wait six months and see what happens.”
Two days later, Mark was presenting in front of a room full of colleagues when he became disoriented, started slurring his words and fading out. He excused himself, got in his car to head home and realized he no longer knew how to operate the vehicle.
It was clear treatment couldn’t wait. That’s when Mark returned to see Dr. Moshel.
“Dr. Moshel’s first instinct to remove the tumor as soon as possible was 100 percent right,” says Mark. “It was abundantly clear he had the specialized expertise that my situation called for and that he wouldn’t just treat me like a number.”
“If Mark had waited to be treated, he could have reached the point of developing intractable epilepsy,” explains Dr. Moshel. “Additionally, if the tumor grew, it would have compressed his optic nerves, leading to vision loss, and affected his frontal lobes, which are important for high-level cognitive reasoning and are especially important for a lawyer.”
After walking Mark through various approaches for treatment, Dr. Moshel performed a craniotomy, working through the base of the skull to access otherwise hard-to-reach areas of the brain without disturbing healthy tissue.
He successfully removed the tumor, including unwrapping parts of the tumor from around Mark’s optical and olfactory nerves.
“Although the skull base approach sounds more aggressive than a traditional craniotomy, in reality, it is less invasive to the brain, which is what matters most. The skull base can be reconstructed; the brain cannot,” notes Dr. Moshel. “In fact, this technique was a key factor in allowing Mark to recover and get back to his regular life so quickly.”
Following a four-day hospital stay and a surprisingly short recovery, Mark was ready to spring back into action. He was cleared by occupational therapy and physical therapy on day one and returned to work just four weeks later. He was in such great mental and physical shape after the operation – which he credits in large part to Dr. Moshel’s skill – that he picked up skateboard land-paddling and surf-skiing just seven weeks after surgery and was back on the ocean in no time.
“The personalized care I received was simply outstanding,” adds Mark. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.”