Anyone have problems with absence seizures with grade II Astrocytoma?

Hi Everyone!

Well, I've been having some issues and thought I'd see if anyone else has had anything similiar....To make a long story short, I have a grade II Astrocytoma in my left temporal lobe. Had a partial resection in August 2009, stereotactic radiosurgery in December. No chemo or anything else. I recovered really well from the surgery and didn't have too many problems with the radiosurgery. I have had two mri's in the last few months and the tumor shows no growth, which my doctor says is good. There hasn't been any shrinkage either, though. They say it is a matter of just waiting now - which is a real bummer.

Anyhow, it seems that almost every day I have problems when I get to work. I am a secretary and use the computer quite a bit and am sitting quite a bit. I have these goofy feelings that hit me that feel like I am blacking out or falling asleep, get confused, dizzy and pretty much am in a fog. The feeling has been lasting most of the day after it hits. My radiation oncologist says that it is like an "absence seizure", because I don't have any real physical effects from it. I mean, I do have some other symptoms, like numbness on my right side at times, headache and the like, but I don't have grand mal seizures. I was told that this all is pretty "common" for having a brain tumor and that usually medication won't do much for this type of seizure. I had an eeg done a while back that didn't show any seizure activity, but have since read that often times temporal lobe seizures do not show up real well on eeg's. My doctors have pretty much told me that this is my "new normal" and I need to take it easy on myself.

More often than not, I am struggling to stay at work. Has anyone out there had anything similiar and had any luck getting through this? I will try to get up and walk around, take a break, drink something, eat something...and of course, none of it does any good. I get so frustrated with myself and am worried about not being able to work. I am a single mother of two boys - 16 and 7 - so I really cannot afford to not have energy or to not be able to work.

It's difficult, because people look at me and can't see that I am having problems. It really is in my head! I know I should be grateful, but I am really frustrated and feel kind of lost right now as far as how to handle all of this.

I would appreciate any thoughts!

Peace to everyone,

Michele Stevens