We will involve you in your discharge plan, so that you

can ask a friend or relative to collect you at a convenient

time. If this is really not possible then we may be able to
arrange hospital transport home for you.

There are common questions that people ask after their

surgery and these are covered below. Remember, not
Going home after surgery all these may apply to you. If you have any further
questions then please ask.
for a meningioma
TIREDNESS
Feeling particularly tired following your surgery is quite
usual. Remember that you have had major surgery to
your head. Towards the end of your stay at the Royal
GOING HOME Free your tiredness will improve. Once you return home,
You will be able to go home as soon as the doctors, you may find that you become very tired again. This is
nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists usually as there is more to occupy you at home. You
are happy with your progress. The nurses will want to may find it useful to take naps in the afternoon until your
be sure, that you will be able to manage at home, with energy returns. It is very important that you do not do
only minimal assistance. The medical staff will want to too much when you get home. A slow, gradual increase
be sure that your surgical wound has no signs of in your activity level will help you to recover and avoid
leakage or infection. the side-effects of immobility.

The physiotherapists and occupational therapists will If there is a particular event or activity that you want to
get involved in your care immediately after your participate in, and you feel able to, then try. If you
operation and will need to ensure that you can safely become tired then stop, and if you are exhausted the
manage in your home environment. next day then rest and recuperate.
FATIGUE • finding you a parking place near to your work place
Planning ahead is important with fatigue. Plan your day • letting you take a short break every now and again to
so that you have time to rest and do the things you want lie down and rest
to do most. It is important to be realistic about what you • allowing you to work from home if possible
can do and not try to do too much. • finding you lighter work if your job involves physical
exertion or heavy lifting
Doing things for yourself is very important, but try not to
feel guilty if you have to ask other people to help. An
occupational therapist from the hospital or community HEADACHES
can visit your home to help you to find ways of saving Headaches immediately after surgery are common but
your energy by now these should have started to resolve if they have
not disappeared completely. Some people do suffer with
Family, friends, neighbours and social workers can all nagging headaches after the surgery and these can be
help with your everyday activities and are often glad of relieved with simple painkillers.
the opportunity to support you. For more detailed
information and ideas please ask your nurse specialist. If headaches do persist and are not relieved by
painkillers, or they are accompanied by vomiting, or the
You may find that you cannot continue working due to light hurts your eyes, or you have a stiff neck, then
fatigue, or that you have to reduce the amount of time please contact your GP.
that you spend at work. It can help to talk to your
employer or personal officer and let them know that you
might need some time off. Don’t feel that you have to RE-OCCURING SYMPTOMS OR ODD FEELINGS
work if you are too tired, but if you do want to carry on If when you are home and after any length of time you
working you may be able to find ways of making your experience the same symptoms or even new odd
work less tiring for a while. Things that your employer symptoms, you should contact your GP or nurse
can do to help you include: specialist without delay. Itching around the operation
site is normal. Otherwise try to get on with life and seek
• changing your hours so that you can travel to and out ways of not thinking about it too much. If you have
from work at less busy times difficulty freeing your mind of anxiety, ask your GP to
• asking colleagues to be supportive and to help with refer you to a counsellor for help. Alternatively, the
some of your work Royal Free offers a counselling service - ask your nurse
specialist about this. Constant worrying can cause individual basis depending on what your doctor says
depression, hinder recovery, and make your life seem about your level of fitness and risk of further symptoms.
miserable. Don’t let it get a hold of you!
You will also need to provide details if you develop a
new condition or disability or one that has become
EPILEPSY worse since your licence was issued. Failure to notify
Most people with a brain tumour and epilepsy will have the DVLA is a criminal offence and may result in a fine.
epilepsy because the tumour causes a focal disturbance
in one part of the brain. Drug treatments can reduce the If you have had surgery for a benign meningioma, you
frequency, severity and duration of seizures and may be allowed to drive again after 6 months, provided
sometimes stop them completely. If you have suffered you have not had any fits. The only exception to this is if
with seizures before surgery it is important to you have had a fit while sleeping but with a 3-year
understand that even if you do have your tumour period after it that was free from waking fits.
removed, there is still a possibility that you will have a
seizure and so it is advisable for you to continue on your For further information contact:
anticonvulsant medication. If you have not suffered with The DVLA Drivers Medical Group
seizures before surgery it is also important for you to be DVLA, Swansea SA99 1TU
aware that you are at risk of developing epilepsy now. Telephone: 0870 600 0301
This isn’t to say that you will, just that you are at risk!
For more information on epilepsy please speak to your
nurse specialist. INFORMING YOUR GP
You will be given a letter that summarises your stay in
hospital. A copy will also be sent to your GP. This will
DRIVING inform them of any tablets, drops or ointments that you
Regulations are issued by the Driving and Vehicle are prescribed on discharge and details of your surgery.
Licensing Authority (DVLA) in Swansea. If for medical You do not need to make an appointment to see your
reasons you are not fit to drive, the DVLA will take your GP unless they have specifically asked you to do so or
license from you. They will issue you a new one once you have any problems.
you are declared fit to drive again by a doctor. You do
not have to re-take your driving test. The DVLA will
contact your specialist and will take each decision on an
OUT-PATIENT FOLLOW-UP Royal Free clinical teams
The surgeons would like to review you in the out-patient Ward 6 South 020 7830 2735
clinic. All appointments will be sent out to you in the
post. The first appointment is likely to be with the Clinical nurse specialist 020 7794 0500 ext 35035
neurosurgeons between one to two months after your or bleep 1985
operation and then about six months after that. The
intervals become longer as time goes on, depending on Support organisations
your scans but you will always be under the care of and Meningioma UK 01787 374 084
seen by the neurosurgeons. If you have any problems in www.meningiomauk.org
between these times you can speak to your nurse
specialist or your GP. Cancerbackup 0808 800 1234
http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/Brain

PHONE FRIENDS and PHONE PALS Macmillan cancerline 0808 808 2020
Meningioma UK is a website which is an excellent www.macillan.org.uk
resource for support and information, and here you can
join a PHONE PALS group, enabling you to talk to British Brain & Spine Foundation 0800 328 5758
others on the phone so you can share experiences and http://www.brainandspine.org.uk/information/publication
good advice. If you’re shy about talking with a group of s/brain_and_spine_booklets/brain_tumour/index.html
strangers, they can put you in touch with a PHONE
FRIEND, someone you can phone who has their own Amnet 01953 860 692
personal experience of a brain tumour, or go to their on- (Adenbrookes support group) www.amnet-charity.org.uk
line forum.
WEBSITE: www.meningiomauk.org

For Phone Pals or Phone Friend ring Ella on: 01787

374084

© Radiotherapy department /
Patient information programme Version 1 Sept 2008
www.royalfree.nhs.uk