Texas Health Arlington Memorial Patient Describes His Brain Tumor Journey

ARLINGTON, Texas - Ten years ago, Jeff Norton's world was upended by multiple sclerosis (MS), leaving him immunocompromised and dealing with chronic joint pain. Instead of taking international vacations, the 51-year-old scheduled regular doctor visits and imaging scans. Two years ago, the scans showed a microscopic fuzzy image; and last year, a larger brain tumor appeared.

"On the MRI, my tumor showed up like a star on top of a Christmas tree," Norton said. "It was located near the top of my head, and it looked like a crooked halo. I was having headaches, so I knew it was serious."

Each year, an estimated 90,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor, which develop from the brain's tissues or abnormal cells in the brain. Thanks to immediate actions taken at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, Norton is back to enjoying a life free of headaches.

Norton's two days of treatment at Texas Health Arlington Memorial involved an emergency biopsy and an intricate brain procedure to treat a meningioma, which is a brain tumor that develops from the thin layers of tissue covering the brain and spinal cord. The tumor was found to be growing inside his brain at a rate that would soon be debilitating for Norton.

"In addition to living with MS, Mr. Norton was also dealing with a growing tumor about the size of a grape in the front of his brain," said Sabatino Bianco, M.D., a neurosurgeon and spine surgeon on the medical staff as well as the neurosurgery medical director at Texas Health Arlington Memorial. "Without surgery, it could lead to seizures and more intracranial pressure, and that can be fatal."

Bianco and Norton's care team first performed an intra-operative frozen biopsy, which provides the surgeon with immediate information on whether the tumor is cancerous.

The immediate results confirmed the meningioma, and Bianco began the minimally invasive craniotomy, which is also known as a keyhole surgery.

"Dr. Bianco put me at ease when he said it would be a careful opening of a small window in the skull followed by a microsurgical dissection and removal of the tumor," Norton said. "He took the time to answer my questions in detail, and he made me feel comfortable. That helped tremendously."

During the surgery, Bianco uses image-guided technology to target and cut out the tumor and minimizes damage to the brain tissue.

"Brain tumors, including meningiomas, are very serious health problems," Bianco said. "Patients can have positive outcomes when they receive a proper diagnosis and treatment from a multidisciplinary care team, which includes neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists on the medical staff. Mr. Norton received everything he needed at Texas Health Arlington Memorial, and that led to his positive results."

Norton is beyond grateful for the care he received, and he's not letting his brain tumor or MS diminish his optimism.

"My experience at Texas Health Arlington Memorial was spectacular. Every single person, including all my nurses, were at the top of their game each and every day," Norton said. "I had brain surgery on a Tuesday, and by Friday, I was sitting at my own kitchen table eating a burger. I'm in a much better place, and I get to enjoy every single day feeling better than the day