Beacon patient is grateful for neurosurgeon who performed life-changing brain tumor surgery
For Elizabeth Dick, life looks more like Bananagrams than Scrabble these days. Scrabble is a strict game with complex rules. Bananagrams can be rearranged based on the tiles you draw next, no set squares.
After having surgery for brain tumors, Elizabeth often plays word games with family as part of her recovery. “I like Bananagrams because you can change things to make it fit,” she says. And that flexible outlook is serving her well.
An Unexpected Night
An ordinary evening of dozing in her recliner took an unexpected turn when Elizabeth woke up on the floor, unable to move. Her arms were in excruciating pain. The vision in her left eye, which had been gradually dimming, went fully dark.
“I was on the floor for 14 hours before I called my daughter and my sister,” Elizabeth recalls. “I was in a dark place.”
She discovered she had shattered both shoulders and needed total shoulder replacements. But Elizabeth remembers her orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Skyler King, noticed something more concerning: Elizabeth couldn’t have done that much damage simply falling out of her chair.
“In hindsight, I had had a seizure,” Elizabeth says. An MRI of her brain revealed large brain tumors at the base of her skull.
A life-changing surgery
Elizabeth’s surgery prep had one extra step: fireworks. Her family decided to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday early with her the weekend before her surgery. They had a cookout, and Elizabeth sat on the front porch while her grandsons set off her favorite spinning butterfly fireworks.
On July 1, 2024, Elizabeth underwent a 13.5-hour surgery with neurosurgeon Wei Huff, MD, part of Beacon Medical Group’s North Central Neurosurgery South Bend team. “She was amazing,” Elizabeth says of Dr. Huff, who was able to remove most of the tumors, leaving only a small portion to avoid the risk of aneurysm.
During the complex procedure, Dr. Huff removed parts of Elizabeth’s skull bones to reach the tumor. It had grown into the optic nerve to cause vision problems. Dr. Huff separated important blood vessels, nerves and brain tissue from the tumor to remove it before replacing the bone.
The surgery proved a success. “Now she can see in both eyes, and she is back to her life that she has otherwise missed,” says Dr. Huff.
Though her memory faded in and out during initial recovery, she knows how crucial her family’s support was during that time.
“My daughter was my rock,” Elizabeth says. “She took care of me, helped me in the shower, made me food, did laundry, and made me use my walker.” After Elizabeth graduated from a walker to a cane, her grandsons were often around, ready to offer it to her when she stood up.
Discovering her new normal
Elizabeth’s recovery continues. Things may not ever go back to “normal,” but they’re improving. “You can’t take things for granted,” she adds. “You just gotta live each day.”
Her vision is slowly returning in her left eye. “One day there was a light where before it was pitch black,” she says.
She’s recovering memories, flipping through photo albums to place friends with faces—and still finding moments of humor in it all. “The good thing about this is I get to watch movies I loved for the first time again!”
Elizabeth refuses to give up. “I’m trying to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I’m just figuring it out. You can’t whine about it, you know? It’s not going to beat me.”
A home filled with purpose
These days, Elizabeth is often surrounded by family, from her children to her grandchildren. And she’s cleaning out and reorganizing her home with a new sense of purpose.
“I threw out the recliner I fell off of. I gave away stuff I didn’t need anymore,” she says. Though she’s parting with many belongings, some things are worth keeping, like Elvis’s autograph that she waited 20 hours to get.
These cleaning sessions have created new opportunities for conversations as her grandkids look through her DVD and vinyl collections. “They talk about ‘rare’ albums that were just what I listened to growing up,” she says with a smile.
Moving forward, one tile at a time
Elizabeth continues working with her therapist on balance and other skills. “My therapist taught me how to get up off the floor so I never feel stuck,” she explains.
She’s purchased an exercise bike and other fitness equipment. “I’m pushing myself, I’m not a give-upper,” she says firmly.
As she looks forward to summer by the pool and more word games with her family, Elizabeth embraces each day as it comes, much like rearranging tiles in Bananagrams to make the best of what she’s given.
Learn more
Our team of experts includes neurologists, neurosurgeons, rehabilitative therapists, specially trained nurses and other specialists. These trained providers work together to create a care plan that’s appropriate for each patient with the goal of achieving the best possible outcome. Learn more about our program and our team.
