Marci Peters is grateful for the care she received after not one but two brain surgeries.
As a working single mom, the last thing Marci Peters needed was a medical mystery. So, when she noticed a lump the size of a goose egg on her forehead, she went to her family doctor in her search of answers, X-rays and other scans were inconclusive.
Marci was losing hope. That’s when Sunnybrook came into the picture.
Finding solutions
Marci was referred to Dr. Oleh Antonyshyn at Sunnybrook. Dr. Antonyshyn is one of Sunnybrook’s most esteemed craniofacial plastic surgeons in the Blake & Belinda Goldring Department of Surgery.
When Dr. Antonyshyn saw the lump, he immediately ordered new tests, including a CT scan and an MRI. He had his answer: it was a meningioma, the most common type of primary brain tumour. It occurs in the outer three layers of tissue between the skull and the brain and is typically benign but can have serious complications. It was established that the meningioma was a result of the radiation therapy she received as a part of her successful treatment for childhood leukemia.
Bringing together the best people
Diagnosing Marci’s concern was just the first step on the path toward finding a solution. Which is when Dr. Antonyshyn’s colleague Sunnybrook neurosurgeon Dr. Leo da Costa stepped in. He works in Sunnybrook’s Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, with team members that supported Marci’s care, including Dr. Houman Khosravani, a neurologist in the stroke clinic, and Dr. Arun Sundaram, a neuro-ophthalmologist.
Working together, Marci’s care team decided surgery was necessary. She underwent her first craniotomy in August 2021, a complex procedure where Dr. da Costa temporarily removed part of the bone for her skull to access and resect the tumour. Next, Dr. Antonyshyn used his skills to place a titanium mesh implant on Marci’s forehead to cover the surgical site.
Meningiomas can cause concerns for patients by elevating pressure in the brain, and recovery can be long and arduous. But thanks to the skill, dedication and strong collaboration between Dr. Antonyshyn and Dr. da Costa, Marci was only in hospital for five days, recuperating under the supervisions of what she calls “the most amazing group of people I have ever had the privilege of being cared for.”
“Every single person – from my nurses, to housekeeping, to the patient transportation team, the caring people who brought me my meals, my occupational and physical therapist – was so kind and helpful,” says Marci. “I’ll never forget that, because it felt like everyone was committed to helping me recover.”
Marci Peters and her daughter.
Back on her feet
Team Sunnybrook is a big reason why, barely three weeks after surgery, Marci was back at work as a senior customer-relations professional and home with her daughter.
And it’s why the next year, when another meningioma tumor was discovered behind her right eye, that Marci knew exactly where to go.
Marci’s second craniotomy in November 2022 was another complete success, which she credits again to every member of Team Sunnybrook. “Everyone works together so seamlessly,” says Marci. “It’s like everyone speaks the same language.”
There was one moment Marci recalls where the nursing team gently washed her hair after surgery, combing it back to help Marci feel more like herself. “This is what compassionate care feels like,” she says. “It never felt like I was just another patient.”
It wasn’t easy undergoing two craniotomies in a little over a year, but today Marci says she feels ready to face anything. She’s grateful, too, knowing Sunnybrook, “the gold standard in compassionate care” is right behind her.
Learn more at sunnybrook.ca/brain.
