As a years-long sufferer of severe headaches, the Marion mother of three, knew she sometimes processed thoughts more slowly. But one Sunday afternoon, her husband, Jorge, saw it worsening and convinced her to see a doctor.

Laura was advised to go straight to the emergency room. She reassured her youngest daughter, aged 11 and her 17-year-old son Jay, that she’d only be gone for a couple of hours as she headed to the Baldwin Makepeace Emergency Center at Tobey Hospital. However, those couple of hours turned into a 10-day stay before she could return home.

At Tobey Hospital, Dr. Daniel Luczkow, MD, ordered a battery of tests, which showed nothing seriously wrong until the results of the CT scan — which he’d ordered as a precaution — came in.

Laura braced herself when Dr. Luczkow came to her room to discuss the results.

“He shut the door behind him, so I knew there was bad news,” she said.

Even so, she was shocked when he used the words “brain tumor.” Dr. Luczkow said she had a meningioma, a slow-growing tumor that, at age 51, she likely had for years. Considered the “best” kind of tumor to have, it is rarely cancerous and doesn’t interfere with motor skills.

That reassured Laura, and Dr. Luczkow further cushioned the blow by saying he had already spoken with Dr. Richard Dowd, a Southcoast Health neurosurgeon. Together, they had already developed a plan of care.

“This was a big deal,” Laura said. “It would have been so troubling for a doctor to say, ‘So you have a brain tumor, and now I’ll figure out what’s next.’ Instead, I knew exactly what the next steps would be, so I felt very at ease, under the circumstances.”

“Dr. Dowd was fantastic,” she said. “He kept us completely informed about what was going on. He’d even repeat everything he told me for Jorge when he would visit me after work.” 

She also gave a shout out to Dr. Dowd’s team, particularly Matthew Viglianti, PA; Aaron Novy, PA; Arielle Spadea, NP, and Maria Aguiar, NP.

The surgery was performed successfully just four days after her initial ER visit with no major complications. Laura spent six more days in the hospital, including two in the Intensive Care Unit. She easily passed several cognitive tests and enjoyed visits from her children and sister-in-law. Initially uneasy having her mom in the hospital, Olivia got comfortable enough to have all the caregivers sign the whiteboard by Laura’s bed.

“The nurses were great with me and my family,” Laura said. “They answered all their questions.”

Laura spent two months recuperating at home, supported by her family, friends and community. Southcoast Health at Home, formerly the Southcoast Health Visiting Nurse Association, and occupational and physical therapists provided at-home care that was so comprehensive, they even showed her exactly which shower chair to order.

“They were amazing,” she said. “They tried to make things as easy as possible for me. I am so grateful for their dedication to my recovery.”

Nearly a year after her surgery, Laura is back to her former fast-paced life and is now in her second year of pursuing her doctorate in marketing at Pace University, a program she had just started before her surgery.

Some friends and family wondered why she didn’t go to a Boston hospital for surgery, but Laura didn’t even consider it.

“I felt completely secure and confident in the providers who cared for me at Southcoast Health,” she said. “And I know I wouldn’t have gotten the same level of personal support at a big Boston hospital. Everyone, from the doctors to nurses to therapists, specialized in neurology. They were amazing and they all worked well together. So, I just let the experts do what they do best, and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”

For more information on Southcoast Health Brain & Spine Center, visit Southcoast Health Brain & Spine Services.