Susie Davis’ Road to Recovery

Update 10/1/2023: Susie had surgery on Friday, September 29th. It lasted about 14 hours! The tumor was more extensive than expected and impacted more of her eye orbit than anticipated, but they got it all. She will have to receive radiation treatments as part of her recovery to ensure the tumor does not return. Yesterday she rested most of the day but she did have periods where she was awake and talking. Today Susie has had discomfort and has been nauseous. She was taken for a CT scan so doctors could assess her. Hopefully, she will be moved into a regular room as soon as Sunday! Her family is with her in Houston.

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Friends, our dear Susie needs our help now more than ever. As some of you know, she was recently diagnosed with a serious illness that will require extensive treatment and a long road to recovery. This news has shaken Susie and her family to the core. As a single mom, she worries not just for her own health but for providing for her sons Kingston and Tristan.

I'm reaching out to ask for your prayers and support during this difficult time. Susie has always been there for our community - her kindness and generosity know no bounds. Now it's our turn to lift her up. Please consider contributing to GoFundMe so she can focus all her energy on healing, not financial stress. Even a small act of love will remind Susie she's not alone.

In the coming months, your cards, meals, and messages will mean the world as she goes through treatment. Susie's strength, courage, and faith will carry her through. But with our compassion surrounding her, she'll recover even faster. Please keep Susie and her family close in your hearts. Let's show her what a wonderful community she has. Thank you for your generosity and care.

Here is what we know, she has been diagnosed with a rare head tumor. Notice the word head vs. brain. It is a rare (1%) tumor that is growing in her cerebral wall. It's on the right side - the thicker of the two sides of her head. It is also in the temporalis muscle, temporal bone, and dura. Her diagnosis is currently an Interosseous Meningioma that is 6.4 x 2.5 x 5.8 cm in size. These are generally benign, but we will not know if it is until they actually go in to perform the craniotomy.

After consulting multiple Neuro Surgeons, she has decided to proceed forward with surgery in Houston, TX at Houston Methodist. They are one of the top Neurosurgical Centers in the Nation and her Lead Neuro Surgeon received all his degrees from the top Neuro Universities in the Nation. Due to the size of her tumor, its invasiveness, and the fact that it's producing a mass effect on her brain this was the best option. Her tumor extends for a long distance in the dura (the protective sack over the brain) and also into the skull and a very wide craniotomy is required to create a very large excision of her dura. Since they are talking about bone removal and calcified mass excisions, she will also require a cranioplasty. They will replace the removed bone with a very high-grade plastic plate (called a peek implant). This surgery will not happen at the same time as her craniotomy, mainly because there is a certain amount of healing that needs to happen, and secondly, because the implant is custom-made for her head. Odds are they will suture her up and she will have a metal helmet until her second surgery. Since a majority of her temporalis muscle, a third procedure/surgery is also projected with a reconstructive plastic surgeon. He will be in surgery with the Neuro Surgeon during the craniotomy helping him know what to keep, what to take away, and what he needs to do when it's time for him to operate on her.

All the best,

Michelle