Forrest V.

Retirement has been a welcome slowdown for Forrest V. and his wife Katie. After varied careers in agriculture, industrial trades, retail and business ownership, the couple is now enjoying spontaneous outings, family trips to Michigan and casual days at home. Most days, you’ll find Forrest in his shop, doing small repairs or crafting woodworking projects like the custom mailbox he made as a nod to his alma mater, Kansas State University.

“Forrest fixes stuff and takes care of stuff,” said Katie, an ability she has always admired in her husband. “The first thing he ever fixed for me was a wooden cutting board, which I still have.” (see photo)

In the summer of 2024, Forrest began experiencing a cascade of symptoms: memory lapses, severe headaches, impaired vision, and chronic falls. Knowing her husband had a defibrillator to moderate his heart rhythm, Katie wondered if this was triggering his symptoms. Several visits to his doctors were inconclusive, and life went on for the couple. In late 2024, Forrest and Katie were visiting family in Michigan when he had two serious falls. “That’s when we decided to cut our trip short and go home to seek some answers,” said Katie.

Months of doctors’ appointments followed, including meetings with Forrest’s primary care physician, cardiologist, neurologist and pulmonologist, and a CT scan that ultimately revealed a large meningioma, which is a skull-based tumor. Then came a referral to Dr. Zsolt Zador at the Abay Neuroscience Center.

Forrest recalls first meeting the neurosurgeon. “I liked his demeanor and I liked how he explained things. I never felt scared or anxious in his care,” said Forrest. Dr. Zador ordered an MRI which verified a tumor pressing on the optic nerve, which explains why Forrest’s vision was impaired. Surgery was scheduled for Sept. 2, 2025.

In the months prior to surgery, Forrest did physical therapy to work on balance and strength and minimize falls. Even though his surgery was scheduled for the Tuesday after Labor Day, Dr. Zador called Forrest on Sunday to check in with him. “The phone call from Dr. Zador was a surprise, and it gave me further reassurance about what I was about to go through,” said Forrest.

Forrest’s surgery took several hours and resulted in removal of a 3.2 cm x 3.3 cm x 3.7 cm meningioma through a small incision in his eyebrow, leaving no scar. Although the tumor was benign, it had impaired Forrest’s vision, equilibrium, mental clarity and his ability to function in everyday life. That evening, after he was settled into his room, Dr. Zador came by to check on him, specifically to conduct a quick vision test.

Forrest was released to go home the Saturday after surgery. He was supposed to be in a rehab hospital for up to two weeks, but Katie’s son and his wife are both physical therapists and they were able to provide some direction, as well as Katie’s daughter.

Less than a year after the surgery, Forrest’s mental and visual clarity are restored, the headaches have subsided and the falls have stopped.

Katie reflects on some of the traits she found most impressive in Dr. Zador. “He seemed so curious and so invested in Forrest. He addressed so many fears of the unknown, and he took time to answer questions,” she noted. “He gave me my husband back.”

For Forrest, that means getting back to working in his shop, doing small repairs and creating metal and woodworking projects. “Dr. Zador gave me back my vision and my life.”