For years, Jillian Rosa thought the pain was simply part of getting older.
She was busy balancing work, family, and the everyday responsibilities that come with being a wife and mother. She tried to stay active, exercised regularly, and pushed through discomfort whenever she could. But no matter what she did, the headaches kept coming. Her jaw hurt constantly, and there was a pressure behind her eyes that she couldn’t quite explain. Over time, those symptoms became a normal part of her life.
“I used to say to my husband, ‘My face hurts behind my eyes,'” Jillian says. “I always had this pain in my jaw, and it caused a lot of headaches.”
When health issues began interfering with her ability to enjoy life and care for the people around her, Jillian knew something wasn’t right. Still, she never imagined the cause was a rare hormonal condition caused by a tumor.
“When these health issues really got in the way of my lifestyle and the things I wanted to do, and the people I had to take care of, I knew something wasn’t right.”
For years, Jillian was treated for TMJ. Then, during an MRI, her doctor noticed something unexpected.
When an MRI Revealed a Pituitary Tumor
At first, the finding seemed minor.
One of Jillian’s specialists was preparing to perform surgery for TMJ when he noticed a small abnormality on her MRI. He wasn’t overly concerned, but he encouraged her to follow up after her procedure.
“He said, ‘You have a little tumor or something showing on the MRI,'” Jillian recalls. “‘It’s probably nothing, but you should get that checked out.'”
Jillian went ahead with her TMJ surgery and was relieved when her jaw pain improved. But she couldn’t shake what the doctor had told her. The image on the MRI lingered in the back of her mind, and eventually she decided to investigate further.
She met with her primary care physician, who referred her to Dr. Juthani.
The diagnosis that followed was completely unexpected.
Diagnosing Acromegaly Caused by a Pituitary Tumor
Jillian learned she had acromegaly, a rare hormonal disorder caused by excess growth hormone production from the pituitary gland. The condition develops slowly over many years, which is one reason it can be difficult to recognize.
“I was told I have acromegaly,” Jillian says. “It’s a condition where your pituitary releases too much growth hormone.”
The excess hormone can affect nearly every part of the body. Organs may enlarge, hands and feet can gradually increase in size, and headaches, joint pain, and changes to facial features may develop over time.
“I just chalked it up to, ‘This is just part of aging, I guess,'” she says.
Looking back, Jillian realized that some of the changes she’d experienced weren’t normal aging after all.
Instead, she had a pituitary tumor that needed to be removed.
We are more than surgeons,
we are your support system.
Planning Minimally Invasive Pituitary Tumor Surgery
During her consultation, Dr. Juthani explained the treatment plan.
The surgery would be performed through the nasal passages using a minimally invasive endoscopic approach. There would be no incision on her scalp and no visible scar. Jillian remembers being amazed by the idea that surgeons could remove a brain tumor through the nose.
“I thought that was wonderful,” she says.
But it wasn’t the surgical technique that gave her the most comfort.
It was a single sentence.
“She said, ‘I want you to know we’re going for a cure.'”
Those words immediately shifted Jillian’s mindset. This wasn’t simply about managing symptoms. The goal was to eliminate the source of the problem entirely.
Dr. Juthani also helped her understand what to expect before, during, and after surgery. Jillian says those conversations made an enormous difference.
“I remember the day coming into the surgery room,” she says. “The whole team was there. Seeing those familiar faces really helped ease my worries because I knew I was in capable hands.”
Recovering After Pituitary Tumor Surgery
When Jillian woke up after surgery, she immediately noticed something was different.
“The headache was gone,” she says.
The relief was almost immediate. She had prepared herself for a long recovery and expected there would be obvious signs that she had undergone brain surgery. Instead, because the procedure was minimally invasive, she looked exactly the same.
“I expected there to be something,” she says. “But there was no scar. There was very little evidence that anything had happened.”
The physical recovery was easier than she imagined, but the emotional impact was even greater. After years of symptoms and uncertainty, she finally felt like herself again.
“You couldn’t have asked for a better outcome, really.”
The Words She’ll Never Forget
At one of her follow-up appointments, Dr. Juthani shared the news Jillian had been hoping to hear.
“You don’t have acromegaly anymore,” she told her.
“You’re now cured of that.”
For a moment, Jillian couldn’t quite believe it.
“That was like, okay,” she says with a smile. “‘Done. Let’s move on with life.'”
Today, she’s grateful not only for the surgery itself, but for the time and quality of life she’s gained because of it.
Jillian knows the sacrifices physicians make throughout their careers, particularly women who balance medicine with family life. She says she has a deep appreciation for the care Dr. Juthani provided and the opportunities it has given her to spend more time with her own loved ones.
“I’m grateful for that,” she says. “And I plan on paying it forward.”
Could a Pituitary Tumor Be Causing Your Symptoms?
Headaches, facial pain, changes in vision, or unexplained hormonal symptoms aren’t always just part of aging. In some cases, they may be caused by an underlying condition such as a pituitary tumor.
At Neurosurgeons of New Jersey, our specialists use advanced imaging and minimally invasive techniques to diagnose and treat complex neurological conditions, including pituitary tumors and disorders like acromegaly. If you’re looking for answers, we’re here to help.
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Juthani to learn more about your condition and discuss whether surgical or non-surgical treatment may be right for you.
About Dr. Rupa Juthani
Dr. Juthani has expertise in a wide range of oncologic conditions including pituitary adenomas, skull base tumors, brain metastases, and gliomas. Dr. Juthani has unique training in minimally invasive approaches including endoscopic pituitary and skull base surgery, laser surgery, Gamma Knife radiosurgery, and fluorescence guided surgery.
