In June of 2025, 41-year-old Pelham resident Anna Rollner and her husband were hiking in Zion National Park when she began experiencing intense dizziness. As an active runner who has completed marathons and an Ironman, it was unexpected. “It scared me a little, but I chalked it up to the hike and the elevation,” she says. “Never for a second did I think it could be anything more.”
The dizziness continued at home, along with vision issues. Her primary care doctor diagnosed vertigo and prescribed medication and vestibular therapy, but symptoms worsened. Working as a visual merchandiser, Anna began noticing gray spots in her vision, which she attributed to stress.
Around Christmastime, while commuting, she saw something alarming. “The floor of the train looked like it was bubbling,” she says. An MRI was ordered, but delays followed over the holidays. In mid-January, an eye exam revealed optic nerve swelling due to intracranial pressure. She scheduled the MRI immediately.
Two days later, she received urgent results: “They found a large mass. You need to go to White Plains Hospital right away.”
Anna and her husband went to the Hospital with their two children, ages 6 and 9. Her father, a hospital CEO in Georgia, suggested a major cancer center in New York City, but with a winter storm approaching, they chose White Plains Hospital—a decision she says she will never regret.
That night, she met neurosurgeon Dr. Rafel Uribe and neuro endovascular surgeon Dr. Ivo Bach, who outlined a two-step procedure to remove a tumor about the size of a lime. First, Dr. Bach performed a pre-surgical embolization to reduce blood flow. The next day, Dr. Uribe performed a craniotomy for tumor resection. “He explained everything in a way that was in-depth but also digestible,” she says.
Anna’s surgery was successful and her symptoms resolved. However, biopsy results showed the tumor was not a meningioma as expected, but a rare solitary fibrous tumor—less than 1% of cases. It can recur and may be malignant. Hers was grade two, requiring ongoing monitoring with periodic brain scans.
“Surgery is just one part of the journey,” says Dr. Uribe. “Recovery—both physical and emotional—can take time.”
Anna stayed in the Hospital for a week and was struck by the care she received. “Before I was discharged, a nurse gave me a Reiki treatment because I was anxious,” she says.
At home, she completed physical and occupational therapy for left-side weakness and experienced migraines in recovery. With follow-up care from vascular neurologist Dr. Paul Lleva, her treatment was adjusted and her headaches resolved.
“Cases like Anna’s require a high level of coordination,” says Dr. Uribe. “Having that expertise working together allows us to treat even rare and complex tumors safely.”
Looking back, Anna says, “I’m so glad I stayed at White Plains Hospital. I had everything I needed, right here.”
Learn more about White Plains Hospital’s Neurosciences program.
This story first appeared in Health Matters, a White Plains Hospital publication.
