Author Topic: How much hair will be shaved?  (Read 4839 times)

SusanVH

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How much hair will be shaved?
« on: September 28, 2014, 06:28:56 pm »
Hi,

I'll be having a 1.8 cm AN removed at Duke-Raleigh Hospital in a couple of weeks, with Drs. Fukushima and Cunningham. I'm actually looking forward to it—can't wait to get rid of this mouth/tongue pain, facial numbness, and water-in-the-ear feeling on the right side.

I'm pretty clear on the surgical part of things—thank you, YouTube—but wondering how much hair will be shaved on the back of my head. I know, seems trivial in the grand scheme of things. Still, I'd like to know what I can expect.

Thanks for any input!

Susan



CHD63

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Re: How much hair will be shaved?
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2014, 07:10:45 pm »
Hi SusanVH and welcome to this forum of caring, supportive, new friends  .....

Dr. Fukushima removed my 2.6 cm AN via retrosigmoid approach in 2008 at Duke Raleigh Hospital.  They only shaved about an inch and a half swath along about a 5 inch strip and my hair completely covered it afterwards.

You will love Duke Raleigh Hospital.  Nice big private rooms and an excellent nursing staff.

Many thoughts and prayers.

Clarice
Right MVD for trigeminal neuralgia, 1994, Pittsburgh, PA
Left retrosigmoid 2.6 cm AN removal, February, 2008, Duke U
Tumor regrew to 1.3 cm in February, 2011
Translab AN removal, May, 2011 at HEI, Friedman & Schwartz
Oticon Ponto Pro abutment implant at same time; processor added August, 2011

SusanVH

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Re: How much hair will be shaved?
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2014, 07:36:18 pm »
Thanks so much, Clarice!

Great news about the hospital, and nice to know what kind of new hairstyle I may be sporting post-retrosigmoid.  :)

Susan

ANGuy

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Re: How much hair will be shaved?
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2014, 08:35:16 pm »
My young kids play soccer and many of their coaches are college age players.  All of these college kids shave part of their hair and grow the rest long.  I haven't had my surgery, so I can't tell you how much will shave off, but you WILL be at the height of fashion.  Don't be surprised if you keep it styled that way!

Good luck and prayers for your recovery!
Diagnosed June 2014 1cm AN at 47 years of age.  Had fluctuating symptoms since 2006.    6 mos MRI (Dec 2014) showed no growth, MRI  in July 2015 showed no growth.  MRI Jan 2016 showed no growth.  MRI Aug 2016 showed no growth.  I'm gonna ride the WW train as long as I can.

SusanVH

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Re: How much hair will be shaved?
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2014, 06:54:25 am »
We'll all be so trendy, we AN surgery recoverers!

Thanks for the kind words and thoughts, ANGuy.  :)

ANGuy

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Re: How much hair will be shaved?
« Reply #5 on: September 30, 2014, 03:09:59 pm »
Diagnosed June 2014 1cm AN at 47 years of age.  Had fluctuating symptoms since 2006.    6 mos MRI (Dec 2014) showed no growth, MRI  in July 2015 showed no growth.  MRI Jan 2016 showed no growth.  MRI Aug 2016 showed no growth.  I'm gonna ride the WW train as long as I can.

SusanVH

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Re: How much hair will be shaved?
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2014, 05:32:19 am »
 :D :D :D, ANGuy!

ANGuy

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Re: How much hair will be shaved?
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2014, 06:03:13 pm »
It's an old joke that goes something like this:

Patient:  Dr., after surgery, will I be able to play piano?

Dr.:  Of course, why not?

Patient:  Because I never could before!


Change that to:

SusanVH: Dr., after surgery, will I look like this?

Diagnosed June 2014 1cm AN at 47 years of age.  Had fluctuating symptoms since 2006.    6 mos MRI (Dec 2014) showed no growth, MRI  in July 2015 showed no growth.  MRI Jan 2016 showed no growth.  MRI Aug 2016 showed no growth.  I'm gonna ride the WW train as long as I can.

cassie

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Re: How much hair will be shaved?
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2014, 07:29:17 pm »
I didn't really have ANY of my hair shaved, except for a thin strip where the insition was made and a patch around where a shunt was put in. You couln't really tell from my hair what I had been through. My doctor said he just doesn't feel the need to shave off so much hair, to try to preserve the after-surgery confidence for the patient.  Wish he would have tried harder to preserve my faial function!!!!