I had annual MRI in Feb and my AN now stands at 1.4 cm x 5mm...
My neurosurgeon suggested we moved forward with treatment considering its grown about 6mm since I was diagnosed in July 2006.
Its still in the IAC.
My neurosurgeon felt that GK was the best option considering the potential side affects involved with surgery. I live in Montreal, the province of Quebec and hes apparently the most experienced in the province.
So, he sent me for the GK consult with Dr. David Mathieu which is actually 2.5 hours away from where I live, not so bad.
Dr. Mathieu trained in Pittsburgh with apparently one of the best GK teams.
The GK facility he has set up in Quebec is quite new and has only been running for about 5 years.
This is what he told me:
- Surgery or radiation, statistic is the same 97 to 98% success rate ( In his clinic its presently 98.2%)
- 50 to 70% chance that my hearing will remain the same, which is actually quite good right now...mild loss
- Very low chance of any kind of side affects...most complain only about the head gear incision marks
- Low Low change of any facial nerve damage
- One day at the hospital, quick return to work
- Very very low chance of any kind of long term affects, he said 1 in 10 000, and you have 1 in 500 chance of mortality from this surgery
(this is the only one that concerns me, Im only 32 and studies go back only 20 to 30 years)
He spent an hour with me, showing me my MRI films on computer, explaining the process. He told me if I was his wife or sister he would encourage this treatment for me, not surgery, the risks are too great when the outcome is the same.
He said that in the slim slim chance of re growth we can repeat GK or go ahead with surgery and he feels its a myth that radiated tumours are more difficult to remove.
I left feeling very confident in him and his work and decided that this was the route for me to go.
I have three young children and Im feeoling that this is the best step 1 and hopefully the last step.
The few things that arre on my mind are still
- my young age, has anyone else in there 30s chosen radiation ?
- and the head gear that they attach is a bit intimidating...they actually allowed me to see the patients waiting for their treatment that day, one woman was sleeping so It can't be that bad...but it just looks sooo...anyways.
- also, being a generally anxious person, all the follow up and waiting to see if this worked is on my mind
I was told my treatment would be in 2 to 3 months from now. I will get a call a week or two before.
So I wait for the call !
