General Category > AN Issues

Need second surgery--very depressed

(1/3) > >>

mmilazzo:
Hi everyone. I had retro for removal of my 3.2cm tumor in August 2015. They left a small bit of the tumor to prevent me from having facial paralysis. I am now SSD, and I had no other significant problems from surgery. Had a post-op MRI in November 2015, then again in May 2016.

In August I moved across the country from Orlando, Florida, to Denver, Colorado. I had my recent follow-up MRI last week, and my tumor has shown aggressive growth since November. It has tripled in size. It is now 1.5cm. I have even began experiencing symptoms again. My tumor is pressing against my brain stem and causing papilledema (again).

The doctors here recommend another surgery again. Translab this time. They say I need to get it ASAP, because the tumor is growing at an unbelievable fast rate (at least that's what it looks like).

I'm not really posting here for advice. I know I should go ahead and get the surgery, and actually surgery isn't the thing that bothers me at all. It's the money. I have insurance, but I have to pay $5,000 out of pocket, and while I am out of work, I only get 66% of my pay. Well I just used all my savings and maxed out all my credit cards moving across the country.

My boyfriend moved with me to Colorado, but we went because I found a job. He doesn't have one yet. My surgery will be around Thanksgiving. Hopefully my boyfriend will have a job by then, but I am the "bread winner" of the family. He doesn't make much at all.

My parents are poor, too, so they can't help out. I can't afford to go anywhere else for surgery. I am just so super duper depressed that I was just starting to put together my life again after surgery and starting to save money again (I had to use all my savings last year for surgery, too). I don't really know what to do, except maybe I can take out my 401k AGAIN (I had to do it one other time when I was 27 to help pay bills--I am now 36). Even with penalty, at least the money can get me through a couple of months of paying bills and rent.

Ugh I just really wish I didn't have to worry about this again. I am sure many of you have gone through the same thing.

Thanks for listening.

Blw:
Is radiation out of the question? For one, it would be quite a bit cheaper as it is done as an outpatient.

mmilazzo:
Because I'm so young and the tumor is just really pressed into my brain stem, we have decided that radiation is not an option. It would need a large dose of radiation, and it gets tricky when they are doing radiation on the brain stem rather than just in the auditory canal. So we decided surgery is way better if an option.

Blw:
Agree.

Janey:
Sorry you have had this unfortunate regrowth.  Thoughs and prayers to you as you figure out
how to deal with the finances and other problems that another surgery presents.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page