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Husband with 4cm AN

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Tod:
I'm so sorry that you have to face this challenge and I wish the best outcomes for you all. My case was not as severe, but instead of shorter surgery than expected, mine was much longer. My family had planned to wait out a 14-18 hour event that turned into 32 hours with some awful miscommunication at the end. I ended being intubated and strapped to a bed in neuroscience ICU for a week only after 10 days allowed to move about. I became horribly week. With physical therapy and increasing activity i got stronger rapidly.

In some ways, many ways, this was much worse for my family. I still get upset when I think about what they went through, especially my son in his first year of college, and observations of a friend about his appearance when she stopped by the hospital to see if there was anything she could do to help with the long, long wait.

If your husband can be positive now for you, that seems to me a really good sign. Recovery takes time, but with help and effort, strength returns relatively easily. Time and rest are also needed.

Hang in there. You are in a good place to talk about these things. Remember to take good care of yourself as that will make it much easier for you to remain positive and take care of everyone else.

-Tod

MLB57:
Hello Tina,

I can only tell you that after reading your account of your husband's (and your) heart-wrenching AN journey you are certainly in my thoughts..  From my lay-person perspective I'd venture the size and location of the tumor made the surgery extremely difficult but as you know the AN had to be stopped..

Time will heal your spouse and he will gain much back.. slower than anyone would like.. The brain uses a large percentage of body energy for our body to function daily, so considering brain surgery is like a brain injury, albeit controlled, however, traumatic to the brain I think your spouse will also feel very fatigued for quite a while..That's part of the healing process..

Again, you are in my thoughts..Take care..

TNMTMAMA:
Tina, my hubby is 6 days out from surgery, so your post really hit home. His AN is 3 cm and his symptoms have gone far beyond the "normal" ones. Yes, he had the hearing, swallowing, balancing, memory issues, but since 2013, he has experienced what I call seizures. The doctors want to argue with me, but I WAS THERE. For the record, I'll call them "episodes," because who cares about the proper terminology?

Hubby has had 3 "episodes" about 7 months apart where he blacks out (with eyes open and set) for 3-10 minutes and always throws up...always in the middle of the night...always with no warning.

Well, we were on vacation this week & yesterday (our LAST DAY, thank goodness), hubby had that 3rd "episode" at the hotel. This time, he did a face plant on the tile floor of the bathroom, came to, but when I got him to the bed, out he went again and threw up everywhere. (POOR STAFF! It looked like a crime scene.) With fourteen stitches in the forehead, we flew home last night. Of course, we were worked into the neurosurgeon's offices this morning to see if Hubby was still a surgery candidate. SUDDENLY, the doc insisted that Hubby's "latest" symptoms were not related to the AN and is sending us to a cardiologist tomorrow. I was not happy at this change in direction, but after reading your post, I'm happy to air on the side of caution. While I trust the doctor, I also believe that sometimes we know more about the patient because we live with them.

I feel so frustrated and helpless. I see Hubby getting worse by the day. I know in my heart that the tumor is responsible because he has passed numerous heart tests with flying colors. I fear for what will happen from the surgery...and I fear what will happen if we decide to deny the care and see what happens. Neither choice is good. Either way, it looks like we are in it for the long haul. We have adopted the attitude that...It IS what it IS...and we try to accept what comes our way and find humor in it.

Today, for the first time, I had a meltdown. It felt great! Smile. After a good cry and a great pizza, I feel better. Finding friends like you who understand is so important...because you can't explain this to anyone. Thanks for sharing your story and know that I'm sending you cyber hugs.

ANGuy:

--- Quote from: TNMTMAMA on June 17, 2015, 09:29:33 pm ---Tina, my hubby is 6 days out from surgery, so your post really hit home. His AN is 3 cm and his symptoms have gone far beyond the "normal" ones. Yes, he had the hearing, swallowing, balancing, memory issues, but since 2013, he has experienced what I call seizures. The doctors want to argue with me, but I WAS THERE. For the record, I'll call them "episodes," because who cares about the proper terminology?

Hubby has had 3 "episodes" about 7 months apart where he blacks out (with eyes open and set) for 3-10 minutes and always throws up...always in the middle of the night...always with no warning.

Well, we were on vacation this week & yesterday (our LAST DAY, thank goodness), hubby had that 3rd "episode" at the hotel. This time, he did a face plant on the tile floor of the bathroom, came to, but when I got him to the bed, out he went again and threw up everywhere. (POOR STAFF! It looked like a crime scene.) With fourteen stitches in the forehead, we flew home last night. Of course, we were worked into the neurosurgeon's offices this morning to see if Hubby was still a surgery candidate. SUDDENLY, the doc insisted that Hubby's "latest" symptoms were not related to the AN and is sending us to a cardiologist tomorrow. I was not happy at this change in direction, but after reading your post, I'm happy to air on the side of caution. While I trust the doctor, I also believe that sometimes we know more about the patient because we live with them.

I feel so frustrated and helpless. I see Hubby getting worse by the day. I know in my heart that the tumor is responsible because he has passed numerous heart tests with flying colors. I fear for what will happen from the surgery...and I fear what will happen if we decide to deny the care and see what happens. Neither choice is good. Either way, it looks like we are in it for the long haul. We have adopted the attitude that...It IS what it IS...and we try to accept what comes our way and find humor in it.

Today, for the first time, I had a meltdown. It felt great! Smile. After a good cry and a great pizza, I feel better. Finding friends like you who understand is so important...because you can't explain this to anyone. Thanks for sharing your story and know that I'm sending you cyber hugs.

--- End quote ---

Has your husband had an EEG?  If he is having seizures, he should have had an EEG, or more than one.  While EEG's don't always show everything, they are pretty standard for seizure disorders.

alabamajane:
Hi TNMTMAMA,,,
I responded to one of your other posts that I too had several seizures before surgery. I had several EEGs all of which have shown nothing. During the test they will "try" to make him have one. If he doesn't have episode,, test won't tell Dr much. 

Not sure why neurosurgeon would send him to cardiologist if he does not have history of heart problems,,, a neurologist is the Dr who would routinely administer an EEG or diagnose a seizure disorder. I am on seizure med but personally think they were related to tumor.,, argue with my Neurologist every time I see him,,,Haven't had one since surgery and never had one before tumor found. My seizures were very similar to what you describe also.

Good luck ,,maybe cardio will refer to neurologist before your husband's health worsens. Those "episodes" are hard to watch( for you and my husband!)  and hard on his body!!  Let us know and prayers,, Jane

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