ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Post-Treatment => Topic started by: Lorenzo on November 15, 2007, 10:05:03 am
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Hi all,
Just to let you know: I had my three year consult here at Stanford. All is well. It shrank some more since last December, albeit just a little, and I shouldn't expect any more new symptoms nor any effects from it.
So this is it. No more MRIs until 2009, and the treatment is considered a success. It's now smaller then when I was diagnosed, which is great! Best result I could have hoped for!!
:)
Thank you Dr Chang, Stanford and all!!
Ciao, Lorenzo
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Lorenzo,
I tried to find a really good English to Italian program and it wasn't quick enough.......I'll keep looking. I wanted to say something really special to you because it is just totally awesome that you had such a great checkup!!!!! I am so happy for you!! I'm sure the MRI machines are very depressed ::) They can't bang around your head for two years........how wonderful 8)
Hugs and good wishes,
Brenda
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YEAHHHH!!!! :)
I hope this does not mean you will be off the forum ... we still ;) need you...
Thanks so much for posting a success story!
4
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Congratulations! That is so awesome!
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Hi Lorenzo,
It's always good to hear a great report! I have heard lots of good things about Dr. Chang and Stanford. I think you should celebrate in some way. Take yourself out to a fancy restaurant or treat yourself to a day at the spa, you deserve it! Best of luck in 2009. Ann
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Yay! Good news!
I think you should take us ALL out to a fancy restaurant and a day at the spa to celebrate! What are friends for? Wouldn't want you to have to celebrate by yourself. ;D
Lori
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Desilu wrote
“Take yourself out to a fancy restaurant or treat yourself to a day at the spa, you deserve it! “
My understanding is that ALL Lorenzo has been doing since he landed here in the “excited states� has been wine tasting, enjoying restaurants and taking in the arts and cultural seen of the Silicon Valley… no doubt also surrounded by a crew of highly intellectual ANA women who went there to meet him. LOL
The question is “has he gone to Starbucks yet to SIT and notice that there is a lack of good quality art/photography books on their coffee tables?� People need to know there more titles out there than “How Starbucks changed my life�… LOL that precede an acoustic neuroma journey…
When you become rich and famous publishing that fantastic book of yours Lorenzo … (BTW everyone he IS a fantastic freelance photographer – not just the commercial stuff you see in magazines but art with substance, interest and aesthetically pleasing curiosity)… ;D
When you become rich and famous Lorenzo … don’t forget us little people on the ANA journey ship.
Such a success story you are! Congratulations!
Cheers mate,
4
P.S. In the “excited states� it is actually kosher to spit out wine
http://www.oregonlive.com/wine/oregonian/guide/index.ssf?/base/living/117933812822790.xml&coll=7
… Don’t know about spitting out coffee though (Blacht – still cannot stand the taste post-op) … maybe I could start a new and culturally acceptable trend. LOL. :D I can see the headline written by someone from the Paparazzi ;) “famous Italian photographer found in exclusive type-A personality Silicon Valley establishment, surrounded by ANA supporters, spitting out coffee! People are now questioning Gamma Knife treatment and what it actually does ::) to patients!� (LT Tease and a noogie ;) :D)
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Lorenzo,
the great news is that you definately have my CONGRATULATIONS! YAY!!!!!!!!!! FABULOUS NEWS!!!!!!!!!!
the bad news is.... I am exceptionally bummed you passed up the "good" coast for your trip. Enjoy your stay out there.
*walks off sobbing :'( for missing Lorenzo on this trip... but, still smiles with this great news, as there is hope for my CK treatment now as well :)*
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Yay, Lorenzo! So happy all is well in Lorenzo-land. Sounds like you had a wonderful visit to California (ya gotta say it like Arnold says it tho!). And your great news check-up was the icing on the cake. Wonderful.
Cheers to you, kiddo.
Sue in Vancouver WA
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Lorenzo,
You're not tooooooooooo far from Texas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brenda (we have Star Bucks here too!)
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You ARE BUON FORTUNA !!!!! Hope it rubs off on me for my upcoming surgery.... All the best Lorenzo, Nancy
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Hey Nancy,
We are rooting for you!
...And remember it is who you are on the inside that counts ... we don’t care about an asymmetrical smile or a symmetrical smile - so long as it is a genuine smile… which I can see you already have.
Cheers,
4
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Congratulations, Lorenzo. I am only 34 months behind you...
Steve
P.S. 1 lump or 2? Still laughing...
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Thanks 4 !! The picture of me is 2 years pre-op (just before going river rafting in Iceland - I was 1 of 4 who decided to jump into the river at the end of the trip - well, acually, I was the dumb one who DOVE in & had to swim back to the raft !! - now I'm diving into surgery !) ; I won't have that big right sided smile but a Mona Lisa smile will do just fine. Well, off to my last day at work - yesterday my co-workers threw me a 'goodbye' lunch, with one of my favorite foods - oxtails!
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Lorenzo,
I would like to join everyone above in congratulating you on your successful report. This good news certainly has set you free--enjoy your life! Cheers!
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Lorenzo- Just Greast News. I am so happy for you. I bet it feels great to feel that this thing is dying and will stay that way once and for all. Please do not leave this forum-we need your input ever once in awhile. You are always one of those on MY SPECIAL PERSON list. Nancyann-good luck for you also. As for me-my TN has subsided now for over 3 weeks-I feel like a new person again. Take Care all-Have a good day. Ron
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Auguri, Lorenzo!! Thanks for all your support on this message board.
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Wow. Gulp. Geeees, guys... stop, I'm blushing! :) Me? Leaving this forum? Are ye kidding?? I have no intention of leaving! I like it here. And Phyl, the east coast is going to be on our itinerary at some stage no doubt, just not this time. A direct flight was a lot easier.
By the way, I might be a bit on the quiet side here for a while, until end of December sort of while, we're still here until then! THAT is our celebration, a good long trip in CA until then. So, wine, sure, spa, possibly, restaurants galore, probably lots of coffee, and culture until we're sick of it. Should do us for two years of neglect at the hands of this lump. Have been catching up with lost time for the past year, and am planning to continue! We only live once, we survived this one, now it's time to get going!!
I'll check in from time to time.
Again, thank you ALL so much for the kind messages. Big HUGs to you all collectively.
Oh and Steve, no lump for me, just black.
Ciao
Lorenzo :)
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Hey Lorenzo,
Fantastic news!!! So so happy for you!! I am still doing the watch and wait thing! I won't have an MRI now until a year from now, since I have had 3 of them since Feb. 07. They found a small Meningioma on the opposite side from my AN! I thought it was NF2 but it's two different tumors, both benign, one rare one not! OMG!!! Just when the stress level was subsiding! Anyway, looking forward to getting good news like you, someday too!
Enjoy, and thank-you for all of your great information!
Jackie in Oregon
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Lorenzo
Congrats!!!!! I'm soooo happy to hear the good news. Yes please dont leave us....It wouldnt be the same without you. My appointment will be made when my dr. gets back from vacation 11/29 then I'll know when I'm going in to have CK. I would love to go to Stanford and have dr. Chang do it but I financially cant afford to do so. Well Lorenzo (BIG PAT ON THE BACK)!!!!!
Mindy
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Hi Jackie, Sorry to hear about the meningioma! Wow. ya, I think I'd have slight increased stress too!!! Well, I hope my good outcome story will help others like you if they are thinking CK.
Hi Mindy, thanks. I'm sure your docs there will do just as good a job. In the end with CK it's not just a case of experience. Once they are well trained (and most of them are trained at Stanford in the use of CK, as far as I can see) they will know how to handle cases. Good luck with it, it'll be fine, you'll see.
Ciao, Lorenzo :)
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Hooray! for you, Lorenzo.
I can suggest some great outdoor spots for you to explore while in the San Fran/Palo Alto area. Having just returned from my first visit with the Chang Gang at Stanford, I have these wonderful memories fresh in my mind... Have lunch at the Paper Moon in Half Moon Bay, then go walk the beach there. Or drive down to Pinnacles National Park (about 2 hours from Stanford) and hike the trails- do take a flashlight, though, if you want to explore the cave! Visit the Natural Bridges State Beach with the Monarch Butterfly Preserve. There you'll see the hundreds of thousands- maybe millions- of monarch butterflies wintering NOW in the eucalyptus (look up!) trees; drive down toward Carmel through the 17 mile scenic loop at Pebble Beach. Check out Point Lobos State Reserve for some outstanding Pacific coastline with abundant wildlife and, of course, nothing tops the Big Sur drive for majestic beauty.
Now, I suppose I sound like a member of the mid-California travel bureau- but I just LOVE this area and have been fortunate enough to visit several times. Having traveled all over the world, this IS my favorite shore line any where.
Having something wonderful to celebrate as you do will make this natural beauty of nature even MORE awesome to see.
Enjoy, Lorenzo, and have a safe journey home.
Best of health to you!
T
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Hey my coffee buddy,
I love the colour black. I wear black almost every day. Be it undergarments, clothing, fall jacket, pants, jeans, skirts, sweaters, blouses, jewellery or winter coat. I love the colour BLACK!!!
With my complexion black and jewel tones suit me best. so a black lump or two never hurts any one. Great news!!! Black is wear it's at!!!
Anne Marie
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Hi Lorenzo
Great to hear your good news !!! You certainly have cause to celebrate ! I had to visit my GP a week ago just to remind
him that I need my 3rd year MRI in the next couple of months since all my future plans depend on it . Last time I had to wait
6 weeks to get the results and this time all our future plans depend on the result since we are retiring shortly and want to spend
much more time travelling by land and sea. I am feeling fine but since my AN has been fairly boring with very few symptoms I
often wonder just how big it would have to get before I would get any really significant symptoms . I try not to worry too much about it but as the time of my next MRI gets nearer I do have the occasional wobble .
Regards Kat
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HI Kat,
Thanks, celebrating we are indeed! :) You say that you have no symptoms, and that the tumour shrank as per your MRI of last December. I think it's unlikely that it will cause any symptoms at all at this stage. If your tumour shrank and you had no symptoms by now, I would think that you'll be spared any. I bet it continues to shrink and it'll show that on your next MRI.
So, travel and have a great time now, no point waiting! Or at least, only wait until you're retired, then go for it!!!!
Ciao, Lorenzo
PS My hospital in Ireland nearly sent me to Sheffield for GK right before I traveled to Stanford for CK.
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Congrats, Lorenzo!
Glad to hear about your results. Thanks so much for you and Kathleen taking the time to meet with me. I appreciate all the thoughts/text messages/conversation. Enjoy the rest of your time in CA. Keep in touch!
- robert
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Way to go Lorenzo! Congrats from Neal!
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Lorenzo,
It is so good to share your great news. Congratulations!!! Have a wonderful trip. You deserve it!
Take care of yourself and have a great journey,
Lynn
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Wonderful news Lorenzo!
Congratulations! ;D
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YEAH! that is really great news.
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Thanks again everybody. Hope you're all keeping well.
Ciao
Lorenzo
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Lorenzo that is terrific news! I'm so happy for you I'm flipping out!
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Captdeb_photos/panda22.gif)
Don't know if you are still in the land of Kal-ee-for-nee-ya (as Ahhhnold calls it) but I hope you and Sylvia are getting some good R and R. I'm thrilled you got to meet Raydean and some of the other AN family members. And I bet you are getting some great pics of the coast. Have you learned to surf yet?
Be well and sail on!
Capt Deb(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Captdeb_photos/pirateface_laughing_ty_wht.gif)