ANA Discussion Forum
Watch and Wait => For those in the 'watch and wait' status => Topic started by: davjack on December 22, 2009, 03:47:55 pm
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Well, I'm really surprised to be here...since the first two doctors I saw/talked to, offered me no such option. I saw Dr. Antonelli at Shands yesterday. He told me I could w&w. I asked him, if it were him, would he choose w&w. He said "Not just yes...Hell yes!" So I'm gonna take that as a "yes" ;)
So I'll get another MRI in March. That will be 6 months. And I'll see where I'm at from there. If it gets bigger, I'll go back to Shands and Dr. Friedman for the zappin'!
Have a very Happy Holiday Everyone!
DJ
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At 1.3cm, I'm not surprised that you can wait and watch for awhile.. If it's not growing and the current symptoms aren't major and the MRI confirms that they're not likely to get much worse for the forseeable future, then why not as long as your comfortable with waiting.. Many with smaller AN's wouldn't be comfortable knowing the "lumpy" was there and just waiting to see what happens, but if you're good with waiting, then that's great...
Congratulations!
Regards,
Brian
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Welcome to the Wait + Watch brigade! There is plenty of info here regarding people who are in the same boat like myself .12x.06 and "stable" Keep the faith, Mickey
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Happy Holidays...
Watch and Wait can be social.. as we are all here for eachother with advise and support on a daily basis.
Welcome to our neighbourhood.
:)
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DJ -
I'm not surprised either that you can watch and wait for a time since most ANs are very slow growing. The important thing is to monitor them periodically via MRI to check for growth.
The other things that might prompt you to seek treatment would be a worsening of symptoms or a development of new symptoms.
Happy Holidays to you :)
Jan
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Hello DJ,
Welcome to our coveted group of fine people that also have chosen the Watch and Wait treatment for now. In February I will have been doing this for 3 years, with no changes! I hope to be able to continue this path along with the rest of my pals. Good luck to you and don't be a stranger, as we have vital things to contribute also.
Blessings to all,
Jackie
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D.J. ~
Welcome to the Watch-and-Wait club. As Brian & Jan noted, at 1.3 cm and with minimal symptoms, you're well qualified to simply observe the tumor (via MRI scans) and not rush into anything. At least you have a viable 'Plan B' (radiation) which seems like a prudent course, should the next MRI indicate some tumor growth. I hope your AN remains 'stable' for a very long time. Meanwhile, I know you'll find the many 'Watch-and-Waiters' here a convivial group. Of course, you can post in any forum you wish....but you knew that, didn't you? Yeah, I thought so. ;)
Jim
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Hi DJ - I'm in Florida too - just for the winter - one of those dreaded "snowbirds". I have been on W&W for 8 years and although my tumor is not an acoustic (8th cranial nerve), it is on the 9th cranial nerve. My latest MRI showed an increase of 1 mm (now at 14 mm) over a period of two years and a difference from one done five years ago at 13 mm. So I'm going to keep up the W&W as any symptoms are extremely minimal. Meanwhile my husband was jealous so he has been dealing with another type of benign brain tumor called a meningioma. Unfortunately he's had two surgeries and one Cyberknife treatment. Hopefully his next MRI in January will be stable.
Hope you continue to W&W along with us.
Sheryl
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Thanks everyone! You all are the best ;D
DJ
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Many with smaller AN's wouldn't be comfortable knowing the "lumpy" was there and just waiting to see what happens, but if you're good with waiting, then that's great...
Just to expand on Brian's train of thought, when I first found out I had an AN my perspective was this: before it was diagnosed, I still had an AN in my head; I just didn't know it. After diagnosis, I was still the same person. So why not watch and wait (if the doctors thought it was okay to do so)? After all, I'd been sort of watching and waiting for all those years the tumor was growing before I was diagnosed. I bet there are a lot of people in the world who have a tumor -- or multiple tumors -- in their body and don't know it. They are all in watch-and-wait, without the "watch" part. :D
A lot of people (those not in this forum) who have never experienced a slow-growing disease think they are perfectly healthy until the day a disease magically appears, when in fact the process of aging (even when you're young) is one of a body slowly getting torn down, wearing out, and becoming the target of opportunistic forces of disease. One of the spiritual challenges of living with a disease is accepting the new you and being okay with it. This in no way means people who opt for immediate treatment aren't capable of accepting their disease. Many opt for immediate treatment not out of fear but because they refuse to let the AN control their life and choose to take positive action so they can move on with their life.
It's a personal decision and process that is different for everyone, with no right or wrong way. That is perhaps the biggest spiritual component of having a disease like an AN. It puts us on a path of self-discovery like few other things in life can.
Good luck on your next MRI in March, DJ.
Best wishes,
TW