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Expectations related to surgery

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Kate B:
Hi all,

Oftentimes, the expectations we set for our surgery help us prepare for the recovery time afterword. I think the *term* brain surgery can be frightening. It doesn't have to be. Know that after any treatment you will be changed. You have just been through a diagnosis of a brain tumor and treated it.

My advice is to go into the surgery knowing that it is major surgery, that you will need to focus on your recovery, and that life will go on.  Based on data, I knew I had a high probable outcome relative to maintaining my facial nerve, and a 70% chance of hearing retention.  I was hopeful and realistic about the potential outcomes.

My advice is to set goals for recovery and make the post operative time a focus on resuming your life.  After surgery, I worked through balance issues by setting goals. They told me I had lost 37% of my balance prior to surgery, so my other side seemed to have compensated and made the balance easier to regain. My surgery was Thursday and by Sunday I made it my goal to walk around the hospital floor 3 times per hour.  My husband needed to hold on to my elbow that day, but by Monday I wanted to do it without his help. At Seton Hall, they referred to us as the couple where you couldn't tell which one had the surgery:)   

     There were a couple of times I felt off balance during recovery.  Like many on this listserv, it seemed to be at night.  Like one night I woke up in the middle of the night for a drink of water and while trying to walk around the dog,I walked into the furniture.  Or the time I just finished telling the hair stylist that I was doing great and she asked me to stand up for a moment to sweep all the clippings and I stood up and veered into the wall.  We both laughed....but truly those are the extremes and happened during the first five weeks after my surgery. 
      I NEVER had a headache with the Middle Fossa approach. My biggest side effects the first five weeks were fatigue ( I took naps daily for the first few weeks) and my right eye did not tear at first.  However, it was moist enough that I didn't need daily drops.  I went to an opthamologist in Hinsdale that works with AN's. He, too, said that my eye closed correctly and was okay.  He said sometimes the lack of tears might last for 3 month to a year to..... My tears did return right after New Years and my operation was in November.
     Keep in mind the uniqueness of the experience for each individual.  Know that your outcome and experience will be as varied as the darn tumors themselves.  But go in with an expectation that you will recover and move on.  Soon you will be on the other side of the mountain coaching others. 
     There was a movie called, Pay It Forward with Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt.  Its theme was that the way to pay someone back for good fortune is to "pay it forward".

This is my hope for you as you begin and journey along the AN path. 

    How did others go about setting expectation levels?  How did that help you heal afterword? Please share your experiences.
Kindest Regards,
Kate

Russ:
Hi
  If the surgery is merely intracanicular, I wish they's change the surgical name to 'intracranial' rather tham 'brain surgery'.
  I know they won't do this.
  -R

Kate B:

--- Quote from: Kate Besserman on May 28, 2005, 12:00:42 pm ---Hi all,

Oftentimes, the expectations we set for our surgery help us prepare for the recovery time afterword. I think the *term* brain surgery can be frightening. It doesn't have to be. Know that after any treatment you will be changed. You have just been through a diagnosis of a brain tumor and treated it.

My advice is to go into the surgery knowing that it is major surgery, that you will need to focus on your recovery, and that life will go on.  Based on data, I knew I had a high probable outcome relative to maintaining my facial nerve, and a 70% chance of hearing retention.  I was hopeful and realistic about the potential outcomes.

My advice is to set goals for recovery and make the post operative time a focus on resuming your life.  After surgery, I worked through balance issues by setting goals. They told me I had lost 37% of my balance prior to surgery, so my other side seemed to have compensated and made the balance easier to regain. My surgery was Thursday and by Sunday I made it my goal to walk around the hospital floor 3 times per hour.  My husband needed to hold on to my elbow that day, but by Monday I wanted to do it without his help. At Seton Hall, they referred to us as the couple where you couldn't tell which one had the surgery:)   

     There were a couple of times I felt off balance during recovery.  Like many on this listserv, it seemed to be at night.  Like one night I woke up in the middle of the night for a drink of water and while trying to walk around the dog,I walked into the furniture.  Or the time I just finished telling the hair stylist that I was doing great and she asked me to stand up for a moment to sweep all the clippings and I stood up and veered into the wall.  We both laughed....but truly those are the extremes and happened during the first five weeks after my surgery. 
      I NEVER had a headache with the Middle Fossa approach. My biggest side effects the first five weeks were fatigue ( I took naps daily for the first few weeks) and my right eye did not tear at first.  However, it was moist enough that I didn't need daily drops.  I went to an opthamologist in Hinsdale that works with AN's. He, too, said that my eye closed correctly and was okay.  He said sometimes the lack of tears might last for 3 month to a year to..... My tears did return right after New Years and my operation was in November.
     Keep in mind the uniqueness of the experience for each individual.  Know that your outcome and experience will be as varied as the darn tumors themselves.  But go in with an expectation that you will recover and move on.  Soon you will be on the other side of the mountain coaching others. 
     There was a movie called, Pay It Forward with Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt.  Its theme was that the way to pay someone back for good fortune is to "pay it forward".

This is my hope for you as you begin and journey along the AN path. 

    How did others go about setting expectation levels?  How did that help you heal afterword? Please share your experiences.
Kindest Regards,
Kate


--- End quote ---

-rdh-:
Thanks for posting your comments, this has given me more optamism about the results of surgery. 
-rdh-

Joef:

when talking to my coworkers I call it "ear surgery" when talking to HR its back to "Brain surgery"  ;)

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