ANA Discussion Forum
Treatment Options => Microsurgical Options => Topic started by: justducky on February 08, 2011, 01:51:48 pm
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Tomorrow, Wed 2/9 is Tom's scheduled surgery .... 7:30 am. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. It's also my birthday. My best b-day gift will be him coming out of this with no big issues. He's having the Translabyrinthine surgery. Thanks in advance for your support. I will let you know the outcome.
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I will be praying...for the surgery and Tom...and for you to have PEACE for a good night's sleep and during that time!
Let us know how it goes. please.
K ;D
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Be assured that many good thoughts and sincere prayers will be with you and your husband on Wednesday. I'm sure the operation will go well. I look forward to your 'report'. :)
Jim
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Many thoughts and prayers for both you and Tom. Sometimes being the caregiver is almost as stressful as being the patient.
Prayers for successful surgery and uneventful recovery for Tom and prayers for peace and strength for you.
Let us know how you both are doing.
Clarice
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Thoughts and prayers are with you. Best wishes, Mickey
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Thank you so much everyone! I'll keep youposted.
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Barb -
best of luck to Tom tomorrow; he's in excellent hands. Dr. Kazan was my neurosurgeon and he's one of the best. I just loved him - except for his daily hospital visits @ 6:30 a.m. :( Why he couldn't stop and see me at noon, I'll never know. I asked him a few times, but he just chuckled. Dr. Wiet has an excellent reputation and is very experienced at AN surgery. The two have worked together as a team for many, many years.
Take care of yourself - AN surgery is hard on loved ones and caregivers also. Tomorrow will probably be very nerve-wracking for you; but hang in there.
Happy birthday and if you need some "live" support, don't hesitate to call me.
Best,
Jan
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Barb,
This time tomorrow you'll be enjoying your birthday present - he'll even be wrapped. Well, at least his head will be. ;)
We'll all be thinking of you both and waiting to hear a good report.
Don't forget to take care of YOU!
Lori
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I'll be sending prayers, good thoughts & vibes your way so that the surgery is uneventful & your birthday a happy one.
Syl
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Hi All,
Tom's surgery wennt just fine....they got the whole tumor out, biopsy showed benign, and facial nerve is 'in-tact'!!!!
The docs said that they stimulated his nerve and it's fine. He said that Tom MAY show a little eye or mouth issue, but that it would definitely get better because there was no damage during surgery.
He's currently in ICU and was sleeping alll day. The nurses warned me that today could be a veryhard day for him as his right side now has no balance and today could be the wild dizzy/nauseous day.
Thanks to all of you who are here for us and are praying.
Willl give more information as i kknow more. Love to you all!
Barb,
This time tomorrow you'll be enjoying your birthday present - he'll even be wrapped. Well, at least his head will be. ;)
We'll all be thinking of you both and waiting to hear a good report.
Don't forget to take care of YOU!
Lori
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So glad Tom's surgery went as expected and he is doing well. Yes, the first three days are kind of a bummer but after that things usually improve very quickly. He may or may not be unstable ..... depending upon how long his vestibular nerve was affected before surgery. His brain may have already begun to compensate before surgery. If not, as soon as he feels up to it, encourage him to walk as much as he can. Walking really speeds up the compensation.
Hope you had a little birthday time yesterday with friends or family with you ..... not an especially fun way to celebrate, however, as you know.
Tell Tom many prayers were being said for him ..... and still are for both of you.
Clarice
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I wish good luck to Tom for the surgery and happy birthday to you.Witing for the good news.I am sure he will be fine
Nazaz
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Very glad to read that Tom's surgery went well and they got the whole tumor. that's great news!
I hope the recovery goes well for everyone.
-Tod
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GREAT news! That's the best birthday present ever! And you had one fewer person to share your cake with! ;)
The first few days are rough, but once he's up and moving around, I think you'll be amazed at how fast things improve.
Lori
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Thank you everyone!! I am sitting with him now. The staff is trying to encourage him to move around and open his eyes. i can see that when he does open his eyes they are jittery but they said that it's better than yesterday (didn't see his eyes yesterday). PT is going to be in this afternoon and want him to sit on the side of the bed at least.
He really doesn't want to move for fear of nausea, but the nurses here are wonderful and they are quick to help with the nausea when he has it. I'mhoping for a good PT experience this afternoon.
So glad Tom's surgery went as expected and he is doing well. Yes, the first three days are kind of a bummer but after that things usually improve very quickly. He may or may not be unstable ..... depending upon how long his vestibular nerve was affected before surgery. His brain may have already begun to compensate before surgery. If not, as soon as he feels up to it, encourage him to walk as much as he can. Walking really speeds up the compensation.
Hope you had a little birthday time yesterday with friends or family with you ..... not an especially fun way to celebrate, however, as you know.
Tell Tom many prayers were being said for him ..... and still are for both of you.
Clarice
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I remember the 1st time they had me sit in a chair - it was for about 15 minutes and I stared at the clock the whole time - couldn't wait to lie back down! It'll get better!!
K ;D
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Thanks....that is encouraging!
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Justducky ~
I just logged into the ANA forums and found your most recent update on your husband's AN surgery. Great news! Tom is apparently doing quite well and his post-op issues appear to be minimal,. I had a similar experience (and no nausea) so I can attest that within a few days he should be getting relatively active. I was discharged on my fifth day in the hospital after proving to the PT nurse that I was able to walk unassisted both around the hallways and up and down stairs. I can almost guarantee you that Tom will be fatigued but will slowly improve. He should strive to do what he can but always be cognizant of his body's limitations and don't induce a recovery set-back because he pushed himself too hard. Easier said than done, I know but I write from experience. With AN surgery recovery, time is your friend.
Jim
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Glad to hear the surgery went so well! As so many of us know, nausea is not unusual after the surgery. I gave my PT guy quite a "present" the first time he tried to make me sit on side of the bed :-\ he left and I never saw him again - a different one came back the next day. It does get better pretty quickly, though. And hard as it is, moving/walking is really the best thing for it (along with the drugs ;) ).
Keep us posted as you can,
Cindy
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OT and PT were both here and took it very very slow. They did get him up and he's sitting in a chair. He's not moving much....I think he's so afraid of getting sick......very successfurl for the first day they said ;D. He's going to move in a few minutes out of ICU into a regular room. He has a little temperature though....hopefully getting hiim moving will help this also.
Glad to hear the surgery went so well! As so many of us know, nausea is not unusual after the surgery. I gave my PT guy quite a "present" the first time he tried to make me sit on side of the bed :-\ he left and I never saw him again - a different one came back the next day. It does get better pretty quickly, though. And hard as it is, moving/walking is really the best thing for it (along with the drugs ;) ).
Keep us posted as you can,
Cindy
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Just thought I'd post an update on my husband, Tom. Surgery was on Wednesday. Today he has walked up and down the halls of the hospital about 4 times! I was so excited when I got to the hospital today and was told that. Nausea seems to have subsided pretty much and he doesn't seem to be dizzy. If he hangs on to the IV pole he can walk a decent distance before he poops out.
He's pretty much always has a headache yet but the nursing staff is quick to help. He also started eating solid food today ( not much though). Not sure if he doesn't have an appetite or if he's afraid of getting sick. The light really bothers him so he wants it dark in his room.
It's a huge relief that the tumor is out.
It's sooooooooooooooo hard to sit by him but unable to do anything to help. >:( I guess that is just part of it. Hoping that he will come home Sunday or Monday.
All in all, it appears that he is doing really really well.
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Sounds like he is making great strides in the right direction!
Keep up the good work and tell him to remember to listen to his body!
K ;D
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Great news! He sounds like he is doing well. I can understand about it being hard to not be able to do anything for him, but in many ways, doing nothing was the best thing my wife did for me as it forced me to do for myself. That was the therapy *I* needed.
Keep his spirits up and the first year will pass quicker than you believe and this experience will be a dim memory.
-Tod
Oh, and take care of yourself, too.
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Hope your dear hubby is making more progress every day. Getting home will be a wonderful treat for you and him.
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Thanks for your insight Jim!
One optimistic nurse yesterday said he might come home today but that actually made me nervous because he was NOT yet walking without assistance of that IV pole. I suppose he could use a walker though. I would likek to see more progress before he comes home for safety sake. One thing about Tom is that he tends to be very conservative, which also means he is very careful :) so that is in his favor.
I'm anxious to see what I find today when I go to see him. They are keeping an eye on his sugar since they said the steroids cause blood sugar to rise. At one point it was 267 which mde me quite nervous but now it's back down to a reasonable number.
Will write more after today! Thanks.
Justducky ~
I just logged into the ANA forums and found your most recent update on your husband's AN surgery. Great news! Tom is apparently doing quite well and his post-op issues appear to be minimal,. I had a similar experience (and no nausea) so I can attest that within a few days he should be getting relatively active. I was discharged on my fifth day in the hospital after proving to the PT nurse that I was able to walk unassisted both around the hallways and up and down stairs. I can almost guarantee you that Tom will be fatigued but will slowly improve. He should strive to do what he can but always be cognizant of his body's limitations and don't induce a recovery set-back because he pushed himself too hard. Easier said than done, I know but I write from experience. With AN surgery recovery, time is your friend.
Jim
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Way to go, Tom! ;D Sounds like you're headed in the right direction - out the door!
If he's not safe to go home yet, his PT will not approve his discharge - no matter what the nurse or doctor say. I worked as a PT in a big hospital, and the last thing a doctor wants to do is send a patient home when PT says it's not safe - because if something happens, the doctor is in a heap of trouble for sending a patient home when it wasn't safe to do so. If you have any concerns, talk to the PT about it. Also, have them show you ways that you can assist him and ways to keep him from hurting himself. You can always get a walker or a cane for him to hang onto until he gets his sea legs back.
I had the same issue with the steroids while in the hospital and was having my blood sugar checked every 30 minutes for a while. I felt like a big pin cushion! Once the steroids stopped, everything went back to normal. I also remember not having much of an appetite for a while. When you're not really doing much, you don't work up much of an appetite. And hospital food isn't always the most appealing food to begin with. And I can understand his fear of nausea. I'd rather be in pain than nauseous. The pain meds tend to be a little rough on the stomach, so I made sure to request the anti-nausea meds at the same time I got the pain meds and that seemed to keep things under control.
All in all, sounds like you are both doing great and I am sure he'll be doing much better when he's home and sleeping in his own bed!
Lori
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Lori,
Thank you so much for your comments. I will definitely check with PT before he goes home. It's good to know that they have to OK his discharge!
Everything you mentionhere really hellps me understand what is going on. My sister in law is a nurse and this morning suggested I talk to the nursing staff about the pain meds he's getting. The perkistat (spelling???) she has has a narcotic in it and can affect his bowels. Since he has had had ALOT ALOT ALOT of trouble in that area, I need to question them on that for an alternative. It's very important that his bowels don't get slowed down (long long story) Heading to the hospital now....excited to see how he's doing today!!!!! Thanks so much!!!
Way to go, Tom! ;D Sounds like you're headed in the right direction - out the door!
If he's not safe to go home yet, his PT will not approve his discharge - no matter what the nurse or doctor say. I worked as a PT in a big hospital, and the last thing a doctor wants to do is send a patient home when PT says it's not safe - because if something happens, the doctor is in a heap of trouble for sending a patient home when it wasn't safe to do so. If you have any concerns, talk to the PT about it. Also, have them show you ways that you can assist him and ways to keep him from hurting himself. You can always get a walker or a cane for him to hang onto until he gets his sea legs back.
I had the same issue with the steroids while in the hospital and was having my blood sugar checked every 30 minutes for a while. I felt like a big pin cushion! Once the steroids stopped, everything went back to normal. I also remember not having much of an appetite for a while. When you're not really doing much, you don't work up much of an appetite. And hospital food isn't always the most appealing food to begin with. And I can understand his fear of nausea. I'd rather be in pain than nauseous. The pain meds tend to be a little rough on the stomach, so I made sure to request the anti-nausea meds at the same time I got the pain meds and that seemed to keep things under control.
All in all, sounds like you are both doing great and I am sure he'll be doing much better when he's home and sleeping in his own bed!
Lori
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Barb -
glad to hear that Tom's surgery went well and that he'll be headed for home shortly.
I found that after the first 2 or 3 days post op, I made progress each and every day. Being home and sleeping in your own bed also seems to help. Some days Tom's progress will be two steps forward and one step back, but that's perfectly normal. His brain and his body have been through a lot.
Lots of people, me included, have little or no appetite post op and some of us even end up with "metallic mouth" for a time, so Tom eating little at this point is normal. So are his "jittery" eyes and his sensitivity to light.
Remember to take care of yourself during Tom's recovery. Caretakers have a full-time job and sometimes patients can get frustrated and a little testy - I know this from experience. ;)
Please give Tom my best.
Jan
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T O M I S H O M E!
Tom came home from the hospital last night! Yippee! We had to stay a little longer than expected due to low potassium, but after getting that straightened out, he's home and doing well. The more and more he walked the halls, the more stable he got. No nausea, just a little bit of focus issues, no dizziness, little headache here and there but nothing major. He was walking un assisted. Sometimes he would veer to one way or the ohter, but was able to 'right himself' quickly.
Dr. Wiet wants him to walk every day and increase the distance every day. I asked about a cane just for security and he thought that was a good idea, so got him one of those with a tripod platform on the bottom and he really likes it. He says moving around in the house, he can move more quickly and securely.
Dr. Wiet also told us the other day that the tumor was being fed by a couple of major arteries that he could see when he got ini there, and the tumor would have surely grown in the next couple years. So I'm glad we opted for the translab surgery and have it over with. As I've read many many times here, this type of surgery is not for everyone, but for Tom it was the right choice. Dr. Wiet also suggested to drive a strong cup of coffee in the morning to get his brain moving. This has been interesting for Tom, because he never learned to like coffee, but we're finding some flavorings that are making it tolerable for him ;D
I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Wiet and his team. He is always quick to let us know that it's not just him....they have a TEAM always using the same neurosurgeon and team of docs when they do these procedures.... He is never in a hurry and always willing to listen and answer your questions.
Just wanted to share my happiness about him being home and how well he's doing. Barb
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Thanks, Barb.
The news about Tom being home and his recovery moving right along makes my day. I did a lot of walking (mostly at a local park, my wife at my side) in the weeks following my AN surgery and I believe it helped me recover my balance as well as making me feel 'normal' again, being out and about. Thanks for sharing your elation - and the good news! :)
Jim
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Barb,
This is great news! Thanks for sharing it.
Once I got home, I did my best to walk as much as I could. That included doing loops in the cul de sac two or three times day. keeping track of what I did each day helped me see clearly how much I was improving. Stairs were harder, so I made an effort to practice going up and down stairs.
I hope the good healing continues,
Tod
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Thanks Jim. Hope this is an encouragement to those thinking about surgery.
Thanks, Barb.
The news about Tom being home and his recovery moving right along makes my day. I did a lot of walking (mostly at a local park, my wife at my side) in the weeks following my AN surgery and I believe it helped me recover my balance as well as making me feel 'normal' again, being out and about. Thanks for sharing your elation - and the good news! :)
Jim
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Glad to know he's home - always helps recovery to get to your own bed (in my opinion ;)). Have him walk outside some also - it's different and can be a bit of a challenge, but helps things improve. I don't drink coffee either, but start my day (and always have) with a Coke. Maybe that would be enough caffeine for him. Tell him to still take some naps too!
Cindy
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Gotta love a doctor that prescribes coffee! ;D
Lori
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He has drunk Mountain Dew as long as I have known him, but with being a borderline Diabetic, he switched to Diet Mountain Dew, but it appears that the sweetners don't always agree with his stomach (long story). Thus the suggestion of learning to like coffee.
Yes, outside will be great as soon as it warms up a bit more!!!
Glad to know he's home - always helps recovery to get to your own bed (in my opinion ;)). Have him walk outside some also - it's different and can be a bit of a challenge, but helps things improve. I don't drink coffee either, but start my day (and always have) with a Coke. Maybe that would be enough caffeine for him. Tell him to still take some naps too!
Cindy
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Yes!!!!! I guess a cup of coffee is actually good for you as long as you don't over do it (as with everything else).
Gotta love a doctor that prescribes coffee! ;D
Lori
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Thanks ducky, my surgery is scheduled for June and really really look for and appreciate reading post surgery posts and related experiences! Extremely helpfull!
Bill
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Are you having the translab surgery?
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No, it's the Retrosigmoid approach for me. My Neurotologist Dr Lee feels it is worth trying to save the hearing I have.
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Ok. Great..... we wish you the very best outcome!