ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => AN Issues => Topic started by: james e on March 31, 2010, 03:24:49 pm
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I am very tired but will write some today, maybe more tomorrow. I had surgery in Methodist Hospital Houston, Texas, March 24 by Dr Vrabec. I checked in at 0630 and probably was wheeled into the surgery about 0730. I told my wife I wanted for her to whisper into my right ear that she loved me...it was the last thing I ever heard in that ear. I was wheeled out at 1730. I had a right translab, and the BAHA post was implanted at the same time. As I was throwing up in recovery, the first thing I did was check my facial muscles...perfect. I have no problems with my face. I only stayed in the hospital for the surgery wednesday, march 24, and I checked out on Saturday morning, march 28. The surgical nurses found it was hard to believe I am 60 years old. I work out with weights every day, and and very muscled. I think my excellent health really helped. I tire very easily, but every day is much better.. I also found out that a new MRI shows I have some high lighted area on my left facial nerve, and we will get a new MRI yearly now. I never want to do this ever again, and can only hope that the tumor stays small and does no damage. I am tired, but I will write more later. You have no idea how much I thought about you guys here, especially Pooter, who helped guide me to Dr Vrabec. I love this site and I love you all.
James
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James ~
Thanks so much for that great surgery update. I'm delighted to learn that your surgery went so well and that your recovery is zipping right along. Good health going in to surgery is definitely a plus! I had excellent health (but not much in the way of muscles) going into my AN surgery in 2006, and also enjoyed a good outcome and relatively swift recovery.
The fatigue will pass and you'll be back to normal in no time, I'm sure. Please keep us posted as you have the time and energy. Thanks.
Jim
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James -
GREAT to hear from you! ;D Glad things went well.
Congratulations on being on a postie!
Glad you got a BAHA - I think you'll really like it.
And I agree with you, Pooter is one of THE best.
Now get some rest.
Jan
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James,
I'm glad everything turned out well with your surgery at Methodist with Dr. Vrabec.. As you know, he was my doctor also and he's just the bees knees in my book. It will take some time to get your endurance back, but it will come back. For now, get some rest and take every advantage of the pampering you're sure to get..
Thanks for the nice comment. That brightened up my day. :)
Regards,
Brian
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Way to go, James! You sound great and I am so glad you are doing well ! Take it easy and give your body time to heal...that's an important step. You did amazingly well, but you DID just have brain surgery ;). Keep us posted on your progress.
Priscilla
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Sound like your recovery is going verry well. Just remember to listen to your body when it tells you to slow down. Keep us posted on your healing!
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James .....
Now you are an official postie. So glad everything went well. As the others have said, this is one time you really need to rest when the fatigue hits and not try to push through it. It is your body's way of telling you it needs some down time to heal. You will soon be back to your work outs, but do not rush it. It truly is not worth the potential set-backs if you overdo in the early days/weeks.
Best thoughts.
Clarice
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James,
Wow! It is so great to hear that someone made it through surgery so well. I have mine tomorrow and am terrified, this just gave me hope that maybe I will be out sooner than they are expecting.
Keep up with the speedy recovery but remember to take it easy.
Continue with the updates, they are awesome to hear.
Susan
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Good luck Susan! Hope all goes well for you. You are almost a postie!
Priscilla
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Susan, which Methodist Hospital are you going into? I was in Houston. Your case sounds like mine...hearing was good, balance was terrible. I think that worked into my favor, since my good side had already started to balance me, and severing the bad side made my balance great. I can stand on one leg. I can walk in the dark. I live on a river in central Texas and have been walking up and down the limestone to the river. Good health is a key. Positive attitude is better than medicine. I wish you all the luck. Write back when you can.
James
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Thank you for posting updates.
I remember being so tired at first. I took daily afternoon naps for awhile.
Sounds like you are doing well if you are trekking down limestone paths.
Kate
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Priscilla, you had a huge responsibility along with Pooter to go to Dr Vrabec. Sorry to leave you out of the mix of thanks I have to offer. The ability to send and receive personal messages here was important to me, and helped me decide what type of treatment was best for me. Nobody ever suggested which method to chose, but your experience with Methodist Hospital and Dr Vrabec was the tipping point for me. Thank you to Priscilla and Pooter. If I was young enough to have more kids, I might name them after you two.
My strength is rapidly returning. I lost about 10 pounds following surgery, but I am eating several times a day now, trying to gain it back. 12 hours following the surgery, I was fed a full breakfast of pancakes, sausage, a biscuit, milk, orange juice, and coffee. No sore throat. I know that everybody has a different experience in their recovery, and mine has been great. I am just offering to those of you who are thinking about surgery, either planning it or just waiting for the date, that this was not the end of the world. I thought the pain would be horrible, but there was no pain. Discomfort was another story...I just could not get used to lying there. My heel would start itching, then I could hear my heart in my left ear, then the blood pressure cuff was wadded up, then the bandage around my head was too tight. That was pure hell to me...no pain, just uncomfortable.
Surgery was Wednesday, and I was walked by a PT nurse with a belt strapped around me about 15 hours after surgery. She thought I was walking too slowly, but I was just glad to be up, and not listening to my heart beat or feeling that blood pressure cuff any more. I was put in a regular room by noon on Thursday, and started walking the hall way Thursday night. I set little goals like walk three doors and turn around, get back in bed. Next time go 10 doors. Finally I let go go of the hand rail and walked without support...getting better...I was so proud of my success. At this time I decided to set goals for lots of things, and quit worrying about my discomfort. My wife brought in treats from outside, like a cup of hot coffee, a sandwich. All of these little goals and treats made the day survivable.
One funny thing happened in ICU. I had regained my ability to think and reason, and I began to listen to the nurses in the area, just to have something to do. At one point, they started playing a game, trying to get responses from patients by buzzing them on the intercom system. One of them said, try the guy over there with the acoustic neuroma, and I got buzzed...I did not respond. This may have been part of there job just measuring the ability of a person to respond prior to releasing them to a regular room, but all I could imagine was that they were betting money on who would answer.
I just want to make a little difference in some ones hospital stay. This is not a vacation at all, but if you go in with the idea that YOU will make the best of this, set some little goals, work around problems, your stay will be much better.
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Hm-m-m-m-m....twins named Priss and Pooter? :D Don't go there, James! I'm delighted that your overall experience was good, and you sound really upbeat. That's half the battle, I think. Keep up with your small goals. Setting goals too high in the beginning is just too discouraging. My kids at school are fond of saying, "Inch by inch is a cinch. Yard by yard is hard." I'm really impressed with how quickly you were able to eat. I confess that the anesthesia made me queasy and it was a day or two before I was ready to attempt food. My first meal right after surgery lasted a mere 10 minutes before it made an exit. :-\ I agree with you about the discomfort versus pain thing. I just wanted to be in my own bed again. There are too many distractions in a hospital.
Keep us posted and remember to rest when you feel the need!
Priscilla
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James. I am quite surprised to hear how the nurses were acting while you were in ICU to bother pts with buzzing them. That is not usual nurse behavior and not something most places would require done. I would do a complaint if you know where that is possible to where you were. If you get a survey about your care,then also would be a way to make it aware to higher ups. I am a retired nurse who has been thru 4 AN surgeries now and am appalled of their behavior! They have not been an ICU patient to know what it is like to be one!
Cheryl R
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I'm not sure they were trying to bother me or any other patient. I was still heavily drugged. It might not have even happened, but that is my memory, and I just thought it was rather funny at the moment. The treatment at the hospital from the janitors through the doctors could not have been any better. In fact, surgery day was also my wife's birthday, and I mentioned that during my check in. One of the nurses went out and bought my wife a present, a toy stuffed horse, and during their breaks while the surgery was going on, they signed it and later brought it out to her.
I think a lot of things happen when you are still half knocked out. If it really happened, it was funny to me. Again, they may have been trying to measure my response to their signal to determine what my state of alertness was. I have a really alert type of mind...I was a police officer, and one of the personality profiles of an officer is active mental alertness, and I never stop trying to be aware of what goes on around me. If they had doughnuts, I might have had one of those too.
I just want some people new to this situation, to realize that some of these surgeries go really well. I didn't expect to go into ICU and have some fun. It wasn't like being on vacation, but with a positive mental state you can tolerate just about anything. Now, if the nurses had voodoo dolls ...
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I should add that nurses do have a sense of humor and there can be times when it might sound like we are not acting right to some patient but it is more with someone you know long term and needs some joking with. But it is harder to sleep in an ICU and most nurses know not to bother a pt if they are maybe sleeping. Buzzing several still sounds not right to me and if need to see how alert they are,then one should go check on them. I know well how one can feel groggy and wonder if hearing things right though! Been there,done that! Soon to be 2 yrs ago for my last time.
Just good to hear how well you are doing now! Cheryl R
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"Hypervigilant" they all us coppers.
Glad to hear your recovery is coming along James. Are you working in your retirement or have you been hanging out? I have 25 years to go to full pension, 20 for reduced ..
I have a 3cm an and will be having surgery in May-Jun...
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Hi James,
Wishing you a speedy recovery.
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Hi James,
I've been reading about you and am glad to hear how well you are doing! Keep up the great attitude listen to your body and get plenty of rest. I'm sending wishes for a continued speedy and wonderful recovery.
Wendy
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Hi james! :)
I know I am slow to the responses here, but I believe you know just how much I have been cheering you on and sending wellness wishes your way! Hang in there and take it easy.
Phyl
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Good to hear from you. My surgery and outcome could not have been better...really excited! Last night was kind of thrilling. My wife took the dog out right after dusk and asked if I wanted to go. I got my cane and started walking...or at least trying to walk. Without the visual support of seeing horizontal/vertical, I was all over the place. I have been getting around the house and going on walks with almost no problem at all. Ridding in the car has some minor issues, but nothing big. I will not be going back out in the dark for quite a while. Anyway, really good to hear from you.
James
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Ahhhhhh, walking in the dark ..... :-X Most of us can identify. A little tip: besides having someone nearby or your cane handy, when you go from a lighted area to dimly lit, wait extra long for your eyes to adjust to the darkness before trying to walk in it. I find I can do reasonably well now if I just wait those extra few moments to give my eyes/brain time to adjust. I have no problem getting up in the night with a few nightlights strategically placed around the house, plus ambient light from outside.
Good luck and be careful ...... what you do not want is a bad fall.
Clarice
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Walking after dark!!! That is a real issue. If anyone watched me they would think I was totally DRUNK!!! Glad you are doing so well and the dark thing does get better. I am now walking after dark drunk - not fall down drunk!
Happy Trails,
Lynn
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I have a flash light next to my bed that I can adjust the brightness down to a very low level at night and get around...prostate issues...gottta go gotta go. No problem with low lights, or a bright moon. I have not started to drive yet, but night time will be out of the question any time soon. I can stand on one leg with eyes open, but cannot do it with my eyes closed. Everyday I am making some improvement about my balance. This morning my dog took me walking, and we walked about a mile. She would keep going, but I don't want to over-do my self. I carry a cane just in case, but don't really rely on it. The snakes are starting to come out and get some sun and look for mates this time of year around here, and a cane is good to have. Last night a gray fox and a raccoon came to visit my back yard to eat some berries. They were about 40 feet away. Life is really good!
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Cell phone makes a good flashlight in case of emergency in the dark, as well.
I have not started to drive yet, but night time will be out of the question any time soon.
You might be surprised by this ..... I was. I have no problem driving in the dark because I am not trying to walk in it. It took me several months post-op before I was comfortable driving period (remember I have no vestibular function on either side, so a bit different than a usual single-sided AN patient) but I was very surprised the first time I drove at night that it was no problem. I just assumed since it was a major problem walking in the dark that driving would be equally so. If your vision is stable riding in the car after dark, driving should be OK. Try it out in a safe place with someone with you when you feel ready.
Now, I have to add this ..... ::) After you get to where you are going in the dark, you may have to stay in the car since you still cannot walk safely in the dark ..... ;)
Best wishes. BTW, we have no gray foxes, but lots of deer and raccoons ..... eating the new flower shoots coming up! But, they are fun to watch, along with the myriad of birds we have coming to our feeders.
Clarice
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Yeah...keep up the good healing :) I see where you wrote that you were working on gaining the 10 pounds back that you lost during this time...spoken like a true guy!! :) I'm working to keep off the weight i lost!! ....it's all perspective. Hope you continue on well...~~michelle d. ~~
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Hi James-
I'm jumping in a little late, but just wanted to give you a big NJ congrats on your successful surgery! It is so good of you to post, and I am quite sure your posts will be very helpful to those who are awaiting surgery. You obviously have a great sense of humor and a good outlook on life - in my experience, that's a big factor in recovery. Keep doin' what you're doin'! :D
Debbi
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James, you sound like you are doing great. Your attitude is one giant plus, let me tell you! If you can greet each day with a sense of wonder and a large measure of good humor, you are way ahead of the game. I had a meningioma instead of a neuroma so I can't chime in with stories about balance, but I sure admire your willingness to (literally) roll with the punches. From what others have experienced and related on the forum, it sounds like you are right on schedule. Keep doing what you are doing and keep us posted on your progress. ;)
Priscilla