ANA Discussion Forum
Treatment Options => Radiation / Radiosurgery => Topic started by: mesafinn on April 15, 2013, 05:05:31 pm
-
To those who have been educating me, I wanted you to know that my GK procedure is scheduled Friday morning at UPMC (Pittsburgh) w/Dr. Lunsford.
Don't really know where to start with my thanks--MK in Ontario has provided a lot of helpful and local information while also sharing her story, experience, and expertise. I am grateful.
Robinb has been willing to talk by phone, converse over email, and was instrumental in getting me to where I got. Thanks for blazing the trail!
Arizona Jack, you have made me laugh out loud so many times I lost count. Your sense of humor and your input has provided me warmth over this dreary discernment time, and I am appreciative.
There are others--many others--whose "screen names" have become friends and lifelines and confidants and allies. To those who post here regularly, who have replied to my posts, who have PM'd me, and who have taught me much, I may not be acknowledging you here by name but you are going into my treatment with me on Friday.
The Powers That Be know that few understand the way those who have shared the journey with you understand. Many of you here have touched my heart with your kindness, care, and compassion.
Friday will be made easier because of you. Thanks. And I'll be back to help others in the way you have helped me.
Peace, Faith, and Good Health,
Patrick
-
Wishing you the very best Patrick! I'll be sending good thoughts your way on Friday!
I look forward to hearing how things go. Your strength, positive outlook and kindness have been inspiring as I continue to struggle through this pretreatment phase.
Cathie.
-
Hi Patrick-
Will be thinking of you; check in when youre finished. Safe travels!
-
Patrick,
Was just reading your post. Want you to know that I will be praying for you. I had gammaknife on October 12, 2012, at the University of Virginia. I did begin having some side effects around 4 months but now at 6 months (and after steriods) I am feeling great. I am still very happy with my decision for gamma. Best wishes.
Cindy
-
Patrick ~
Your generous words of thanks to our forum contributors is much appreciated. I'm so pleased to learn that the ANA site has been such a help to you.
You'll be in our collective thoughts and prayers for a successful outcome to your GK treatment on Friday.
Jim
-
Patrick,
I am glad that we were able to help. That's what we are here for. Thank you for all your kind words.
Best wishes for your procedure tomorrow and for a successful outcome overall. We will be expecting your updates.
Marianna
PS. Don't forget the cold compresses to ease swelling from the pin sites after your treatment!
-
Dear Patrick,
You have nothing to fear! The machine should be soundless....Nobody told me this!!!!!! I went through it in June of 2012. Of course, I was a little achy from the pinholes and had a mild headache for about 3 days. The scars start to fade after 3 weeks. Good luck at UPMC I went there for a consult. You have chosen the best now relax,they'll take care of the rest! Just think we'll be welcoming you to the world of Toasty-Posties! Ps. if you work like I do you should be able to go back in a couple of days but just in case, follow the expert doctors...
You shall be in my thoughts (and prayers) all day Friday.
I join the others( in being modest) , it (providing heartfelt advice and a little comfort) is what we are here for!
Safe journey! You're almost there!
Mike
-
Just a walk in the park Patrick. :) You have placed your treatment in the best hands out there.
-
Patrick,
Sending positive energy and thoughts your way for Friday!
All the Best,
Petrone
-
(http://)
Just a very quick and short note to let you know that I've received amazing care and all went well today.
I arrived into Pittsburgh on Wednesday, spent a good chunk of yesterday meeting with nurses, lab techs, interns, and doctors---and all went smoothly.
I got to the hospital at 6 a.m. (EST) and we started in right away. There were harder parts that others (the helmet is uncomfortable but not particularly painful), and the simple version is that I'm finished with the GK procedure with what the doctor said was a textbook case---just what I would want!. I'm resting in my room comfortably now, lots of goody juice for pain management, and we'll be leaving Pittsburgh tomorrow to return to Canada.
I have the cold compresses that MK recommended---and the nurse said to put them on the pinsites and over my eye to avoid puffiness/becoming swollen.
Each and every one of you was there with me throughout the day....I had plenty of time to think during the various stages of procedure (lab work, MRI, waiting for "the team" to determine the gy dosages, and the actual GK moment.)
I was worried about how quiet it would be, but I was able to bring in my own CDs which helped considerably and was very consoling. But I also thought of a particular moment I read about here: someone had been waiting in the GK machine and yelled out, "It's okay, you can turn the machine on now." And the tech replied that the procedure was almost already through. It made me laugh then--and today. Humor goes a long way to getting us through these moments!
I am very fortunate to have you in my life.
Just wanted you to know I'm doing great. Here's hoping for tomorrow and tomorrow, too----and to each of you, good health, happiness, and lots of love in your lives.
P.
-
Patrick ~
Congratulations! May your recovery be swift and uneventful. :)
Jim
-
Glad everything went well..any other tips? (thanks for those about the music & compresses)
-
Patrick-
You are probably on your way home now; thanks for the pics; my bet is you will be back to your old routines in a few days. So glad it went well.
-
Hi Patrick,
Congrats! And welcome to the post-toastie club. Except for the minor pin complication, it sounds like everything went very well. I am very happy and relieved for you. Continued best wishes for a speedy recovery!
All the best,
Petrone
-
I had the same pin complication that you described. It bled a lot after the frame removal. I felt it right from the beginning that something was wrong when they first placed the frame. This area was quite sore for some time afterwards, and even a bit numb.
I am glad you are feeling so good. Try to take it easy though, it is easy to overdo it when you feel so well, but then the fatigue can sneak up on you. Give your body some time to rest and heal (take a nap or two ;))
Marianna
-
Dear Patrick,
Indeed humor goes a long way, I personally am glad you saw humor in that moment. I didn"t know what to expect, so I was pleasantly to my delight suprised by the relative silence in the big Gamma Knife Room at NY Presbyterian.
Then again I was so scared it would be painful, I was so startled when it wasn't. Brain pain I find so intolerable, I'm just a big chicken, I suppose. I remember being in agony in 1973 with my AVM's (before the operation that saved my life! But that was such a long time ago!
I am glad that your experience with the GK machine was as pleasant as mine was! Good health to you! Godspeed to your recovery!
Post well and often!
Just one of your new friends,
Mike
-
It's been almost two weeks since my GK procedure, and I'm holding up fairly well. I have experienced a great deal of fatigue, which my GK doc said was due to my "aging process." (I'm 47.) There have been times in the past week that I had to talk myself into scratching an itch, it seemed like that much effort. I need an extended nap (this is new) and feel run down. But I am functioning fine otherwise.
I did get a letter from a neurosurgeon with whom I had consulted before my treatment. I only got the letter today. But he put into writing some new information I had never seen.
He writes, "Pertinent complications of radiation treatment include a 5% chance of facial weakness (not paralysis). There would be a 5% chance you might experience significant headaches post radiation. This is the result of protein shedding from the tumor that blocks brain fluid absorptive pathways...There is a 5% chance you may experience significant facial numbness/pain. This is the result of radiation injury to the nearby trigeminal (facial sensation) nerve."
But it is what he writes next that was most noteworthy to me as it's something I have never come across: "Following radiation you would also be at risk for developing other tumors intracranially. The development of post-radiation meningiomas is well known and is reported in the world literature." He goes on to write about malignancy potential (he writes between 1/1000 to 1/10,000) which I knew. But it is the increase for meningiomas down the road I had never come across. Doing a search of "radiation treatment" and "meningiomas" and other key word searches came up with very limited results--and made me pause at the reference to being "well known" and "reported in the world literature." Has anyone come across this information?
Finally, he did indicate that alcohol was permissible post-radiation, and I wondered if anyone knew of any effects in that regard? I have become healthier since diagnosis but do like to imbibe occasionally.
Hope everyone is well. Peace,
Patrick