ANA Discussion Forum
Treatment Options => Microsurgical Options => Topic started by: volleymom on November 10, 2009, 01:55:38 pm
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Hello out there!
2 weeks from today I will be done with retrosigmoid surgery and recovering at Oregon Health Sciences University. Time sure does speed up once you only have 1 month to go. I am feeling excited to get "this" over and done with. I have spent the last 2.5 months reading the posts on this forum and it has helped me to know what to expect. I am a nurse who works nightshifts, but I have never had surgery.
I had a mild facial numbness for about 20 months. It was starting to get worse this past summer, one side of my tongue was getting numb too, and I felt like I was drooling. The MRI with contrast showed a 9 X 16 mm acoustic neuroma putting pressure on my pons and trigeminal nerve. Once I was given the diagnosis, I realized that I had been ignoring as occasional stabbing pain in my ear. I also had been feeling pressure in my ear. My left eye has been a little dry for several years. My hearing was fine when tested in August. My balance is still good, but if I try vestibular exercises, I am tippy.
My surgeon came highly recommended by 3 family friends and I left the consultation appointment feeling happy that I didn't have to get it done immediately.
Kathy
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Hi Kathy
I had my surgery at OHSU also. Is your surgeon Dr Delashaw? He was my surgeon and if he is your surgeon I can tell you that you are in good hands. Regardless, OHSU treated me so wonderfully post op.The nursing staff was phenominal-they will take good care of you. I wish you the best of luck with your surgery and recovery Kathy!
Erin
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Hi Kathy,
I think many of us also ignored symptoms for a long time. It is easy to convince ourselves that we are imagining them or that they are just "normal" for us. Looking back, I don't know how I could have thought this was normal! I hope you will have some relief after your tumor is removed.
Good luck with your surgery on November 23rd. It sounds like you have done your research and are very comfortable with your doctors. I think that is so important!
Lyn
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Best of luck to you Vollymom with your surgery and eventual recovery. Wishing you all the best, from Vancouver, WA, former Portlander.
Sue
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Hi Kathy,
Welcome to forum.
Well wishes for your surgery later in the month and keep us informed of how things go.
Don
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Hello - and welcome, Kathy ~
Although we hate to see anyone diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma I want to thank you for posting after being a 'lurker' for 2½ months. I'm pleased to learn that the posts you read while 'lurking' were helpful to you. You seem to have the right attitude about your treatment decision, doctor & facility and this will help as you move closer to what is major surgery. Fortunately, the majority of AN surgical patients handle it well and return to relatively normal lives within a few weeks of the surgery. As a nurse and a reader of these forum messages, you know that there is always some risk involved with the AN removal surgery but it is not a huge risk and most post-op deficits are generally temporary. Of course, our members are here to help and support you as you approach, go through and recover from the upcoming surgery.
Like you, I ignored my AN symptoms for some time, losing all hearing in the affected ear. Finally, a combination of noticeable imbalance, a severe loss of appetite (and subsequent 30 pound weight loss) along with the onset of unaccustomed lethargy and admitting that I suffered from intermittent stabbing pains on the (AN) side of my head drove my concerned wife to schedule an appointment for me with my PCP - who sent me for an MRI that discovered my 4.5 cm AN. Successful tumor debulking followed by 26 FSR treatments took care of the AN while helping me to avoid any real complications. I'm fine, now, and confident that in a short while, you'll be posting a similar statement.
I've added your surgery date on our AN Treatment Calendar http://my.calendars.net/an_treatments/d24/11/2009?authenticate=&display=M&style=B (http://my.calendars.net/an_treatments/d24/11/2009?authenticate=&display=M&style=B)
Jim
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Hey Kathy~
Just wanted to say WELCOME - ask any question - we are used to that!!
K ;D
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Hi Kathy .....
..... and welcome to this group of very understanding and supportive people! We are here to help in any way we can, so keep in touch.
Thoughts and prayers as you approach your surgery date.
Clarice
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I think ignoring symptoms is common, most of us experienced them slowly so they were eay to ignore at first. Good luck with your surgery, Oregon is one of my favorite States so I know you are in good hands.
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Hi Kathy,
Assuming you live in or near Portland, I can also say Hi neighbor.
Besides all the support you will get here on the forum, there is also a Portland ANA group. We had a meeting in September, and I expect the next one will be January, maybe? When it comes up it will get posted here, and you can come meet some ANers in person.
Welcome and best wishes for the 23rd.
Steve
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Hi and welcome from another newbie who lurked for a while before posting.
Be glad you're here (if you've GOTTA be somewhere like this!!!!)...This is a great bunch of helpful and supportive folks..best thing i've ever done was start asking questions and using the ANA's Willing to Talk phone list.
the waiting part is hard...i'm waiting on calls from my hospital of choice re: dates for appts/surgery...it is best to stay busy and keep working if you can...this forum helps me when i get "antsy"
Best wishes to you from someone who feels like the pacific northwest is one of my second homes..dennis (hubbie) was born in Troutdale, was raised in Seattle area so we visit the area often.
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Welcome and good luck.
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Hi Volleymom,
I wish you well in your upcoming surgery. I will be following in your footsteps. My surgery is scheduled for Dec. 28th in Boston. Keep in touch, and keep us posted.
My thoughts and prayers are with you!
Gingerbread6
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HI Kathy!
I am wishing for you all things good for your upcoming surgery. The road leading up to it is a long one, but before you know it, it will all be behind you - a great place to be. I look back at the years before my surgery and think about all the symptoms that I had but didn't give a thought to - tingling cheek, slight hearing loss (I just thought it was my age and everyone was mumbling), too much saliva!! (not sure what I attributed that to, but I'm sure I put some meaning around it). Balance was my biggest issue that I complained about for a long time, but my doctors blew that off for 6-7 years. Oh well.
Now it's done, and it will be for you too! Sounds like you found a great place to have your surgery. Wishing you peace of mind, positive spirit, and loving warmth from family and friends. Upward and onward!
Kathy
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Hi, Kathy.
I had retrosigmoid too (but in Illinois) and wish you the best.
Jan
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Hey Kathy! I am sorry you had to find this wonderful place, but you couldn't have found any place better! :) I am also a newbie and will be going under the knife here in under a month! Good luck on yours and let us all know how it goes!
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Hi Kathy and welcome,
Sorry you have an AN, but sinice you do, this is the place to be. I congratulate you on already deciding on treatment, the hardest part of the journey in my opinion. We are here to support you in any way we can -- just let us know how we can help.
Wendy
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Hi Kathy,
Welcome from another nurse.
There is another nurse who just had surgery, and is looking at going back to work nights, so you should have some good support there when all is said and done.
http://anausa.org/forum/index.php?topic=11029.msg127691#msg127691
Good luck with surgery. All the newbies having surgery are in my prayers all the time.
I too ignored my symptoms for I'd say 10-15 years, because they were so slow and insidious. And nurses are too busy taking care of their family and their patients!
Anyway, all will be good, remember that. Just a little (or medium sized) speed bump in the road of life.
Maureen
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My prayers will be with you on your upcoming surgery, my AN was the same size and my hearing tests prior to surgery was normal but from what I hear is that the better your hearing is prior to surgery you can expect maybe a 30% chance of loss after surgery but everyone is different.
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hi and welcome to our unique little club
JO
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Welcome from a 4 week Postie , meaning my surgery was just 4 weeks ago. I think we all can relate to having been told this. I will be praying for on you and I know you will do just fine. I can remember before my surgery that wondering how I was going to be afterwards. But if you can see me now! I never dreamed I would be doing this good in 4 weeks. I pretty much have my old life back and feeling blessed everyday for it. I went to Shands Teaching Hosptial in Gainesville,Florida for my surgery just because I live in town. And after meeting with Dr. Lewis, I knew he was the one for me!
So good luck on 23th. And just remember, when you wake up from surgery that is the begining of your recovery - the hardest part is over with. Debi
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I'm all done with working now and doing the last errands to prepare to go. The kids, husband and dog are all arranged for, I think. Now to finalize the packing...
We'll have a 3 hour drive over the mountains to Portland, so hopefully not too much snow this weekend. I don't have to check in at the hospital until 11:00 on Monday, so it could be a very late ending time for surgery.
We are so lucky to have been given the use of a very nice house to stay at in Portland. After discharge, I may just stay around there to rest for a day or 2 before traveling.
I have had increased ear pressure symptoms for the past 3 weeks. Part of the time it even hurts, which is new. The timing is right to get the surgery over with. Last weekend my younger daughter's team won their 4th consecutive state volleyball championship, which I would not have missed seeing for anything. I will be well into the recovery phase when her club season starts competing in January.
Right now, I am not worried about the surgery as much as the recovery time and how I will be when I return to work.
Thank you all so much for welcoming me to this group!
Kathy
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Hi Kathy,
Just read your post and wanted to say good luck with surgery and you will be in my prayers for all to go well and for a speedy, uneventful recovery!!!! Will be thinking of you :)
Bren~
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Hi Kathy
Good to hear you have a place to stay in Portland before you drive home to Bend. I have made that drive before and I know it is a long one! I was wondering if you were going to tackle that drive right after being released or not. I KNOW you are in great hands Kathy-I am proof of that! Take care and good luck. Plaese let us know how you are doing when you are officially a postie!
Erin
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Hi Kathy .....
Sounds like you are all set and ready to soon be a post-surgical, post-AN person!
Is there anyone who can post for you to let us know how you are doing in recovery? We have several "Mother Hens" on this Forum (hand raised :-[).
Thoughts and prayers for good weather this week-end and uneventful surgery and recovery. (Remember the first three days - F3D - do not count, they will not be fun ..... but after that it is usually a period of quickly feeling better.)
Clarice
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My husband Greg can put out some updates if/when he finds internet access there. He was planning on bringing a laptop anyway.
It's nice to read about all of your success stories and to hear the wishes for good luck
Kathy
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Kathy - best of luck with your surgery this week! By this time next week you will be an official member of the "Postie" club.
- Dennis
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Kathy I hope all went well with your surgery yesterday. This forum has been a great help, so hopefully you will be back up on it soon.
I'm just 2 weeks post op Middle Fossa.
Take care,
Denise
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Healing thoughts going your way, Kathy.
Hope to hear some good news soon :) :)
Maureen
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Mini update:
I got an email earlier today from Greg, saying "Kathy is finished and doing well. Still in ICU and feeling groggy. Appears they got all the tumor." That was all he knew at the time, but it sounds like she is on her way to recovery.
Steve
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I am doing very well. Exhausted, it takes 1-2 hours to eat a small meal. I've beeen up to sit on the side of the bed a few times and it gets easier each time. I had a sitdown shower this morning which was wonderful. Later today I wiil work with PT. I was very wobbly in the hall last night. Might get discharged tomorrow. Minimal nausea, I quit taking the ZofrAN today. I've had pain pills every 3-5 hours, I need another nap now.
Kathy
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I am doing very well. Exhausted, it takes 1-2 hours to eat a small meal. I've beeen up to sit on the side of the bed a few times and it gets easier each time. I had a sitdown shower this morning which was wonderful. Later today I wiil work with PT. I was very wobbly in the hall last night. Might get discharged tomorrow. Minimal nausea, I quit taking the ZofrAN today. I've had pain pills every 3-5 hours, I need another nap now.
Yea! Another 'Postie' joins our ranks! Congratulations on your successful surgery and continuing recovery. Thanks for posting but get the rest you need. We'll be here when yo have more energy to post. :)
Jim
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Kathy
I'm thriiled to hear that you are doing well! I knew that you were in great hands. I hope they are taking good care of you there at OHSU though I'm sure you will be happy to go home. Get lots and lots of rest when you can. Keep us postie on your progress!
Erin
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Kathy,
Yes, I'd say you're doing VERY WELL! A short email, 2 days post brain surgery. I was still "gorked" out on pain meds!
What a relief. Take it easy, we'll hear from you as you progress in your recovery.
VERY important to take it real easy. Baby steps we call them.
Eat, fluids, walk, rest, nap, repeat cycle!
Sounds like you ROCKED it :)
Maureen
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So glad you are doing well. Keep up the good "rest". Listen to your body, and enjoy your leisure time!!!
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Kathy -
sounds like your post op recovery is fairly typical and that you are doing well. The fatigue will last for a while - afterall you've just had brain surgery - but in time it will get better.
Get lots of rest and don't overdo it. Patience is key; though hard to come by at times.
Hang in there,
Jan
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Kathy .....
Good to read that you are successfully and safely on "the other side." Rest, walk, rest, rest, walk, rest, etc.
Thoughts and prayers for a continued uneventful recovery.
Clarice
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I am getting a little stronger. today I had the whole head shower and it was good. After surgery, I kept marveling that I hadn't reached the 3rd day yet, but I was getting better, not too miserable and just sleeping all the time. I'll keep recovering here at my mother-in-law's house for a few more days. Most of the family has gone on home so it is quieter.
my surgery only lasted 3-4 hours, so the tumor wasn't firmly attached I think. I was discharged just 4 hours short of 3 days post op. I could have stayed longer, but just to sleep and take pills an an inpatient.
I have a slightly weak facial nerve, that should recover well. They only shaved a tiny bit of hair. I'm not hearing on the left side now, but there is a chance that it will return when the swelling goes down. I can hear my eye muscle close my left eye, weird. I am much less dizzy than I expected to be, so I am relieved.
Thank you all for your support.
Kathy
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Kathy,
continue your gentle positive healing! You will continue to feel stronger. And I bet that head shower was the best!
Sleep is good, it is helping your body heal from the stress of BRAIN surgery, even though it was "only" 3-4 hours, it is still brain surgery.
Enjoy it while you can. And drink lots of fluids, gentle walks, and before you know it you'll be busy getting ready for the holidays :o
Take care,
Maureen
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Hi Kathy,
It sounds like it went very well. Enjoy your nap time, the next holiday season is coming up fast. ;)
Steve
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Good to hear how you are doing after surgery, hope you continue to do well.