Author Topic: 6 weeks after surgery, how long before cyberknife treatment?  (Read 3525 times)

kelli

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6 weeks after surgery, how long before cyberknife treatment?
« on: February 07, 2008, 10:50:26 pm »
Hello everyone  :)           Wow, the past 6 weeks have been challenging! I'm experiencing severe headaches, left ear hearing loss and increased tinnitus and general aches and pains all over.  I saw the doctor last week for my follow up and he is sending me to Stanford to cyberknife the residual tumor.  He left behind 10% and wants me to radiate the rest.  Has anyone had surgery and then cyberknife?  If so, how long did you wait after surgery to radiate?  I'm just not sure I can handle any more trauma to my head right now.  Also, I am ready to have a child and wonder if the cyberknife will affect my pregnancy.  Is it smarter to wait a year or two and have a child and then have cyberknife? 
Thank you for any information you can share!
hugs, kelli
Diagnosed 3cm AN January 2007
Tried holistic treatments for one year. Finally had posterior fossa at Kaiser Redwood City with Dr. Nutik on Dec 20. Followed by cyberknife at Stanford in April for residual tumor.
Thank you Dr. Nutik!

Lorenzo

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Re: 6 weeks after surgery, how long before cyberknife treatment?
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2008, 05:25:22 am »
Hi Kelli,

sorry to hear about your symptoms! Below is a link to the CyberKnife Support Group Forum, where doctors will answer all your questions. They are very helpful and respond very quickly. If you're going to Stanford, Dr Chang is based at Stanford and his team gave me my CK treatment.

Good luck with the rest of your treatment.

Regards, Lorenzo
CK, Stanford, Drs Chang and Hancock, Dec 04,
doing great now.

ppearl214

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Re: 6 weeks after surgery, how long before cyberknife treatment?
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2008, 06:32:39 am »
psssst, hey, Lorenzo, the link would help, bucko! ;)

http://www.cyberknifesupport.org/forum/

Hi Kelli and welcome.  Great team at Stanford, for microsurgery and CK.... I know of many here that have had both done there. You are in great hands there.  IMO, the dr's there (Dr. Adler, Dr. Chang, etc) are better qualified to answer your questions.....esp. regarding future preganacy.  Please keep us updated on how your appt goes and what they say about it.... many here may need to know.

Again, welcome!
Phyl
"Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness", Capt Jack Sparrow - Davy Jones Locker, "Pirates of the Carribbean - At World's End"

Lorenzo

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Re: 6 weeks after surgery, how long before cyberknife treatment?
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2008, 03:25:08 pm »
o o o o o p s . . .
CK, Stanford, Drs Chang and Hancock, Dec 04,
doing great now.

sgerrard

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Re: 6 weeks after surgery, how long before cyberknife treatment?
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2008, 01:02:46 am »
How many forum members does it take to post a web page link?  :D

By all means, ask the good doctors at the CK forum. Dr. Medbery will probably answer your question, he seems to the be quickest to respond. I'm pretty sure he will say that having CK would not affect a future pregnancy. CK is very focused radiation; the exposure is very low every where except the AN site.

Dr. Chang and the team at Stanford are great, if you go there they will take good care of you. CK is pretty easy going on your head, although I would want a little breather first if I had just had surgery, so that is understandable. Can you stall for a couple of months?

Best wishes on part two of your AN journey, I hope it all works out well.

Steve


8 mm left AN June 2007,  CK at Stanford Sept 2007.
Hearing lasted a while, but left side is deaf now.
Right side is weak too. Life is quiet.

ppearl214

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Re: 6 weeks after surgery, how long before cyberknife treatment?
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2008, 06:57:29 am »
How many forum members does it take to post a web page link?  :D

too many... we have a dr's note for short-term memory loss so we pray someone remembers to post it!  ;D
"Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness", Capt Jack Sparrow - Davy Jones Locker, "Pirates of the Carribbean - At World's End"

Jim Scott

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Re: 6 weeks after surgery, how long before cyberknife treatment?
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2008, 03:53:08 pm »
Hi, Kelli:

For what it's worth:

I had retrosigmoid approach surgery to remove approximately 50% of my 4.5 cm AN, then underwent FSR treatments three months later to kill the remaining tumor, as scheduled by my neurosurgeon with the agreement of the radiation oncologist.  They said they wanted to give me the time (90 days) to heal and recover from the surgery.  It worked out well.  The 26 treatments were painless, (very low-dose) and my last MRI scan showed definite necrosis and tumor shrinkage. 

I hope you have a similar experience. 

Jim
4.5 cm AN diagnosed 5/06.  Retrosigmoid surgery 6/06.  Follow-up FSR completed 10/06.  Tumor shrinkage & necrosis noted on last MRI.  Life is good. 

Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is.  The way we cope with it is what makes the difference.

lori67

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Re: 6 weeks after surgery, how long before cyberknife treatment?
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2008, 04:19:35 pm »
Be easy on Lorenzo - remember he's on the decaf now.... :(

Kelli - good luck to you!  can't offer any advice on the CK, as I've never had it, but I certainly understand not wanting anyone messing with your head so soon!

Lori
Right 3cm AN diagnosed 1/2007.  Translab resection 2/20/07 by Dr. David Kaylie and Dr. Karl Hampf at Baptist Hospital in Nashville.  R side deafness, facial nerve paralysis.  Tarsorraphy and tear duct cauterization 5/2007.  BAHA implant 11/8/07. 7-12 nerve jump 9/26/08.