Author Topic: regrowth- really?  (Read 21127 times)

a.m.

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Re: regrowth- really?
« Reply #30 on: November 26, 2010, 11:57:04 pm »
Hey guys,

Second surgery went great! I was out of the hospital in 3.5 days, have no headaches six months later, recovered from slight facial weakness in a week, and am on the same MRI-Forever plan as everyone else. Due to losing the balance in the first surgery, there were no further problems with vertigo, etc. The morning after the surgery I was even had breakfast like a normal human being and the nurse was totally nervous about that!

I just turned 30 and am looking forward to dating, maybe even getting a better job- I was afraid to before, because I needed the health insurance!

If it comes back at any point the plan is to get gamma knife.
For the record, I'm in love with the team at NYU.

-a
diagnosed feb. 6, 2009

retrolab april 2, 2009
new york eye and ear / st vincent's
dr. linstrom and dr. murali
ssd, no tears

translab may 5, 2010
nyu medical center
dr. lalwani and dr. parker

doing great!

Jim Scott

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Re: regrowth- really?
« Reply #31 on: November 27, 2010, 01:16:20 pm »
A. ~

Congratulations on a successful AN surgery and what seems to be a splendid recovery!  Thanks for sharing your good news.

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.

psmix

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Re: regrowth- really?
« Reply #32 on: January 02, 2011, 09:23:43 pm »
I was so glad to read your story - especially the success of your second surgery! As agreed pre-surgery, my doctors debulked my large tumor, but left the shell. Everyone expected that the "hollowed out" tumor would collapse in on itself, leaving a smaller, more manageable tumor - more options, less risk.

My 10 week follow-up MRI showed that, not only did the tumor not collapse as expected, it had almost completely filled back in and the overall size of the tumor was almost the same as pre-surgery! There has been some disagreement among the experts I've seen as to whether the tumor is regrowing very rapidly, or if the existing tumor cells are shifting to fill in the open space. Either way, I have too much tumor to leave and so am scheduled for my second translab surgery at House - hopefully to remove the whole thing this time!

The doctors seem very surprised by my outcome, and I haven't seen any similar stories. In addition to wondering what exactly I'm dealing with, I've been wondering how similar or different the recovery will be the second time around. Thanks for sharing your story!
Right AN diagnosed Sept. 2010 - 4 cm x 3 cm x 3 cm
Debulked via translab Sept. 2010
Removed at House Feb. 2011
CSF leak with blind sac closure and lumbar drain March 2011
Unresponsive facial nerve, platinum weight
SSD