Author Topic: Sinead or Donald?  (Read 12931 times)

Keri

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #15 on: September 30, 2009, 01:15:03 pm »
I was a little freaked before surgery because it felt like he was shaving so much off. He shaved underneath my long hair, but it was quite a lot above and around and behind my ear. Then he had to shave off all these little circles in various places all over my head for MRI leads.  I thought, 'great, i'm being punished for never donating my hair to chemo patients.'   I couldn't tell anything post op because my head was all wrapped up and I didn't care anyway. A few days later, after being home and getting to wash my hair, I was impressed at how well my 'barber' did. All my long hair covered everything. I'm 8 months post op now, and if I put my hair up in a pony tail, I have a little tuft that hangs down like short hair, almost shoulder length. Overall, it really wasn't any big deal, and usually not noticeable.

But I hope I don't look like Donald.

Keri
1.5 left side; hearing loss; translab scheduled for 1/29/09 at Univ of MD at Baltimore
My head feels weird!!

ppearl214

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #16 on: September 30, 2009, 01:23:03 pm »
I thought, 'great, i'm being punished for never donating my hair to chemo patients.' 

I've seen your hair, you got great hair, and you could still donate to chemo patients :)
xoxo
Phyl
"Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness", Capt Jack Sparrow - Davy Jones Locker, "Pirates of the Carribbean - At World's End"

DR

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #17 on: October 01, 2009, 06:27:08 pm »
I will be shaving the majority of my hair off on October 31st.  My reasons are:

1) My hair is short anyways (1.5" - 2") so it won't be that big of an adjustment
2) Keeping it very short will make it easier to keep clean prior to getting the "all clear" to suds it up
3) It can all grow back together and will give me a 6-8 week break from haircuts
4) Most importantly, my kids are going to be the barbers.  This gives them a "part" in the whole situation, a nice, fun, nonthreatening part!
AN right side 12mm x 9mm x 9mm
Middle fossa surgery 11/4/09 at House (Dr. Brackmann/Dr. Schwartz)
Tumor removed, no facial issues, hearing intact!
http://denvstumor.blogspot.com/

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist."

leapyrtwins

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #18 on: October 01, 2009, 09:22:54 pm »

4) Most importantly, my kids are going to be the barbers.  This gives them a "part" in the whole situation, a nice, fun, nonthreatening part!

DR -

this is a great idea  ;D

Jan
Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

Kaybo

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #19 on: October 02, 2009, 06:52:49 am »
I was thinking that that was a GREAT thing to do too so that everyone is involved!  Hats off (hair too) to you, DR!!

K ;D
Translab 12/95@Houston Methodist(Baylor College of Medicine)for "HUGE" tumor-no size specified
25 yrs then-14 hour surgery-stroke
12/7 Graft 1/97
Gold Weight x 5
SSD
Facial Paralysis-R(no movement or feelings in face,mouth,eye)
T3-3/08
Great life!

CHD63

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #20 on: October 02, 2009, 07:15:16 am »
DR .....

You have a wonderful attitude about this whole thing.  What a special way to involve your children.  Many times children are very frightened by illnesses of their parents and do not know how to express it or ask appropriate questions.  What a great way to help them relax and know that you are confident.

(I might guess that you have some uncertainties yourself, but it sure helps to strive for the upbeat attitude!)

Good for you and keep us posted.

Clarice
Right MVD for trigeminal neuralgia, 1994, Pittsburgh, PA
Left retrosigmoid 2.6 cm AN removal, February, 2008, Duke U
Tumor regrew to 1.3 cm in February, 2011
Translab AN removal, May, 2011 at HEI, Friedman & Schwartz
Oticon Ponto Pro abutment implant at same time; processor added August, 2011

Keri

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #21 on: October 11, 2009, 07:22:09 pm »
Oh, please post pics after your kids cut your hair!!!

Keri
1.5 left side; hearing loss; translab scheduled for 1/29/09 at Univ of MD at Baltimore
My head feels weird!!

DR

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #22 on: October 13, 2009, 06:36:45 am »
Oh, please post pics after your kids cut your hair!!!

Keri
No problem.  I have several coworkers and friends looking forward to seeing it as well.
AN right side 12mm x 9mm x 9mm
Middle fossa surgery 11/4/09 at House (Dr. Brackmann/Dr. Schwartz)
Tumor removed, no facial issues, hearing intact!
http://denvstumor.blogspot.com/

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist."

leapyrtwins

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #23 on: October 13, 2009, 07:00:17 am »
Cool  8)

I'm looking forward to the pictures, too!

Jan
Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

Nickittynic

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #24 on: October 16, 2009, 06:14:37 pm »
I actually did kind of a combo of what Seal wanted to do and DR did - my son and husband gave me the mohawk I've always wanted a few weeks pre-op. I figured if I was ever going to have a chance for it this was it!
25 year old OBGYN nurse, wife, mother of two
5.5cm x 3.1cm left side AN removed via retrosigmoid 9/09 @ Hopkins
SSD, Tinnitus, Chronic Migraines, Facial paralysis (improving!)
Resolved - Left sided weakness, Cognitive issues
Gold weight, upper and lower punctal plugs, tarsorrhaphy

leapyrtwins

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #25 on: October 16, 2009, 10:44:46 pm »
Nicole -

pictures? 

Jan
Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

Nickittynic

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #26 on: October 17, 2009, 11:32:11 am »
Jan-
I have "before and afters" on my blog - http://buginthebrain.blogspot.com
I think the post is in September somewhere and is titled "The Haircut".
25 year old OBGYN nurse, wife, mother of two
5.5cm x 3.1cm left side AN removed via retrosigmoid 9/09 @ Hopkins
SSD, Tinnitus, Chronic Migraines, Facial paralysis (improving!)
Resolved - Left sided weakness, Cognitive issues
Gold weight, upper and lower punctal plugs, tarsorrhaphy

Alchemist

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #27 on: October 17, 2009, 04:59:38 pm »
My surgery was translab. The usual incision site had too many blood vessels, so they had to shave adjacent...think sorta left back quadrant (almost) with a bit of the front. The incision went down about an inch, maybe a bit more, on my neck, plus the incision behind my ear. Although I had fairly long hair, there was no way to hide it. I had thought of cutting my hair prior to surgery, but could not do it. After surgery, I wore lots of hats, baseball caps & scarves. I bought pretty scarves in preparation to return to work. My sister stayed with me for about two months. Before she left, I had her take it all of. And I have kept it short. The scar is still visible...it is that short. Of course, some people stare, but it's okay.

And I had to wait 2 and a half weeks after surgery to wash my hair...that was the best feeling ever!

Ronnye
Translab @ EUH, Atlanta, GA 2.28.08
Drs. J. Olson & Mattox
Facial numbness left side; SSD
Radiation therapy followed surgery. Hospitalized for CSF leak 4.04.08 thru 4.11.08.
Long hard struggle back. Did I have to have this surgery?

Adrienne

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #28 on: October 17, 2009, 08:16:57 pm »
I'm with whoever said to wait until after surgery to decide what you want to do.  No one was more surprised than me when I came out of surgery with barely anything shaved.  There is no way you would ever know what I had just been through.  Here is the thread with pictures (some additional pictures on the 3rd page of the thread).

Glad you've got a sense of humor (or sense of tumor, as my friend used to say) about it.

http://anausa.org/forum/index.php?topic=9767.msg111298#msg111298

Adrienne
3.0 x 3.0 x 2.5 cm AN, left side.  Diagnosed Feb. 19th,2009
Retro Sig surgery with Dr. Akagami and Dr. Westerberg on May 26/09 at Vancouver General Hospital
SUCCESS! Completely removed tumor, preserved facial nerve, and retained a lot of hearing. Colour me HAPPY!

pjb

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Re: Sinead or Donald?
« Reply #29 on: October 18, 2009, 07:26:12 am »
Hi, I thought I was being smart and cut my somewhat long hair I figured it to would grow back all together I was very surprised that there was no need to cut the hair at all they only shaved the incision site which was an "S" and if i still had the long hair it would have covered it and no one could tell..
Diagnosed with a 1 cm. AN had Retrosigmoid
Approach surgery July of 2009, several problems after surgery.