Author Topic: Tumor Now Regrowing......Now What?  (Read 10052 times)

Jim Scott

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Re: Tumor Now Regrowing......Now What?
« Reply #15 on: January 18, 2010, 02:19:15 pm »
S W ~

Thanks for the update.  I'm pleased to learn things are looking better for you in the sense that two reputable doctors don't believe you've experienced re-growth.  Frankly, I'm not surprised.   

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.

Adrienne

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Re: Tumor Now Regrowing......Now What?
« Reply #16 on: January 18, 2010, 03:40:51 pm »
I'm so sorry.  I wish I had some words of wisdom, but I don't.  I can only imagine how frustrating and scary this all is to have to go through twice.

Huge (hugs) of strength and clarity for you.

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!

Larry

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Re: Tumor Now Regrowing......Now What?
« Reply #17 on: January 18, 2010, 05:26:03 pm »
swhite,

I was going to suggest to keep getting different opinions on your scan before embarking on radiotherapy. I had middle fossa and then it grew back 3 years later. My surgeon said that it hadn't grown back but i thought the scan looked like it did so i got a 2nd opinion and sure enough. So i sacked my original surgeon and moved on. i recently had radiation treatment over 5 days. You may want to consider cyberknife rather than gamma coz spreading it over 5 days is meant to reduce the potential risk of facial paralysis issues. Thats if you need any further treatment which at this stage looks doubtfull.


laz
2.0cm AN removed Nov 2002.
Dr Chang St Vincents, Sydney
Australia. Regrowth discovered
Nov 2005. Watch and wait until 2010 when I had radiotherapy. 20% shrinkage and no change since - You beauty
Chronologer of the PBW
http://www.frappr.com/laz

msmaggie

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Re: Tumor Now Regrowing......Now What?
« Reply #18 on: January 18, 2010, 06:38:37 pm »
Go with your best instincts.  It is all any of us can do.  We research, read, study, and in the end make a decision that our "gut"leads us to.  Our thoughts are with you!

Priscilla
Diagnosed  left AN 8/07/08, 1.9 CM
Surgery 12/10/08 at Methodist Hospital w/Vrabec and Trask for what turned out to be a cpa meningioma.

JSC

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Re: Tumor Now Regrowing......Now What?
« Reply #19 on: January 18, 2010, 07:48:52 pm »
It's definitely worth sending MRI CD to House.  Read my posts (JSC) re: my daughter's GK for her facial nerve schwannoma in         Dec. 2007.  Very positive experience!
Best of luck to you!
Jan

swhite

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Re: Tumor Now Regrowing......Now What?
« Reply #20 on: January 21, 2010, 10:03:47 am »
Update........thanks everyone for chiming in on my dilemna.  I wanted to provide an update that I heard from Dr. Brackmann at House late Tuesday evening.  We were not on the phone long, but we were very encouraged after we hung up.  He concurred that my recent MRI did show residual tumor (not growth) and there's no urgency for anything and to have another MRI in six months.  This is exactly what we wanted to hear and I pray for no regrowth.  This is the same opinion of two other great ENT's in the area so I am much more comfortable now. Now, I just have to decide whether I will return to work (part-time for now) in the next few weeks before I go into long term disability which effects my benefits.  It's going to be a matter of how many hours I can endure.  Has anyone else out there returned to work?  I have a great employer, it's a quiet environment at a desk, and it doesn't bother me at all what other people think of my speech and partial facial paralysis (movement started Jan 3!).  They all just want me to get better and get back to work. Thanks for all the encouragement!
Retrosigmoid 8/27/09 undiagnosed and suddenly; no symptoms prior; approx. 4cmx2cmx2cm; right-side, facial paralysis/weakness, SSD and tinnitus. Baha surgery 11/9/10.
Gamma Knife 8/11/14 at UPMC w/Dr. Lunsford after regrowth detected June 2014

Jim Scott

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Re: Tumor Now Regrowing......Now What?
« Reply #21 on: January 21, 2010, 10:52:10 am »
SWhite ~

I don't have any advice on returning to work (I was retired at the time of my surgery) but I do have congratulations on the great news regarding the now-confirmed lack of tumor growth!  :)

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.

Larry

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Re: Tumor Now Regrowing......Now What?
« Reply #22 on: January 24, 2010, 04:04:00 pm »
Great news swhite.

Always good to get a reliable second opinion. Rushing into surgery relying on one surgeon's view was about the decision of my life.

Congrats


laz
2.0cm AN removed Nov 2002.
Dr Chang St Vincents, Sydney
Australia. Regrowth discovered
Nov 2005. Watch and wait until 2010 when I had radiotherapy. 20% shrinkage and no change since - You beauty
Chronologer of the PBW
http://www.frappr.com/laz