Author Topic: Another Newbie arrives!  (Read 2576 times)

Road Trip Dale

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Another Newbie arrives!
« on: May 03, 2006, 10:25:40 am »
Good Day to all and thank you for all the information I've received from your great, caring, and matter of fact responses to everyone's questions.  I attended an ANA support group meeting in Kansas City April 14th and received some excellent answers to my questions.  My wife and I immediately joined ANA.  I underwent Translab surgery at St Lukes Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri on April 16th.  My doctors were Charles Leutje and Paul Camarata.  They were great and although my tumor was not real large, 1.75cm, they did a wonderful job of protecting the facial nerve and getting me back on my feet.

I am a 62 year old retiree who with my dear wife and good friend Reggie (a 15 year old Cairn Terrier) live in a 40 foot Motor Home (my granddaughter calls it a rock star bus) and travel 100% of the time.  To be confined to 400 square feet during recovery is worse than the recovery itself I think.  We will stay here (Independence MO) until the doctors say I'm able to hit the road (which, preliminarily from the Docs, should be in about 4-6 more weeks).

You all have been so helpful and I wanted everyone to know that.  I will try and follow your lead and offer my help and insight based on my experience and recovery to anyone interested.  If I can be of help in anyway please feel free to ask, direct, or otherwise use my experience don't hesitate.

Thanks to all
1.75 AN Right Side
Translab 4/16/06
Dr. Charles Leutje and Dr. Paul Camarata
St Luke's, Kansas City, MO

Battyp

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Re: Another Newbie arrives!
« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2006, 11:57:49 am »
Hi Dale and welcome to our exclusive club.
I'm so impressed with your recovery...To be able to hit the open roads would be a dream!  Hoping you'll be back doing what you love soon!




Captain Deb

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Re: Another Newbie arrives!
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2006, 12:31:33 pm »
I got one word!!!!!

ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!

Captain Deb 8)
"You only have two choices, having fun or freaking out"-Jimmy Buffett
50-ish with a 1x.7x.8cm.AN
Mid-fossa HEI, Jan 03 Friedman & Hitselberger
Chronic post-op headaches
Captain & Designated Driver of the PBW

Gennysmom

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Re: Another Newbie arrives!
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2006, 12:32:19 pm »
Hi Dale!

I have a right side AN, a little larger than yours that scheduled to come out on 7/5.  There's all sorts here and we have plenty of sage advice.  You sound like you're doing pretty good 2+ weeks out of surgery!  How do you feel in your recovery?  As expected?  I hope that you are able to be out on the open road soon!  That means you can come visit all of us in this comparatively small family!  

Take care!  Kathleen
3.1cm x 2.0cm x 2.1cm rt AN Translab 7/5/06
CSF leak 7/17/06 fixed by 8 day lumbar drain
Dr. Backous, Virgina Mason Seattle
12/26/07 started wearing TransEar

ppearl214

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Re: Another Newbie arrives!
« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2006, 01:05:30 pm »
I second that one!  ;D

Hi Dale and welcome! When the time comes that you can travel again, nothing like a New England summer to help the recovery efforts! Clam chowda' and lobsta's with drawn butta' and baked potata's with an ice cold bea' are on me!

Phyl

I got one word!!!!!

ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!

Captain Deb 8)
"Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness", Capt Jack Sparrow - Davy Jones Locker, "Pirates of the Carribbean - At World's End"

Road Trip Dale

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Re: Another Newbie arrives!
« Reply #5 on: May 03, 2006, 01:32:09 pm »
Thanks for the kind welcome.

My recovery is going much, much, better than I expected.  I, fortunately or unfortunately, don't have any horror stories yet and hopefully won't.  My docs are amazed at how fast I have responded and am able to get aroud with almost a normal gait.  I do get tired rapidly and am still relying on my afternoon nap to get me through and having the grandkids around wears me out really fast.  All in all I feel great considering.  We've had some good laughs when the doc said it took 3-1/2 hours to drill through the bone (a lot of "I knew you were a hardhead" comments), and then when they took some belly fat to fill the hole (a lot of fathead comments ensued at that point) and so on.  Actually, very little pain, more from the stomach incision than anything else and an increase in tinnitus, and a loss of the ability to taste are the only real side effects I've noticed so far.  Still a long, long, way to go though.

New England in the summer sounds fantastic!!!  I'll keep it in mind...I'll even buy the second round.
1.75 AN Right Side
Translab 4/16/06
Dr. Charles Leutje and Dr. Paul Camarata
St Luke's, Kansas City, MO

Captain Deb

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Re: Another Newbie arrives!
« Reply #6 on: May 03, 2006, 03:24:35 pm »
Well, shoot!
Down heah in noth cayalinah, we got bawb-a-kew, hush puppies, an' Brunswick stew an' we got col' beer, too!  An' if'n y'all are nea the beach, we got SRIMP!!!!! Lots and lots a SRIMP!!!!

Capt Deb 8)
"You only have two choices, having fun or freaking out"-Jimmy Buffett
50-ish with a 1x.7x.8cm.AN
Mid-fossa HEI, Jan 03 Friedman & Hitselberger
Chronic post-op headaches
Captain & Designated Driver of the PBW