A place to vent

[mk]

In my experience, one of the reasons that can cause major inconsistencies is how the axial plane dimension is measured, i.e. if and how the portion that extends in the internal auditory canal is taken into account. Different radiologists do it differently, and this can cause major discrepancies in the reported numbers. This is why it is important to have the same person do the measurements consistently every time. Since you have access to the CD and can do the measurement yourself, this is your best bet. In my bitter experience I have learned that I shouldn't trust the reported numbers unless I double check myself (this was a bit of venting to be consistent with the thread topic!!).

Marianna

[leapyrtwins]

Marianna -

thanks for explaining the whole measurement thing.  I didn't know that and I'm glad that now I do.

Jan

[mk]

Hi Jan,

actually I have been thinking that this may be a reason for the strange measurements in your case. Possibly the initial diagnosis from the MRI considered only the diameter of the AN outside the internal auditory canal, whereas when they removed it they measured the maximum dimension, which includes the portion that extends inside the IAC.

Marianna

[leapyrtwins]

Marianna -

you could be right.

Since we all know that ANs are typically slow growing, either I'm a very unusual case or the measurements were off on my MRI.

I guess I'll never know - but I'm thankful that I chose surgery over radiation since the size of my AN was actually closer to the limits of radiation than my doc originally thought based on my MRI.

Jan

[GM]

Thanks for the inputs everyone…   I never would have guessed 10 years ago that I’d have a brain tumor and I’d be reading my own MRI’s !!   

[leapyrtwins]

I wonder if the hospital would give you a discount on the cost of the radiologist reading your MRIs - since you read your own 

Yea, right  LOL

Jan

[marg]

Great idea Jan...... It would be great to save money somehow on these expensive MRI's. 
marg

[marg]

It's been a while since I (or anyone else) has posted under this subject heading but..... I need to vent a bit.  All of you SSD people know being in large rooms with lots of people talking is beyond difficult....as a teacher of 2nd graders I am exhausted by the end of the school day and the tinitus in my 'deaf ear' is screaming at me.... but I have only 3 years and 154 days school days left until I can retire with full benifits and I am going to do my best to hang in there.  I treasure my Saturdays where I can be in less noisy situations....or at least limit my time in them.  .....which leads me to my reason for venting tonight. My husband and I went out to dinner at a nice resturant with my brother-in-law .  It is a place we have eaten at many times and although the ceilings are high and there is some echo, it is a nice place to eat and I can usually hear ok.  Tonight ,however, was a disaster.  15 minutes after we sat down and started our salad a group of 10 people came in and sat right behind us .  They were very drunk and VERY loud.  I told my husband that I thought we should move to the other end of the room ...but he said he didn't think it would be better there and when I mentioned it to the waitress my brother-in-law said 'it's fine'...... by the time we got home I was exhaused  and highly irritated from the effort to try to hear and understand my husband and my brother-in-law during dinner.  The only thing that kept me from turning around and asking the people behind us (in a nice TEACHER VOICE ! )to please talk a little softer was the fact that I had no support from either man with me..... and the fact that I downed a glass of wine to survive the situation. 
      When I got home I was very upset and explained to my husband (again!) how I can't filter out unwanted noise/conversation  and that it was about the same as him having a lawn mower running next to his ear  during the entire dinner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He then said he understood.
    It's  days like this that I wonder if I can keep dealing with situations like this the rest of my life.  I am sick and tired of being SSD.  One thing is for sure - If I am EVER in this situation again I am going to give the waitress a choice ...... would you like to seat us at another table  much farther away from the noise or would you like me to ask the people at the offending table to talk softer???
It was a nightmare situation that I do not plan to repeat .
marg
p.s.  Thanks for letting me vent.

[Sue]

Marg, I totally understand, as many of us do.  For my birthday last March I wanted to go to this nice restaurant in The Pearl District of Portland.  Lots of lofts, converted warehouses, trendy eateries, art galleries, all of that kind of thing.  I figured it would be loud, and yes, it sure was.  It was a Saturday night, busy, and a foursome behind us with a lady who was clearly having a fun time and she laughed, and laughed, and laughed and it wasn't her fault that she had a loud laugh and was having fun, but I wanted to strangle her!  The food was really good, great menu, lots of different things to try (it's Peruvian, of all things) and I wanted to go there so much, that I sacrificed hearing any conversation and having tinnitus up the ying-yang. Nobody else in our little group could hear either, so it just wasn't me.  I'd love to go there again, but next time I'll make it lunch, or in the middle of the week, although I'm not so sure that would help with this particular restaurant.  They make some of these places so darn echo-y.  All that trendy concrete and wide open ceilings and nothing to absorb the noise, I guess.  The picture I have of me on here now was taken that night.  If I could put the little cartoon marks around my head signifying a bell ringing, or something like that, it would be appropriate. 

Sue in Vancouver, USA

[leapyrtwins]

Marg -

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience.  Unfortunately I think all of us who are SSD can totally relate to this situation.

I find this kind of thing extremely frustrating, because as you know it's very hard to explain to the people you are with who are not SSD just what you are dealing with.

I'm glad your husband understood when you discussed it with him at home.  If you find yourself in this situation again, I'm hopeful he will remember your feelings on the subject and back you up when you ask the waitress to relocate you.

Jan

[ppearl214]

DonnaLynn,

I learned quite a few yrs back... not to try to figure out human nature.  I did a post here (prolly in Archives) about when folks in your life disappear after diagnosis.... and it tore me up inside to try to figure out human nature... why they disappear after a tough diagnosis... why folks insist on saying nasty things or to use words that they don't recognize as being hurtful.  I dare them to walk a mile (or less, for that fact) in our shoes....When one doesn't understand... possible niave to what we endure in life..... they have no clue.  Now, the key is remembering that our will... our strength is what carries us through... and for those that insist on hurting us in life, whether with words or actions, well, guess what.....I don't spend the energy trying to figure it out... I just smile, put my head high, and know that I can look at myself in the mirror and know that I am a much better person than they... you remember that.

Please accept my deepest, sincere condolences for this tragic loss.... and remember, your harp friend that you lost would surely tell you to ignore it... keep your head held high.. and know that you can rise above those that insist on showing their bad sides... very unbecoming of them, doncha think?  Shame on them.

HUGGLEZZZ, massive hugglezzz

Phyl

[sgerrard]

DonnaLynn,

Keep the scarves; lose the "friend." Life is too short to waste on that kind of thing.

Steve

[Kaybo]

Donnalynn~
I would be willing to bet that this person is intensely JEALOUS of you.  Even though I have never met you in person, I can tell by your picture that you are a beautiful woman on the outside and more importantly, from reading your posts and talking to you on the phone, you are even more beuatiful on the inside!  You have commented to me about your love for scarves, so I certainly don't think that you are trying to "mask" something.  I KNOW how much words hurt (I had a good friend tell me this summer that I was mean-spirited, that I only said things to hurt others, and that I was EVIL & hung up on me - she had called me!  Even though I know that not to be true - even though I need to work on my speech - it is still very hurtful!), but you need to rise up & show her the bigger person that you are.  Obviously, she is not truly a FRIEND!!  As my sweet Moma always said, "Shower people with love and kind words and they will have nothing to get you with!"  I can't tell you the number of times when I have done that (even though it is very hard) and things have come out later to show that I was on top!
Keep your chin up - PM me & let me know if you want to give me a call!

<3  <3  <3  <3  <3  <3  (sideways hearts)

K

[lori67]

Donnalynn,

Don't ever think for a minute you are not beautiful.  The people who know you won't forget it.  And it doesn't even matter what the outside looks like - the important people know where the true beauty comes from to begin with.  I have a feeling you put some effort into the outside too though, so I just know you are beautiful on the outside too.  The person who said those things was probably just trying to cover for her own insecurities, and what better way than to kick someone when they're down.  Please don't let her get to you.  I am also quite sure your husband and daughter are not saying nice things they don't mean.  To them, I'm sure you are the most beautiful person in the world.

And what the heck business is it of hers how you wear your hair or what you wear in it?  I think next time I planned on seeing her, I'd wear a Burger King crown or a big giant sequined sombrero.

And let me add that I am so sorry about your friend.  It must be hard to lose someone from such a close knit group like that.  I'm sure you will all come together through this and make her very proud of you!

Lori

[cindyj]

Hey Donnalynn,

I haven't been to this thread before and thought I'd just pop in...well, I truly can NOT believe that anyone would act that way to anybody, but especially not to someone as obviously completely sweet as you are.  What is wrong with people?  I am just shaking my head in disbelief.  I echo what everyone else here has commented to you.

Hugs!!!

Cindy