Okay, safe to say that this has been one VERY weird year! I feel like the entire spring time was just a big blur - hey, wait, it was! Nothing like a little brain surgery to mess with your sense of time! Anyway, I was thinking that tomorrow marks the 10 week mark since my surgery.
So, it seems like a good time to recap ...
March 4 - diagnosed with an Acoustic Neuroma, a fairly rare tumor that grows on the 8th cranial nerve and encroaches into the brain when it gets big enough. Mine was mid-sized and pressing against my cerebellum. Main symptom was mild hearing loss in my right ear.
April 30 - translabrynthine surgery at NYU - surgery took about 5 1/2 hours, most of the tumor was removed; but they left a small bit behind because it was stuck to the 7th cranial (facial) nerve and could not be removed without risk of permanent facial paralysis. Also had a 2 1/2 inch incision on the left side of my belly to remove a small amount of fat to fill the hole in my head. They refused to do the entire belly, despite my desperate pleading...
May 3 - released from NYU and happily home sleeping in my own bed - or at least trying to sleep because those darned steroids wreak havoc with one's ability to sleep. They do, however, help with the swelling in the head, so it is a good trade off, I guess!
May 20 - back in the hospital with an infection of unknown origins. Had my own little petrie dish where they tried to grow a culture of the gunk from my head incision. Charming.
May 23 - home again, this time with a "PICC" line installed in my right arm so that I can infuse IV antibiotics twice a day from home. Lucky me!
June 23 - PICC line out!! Momentous day! No more IV line hanging out of my arm, no more wrapping myself in Glad Press 'n' Seal to shower - oh happy day!
Those are the highlights.
My face is still mostly paralyzed, although I am definitely getting some movement back in my right cheek. I have what I believe is a Madonna (the famous work of art, not the pop star) like smile now!
Have pretty good balance most of the time, but do still tend to tip over on occasion.
Still fighting the fatigue, but having more good days than bad. Next big dates ...
July 9 - seeing Dr. Louie, the Infectious Disease doctor, for the final blood draw and hopefully clearance on the infection.
July 24 - seeing Dr. Roland again for assessment of facial nerve and progress
Sept 9 - first follow up MRI - I'll be getting these for at least the next 5 years to track for regrowth of the tumor. Chances for regrowth are small, but then again, the chances of getting this damned thing to begin with were also small ... no sense risking the tri-fecta!
Lorenzo, you're gonna have to do better than espresso, man! At least raise a chianti, if not a Barolo...
Jules, how is your recovery going?
Kay, how are the Curly Girls?
I'll post in the next few days with the final verdict from Dr. Louie. Meanwhile, keep smiling!
ho humm... just another day on plANet brain. :) And yes, a glass of Rioja was had before the espresso. Now, seen that it's 10 weeks, it'll be a shared bottle of something. Going shopping later, so will look out for something nice! At this rate, I wonder what I'll have at you one year mark! A case?
ReplyDeleteWell done Debbi. 10 weeks is momentous. :)
PS I found a bottle of Petite Syrah, will that do as a celebration?
ReplyDelete:) Lorenzo