Surgery Wednesday

[Joanne7151]

Wedneday's the Big Day!  Surgery!!

I'm a newbie!  My AN was diagnosed in July 2009. My symptoms began in the spring, balance issues, headaches, hearing loss. MRI showed AN measured 0.4 x 0.5 x 1.1cm within the right auditory canal. August 6th I had the Gamma Knife procedure. First 2 weeks after surgery, I lost balance, and felt like there was a mini construction company in my right ear. Felt pretty much okay thru most of September. In October symptoms began again and got worse. Oct. 14 MRI showed some growth, but they weren't sure if it was swelling or growth. December 1 MRI showed significant growth. I am now scheduled for surgery January 20 at NYU medical center. The surgery will be Posterior Fossa Craniotomy (Translab), resection of intradural tumor with abdominal fat graft & facial nerve monitoring/microdisecction.

Needless to say I am TERRIFIED. Just the thought of my head being opened is freaking me out. Can anyone tell me what I may experience right after surgery. I know everyone reacts differently. Is it nausea, vomiting, pain, total loss of equilibrium, etc. I appreciate any input you can give me.
Joanne

[epc1970]

Hi JoAnne
Everyone does react differently to surgery but I think it is appropriate to say that you will feel pretty awful the first couple of days but you will be well taken care of by your team and they will do everything in their power to make you as comfortable as possible. I do not want to scare you even more than you probably have scared yourself but I hope it makes you feel better to read about all of the successful surgery stories here on the forum. I had the fun nausea /vomiting but very little in the way of balance issues but I'm sure someone else will chime in and said they had the opposite! I found the pain really to be way less than I expected and really my neck hurt more than my head but again your team will keep your pain under control. Good luck tomorrow-I am confident you will handle whatever comes your way!
Erin

[leapyrtwins]

JoAnne -

As you probably know, everyone has a different recovery. 

I had massive nausea post op, double-vision for 2 or 3 days, lots of fatigue, but strangely no pain other than a stiff neck.  My facial paralysis was very slight; had a dose of steroids that cleared it up.  My balance wasn't good, but got better over time.  I lost the hearing in my left (AN) ear.

I found that once I left the hospital I got better each and every day, although some days it seemed like one step forward, two steps back.

IMO patience is one of the biggest hurdles post op.  I found myself frustrated many times by not being able to do simple things that I did before surgery - like stay awake the entire day    But in time everything turned out fine.  Some recover fast, some recover slow, but remember to listen to your body and do what it tells you to do.  Recovery is not a race; don't compare yourself to others; find your own pace.

Try to relax.  Focus on the confidence you have in your doctors - they've done this numerous times before. 

See you on the flip side.  Good luck!

Jan

[moe]

JoAnne,
Things will be OK. Your AN is small so just try to sleep through whatever you can when you wake up!
Really, everyone's post of experiences are sooo different. Take it easy, breathe through whatever you're dealt with when you wake up and you'll be fine!
Maureen

[Jim Scott]

JoAnne ~

Please don't allow yourself to be 'terrified', (whether in upper or lower case letters).  As you know, immediate post-op experiences are as diverse as the AN patients that have removal surgery.  Nausea, double vision and headache seem to be the most common immediate results of the hours-long surgery but these are almost always temporary and resolve within a few days.  I was slightly nauseous for the first 36 hours post-op, but never vomited.  I didn't eat much of anything, either.  My double vision lasted about 3 days and was relatively mild.  I hated the head bandage and my doctor loosened it the second day and took it off (after I complained - a lot) on my third post-op day .  I was eating and walking around by Day 4 and by Day 5, my doctor gave the O.K. to discharge me.  I first had to pass a 'balance test' administered by a very skeptical PT nurse - but I passed and all was well.  My wife and I (she drove) stopped on the way home (a 30 mile trip) and enjoyed a delicious brunch that I had promised myself I would have as a 'reward' for getting out of the hospital.  As everyone says, the operation is traumatic to your body and you will suffer from some level of fatigue.  What level and for how long is impossible to guess.  Mine lasted about 3 weeks or so and I don't feel as if I ever regained the same level of stamina I had before the surgery, but I'm a septuagenarian and I'm sure that is a factor.  You younger folks will probably regain most, if not all, of your former strength within a few weeks (or months). I certainly wish that for you, JoAnne.

You have the hopes, good vibes and prayers of many people going with you tomorrow (Wednesday) so take heart and try to be as calm as you reasonably can.   We're all rooting for you!  We'll stand by in anticipation of reading about your surgery outcome and of course, seeing you post again as soon as you're up to it.  You're going to do great...I just know it! 

Jim

[arkansasfarmgirl]

I had bad nausea/vomiting after being under for an 11 hour surgery, but by the end of the first day, I was sitting in a chair eating jello.  Ate regular food the 2nd day--I had some incentive though, as I was breastfeeding a 3 month old and didn't want to lose my milk!  LOL  I didn't really have any pain, just had trouble getting comfortable enough to sleep the first few days.  My balance was a little tenative at first, but by the time I left the hospital I was walking good.  Had no post-op issues and recovery was pretty quick.  That was my experience, yours may vary.  ;-)

Vonda

[pjb]

Good luck Wednesday I know it can be terrifying I was lucky with the nausea and vomiting only got ill once the first day but had headaches, pain, balance was not that bad used a walker for only a couple of weeks went for Vestibular Therapy. Hopefully you will have little side effects to the surgery please keep us posted.

Best Wishes,

Pat

[lori67]

Good luck on Wednesday and please try not to be terrified!  I know, that's easy for me to say, right?

I had translab too - had some nausea and some balance issues immediately after surgery, but they really do a good job at keep the pain under control these days - at least they did for me.  I don't recall anything worse than a slight headache - certainly not as bad as I thought it would be.

It's amazing how fast your body can start getting back to "normal" after such a major surgery, but I think after a few days of feeling pretty yucky, you'll be pleasantly surprised that it's not as bad as you expected it to be.

Let us know how the surgery goes!

Lori

[Wwoodian]

Hi!  I just had my surgery in November.  I was terrified too--much more than I thought I would be!  You will make it through!  It isn't easy and it isn't fun, but you will grow stronger in ways that you don't understand until you face them.  I'll be praying for you tonight--You're going to be okay!
Jill

[Keri]

i second what jill just said. i had translab a year ago. it was rough for a few days, and difficult for a few weeks. i still have some lingering issues but they're not that bad. just different.
i guess your surgery is today and we'll be praying for you and here for you when you return.
keri

[Debbi]

Hi Joanne-

I just saw your post, and of course you are probably in surgery as I type this.  Let's see - surgery at NYU on a Wednesday?  Sounds like Golfinos/Roland to me - and if so, you are in excellent and talented hands.

Hopefully you'll stop by here after you're home and let us know how you are doing.

Debbi (also an NYU postie)

[michelle d.]

Hi Joanne   I had translab procedure 2 months ago and I'm doing great...still healing but am back doing most normal daily activities. The first few days after surgery weren't as bad as I thought they would be--I did have nausea and a little vomiting but I was up and walking around(slowly) 2 days after. Everyone is different--probably each of us have some different details on our  journey. My surgery was 10 hours and my tongue was swollen and sore from the tube being in that long, so for me, my tongue was more uncomfortable than my head!!  The doctors and nurses took excellent care of me, though and yes, they were ready to help me with EVERYTHING and very understanding. Hang in there! We're praying for you!!!  ~michelle d.~

[michelle d.]

PS....Wow, I just read the date of your surgery and you're probably in surgery right now!! Well, you'll read my entry AFTER it's all over (which will be no help to you) but please know that I'm praying for you and look forward to reading your story when you're feeling better.  ~michelle d.~

[Vivian B.]

Hi Joanne,

I just caught your post. I hope your surgery went well and that you have a speedy recovery. Let us know how you are doing when you are able to.


Vivian