CK Treatment Date Set at Stanford

[LS]

I finally got my dates set for CK at Stanford with Dr. Chang.  Meet with Dr. Chang on Friday, April 6th, tour Wine Country on the weekend, prep day on Monday, CK treatments on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, fly home on Friday.  What a relief to get the note that the insurance will be in network and I have my dates with the doctor that I wanted and the place where I wanted CK done. 

I cannot tell you how valuable this forum and the cyberknife forum with the doctors from OKC and Palm Beach have been.  When diagnosed with my 1.6cm AN I just wanted to have surgery to get the damn thing out.  But after some suggestions here not to rush into surgery and look into radiosurgery, I did and I never looked back at surgery as an option.  I meet with a great surgeon here in Houston, Dr. Joseph Chang, but used the visit to ask questions and get his feelings for CK vs surgery.  I asked him what he would do at my age with my size tumor and he said I was right in the middle.  At age 40 he would have surgery, at age 60 he would have CK/GK, ate age 50, which is where I am, it would be a hard decision but he would lean toward surgery.

Had I chosen the surgical route I probably would have chosen House since they do so many.  I asked Dr. Chang how many he had done and he said about 140, they do more probably twice that in a year at House.  Dr. Chang does have one advantange in that he teams up with Dr. Alp.  Dr. Alp is brilliant and I can say that through watching him save a dear friend's life a few years ago with severe head trauma from a car crash.  The man is remarkable.  Dr. Chang does the approach and Dr. Alp takes out the tumor.

I cannot wait for getting my treatment done and feel so positive about the upcoming experience when compared to the recovery from surgery.  Hey I can put up with a lot not to have to deal with surgical recovery.  Surgery has its place for larger turmors, but CK and GK have become the gold standard for smaller tumors.  Everyone has to do their research and do what seems best for them, but I am again so thankful for this forum in opening my eyes to other types of treatments.  Easter will be a special time this year for me and my wife!!!!!

[ppearl214]

LS

Congrats on achieving your decision. I was also treated during Easter (last year) and know it's going to be a good holiday for you.  As you note (as well as many here), never look back or question your decision and know that we are all cheering you on!

I have a feeling the Easter Bunny will be good to you this year!

Phyl

[okiesandy]

Congratulations!!!!

I had that wonderful Oklahoma City doctor treat my AN 14 months ago. Now it is smaller, and shows a big area of necrosis. When I first started this journey I did not even look at radiation. Thourgh a insurance mix up and because of a fast growing tumor I canceled my surgery with Dr. Brackmann at HEI and consulted with Dr. Medbery. He never at any point pushed his treatment on me. After being told by every surgeon I went to and consulted with, that the only way to be done with the tumor was by surgical removeal. Strange, I just met a lady at my last neurotologist vist that had her AN removed 4 years ago and now it is back. She found out that even though the doctors told her they got 100% of it they now admit they did have to leave a small part of it. The surgeon is still pushing for more surgery. It is very hard to keep your mouth shut in that situation. She ask me about my AN and why I did not have surgery. I told her I had 9 months to research and finially went to a neurosurgeon who does surgery, CK and GK and response to my questions was in her opinion radiation will take the place of surgery for almost all small and mid-sized AN's in the near future.

I know that there is no perfect treatment for our ANs. However, after 14 months I would say I am about 90+% back to my normal self. Balance is better, facial numbness is gone, tinnitus less,tumor smaller. I was deaf before treatment and that has not changed. What ever small problems I had post treatment are mostly gone. I feel blessed to have the option of CK and the resources to investigate the different options for myself.

I wish you every success with your treatment. A year from now you will be posting how easy this was and how much necrosis you have.

Good Luck and many blessings,

Sandy

[flier58]

Hi LS,
good luck on your otcomes.  Treatment itself is totaly unremarkable ...even boring. 
Flier58

[marystro]

Best of luck, LS.

It will be a breeze, I mean the treatment.  Stanford is a world class facility and you have chosen one of the best teams in this field.

Just don't fall asleep on the treatment table  .  I did during my third day lol.

Say hi to the old friends there - Larry the tech and the docs and nurses.  Tell them they have a fan club out there  .

Mary

[pearchica]

Flier58 you made me laugh out loud- CK treatment is totally anti-climatic! It really is a huh, that's it?

LS- good luck with the treatment and make sure your wife gets lots of shopping done @ Stanford Shopping Center- also Downtown Palo Alto has some fun shops.  And LS if you felt like I did-you will be in a STATE of ELATION for weeks! Appropriate given that Spring and Easter are both times of renewal and hope. Happy Easter and Spring to you and your wife.

And seriously, I loved the blue pill after each treatment- Steroids are the best!  WOOHOO

Oh and wonderful wine country- yeah!  It's been a really gorgeous spring in Northern Cal.  Good luck

Take care, keep us updated! Annie