2 years and "tooma" free

[texsooner]

Got my 2 year "tube of gloom" visit done this week and it looks good. Most know this, but you can get a copy of the report and CD of the images of your MRI's. I recommend that everyone do that. I have a folder at home with all the reports and CD's.

I have to admit that I don't understand all the medical jargon in the report, but my neurotologist called yesterday to assure me that everything looked good and there's no evidence of re-growth. I thought it might be educational for some and others may want to compare, so here's the short report from the technician on my MRI done earlier this week:

MRI brain and internal auditory canals without and with contrasts 08/10/2010

Clinical: Followup post acoustic neuroma resection.

This study was performed on a 3.0 Tesla MRI. Comparison is made to the previous MRI of 08/17/2009.

No intracranial hemorrhage, ventriculomegaly, midline shift, or acute ischemia is seen. Flow voids are seen within the vessels at the skull base. Several minimal central white matter foci of increased T2 and FLAIR signal identified, without corresponding diffusion abnormality or abnormal enhancement. No brainstem involvement is identified. No abnormal supratentorial enhancement is identified.

MRI of the internal auditory canals again shows left occipital retrosigmoid craniotomy with calvarial flap. Mild subjacent pachymeningeal enhancement is seen, with mild encephalomalacia of the lateral aspect of the left cerebellum. The previously described enhancement within the left porus acousticus has improved. Minimal smooth pachymeningeal enhancement along the left petrous apex is stable.

The brainstem is unremarkable.

IMPRESSION: Improved enhancement within the left porus acusticus since 08/17/2009. No evidence of residual or recurrent neoplasm identified.


I thought the comment about the unremarkable brainstem was uncalled for , but my doc assured me this was a good thing since the "tooma" before surgery was pressing hard against the brainstem. I try to read this report to family and friends, and while they are happy for me, I know you folks understand better. 

Thanks for the support over the last 2 years.

Patrick

[Soundy]

I had to fight to get copies of reports and have no CDs ... do have some big films I thought of making into lamp shades but family thinks this would be morbid ...

Glad you got a good report ... I even saw my favorite word doctors used when describing these things ... unremarkable ...

Congratulations ...

[leapyrtwins]

Congratulations, Patrick!!! 

Stellar news!   

Jan

[Syl]

Congrats on a clean MRI and an unremarkable brainstem. How long before your next MRI?

Syl

[Lizard]

Congrats, great news.  I'm coming up on my 3 year mark here in a couple months and I'm starting to get a little nervous, but hopefully I have not regrowth 
Take care and thanks for the positive post...its helps!
Liz

[Jim Scott]

Patrick ~

Congratulations on your excellent MRI results!  We appreciate your posting the actual report as an information piece - and I hope all your future reports remain 'unremarkable'. 

Jim

[texsooner]

Thanks everyone.

Syl, I don't know yet when the next MRI will be.....that's the first question on my list when I have my official appointment with my neurotologist on Aug 26th. I think different doctors have varying philosphies on frequencies of doing MRI's. I thought I remembered my doc saying at the beginning that we'd do yearly MRI's for the first 5 years, and then spread them out further after that...but we'll see.

Patrick

[ksiwek]

Such good news!  So happy for you!  You must have such a feeling of relief   Have a great weekend...and celebrate your great news!

[leapyrtwins]

Patrick -

my doc follows the same protocol as your doc.

Annual MRIs the first 5 years post op.  Then if they are clean, every 2 or 3 years for a while.

Jan

[texsooner]

Just to close the loop after my appointment today with my neurotologist, he confirmed everything looks good. He said he can detect only very slight facial weakness because my AN side eyebrow would not lift quite to the same level as the other, but it's not noticeable really by anyone (except him and me). He did a couple of balance tests on me and said my balance was very good considering my situation. They did a hearing test on my hearing side and the audiologist said I have perfect hearing on that side. We discussed the BAHA possibility again, of which I might consider during the next year.

I asked about what he thought was the probability of re-growth, and he said in cases such as mine, it is approx 5%.

He also told me that if the next year's MRI (which would be at 3 years) looks good, we will space out the MRI's to every other year. He didn't say how long the every other year frequency would last. 

Thanks again for the support.

Patrick

[iluuvpups]

What wonderful news!   You're very lucky!!

[leapyrtwins]

Tremendous news, Patrick 

Congrats, again!

Jan

[jaylogs]

Congrats on the 2 year!! I am sorry, though, about your unremarkable brainstem...don't feel bad, we all know that it as well as you yourself are indeed REMARKABLE  because that was what this report was!  Stay cool!
Jay

[Brendalu]

Congratulations, Patrick!  Every other year sounds awesome.  Isn't it funny we can pick out what we perceive to be our imperfections when others can't?  I think you are a remarkable person and truly admire all you have accomplished since the intrusion of the AN!  When is the next ride/run?
All the best,
Brenda

[Kathy M]

Congrats, Patrick, on the clean MRI!!!  I'm kinda late checking in, but had to comment.  You've been one of my guiding lights since my diagnosis in November of 08 (can it really be that long ago) and it's great that you have such an unremarkable head.  Thanks for the advice on getting these reports in hand, also. 

Keep on movin' in the forward direction!!!!

Kathy