I had my Gamma Knife surgery this morning and it all proceeded as I expected. My expectations were based on research on this site, various you tube and other videos and, of course from the Doctors and staff at the Illinois Gamma Knife Surgery Center at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, IL. They are such a very caring group of people who show their concern for you and your fears.
My team: Neurosurgeon Dr. George K. Bovis, Radiation Oncologist Dr. Ramji Rajendran, Physicist Jagan Venkatesan, and Nurses Karen Mnichowicz and Laura Johnson.
They worked as a team and did their best to make sure I was comfortable and explained everything. One expectation that I had was that the fitting of the frame would be uncomfortable, And it sure was. But it was not unbearable. I got there at 6:00AM and was out the door by 10:30AM and that was with 2 other patients interspersed into the process. They worked like clockwork, Because it turned out I was very claustrophobic, they arranged for me to have a large bore MRI 2 days before at another facility. They affixed the frame and the worst part was the pressure but that quickly subsided. The pin sites had some pain but it was not bad and felt better over time. Then once the frame was affixed, I had the CAT scan and after they did their planning, merging the data from the 2 MRI’s, and the CAT scan, I had the radiosurgery on the new Perfexion system, No claustrophobia, I listened to the Eagles and others from Pandora that Karen had piped in from her iphone. Very uneventful, It was amazing how my head could not move a millimeter, The frame attached to the machine was solid. By the time they removed the frame, I had no pain. After the frame was removed, I did get a mild to moderate headache and the pain at the pin sites returned but, again, not real bad.
Don’t tell my wife but the 40 mile ride home (no freeways or tollroads because she's too nervous and won’t use them), was probably the most distressing part of the day. Took us an hour and a half to get home with a few white knuckle moments. She usually never drives when we are together.
It is now 5:20PM and I have virtually no pain but I understand I can expext swelling around the eyes and some pain on the pin sites.
I could have waited and watched for a while but, for me, this was the best choice. My wife was my rock and support and I love her for it.
Now I go back in 6 months for another Dr visit and check on the progress.
