Swelling of AN after gamma knife - How big?

[elandal]

Hi folks,
I had Gamma Knife 3 months ago (Nov 2016) on my AN  6.9mm x 5.2 x 5.

Ive just had a 3 month scan and its swelled to 1.05mm x 6 x 5.5  (about a 60% increase in length!)

I  am wondering if that %/size of swelling is normal or large?
Im also concerned that if it keeps selling for 6-12 months it may get huge before it gets smaller??

My dizziness and feeling unbalanced is pretty full on, driving is becoming a concern.

Bit worried. Thanks for your advice in advance.
Alex.

[ANSydney]

Hi Alex,

I've noticed that you are also from Australia (unfortunately far from Sydney).

I've noticed that your first post in Aug 2016 referred to a 6.4 mm tumour.

Now you have 6.9 x 5.2 x 5.0 mm (Nov 2016)(Gamma Knife) --> 10.5 x 6.0 x 5.5 mm (Feb 2017).

Swelling sometimes occurs following Gamma Knife, so this may be normal. The only way to know is to talk to the neurosurgeon in charge of your case. He should be readily accessible following treatment.

Did you have Gamma Knife in Brisbane or Sydney?

[elandal]

My mistake, was 6.4 in length, now 10.5

[ANSydney]

So, 6.4 x ? x ? (Aug 2016) [Diagnosis] --> 6.9 x 5.2 x 5.0 mm (Nov 2016)[Gamma Knife] --> 10.5 x 6.0 x 5.5 mm (Feb 2017)?

[elandal]

Was 6.4 x 5 x 5.  Now, (3mths after GK) is 10.5 x 5.6 x 5.6
Radiologist has confirmed these measurements now. Waiting to hear from my neurosurgeon/

[PaulW]

Hi Alex,
Small tumours swelling 60% or more is very common.
The first 6 months is normally when the tumour swells the most..
Have some comfort in the fact that a swelling tumour is actually a sign that the radiation has done something. According to my neurosurgeon the swelling of the tumour is caused by the internal cell processes being damaged. Cells are no longer able to control their water content and as a result the individual cells get bigger causing the swelling. Unfortunately the swelling also puts pressure on the blood vessel that feeds the inner ear and on the hearing / balance nerve.. So as your blood pressure increases, so does blood flow and oxygen to your cochlear and nerves... These changes mean the signals to your brain also change.. and unfortunately that makes you dizzy... Changes in blood pressure up or down can make you dizzy. Hang in there.. the first 6 months are definitely the worst. Some people do vestibular exercises which they swear by.. personally they just made me feel nauseous. I found walking to be excellent in making me feel better but I needed to do at least 1hour per day. Stemitil also helped with the dizziness but I didn't want to take that long term. Ginger seasickness tablets available at the chemist helped me.. at first I thought they did nothing but after reviewing the day I realised they did help. Just don't expect a miracle cure from the ginger seasickness tablets. Walking and challenging your brain makes you feel like crap straight afterwards but after a few days I certainly felt better.. if I stopped walking the dizziness returned.

[PaulW]

I remember how everyday I would be reminded of my AN, the dizziness, balance, the tinnitus, hearing deficit, nausea.
5 1/2 months after CK I had my first day where I completely forgot about my AN.
My AN was something I thought about constantly since my hearing started to disappear 7 1/2 months earlier. That feeling lasted a couple of hours and the dizziness returned... over the next 6 months there were good days and bad days, the good days increased and the bad days were further apart.

Worth checking out this blog...
www.myacoustic.org

Many things Francesco went through are similar to me, including the timeline.. although I must say I feel he had it worse than me... Well worth a read, and hopefully some indication of the road ahead