« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2

Author Topic: Newbie here  (Read 3378 times)

PatsFan

  • New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Newbie here
« on: November 19, 2009, 03:26:05 pm »
I have been reading this board for sometime now as my brother 56 years old learned this summer he had an acoustic neuroma.   He is less than 24 hours out of surgery as of right now.  He was in surgery for almost nine hours yesterday.  He was operated on at Mass General with Drs. Barker and McKenna and he is doing wonderful.  As of right now they are all amazed how great everything went.  He may even go home tomorrow or on Saturday, I guess there is a shortage of beds.  They said they removed all the tumor. Of course, he is deaf on the one side.  Anyway, we are all so thankful and I just wanted to acknowledge the wonderful doctors.
Logged

Jim Scott

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7241
  • 1943-2020 Please keep Jim's family in your hearts
Re: Newbie here
« Reply #1 on: November 19, 2009, 03:32:40 pm »
Hi, Patsfan ~

Welcome - and thanks for joining us.  I'm glad to learn that your brother is apparently doing well following his AN removal surgery.  We would appreciate learning more about your brother's AN, i.e. size and type of surgery he had.  I know that Mass General has a good reputation and Dr. McKenna and Dr. Barker are fairly well known on these forums.  Many of our members have had these surgeons perform their AN removals.  They both have solid reputations with AN patients in the northeast/New England area.  Your brother was in good hands.

Jim

Logged
4.5 cm AN diagnosed 5/06.  Retrosigmoid surgery 6/06.  Follow-up FSR completed 10/06.  Tumor shrinkage & necrosis noted on last MRI.  Life is good. 

Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is.  The way we cope with it is what makes the difference.

Pooter

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1291
  • The Official Breeze Conjurer - PBW
    • Blog Website
Re: Newbie here
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2009, 03:34:30 pm »
Welcome to our little corner of the 'Net.  I'm glad your brother is doing well after his surgery.  Make sure everyone knows that the first 3 days don't count.  After that, then healing will generally come slow and gradual.  Remember it's a marathon, not a sprint.  We call it a "journey" for a reason.

He's in great hands at Mass General.  I've heard that name come up several times and always in a good way.

What kind of surgery did he have?  Do you have any specifics on his particular tumor that you'd like to share?  If you've been here for any length, then you know we run the gammut in sizes around here.

Slow and steady wins the race..

Regards,
Brian
Logged
Diagnosed 4/10/08 - 3cm Right AN
12hr retrosig 5/8/08 w/Drs Vrabec and Trask in Houston, Tx
Some facial paralysis post-op but most movement is back, some tinitus.  SSD on right.
Story documented here:  http://briansbrainbooger.blogspot.com/

"I must be having fun all wrong!"  - Roger Creager

ppearl214

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7449
  • ANA Forum Policewoman - PBW Cursed Cruise Director
Re: Newbie here
« Reply #3 on: November 19, 2009, 03:38:16 pm »
Hi PatsFan and welcome!  MAJOR member of BoSox nation here  ;D... and good to have you here.

Ah, fantastic hands... Barker and McKenna (MGH/MEEI). Too many for me to count that participate on these forums that had their surgical treatments with them (I was treated via radiation at Beth Israel Deaconess.... down the Storrow and around the Fenway bend!) :)

Please let your brother know that I send wellness and speedy recovery wishes to him.... and again, welcome you to the forums.

Phyl
Logged
"Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness", Capt Jack Sparrow - Davy Jones Locker, "Pirates of the Carribbean - At World's End"

PatsFan

  • New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Re: Newbie here
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2009, 03:45:32 pm »
Hello again and thanks to all.  I am not all too familiar with all the medical jargon.  Though, I was on this board off and on and would pass information on to him.  He had his mind made up about the surgery and did not really want to hear alot about all the complications that could occur.  I believe it was his way of dealing with it.  Anyway, I will be talking to my sister-in-law shortly this evening.  He had the translab done. His tumor was 2cm  (I think he said about the size of a quarter). Would that be right?  I will be finding out more shortly.  Any questions, I will try and answer.
Logged

NancyMc

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 857
  • One year and all is well, almost.
Re: Newbie here
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2009, 03:50:28 pm »
Hey, he's just like me, same size, same approach, same surgeons, same surgery length, same outcome, same length of stay (Wednesday to Saturday), same age (well, two years younger, but who's counting?).  Congrats!
Logged
Watch and Wait since 9/19/01
Increased from 1.1 x 1.9 to 1.9 x 1.9 cm as of 10/27/08
Right SSD, tinnitus, compensating balance
Dr. McKenna at Mass Eye and Ear and Dr. Barker at MGH
Translab April 8, 9 hours, 18 mm Tumor all gone SSD some facial weakness

Jim Scott

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7241
  • 1943-2020 Please keep Jim's family in your hearts
Re: Newbie here
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2009, 04:03:42 pm »
PatsFan ~

Thanks, again, for filling in a few 'blanks'.  2 cm is considered to be a moderately-sized AN.  Translab is a very well-known surgical approach to AN removals.  Many of our members have successfully undergone the 'Translabyrinthine' procedure, which is quite popular with neurosurgeons performing AN removals.  I'm pleased to learn from your posts that your brother is one of them.

Jim
Logged
4.5 cm AN diagnosed 5/06.  Retrosigmoid surgery 6/06.  Follow-up FSR completed 10/06.  Tumor shrinkage & necrosis noted on last MRI.  Life is good. 

Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is.  The way we cope with it is what makes the difference.

CHD63

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3235
  • Life is good again!!
Re: Newbie here
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2009, 04:22:54 pm »
PatsFan .....

Just adding my welcome to this Forum.  Thanks for sharing a success story about your brother.  Hopefully he will also feel up to joining us in a few days (weeks ....).  This is a tremendous support group and we are hear to listen and share.

Clarice
Logged
Right MVD for trigeminal neuralgia, 1994, Pittsburgh, PA
Left retrosigmoid 2.6 cm AN removal, February, 2008, Duke U
Tumor regrew to 1.3 cm in February, 2011
Translab AN removal, May, 2011 at HEI, Friedman & Schwartz
Oticon Ponto Pro abutment implant at same time; processor added August, 2011

Mickey

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 753
Re: Newbie here
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2009, 04:28:16 pm »
It great to hear good news!  Onward to a speedy recovery!  Best wishes, Mickey
Logged

Kiwi Don

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 53
Re: Newbie here
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2009, 05:12:35 pm »
Hi PatsFan,

Also adding my welcome to the forum.
Please pass on my well wishes to your brother for a speedy recovery.

Don
Logged
24July09 Diagnoised with Left AN 2.0cm x 1.9cm
Translab Scheduled 7April10

"Received the Ticket, Boarded the Train, and now the Journey has begun??"

epc1970

  • Guest
Re: Newbie here
« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2009, 05:30:19 pm »
Hi PatFan
I am always thrilled to hear another successful AN surgery story!! Please give your brother my best wishes for a good recovery. It sounds like he is off to a great start!
Erin
Logged

PatsFan

  • New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Update
« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2009, 09:56:12 am »
Hello again,
I wrote on Thursday that my brother had translab surgery on Wednesday at Mass General.  Believe it or not, he came home on Friday afternoon. The doctors are amazed at how well he is doing. They said he tied for the record on earliest release.  I went to visit him last night at home, he is doing great. Walking around, no dizziness.  He is even watching TV (in hospital he was watching, they said that it could take a couple of weeks for him to watch TV and focus).  The doctor thinks that because his tumor was so slow growing that his body was already compensating for the balance issue over time, if that makes any sense.  Also, he had already lost 85 percent of his hearing in that ear.   His face on that side was a little swollen, other than that he looked the same.  He was just taking tylenol and resting every few hours. I am amazed and he is also.  We hope he continues feeling this good after having a 9 hour surgery.
Logged

CHD63

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3235
  • Life is good again!!
Re: Newbie here
« Reply #12 on: November 22, 2009, 02:25:09 pm »
Great continued news!  Those are the records we like to beat!  Tell him not to push it even though he feels so good.  He still just had major surgery and his body needs to heal.  As for the balance being fine, this is not unusual for the brain to have already compensated and switched over to the good vestibular nerve on the other side.  Everyone is different in this regard and glad this "recovery" part was already completed before surgery.

Again, congratulations and best wishes for continuing uneventful recovery.

Clarice
Logged
Right MVD for trigeminal neuralgia, 1994, Pittsburgh, PA
Left retrosigmoid 2.6 cm AN removal, February, 2008, Duke U
Tumor regrew to 1.3 cm in February, 2011
Translab AN removal, May, 2011 at HEI, Friedman & Schwartz
Oticon Ponto Pro abutment implant at same time; processor added August, 2011

Jim Scott

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7241
  • 1943-2020 Please keep Jim's family in your hearts
Re: Newbie here
« Reply #13 on: November 22, 2009, 03:16:52 pm »
Patsfan ~

Thanks for the update on your brother's fabulous recovery!  It's always heartening to learn of these rapid recoveries from AN surgery.  I enjoyed something similar.  My doctor told my wife I was breaking all the records of recovery for his AN patients - and he had been performing AN surgery for 30 years!  I just wanted to get my life back - and I did, just as your brother seems to be doing.  Let him know that we're rooting for him and congratulate him on what appears to be a very successful surgery. 

Jim
Logged
4.5 cm AN diagnosed 5/06.  Retrosigmoid surgery 6/06.  Follow-up FSR completed 10/06.  Tumor shrinkage & necrosis noted on last MRI.  Life is good. 

Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is.  The way we cope with it is what makes the difference.

Tricia (horsekayak)

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 64
  • Keenah and Tricia
Re: Newbie here
« Reply #14 on: November 22, 2009, 05:55:24 pm »
this is great news..wishing you  a continued speedy recovery !!!!
Logged
Tricia (horsekayak)-Diagnosed 8/10/09
1.5 cm right side AN
Gainesville, GA (near horses and Lake Lanier)
Linac radiosurgery at Shands Hospital/Univ of Florida  12/1/09  Go Gators!!!

"Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way"...BT Washington
Pages: [1] 2
« previous next »