7 months post-op today

[briansmome]

It's been 7 months and I'm still not sure how I feel about it all. Seems surreal. There were only 15 days between the MRI and the surgery so I guess I didn't take the time to absorb. The past seven months have been a bit tough. Stroke during surgery, left vocal cord paralysis, 3 weeks in the hospital, months of therapy...who signs on for this? For a while it seemed it was one thing right after another. Feeding tube placement, laryngoplasty, corneal transplant, etc. I'm doing really well and I know that, but it's almost time for GK and I'm getting nervous again. How did any of you do with that?

[briansmome]

Tumor was 4.2 cm. I am in North Carolina; I believe there is a support group a couple of hours from here, but I don't drive due to decreased vision after the transplant. Have another MRI scheduled for January 13; planning for GK will start then.

[Jim Scott]

Hi, Briansmom ~

I'm sorry to learn of your post-op struggles and you're right when you pose the rhetorical question: "who signs up for this"?   I only hope and will pray that things get better from this point forward.  The GK shouldn't be too difficult.  Swelling is the main issue and steroids usually quell that complication.  I trust that your GK will be relatively uneventful - but totally successful.

Jim

[leapyrtwins]

Brians -

you've certainly been through a lot.  My AN wasn't large enough to require both surgery and radiation (debulking), but those who have had it have done well.

Kaybo had a lot of complications from her surgery - including a stroke.  She is someone who would be very helpful to you.  I've never met a woman with a brighter disposition and a sunnier attitude 

I'll PM her and alert her to your post.

Best,

Jan