Australian surgery success - early days

[lamplight]

Hi
I know that people from Australia and NZ are sometimes on this site so I thought a posiitive update would be a good thing. I posted earlier out of frustration about being postponed a month (had surgery on the Australian public health system and it got cancelled day of surgery and rescheduled for a whole month later!). In retrospect the mental anxiety was the worst thing of all.

Well it's early days as I just got discharged this morning but it looks like surgery was a success - went ahead on monday 28th June and looks like full removal with only some facial weaness which will hopefully improve over the coming months. No dizziness. very little nausea, only on panadol for pain  as don't really feel any. I can blink wiith my right eye but can't wink so just have to be more conscious of it and I look a little bit crazy when I smile but not too bad considering it was a 3.5 to 4 cm tumour.
I was unsure about doing it here in Adelaide but think I had a good team and they also remarked that I was very lucky.

So thanks for the welll wishes on my post about postponement - hopefully my recovery will continue well and without incident.  I don't feel top of the world considering I just had surgery 5 days ago, but I do feel better than I thought I would -  and very thankful it turned out ok. I'll just be trying to take it slow!

[skamper]

Wow, on the computer already!  That's just awesome.  You must be doing well, I wasn't even functioning probably until about a week or two later.  Tried all the time was the most.
That's great to hear you are doing so well, that was quite the tumor size.  Mine was golfball size and i thought that was big.
Keep up the great recovery!
Susan

[Jim Scott]

Lamplight ~

Congratulations on your successful surgery!  Apparently, the wait - although agonizing - was worth it. The fact that you're sitting at a computer and sending messages literally hours after your hospital discharge speaks well of your prospects for a splendid recovery.  The facial weakness will probably be temporary and I'm confident that you'll be fine, with time.  Keep us posted!

Jim

[Shan1014]

The fact you are up and on a computer was impressive to me.  Looks like you are doing awesome.  Wow, pushing you back a month must have been difficult.  I got a call on the day I was going in and mine got pushed back a week, and I was devastated.  You seem very well, continued success.
Shan

[wendysig]

Congratulations on your successful surgery!  Since you are already posting yourself and sound so great it sounds like things went very well.  I hope your recovery continues to go smoothly.  Just remember to listen to your body and get lots of rest..  People have a tendency to try to do too much at first since they're anxious to get back to normal (whatever that is

Best wishes,
Wendy)

[jerseygirl]

Congratulations!!! Sounds like the surgery was a great success despite quite a big tumor. It's good to know that neurosurgeons in Australia can handle AN.

               Eve

[yorkierun]

New on the board here and was thrilled and very hopeful to read your post on how well you're doing.  Great to hear such a successful outcome for you!  Jan

[moe]

Congratulations!
A successful surgery and on the computer already.
Take it real easy with lots of rests, naps, walking is the best, and fluids. Your body will tell you when you over do it.
So happy for you!
Maureen

[Larry]

Hi lamplight

Congrats. Interested to know who your surgeon was and which hospital you went to. I take it you had the translab procedure.

Laz (in Sydney)

p.s For those that don't know, Adelaide is on the south coast of Oz, in the middle'ish. It is known as the city of churches but has one of the best wine growing regions in the world - The Barossa Valley.

[HeadCase2]

lamplight,
  Congrats on doing so well.  You will be feeling even better at 6 weeks.    Send wine 
Regards,
  Rob

[lamplight]

Hi Larry
It was restrosigmoid done at Flinders Hospital by Dr Nick Vrodos (Neurosurgeon) and Dr Michael Schultz (ENT surgeon). I'm very happy with the outcome and although not a lot of info out there, heard positive things about them before hand.

As the title of my post said - early days because I was aware some things might develop.
Had some bad tinnitus for about 5 days but that seems to have settled down and not so noticeable.
AN side headaches started about a week ago, particulary at night and seem to be neck related. They are better if I sleep on my back. Not concerned about them being csf leaks as the come and go upright or lying down and no other csf symptoms. Hoping they resolve soon - headache free today so far. I really feel for anyone out there that has had them ongoing...
Have a follow up appointment at the hospital tomorrow and will see what they say. Still feeling pretty positive about the whole thing - fingers crossed!

[leapyrtwins]

Lamplight -

thanks for the very positive report - and congratulations! 

I don't see anything in your post about your hearing (unless I missed that).  Were your docs able to save it?

Jan

[lamplight]

Oh yeah, nearly forgot about the hearing - SSD in right ear now but knew that was going to be the outcome and haven't found it that troublesome yet (maybe when I get back to work and proper socialisiing I'll miss it more). The loss of hearing didn't even occur to me until sometime the day after surgery as I'd been so relieved about the facial nerve and no problems swallowing!

I'm now nearly four weeks out and feeling pretty normal (strangely enough, I get the feeling that some acquaintances are a bit disappointed I don't look or act more poorly!) Headaches stopped a week ago so maybe that was just tension in my neck (it can feel a little stiff in the morning still).  I'm thankful that recovery has been relatively easy and now just looking forward to enjoying a few more weeks off before going back to work...

[msmaggie]

I can appreciate your comment about people expecting you to look worse.  I was told many times that I "didn't look any different."  Makes me wonder if they were expecting Frankenstein's twin sister! Congrats on a successful surgery  .
Priscilla

[opp2]

Our best friends came for dinner yesterday. My GF says 'I expected you to be lying on the couch, drinking from a straw'... Needless to say, they are very surprised.