Hi Everyone.
First post here and just wanted to start off with expressing how glad I am that there's a site forum for those affected with AN.
My family is trying their best to keep their heads up and trying to take any stress, anxiety, and doubt off his mind. Although no appointment has been made for surgery, I'm almost most certain that surgery will be the best treatment option since its 3cm x 3.5cm.
Some things about my dad:
Hes very hard working (a custodian at Brandeis for over 17 years)
Hes a damn good father...can't ask for anything else.
He understands English, but hes never gotten computer savvy and has no chance of knowing how to Google about his condition.
Hes only been hearing what the Docs told him.
Me on the other hand, loves to surf the net and to do research.
So here I am, starting this thread as if I was in his own shoes.
There's a whole list of questions I have that I feel best if it was answered from people who went through surgery for AN or those who has had someone very important in their lives diagnosed with AN. I would really appreciate anyone who could answer any of them.
1. Is surgery a high success rate for large tumors? (>3cm)
2. Any specific things your loved ones can do for you before and after surgery?
3. Since I'm in Boston, should I strongly consider MGH/MEEI (I've seen a couple of success stories with their Surgeons)? Any recommendations? Should I convince my dad to look elsewhere? If by spending more money on air fare and hotels gives my dad a better chance, I'm willing to convince my family to do so. I just want the best possible for him.
4. How long is the surgery process? I've heard from 8-12 hours but would like to hear from any members here.
Thanks for taking your time to read my post
![Smiley :)](https://www.anausa.org/smf/Smileys/classic/smiley.gif)
Anthony