Author Topic: One Year Anniversary  (Read 2824 times)

Chances3

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One Year Anniversary
« on: October 27, 2011, 02:11:01 pm »
Dear All,

One year ago today I had a middle fossa operation to remove my AN.  My recovery hasn't fallen into the 'normal' stage, and I wonder what normal is anymore.  Having said that, I am grateful that my face works 100 percent, and I have hearing on my surgical side, although it has diminished.  I continue to see improvement month to month and my surgeons continue to say I am still in the healing process.

As I have mentioned once before, my surgeon lead me to this site on my first consultation, but I never bothered to check it out.  I was suffering greatly from vertigo attacks, the full spin variety, so to me, it was a no brainer ( no pun intented ), take the damn thing out.  Although I still have an occasional attack, I am seeing real improvement in that as well.  About 4 months post op, I began to look for answers to why I felt the way I did.  I decided to log in here and post questions.  The senior members here have been so wonderful with advice and encouragement, everyone let me vent when I had to, THANK YOU SO MUCH !!

I now share this date with alamabajane who posted here a few weeks ago.  She had surgery today, middle fossa.  I sent her a few personal messages of encouragement to help with the anxiety we all experience prior to surgery.  So like Tiny Tim would say in the famous d***en's movie Scrooge  GOD BLESS US ALL !!

Jim Scott

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Re: One Year Anniversary
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2011, 02:45:13 pm »
Chances3 ~

Happy ANniversary!  I'm pleased to lean that you're improving - and thank you for your generous words regarding the ANA discussion forums. I'm glad we could help. 

Jim
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.

Rivergirl

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Re: One Year Anniversary
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2011, 06:01:48 pm »
Don't want the time to fly by too fast but hoping that at a year I will be even better, congrats on your good recovery
Diagnosed 6/2008
Right AN 2cmx8x9
Sub-Occipital at Mass General with Martusa and McKenna on 5/31/11
Right SSD, very little taste
I think I will make it!

jaylogs

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Re: One Year Anniversary
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2011, 05:50:59 am »
Congrats on the one year anniversary!!  I can fully understand it when you said you wonder what normal is anymore. I felt that way for a long time, but now this new "normal" isn't so bad, considering.  I hope as time goes things will just keep getting better and better for you.  God Bless indeed! :)
Jay
8.1mm x 7.8mm x 8.2mm AN, Left Ear, Middle Fossa surgery performed on 12/9/09 at House by Drs. Brackmann/Schwartz. Some hearing left, but got BAHA 2/25/11 (Ponto Pro) To see how I did through my Middle Fossa surgery, click here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jaylogston

leapyrtwins

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Re: One Year Anniversary
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2011, 11:50:56 am »
This is a huge milestone.  So celebrate! ;D
 
Congratulations!

Jan
Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

Ellenmn

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Re: One Year Anniversary
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2011, 11:53:22 am »
Well Congrats on your 1st Anniversary. Good to hear you are doing so well. It's funny how the definition of normal changes for some after surgery.

CHD63

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Re: One Year Anniversary
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2011, 04:35:05 pm »
Thanks for letting us know how you are doing at the one-year mark!  For many of us, we continually see additional improvement, just not as dramatically after a year post-op.  And yes, we have to accept the fact that "normal" may not be what we want nor were expecting, but for me the pluses far outweigh the negatives in having gone through this journey.

I find I have much more understanding of people with hearing or facial issues.  And, I do not automatically think a person staggering must have had too much to drink.  These are good things.  Life is too short to dwell on what we cannot do nor what we do not have.

Best wishes for continuing recovery.

Clarice
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