Surgery March 7th House My Experience

[mindyandy]

Hi all. I hope I'm up to write all this. Please excuse my errors. I am 9 days post op and back at home. For all those who have upcoming surgeries I'm hoping my story helps. I had my AN discovered back in 2007 after I gave birth. I decided since it was small 1.4mm that I would op for Cyberknife. Jan 2008 I had 3 sessions of CK done and was hoping to put it all behind me and move forward. After radiation I did have some minor swelling and experienced some side effects such as pressure feeling and what I believe to be typical swelling sx. My MRI's showed some swelling then receeding which is wonderful. No real growth or change. My last scan November 2011 showed about 1mm to 2mm difference depending on who was reading it. Nothing really to talk about except I started to feel sharp shooting pains in my jaw on my AN side. Come to find out I developed Trigeminal Neuralgia. Something I would never wish apon anybody.  Dr. Medberry who I had look at my scans for an opinion says he could not say for sure growth or no growth. It does show it pressing against the trigeminal nerve tho. He suggested I wait 6 months for another MRI since there was not real concern for growth or no growth at the time. I sent my scan to Dr. Haines at the MN university and also to Dr. Friedman at House. i wanted some opinions since I was in such pain and I am allergic to the anti sizure meds they prescribe for Trigeminal Neuralgia.
Dr. Haines and Dr. Friedman agreed that little if any growth, however it was pressing on the trigeminal nerve so I can go ahead & schedule surgery if this is what I wanted to do. Yes....I can not tollerate the pain so I scheduled surgery March 7th with Dr. Friedman since House has such a high reputation and I felt safe going to him.
After I scheduled surgery of course Anxiety hits hard. Thanks to all the wonderful fellow AN'ers and family and friends this sure helped me stay focused as to why I was having surgery and not to run and hide.
My husband & I arrived in LA March 4th. I have never been to LA so I was surprised that the neighborhood St Vincet Hospital was in was not so great. That is ok . I have read here that it was in a bad neighborhood. Seton Hall was pretty quite and cozy for the convience. There were others there to talk to such as JanetD, and Mr. Bill. They had their surgery 1 week before me and were doing wonderful. This gave me a good feeling. Hubby & I walked and rented a car for Monday. Tuesday was pre op day and it was ALL DAY LONG. This day was busy. Come Wednesday morning I was scheduled 1st thing at 5:30am. I was NERVOUS. I was handed the paiger and said when it goes off it was my turn. No more than 10 minutes later It went off. I went to the little are where you change into your gown and they pump the warm air into your gown. This felt good but it made me realize I was within an hour or so to surgery. I broke down and shed some tears. The nurse and my husband were both there and talked to me. I was then wheeled into the elevator. This is where everybody who had surgery at House know when the elevators open you are in a hall full of windows that have the sunshine streaming in. It was wonderful, however it was a cloudy morning. Still beautiful. I was then wheeled into preop. This is where I met the others that were involved during surgery. They helped keep me calm. The anastesiaologist was over 1 hour late due to traffice accident back up on the freeway so they switched and got another anastesiaologist to start. She was good. I did get wheeled into OR while I was awake. She did give me something to calm me so I was not scared. I watched as they set up and then she said ok Mindy. That is all I remember. Next thing you know I was in ICU with Dr. Schwartz and the nurses saying it was over. I felt no pain. I was very nauseous. I expected this since anastesia does this to me. I now know what the first 24 to 48 hours doesnt count means now. I was so in and out of it I don't remember much.
I will say that the ICU nurses were heaven sent. They were WONDERFUL.
Thursday March 8th that evening I was put into a regular room. My ICU nurses were gone. LOL The nurses here are just as wonderful and attentive. I have to say the only thing that I did not enjoy so much about my experience is that when I was put into a regular room the first 2 nights were very LOUD. I know they were busy so I just shut my door and didn't complain. I'm also from the country so I could just be spoiled. LOL
Ok I can give more details if people want it just ask. My eyes are all over the place here so I am going to leave my story short.

Mindy

[CHD63]

Hi Mindy .....

So glad you are home and doing well at 9 days post-op!

Wonderful to read all about your experience.  Your description at HEI/St. Vincent's brought back many memories.  I had much the same experience except that I was surprisingly calm on the day of surgery.

So glad all of this is behind you now and so glad the trigeminal pain is all gone (we both know how horrible those electric shocks were !!).

Continuing thoughts and prayers.

Clarice

[alabamajane]

Congrats Mindy ,, glad to hear you had an "uneventful" surgery experience. That I am sure will help others yet to go through it.. take care of yourself and concentrate on recovery now... we are all still thinking of you... Jane

[Jim Scott]

Hi, Mindy ~

I'm so glad to learn how well you're doing!  Thanks so much for the comprehensive update on your AN surgery experience.  Although I didn't have my AN surgery at HEI, your account seems very familiar to me in many ways, including the relative 'haze' of the first few days, post-op.

Now, rest as needed - and thanks again for your interesting post. 

Jim 

[lizzie1hoops]

Wonderful to hear from you, Mindy!  Well done!  I'm wishing for a restful, peaceful and swift recover for you.

Liz

[mindyandy]

Thanks for all the well wishes everybody. You all are what strengthens me. How are you doing Lizzy? I know what you mean by dizzy...LOL

[jaylogs]

Heyy Mindy...Thank you for posting your experiences here.  It will definitely help future AN'ers as it did you and I... plus I suspect it's kind of theraputic to write down your experiences as you remember them.  It will also be good reading for you months and years down the road when all this is behind you and becomes just a distant memory.  I re-read some of my first posts again from time to time and its just amazing how time changes your perspective.  Anyways, I am glad you are home and on the road to recovery.  Just try to get in as much walking as possible...it'll help you regain your balance that much better plus help in your overall recovery.  Take care and keep us updated on how things go!
Jay

[windy]

I appreciate your post Mindy. It was interesting and informative! It sounds like you did well with your surgery and were quite pleased with your choice of going to HEI. I am really glad things have gone so well for you. Also, I am glad you are back home. I wish the best for you post surgery!

Windy

[cindyj]

Hey, Mindy!  Know you're glad to be back home!  So glad everything went successfully out there!  It's a great feeling to have it behind you, isn't it!

Try to take it easy for awhile,

cindy

[Manders]

Thank you so much Mindy for telling us all about your experience! As I'm awaiting my surgery date it's really comforting to read about someone who as crossed to the other side and done so well.
I did have a question though. You said that your pre-op testing took all day. What exactly do they do for pre-op? What kind of tests? I had an MRI done in February which is how I found out about my AN and my surgery is scheduled at the beginning of May. Do you think they'll make me do another MRI? I'm claustrophobic and I'd rather not have to have another one if at all possible...

[Cheryl R]

I am guessing that they may not.     I think I told you that Dr Woodson did her fellowship at Univ of Iowa so I have met her but she was not one who did surgery on me.     The male dr before her was my last surgery.        She is so nice and very intelligent.             What you have depend will depend on your age,health history and protocol for each type of surgery.             Blood work with a complete blood count and profile.   Chest x rays.     Possible EKG.
 Talk about your whole health history  and probably do your admission form.    Info on what to do before you come for surgery and drugs not to be taking.    May or may not talk to anesthesiology.          U of I does head x ray if having mid fossa for bone location.                  I never had any had any balance testing but someplaces do and would think that would before the pre op.    Audiogram will be done.     Probably info on what to expect post op.   Sign papers for permission to do surgery and anesthestia.                       I might be forgetting some.          Possible a lung functrion test if one is a smoker (which I am not)                   We will be thinking of you at surgery time.                          Cheryl R

[mindyandy]

Manders
My pre op did not include an MRI. I think pre op is different for each place you go. I had an auditory test, ABR test, vestibular test done. I met with Dr. Schwartz and then later with Dr. Friedman. I had a EKG done with Dr. Stefan who clears you for surgery. The very last thing I remember is giving blood work and a urine. Oh I did have a chest xray too. It just took all day going from one appointment to another. I would ask your surgeon what preop they are going to do with you. I never did have an MRI. I did get a CT scan day after surgery. Standard procedure.

Mindy

[mindyandy]

I do have to agree with Cheryl. No matter where you go and how good they're reputation is they will / nobody will guarentee anything really. The hearing nerve is so sensitive. Dr. Schwartz did not touch my hearing nerve since my hearing is soo good. He said touching it especially after radiation would make it really not servicable. He said sometimes just barley touching the hearing nerve and it tests ok before closing it still sometimes will not work. That is how sensitive it is. House never guarenteed any hearing preservation. They did say they will do the best they can. That is all you really can ask for.

[Manders]

Okay, thank you ladies. I kind of figured things would vary from physician to physician, I wasn't sure how much of the pre-op procedure was standard across the board. I guess not too much. I'll be meeting with both doctors on April 4th and I'm sure they'll go over all the details then. Fingers crossed that I won't have to have either another MRI or CT scan before surgery!

[lrobie]

Hi Mindy,

I'm so glad you have shared your positive experience with us.  I, too, have some questions.  What exactly did they do during your surgery?  Did they remove the AN that was left from the radiation?  I know in an earlier post you said that they didn't feel it had grown but wanted to solve your trigeminal neuralgia pain.  Where was it located exactly?  How does the dizziness feel?  Are you sitting still and the room spins non-stop or is it only when you move your head fast?  Sorry for all the questions, but I want to ask while they are fresh in your mind.

Thanks and continue on your positive road to recovery.

Lisa