My Personal Gamma Knife Treatment Journal started June 10, 2012

[millie]

Thanks, Mike, for the updates on your journey.  Praying for you.  Millie.

[MDemisay]

Dear AN friends,

Thank you all for your prayers! I must say that these past few days have been tumultuous ones for my business with a new NY State Survey to get used to,( and pass with flying colors) and a virtual upheaval of my model train club and the Holiday Toy Train Show that I must now plan without the clubs help.

All has gone by with little headaches and much exhaustion from burning the candle on both ends! But now that the survey is over and the new train club is just beginning, I finally can breath a sigh of relief!

I bet that's as far off topic as anyone has come (AN wise)!

Mike

[MDemisay]

Dear Millie and all of you that will be at the NYC Chapter Meeting NYU Langone on Saturday,

Here's your chance to see what recovery looks like! A Sisti success story! In the flesh, I will be there! All better and relatively symptom free! Except for the occasional tension headache!

Wishing continued good health to you wherever you are in this shared journey of ours,

Mike

[MDemisay]

It was as always, a great information packed meeting!

 Cognitive issues , I have quite a few apparently being not as thorough with the dishwasher is not my fault! Typically, when stacking pots and pans in the dishwasher my wife often finds she has to redo something I've already stacked. This has to do with spacial coordination. Cognitive remediation, and cognitive reserve were most fascinating! Introduction are to be done first next time as we all need to be there for each other to show what it's like to be in various stages.

Mike

[MDemisay]

To all:

Have a nice weekend! Enjoy your families, enjoy barbequing , enjoy the Olympics. I will continue to enjoy my relatively symptom free recovery. Take sometime this weekend to pray.

If you are going through hell right now, I know where you've been, I've been there too! This journey has not been an easy one. One that has been fraught with worry. I'm going to relax!

However, with our collective help this will get easier for you! No matter what stage your at, there are bright days ahead! Sometimes you have to stop for a minute and change your perspective. We are all here for a reason, slow down, and adapt to your new you.

I am grateful to all of you who have helped me this far, I will continue to pay back the favor the group has done me by encouraging you to go on in your respective journeys.

It will be helpful to you to explore each issue fully, ask a lot of questions.  A while ago doctors where intimidated by questions as time goes by these doctors
have gone by the wayside (the doctors who thought they knew everything about the procedure) now a good patient is an informed patient. So, inform yourselves, get active in your treatment plan, be your own advocate.

If not you, then who?

Find some quite time on your own to relax and meditate on your own wellness.

Be well. Godspeed.

Mike

[skipg]

Hi Mike,
Interesting to see you had avm in '74, I had avm surgically removed in '89. What are the chances? An avm and then years later an AN. The devil may test us but God always wins!

Just got back from my  neuro consult. Tumor has grown and he is recommending treatment. His recommendations are #1 gamma, #2 cyber, and #3 fractionated (26 treatments) I did ask him about proton therapy and he admitted the jury is out on that course of treatment. Your journal is a great encouragement for gamma. I am actually praying and considering the cyber knife unless I find out the proton therapy is better for me.

Thanks again for sharing.
Skip

[MDemisay]

Dear Skip,

I meant for this to be easy! As I know it is a difficult choice for all of  us, alas.

The similarity between us is astounding, however, whereas, I had the surgery in 1974, I have 70 + metal clips in my brain you have the kind that permit MRI with contrast. I'm glad for you in that respect you have a little more protection (I liken it to a Mustang without seatbelts (me) to a Mustang with seatbelts(you) )

Further, I'm glad that my choice inspires you. The choice is up to you. You must act. It will not be easy......I will pray for you to come to your decision in your time.

[skipg]

Wow, 70+ clips. You must be a walking antenna. They went in through the back of my skull and snipped, cauterized, and sucked out the pieces. It was quite the experience. The miracle was that the surgery was on a Tues morning and I was in church the following Sunday. I went straight from ICU to the discharge floor, bypassing the recovery and rehab areas. Three days and I was outa there. I had told the Surgeon beforehand that God and I were going to make her look good. We did. 6 weeks later I was running the stadium steps for exercise. I have 90% made up my mind about the course of treatment for my AN, one more consult to solidify my decision. I have a peace about my decision, just a couple more questions. Thanks for your prayers.
Skip 

[MDemisay]

Skip,

I consider myself very lucky to be alive, particularly because just before the surgery my parents ( I was 17 at the time) allowed a priest to give me Last Rites, very scary indeed!

 All these years later the thought still gives me the shivers.

I am glad for you though that your recovery went so well. I had to be home schooled for the remainder of 11th grade. 3 weeks in the hospital getting speech therapy and relearning to print with my left hand (I had been right handed) and training my right eye to track properly. A veritable nightmare of recovery.

To discover that I had an AN in 2004 very nearly sent me into another depression. Lucky for me I have a faithful wife and supportive family to help me through. Now with the help of the ANA and all of the people on the forum. I don't feel as alone as I was in 1974 and 2004.

For the other people reading this, cherish this group it can be a lifeline if you let it! We all are blessed by our membership and the kind words!

Please be assured that the brain is pliable, capable of reworking connections. I am not a great man by any means (I am rather blessed and humble), I am simply here to show you that with will power and a great deal of time nothing is insurmountable.


Certainly not a puny little AN! Pesky things!

Never give up hope! Never!


Mike

[MDemisay]

To all of my AN friends,


I am still well 3 months out of Gamma Knife Treatment!!! I know that between now and 9 months from now (February) I should start getting symptoms or so my Doctor says. But what if I don't get any symptoms, am I going to march up to his office and demand my money back? LOL! I don't think so!!! I am certainly hopeful that no symptoms show up!


Today, I give thanks that to God that I am symptom free and in a good mood! May the same mood be yours, one of thankfulness for this wonderful world that HE created and that we are together (in spirit) on the web!

Mike

[skipg]

Congrats Mike, Know that I am with you in spirit and praying for a continued symptom free recovery. God is our healer.
Skip

[Vivian B.]

Hi Mike,

Just posted my own update and noticed yours. I am glad your treatment went O.K. and you are correct that without this forum our journeys would be much more difficult and without faith, there is nothing to hand on to. Dwayne Dyers is great. I have read some of his books myself and encouraged my kids to do the same. All the best on your recovery.

Vivian

[millie]

Praying your recovery continues to go well.  I have read that not everyone gets the troublesome symptoms after gamma surgery; may it be so with you. And if there are symptoms after any surgery, God give us the strength to deal with them. 

[MDemisay]

To everyone,

The night before last at 2:00 am in the morning I woke up to go to the bathroom, I did and on my way past the bed while turning the corner I fell! Don't worry I did not hurt myself, the only thing that was bruised is my ego,  I walk with a cane and that was in my hand.

To prevent this from happening again, I shall now turn on the light. In the past I was relying on the nightlight!

After that, I went right to sleep, my wife was woken from a sound sleep! It took her an hour to get back to sleep!

Mike

[LizAN]

Ouch, Mike!  Glad you are okay!

Liz