Patti:
Yes, you probably received steriods in the hospital to help reduce any possible brain swelling, post-op. I did. They were given by mouth (2 pills per day) beginning my first day. When I was discharged, after 5 days, I was given a 7-day prescription for steroids by my surgeon. I took 2 pills per day for 4 days, 1 pill the fifth day and a half pill for the sixth and seventh day - and that was that. My neurosurgeon said I didn't need any more steroid pills. He was obviously correct.
My surgeon shared my concerns for post-op complications and said he would remove as much of the large (4.5 cm) tumor as he could without damaging any nerves. He did. Nice job. I came through the surgery with almost none of the problems I read about here. He also told me that he wouldn't try to get 100% of the AN (he got about 70%) and that I would need
Fractionalized Radiation treatments later. That is, 30 or so relatively low-dose radiation 'shots' given over 30 days (5 days per week) carefully focused on the remaining tumor. They use an MRI and a CAT scan to 'map' the tumor 'site' and set up a pattern for the tech to use when he radiates the 'site' It's painless but time-consuming (6 weeks, five days per week for about 45 minutes per session) and there may be side-effects, such as fatigue. I begin my treatments in mid-September. It was always a part of my surgical plan to prevent a possible recurrence. Although there are never any guarantees, the radiation treatments are an 'insurance policy' of sorts. Seems like a worthy idea to me.
Jim
