Top Tips For The 'Watch & Wait' Brigade!

[leapyrtwins]

Wow, Derek!  8 years from your diagnosis!  You are one patient guy!  I couldn't have survived (emotionally, that is) watching and waiting for two months, much less 8 years.

I'm glad things are working out so well for you.

The information about insurance in the UK will be very helpful to many.

Good luck with your MRI results - and yes, please keep us updated.

Hoping for the best,

Jan

[Mickey]

Hi Derek! As a fellow W+W I admire your course of action. I`m hoping that your MRI`s come back stable. I guess every insurance plan has its ups and downs. I also have to go thru the system here in USA which has so many different types of insurance. Some Doctors take what you have some don`t and when your trying to coordinate everything it can get a little tricky. How are you feeling?  Best wishes, Mickey

[Derek]

Hi there Mickey...

Still maintaining my very positive and optimistic outlook combined with my daily diet, exercise regime and other 'idiosyncrasies' which are of course outlined in my original posts. Celebrating my 65th birthday today... healthwise I am tip-top except for this damn AN which I am determined will never get the better of me..so far - so good! Hoping you are also in good fettle Mickey.

Regards

Derek

[leapyrtwins]

Happy birthday, Derek!

If you put your birthdate in your user profile when you registered for the forum, and you look at your profile today, you should see a little slice of cake with a candle on it.  It only appears on your birthday.

I thought that was very cool 

Jan

[Derek]

Hi Jan...

I wasn't aware of that feature...I input my birthdate and got my slice! Nice touch...thanks.

Derek

[suz]

Love your tips and suggestions. I am a cancer-survivor(metastatic papillary Thyroid CA) and a W&W AN gal (1.5 cm AN "mini"). After my cancer experience, I made even more healthy changes to my lifestyle - including alot of what you recommend. THen my AN came along requiring more of an emotional attitude adjustment.  My AN has not changed for two years - and my cancer has not returned either. The positive benefit of having any illness or challenge in life is to assess what is important and take a stand on how things will be in the future. I do believe that attitude and positive lifestyle has a big impact on overall health. Something that has been VERY helpful to me is Mindful Meditation based on the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn. Google him, too. All meditation is good - especially when living with a chronic condition. We need to stay "balanced" - not just on our feet but emotionally as well.
Laughter is also very healing for me. I have been working on the "top ten funny things about having a brain tumor" and will post that as soon as it is complete. Not sure that anyone but this group can appreciate the humor in this!

[Mickey]

Happy Birthday Derek!  I like your outlook and take alot of what you say into my regiment of doing things. Lets keep it going and hope for the best. Mickey P.S. Suz your very inspirational!

[leapyrtwins]

I wasn't aware of that feature...I input my birthdate and got my slice! Nice touch...thanks.

I just happened to come across it on my last birthday and thought it was cute - so now I tell everyone about it 

Suz -

glad you like laughter - you'll find that lots of us (me, Lori, Kaybo, Ernie, etc, etc, etc,) love to joke around on the forum.  Sometimes one of the moderators (hi, Phyl) likes to reign us in - but we still have a good time.

While I do have a serious side, laughter is the way I cope with a lot of things - mostly those that scare me - IMO it sure beats crying 

Welcome to the forum.  I think you'll like it here.

Jan

[Sheryl]

Hi Derek - I'm still following right behind you in W&W - 7 years, 5 months.  Happy Birthday to you  .  I'm still behind you there too but not by much.  Remember my theory on the Arimidex (posted in this link on December 10, 2008)?  I went for my six-month breast cancer checkup and mentioned it to my oncologist especially since he told me to stop the Arimidex in June which will be five years that I've been on it - he said, "HHMM interesting - guess we'll see".  Good news is that I'm still cancer free and graduated to checkups every year.

Please keep us informed about your results - I'll be looking for an update.

Sheryl (Packing and ready to leave Florida to spend the summer on Cape Cod!!! Yippee)

[Vivian B.]

Hi Derek,

Happy Birthday, and thank you for making my day yesterday. I was recently diagnosed and on W and W and have been going through a lot emotionally. Yesterday at work, close to lunch hour I started to have some anxiety again and I thought let me see what is happening on the forum and I found your story. After reading it, I went out for lunch to the mall, tried on some clothes and felt great and positive again. This morning back at work, some anxiety, shaking off a cold, and thought about your story again and starting to feel better again. Thanks again for sharing. Good luck!

Vivian

[Derek]

Suz...

Great to hear that your AN has stabilised and terrific to know that you are clear of cancer. I'm certain that your very positive outlook and cheerful dsiposition have been a major contribution to your present situation. I will certainly take your advice and do some research on Mindful Meditation. Looking forward to seeing your post re ' top ten funny things about having a brain tumor'.

Sheryl...

Congrats on your super news that you are also cancer-free and have graduated from 6 monthly to annual  check-ups.

Vivian...

Many thanks for your encouraging comments...it is very pleasing to know that my contributions may have helped in some small way.

Thanks also for your birthday wishes. Don't know about elsewhere but here in the UK your 65th birthday is synonymous with official recognition as an 'Old Age Pensioner' commonly referred to as an OAP as it is the age when all men are allowed to draw weekly statutory government pension payment which is also paid to women from the age of 60 years.

Derek

[ppearl214]

Derek, how the heck I missed your burpday... I am so mad at myself! I hope you enjoyed your special day!

[Derek]

Hi there Phyl...

Many thanks for your belated good wishes...my 65th 'milestone' wasn't one that I was particularly looking forward to so I've decided that from next year I'm going in reverse order each birthday so when I'm 109 I will be 21 again!

Good to hear from you again Phyl...I see that this 'Top Tips' topic has now had in excess of 7000 views. Can you please consider it being a 'sticky' in the Watch & Wait sub forum?

Derek

[ppearl214]

well, m'dear "other" bloke... a very happy, belated to you and yes, you are only as young as you feel.. unless you are overindulging in Scottish bacon, Jaffa Cakes and Cadbury!

I've put in a good word to the "powers that be" re: making this a sticky topic in this forum.... so, I've gone to bat for you.... no guarantees but will see what they say

Again, happy belated "21st" birthday!

Cheers!
Phyl

[Derek]

Hi all...

Here's my update re the results of my recent  annual (the 7th!) MRI scan whereby you will recall that under UK legislation I requested from my local Health Authority a copy CD of my scanned images and the relevant neuroradiologist report as without this info I would have had to wait some months for an appointment with my consultant to obtain the results which creates an undesireable element of mental stress.

Well, having viewed the images everything looked to be OK from my 'layperson' perspective and I am delighted to say that the report also supports my opinion PLUS, the AN is now documented as being 1.5cm which is a reduction of 3mm since my last scan in March 2008! You may recall from my previous inputs that upon diagnosis in 2002 my (then) micro consultant informed me that the AN was 2.5cm and recommended 'early' surgical removal which prompted me on my very extensive research mission which eventually led me to this amazing website and resulting invaluable advice and empathy from others who had experienced the AN 'journey'.

Even allowing for discrepencies in the imaging process, it therefore appears that my annual MRI scans have indicated a gradual reduction in the size of my AN over the past 7 + years whereby it is now showing an overall reduction of 1cm since original diagnosis!

I am optimistic that my GK consultant will be in full agreement when I eventually get to see him and I will update you accordingly.

In the interim I consider myself to be most fortunate with my current circumstances and truly believe that the following described aspects or 'top-tips' which I have strictly adhered to have been of invaluable assistance to me and which you may consider worthy of consideration:-

Total self-belief / faith

In-depth knowledge of all aspects of AN's via thorough research

Maintaining a healthy diet / lifestyle including daily recommended water intake

Regular moderate daily exercise regime to include brisk walking for at least 1 hour on varied terrain urban / country

Complete rest with feet up for 10 - 15 minutes during the day - vital to relax and eliminate physical / mental stress

Engage regularly in an activity which requires an above average application of balance / coordination (e.g. I ride a motorcycle)

Best Regards

Derek