Four Days Till Surgery

[kristin]

In all seriousness, you just can't get a decent cup of coffee in the USA!

i'd like to take you up on that!! i'm not exactly sure where you've tried USA coffee (not starbucks..ew) but i bet my little coffee stand on the corner could take on your Canada coffee anyday!! i have had your chocolate though....and you win!

quick side note....i live 70 miles from the canadian border and finally this year went to canada for the first time ever! sad, huh? we had an Ikea urge, so went to calgary and WOW! the Ikea is HUGE!! it was fun too because it was like we had a discount on everything!

krispy kreme i can live without, but the olive garden?

[jw]

Send me your address and I'll send you a can of Tim Horton's coffee!  I won't send a cup of coffee, though, since that didn't work out very well last time. 

IKEA.  Yes.  "Sweedish for common sense." Great stores.   Hey, you're right.  It's like a discount.  You see, we try to be good neighbours up here, so we offer a good discount to all of our 'murican friends.  The Olive Garden has been gone for about 7 years now, I think.  Your corner coffee stand might be pretty good.  I haven't tried the little corner shops.  Just your avg. US restaurant or donut shop, though, and they  just don't compare.  Have you tried our maple syrup? 

After the LV get together, we might have to invite everyone up here to Canada for the sequel.  What can we call the little get together?  Tumor Bloomers? 
There could be a competition for the largest scar, best MRI.  Perhaps a wrestling contest.  Now that would be good.  Two people wrestle until they get so dizzy they fall down.  The ANcademy Awards! 

John

[kristin]

well...it wouldn't be a long wrestling match, believe me!! until someone gets dizzy? i close my eyes and turn my head and get disoriented!

[JHager]

John,

Would we be allowed to cross the border?  What if the Canadian authorities think of AN's as some sort of 'Mad Human Disease?'

Still, I like Canada the two times I've been.  Very large.  Quite big fish.  And tasty, too!

Your MRI scans are hilarious - Thanks!

Josh

[jw]

When crossing the border, you're fine if you drive through and your scar is in the rt. side.  They won't see it.  If it's on the lt. side, just tell them it was from the body cavity search they did last time. 

I've also come to an important decision.  If it turns out that I don't have AN, I'm going to feel so guilty after meeting everyone here and getting to know you and what you've gone through, that I will have the surgery anyway, and it might just cure my run-on-sentence problem at the same time.  I don't think they'll gamma-knife me (and they have to aim at something) so it's best that I don't persue that route.

I can see you leaving Canada now:  "So long and thanks for all the fish."  (You did see Hitchikers' Guide to the Galaxy, dind't you?)

[Bernadette]

Hi Matti...I am doing fine except for the dry eye .When I saw Dr Roberson last week he put in a plug which seems to be helping. My sons are 22 ,14,12.The oldest and youngest help me the most,of course my husband didn't realize howmuch I did till now . Your right though I wouldn't trade them........Bernadette

[Shawna]

I leave tomorrow for my pre-op visit at Stanford... thanks to traffic in the Bay Area, I have to spend the night before to make sure I get to my appts. on time.  Next Thursday is my surgery (retitle this string as "10 days 'til surgery"), and I hope not to stay longer than 4 days.  My family has to stay in hotels the entire time.... can anyone recommend rooms that are reasonably priced and close proximity to Stanford, within a couple miles ?  I get to have my post-op appt the day before Thanksgiving.  Hope I'll have lots to be thankful for!

On the sons topic, I have one son, and of course @ 17 months old he makes me dizzy just trying to keep up.  But, ooohh how he makes me smile!!  He is the greatest thing in my life, and the big reason I'm nervous about the surgery.  I don't know what I'll do without him for 4 days.  

On another note, it's amazing how many people you find that have had AN surgery.  It's like a whole world has opened up.  In fact, a sales rep that came to my work last week mentioned he had a "congested" ear, and I asked if he also had tinnitus?  I told him he should get an MRI, cause, quite frankly, I think everyone with hearing and balance issues has AN.  Hopefully not, but it seems more common than I ever imagined.  Funny how something can be totally unknown to you, suddenly it pops up and your whole perspective has changed. Anyway, I'll shut up for now.... it's more fun reading everyone's humorous notes.  Keep em flowin'!!

Shawna

[shoegirl]

Shawna,

I wish you all the best with your surgery!  I hope you have the best possible outcome and have a fast recovery.  Please keep us posted on how you are doing if possible.  Who is doing your surgery?  What approach are they using?  How big is your AN?  Do you have any hearing loss? 

The four days without your son will be hard.  I have two children and have never been away from them for more than a night or two.  I am sure it breaks your heart to have to leave him, perhaps he will be the motivation that helps you heal fast and stay healthy.

Good Luck and Best Wishes,  Suzanne

[Shawna]

Suzanne,

My AN, according to the radiology report, measures 1.4x1.0x0.7 on the left.  And yes I do have a little bit of hearing loss, but not much.  The symptom that I have the most trouble with is the dizzy spells.  Three times now, the dizziness has put me over the top with the N/V/D side effects.  It had been a month since my last spell, so I thought I was over the bad stuff, but Friday it hit me again.  One of my coworkers had to drive me home, and I almost didn't make it inside before "hurling"  (sorry for the visual).  In that respect, I can't wait for surgery!! 

I think I'm going with the MF approach.  My doctor thinks it's best, and it sounds like most people don't have too many issues with the facial nerve as far as approach goes.  How much the tumor is entangled in the nerve seems to be more of a factor than how they go about it, so I guess I'll just hope I have a nice, clean, cooperative tumor:) 

Of course, on Wednesday I have to commit to my decision.  Well, my son is trying to press the blue button on the computer (power), so I guess my time here is up.

Shawna

[Larry]

Shawna,

I had MF approach 3 years ago and lost more hearing through the op than I had pre op. That is hearing I will never have again. Have recently discovered that it has grown back and am really p....d off. The possibilities of it returning were advised to be slim / virtually non existant. Radiation treatment was never discussed - surgeons only want to operate.

Since the regrowth, I have lost more hearing and will be undertaking radiation treatment this time around. I know you only have a few days to go but you should look into the alternatives.


Larry

[Bernadette]

Shawna, only my husband came with me, the first night he slept in our car.I didn't know till later he said he didn't want to be far.The other nights the nurses gave him a pillow and blanket and he slept in some waiting room, got up there was a shower down the hall, cafeateria downstairs. Now I'm not saying he was excited about this, but like I said he didn't want to be far.So he was pretty happy to go home as well.         Larry I was wondering did they take the whole tumor out?I had the MF also and you just spoke of my second worst nightmare ..........regrowth. The first nightmare was finding out about the An .         Bernadette                               

[Larry]

Bernadette,

I was told post op that they got it all out then when it was discovered that it had grown back the ENT guy told me they leave the crust of the tumor on the nerve so as to not damage it. I understand that they scrape out the tumor and in my case obviously left some of it behind. Maybe you should clarify with your surgeon as to whether any part of the tumor was left behind. You are right about the second worst nightmare.

However, thanks to this web site, I have learned a lot about AN's and different treatments. I would certainly recommend having regular (annual) MRI's just to make sure.

I hope your AN was completely removed.

Larry

[Bernadette]

 Larry my youngest son was surprised they did not give us the tumor in a jar.(ick!)Then I would already know if the whole tumor is out.I am going to ask my next appt.(not for the tumor) If they did take it all out, and hope for no more nightmares....Bernadette

[kristin]

when i had my surgery in LA, my 6 year old daughter (then 5) stayed home with my sister. i was ok when i was gone (11 days) because Sydney had spent time away from me before at her dad's house and i was used to it. but when i got off that plane and went down on my knees to hug her...i totally broke down... sobs and sobs.

[Shawna]

Just got back last night from my preop visit at Stanford...  Yes, the neurosurgeon said that if the tumor was too difficult to remove from the facial nerve that they would opt to leave miniscule amounts rather than risking more damage to the nerve.  But I opted for surgery because of my age, and the effects radiation has on the tumor.   I didn't want to start with radiation then have my tumor grow in leaps and bounds and need to be surgically removed anyway.  I don't want to do surgery on a "sticky" tumor.  If you don't mind my asking, Larry, how old were you when you had your surgery??

My husband is planning on staying at the lovely Travelodge in Palo Alto with his dad, only 3 miles away.  He says he won't be able to leave me "alone" at the hospital, but he b*&%ched and complained when he stayed with me when our son was born.  And that was on a recliner type chair.  He hates hospitals anyway, so he'd be better off at the hotel. 

I was wondering if they would give you the tumor in a jar?...  I work as a Microbiologist, so I'm used to, and fascinated by all things gross and disgusting.  You don't want to know about some of the dinner conversations I'm capable of.  I would really like to see my tumor when they take it out though.  Then I can shake my finger at it, and tell it a few things...

what is it with the surgeons not wanting to throw in a tummy tuck at the same time as the craniotomy closure?  I asked him, and he just laughed.  But I'm serious!!  My OB wouldn't do it when I had a C-section, and now my AN surgeons won't do it either.  They're there...what's the big deal? 

Josh-- good luck to you in a few days...  I don't know if I'll hear from you after yours, but before mine, so I hope all goes perfectly!
My butterflies were stirring yesterday, I can only imagine what they are doing to you.  I'll be thinking about you, fellow Nevadan!!