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Author Topic: Now it's my turn!  (Read 11037 times)

catlover

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #15 on: May 15, 2009, 03:52:14 pm »
Hi,
I can't say how happy I am to see all of you wishing me good luck on my surgery day!  :) You are really very, very kind and caring people all of you on the forum. Especially thanks to Sue, Kate and Kaybo - all of you know how we teachers are and how much we demand of ourselves and how important it is to be there for the children and welcome a new class. It's not just a job - it'a a way of living. I also have long days and I work about 8-10 hours every day and also several hours on the weekend from home. I have 26 pupils on my own. Sometimes I wonder how we teachers can coupe with it, but I'm sure it's about the good energy the children are sending to us that makes us handle everything that's happening in class during one day. It could be a lot of different things!  :o

Thanks Steve for putting my surgery date on the calender, I was hoping you would do that for me if I didn't myself  ;)

Dear Jan, both me and my husband Mats are really grateful that you and others are willing to support, not only me, but also the rest of my family.

Thanks all of you, every wish from all of you means so much to me. It feels like we are family, although we live far away from each other and in different continents, but that doesn't matter!

Kate, I'm going to have my surgery in a middle-sized town in the south of Sweden called Lund. It has one of the biggest hospitals in Sweden and take care of a lot of serious surgeries, so I'm convinced that I will get professional help and care there. To get to Lund we go by car for only one hour and then we're there so my hubby and teenagers can come and see me when I'm feeling better.

Love you all!   :)


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AN found in February, 2006, size 0,8 cm
Surgery 20th May, 2009, retrosigmoid approach
SSD and balance issues
Forever grateful to Dr Siesjo and Dr Kahlon, University Hospital of Lund, Sweden
Two AN:s found 1st March, 2016
Waiting for GK

largecat

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #16 on: May 17, 2009, 01:03:17 am »
Hey! I finally found the right thread to post in? Or? Seems like this part of the forum is meant for discussing options? I was hoping to find the thread to send reports when Helene is doing her surgery.

I have be trying to talk to my wife all Saturday but she has been busy preparing school work for her class - there will not be much time to hand over the plans for the last weeks of the semester to her "stand-in"(???) So, she is creating a big file with documents - and it takes time

Maybe she could answer here and give me a hint where to post updates?

...  Aah, the wonders of technology, a Swedish couple using an US forum to communicate...  :)

-Helene, I'm in the garden working! Call me when coffee is ready!  ;)

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/mats  - "catlovers" husband

sgerrard

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #17 on: May 17, 2009, 01:58:24 am »
Hi Mats,

You can post the follow ups here, or in the topic you started under AN Issues to introduce yourself. It might make a little more sense here, but it doesn't really matter, we will find it. Just pick one or the other, not both.  :)

Welcome to the forum, and best wishes to Helene on Wednesday. And I hope your wife posts soon, before the coffee gets cold.  :)

Steve
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8 mm left AN June 2007,  CK at Stanford Sept 2007.
Hearing lasted a while, but left side is deaf now.
Right side is weak too. Life is quiet.

Keri

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #18 on: May 17, 2009, 12:17:44 pm »
Mats and Cats,
You two are too funny!
Hope the lesson plans and gardening all got done!

Keri
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1.5 left side; hearing loss; translab scheduled for 1/29/09 at Univ of MD at Baltimore
My head feels weird!!

sgerrard

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #19 on: May 17, 2009, 03:03:50 pm »
For those who saw it, the sidebar discussion on a new forum section has been split off to a new topic in AN Community, titled "Member Update Forum?"

http://anausa.org/forum/index.php?topic=9607.0

Steve
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8 mm left AN June 2007,  CK at Stanford Sept 2007.
Hearing lasted a while, but left side is deaf now.
Right side is weak too. Life is quiet.

CHD63

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #20 on: May 17, 2009, 03:33:48 pm »
Helene .....

I will certainly be thinking about you and praying for a successful surgery on Wednesday and a smooth recovery!

As a former teacher (I had retired before my AN was diagnosed.) I can empathize with the amount of time it takes to prepare for a substitute for your students.  I always found it much more work to write out instructions and leave materials for someone unfamiliar with my students, than to do it myself.

You and your husband's usernames ..... catlover/largecat ..... are so clever!  I look forward to watching for updates from both of you!

Clarice
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Right MVD for trigeminal neuralgia, 1994, Pittsburgh, PA
Left retrosigmoid 2.6 cm AN removal, February, 2008, Duke U
Tumor regrew to 1.3 cm in February, 2011
Translab AN removal, May, 2011 at HEI, Friedman & Schwartz
Oticon Ponto Pro abutment implant at same time; processor added August, 2011

stoneaxe

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #21 on: May 17, 2009, 08:16:13 pm »
Best wishes Helene. This will be over before you know it and you'll be back at school.
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Bob - Official Member of the Postie/Toasty Club
6mm AN treated with Proton Beam Radiosurgery in March 2004
at Mass General Hospital, Dr's Loeffler and Chapman
Cut the little bugger out the second time around in 2009..translab at MGH with Dr's McKenna and Barker.
http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

largecat

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #22 on: May 19, 2009, 07:50:15 am »
Sweden, Tuesday, 15:30. I just spoke to Helene, she had got her room at the hospital and met most of the crew that will do the surgery tomorrow. She's got a touch of a cold, but the doctors thinks it's not something that will be a problem. The day started with giving lots of blood samples but after that it's been mostly operations talk. She had seen the MR-pics in detail, they have talked about the position and methods. She seemed to feel comfortable wth the team.

There was another AN-surgery going on today, the first with the new scanner that will go BEEP if they touch the hearing nerve. They informed her that the BEEP comes 15 secs after touching the nerve - so one may wonder how much use it is?  ??? Better than nothing, of course... And I think Helene is lucky not being the first with the scanner - hopefully they have learnt something from the first try.

Right now she had left the hospital and was sitting in a café downtown listening to jazz and drinking coffee. She was calm, comfortable and felt confidence in the crew. She thought I should stay at home and take care of the family and make a proper dinner for them. Not much for me to do - but to obey orders.

She will be awaken at 6am tomorrow and they told her the operation with take about 3-4 hours. I will be informed by phone what is going on and when she can have visitors. I plan to go to hospital and be there at 16pm - then we will see if she has the strength to meet me.

Hospital: http://www.skane.se/templates/Page.aspx?id=158344 Not very much in English...

Town: http://www.lund.se/default____1799.aspx  It is better for real...

Google pics from Lund: http://images.google.se/images?hl=sv&q=lund&gbv=2&aq=f&oq= Good mixed pics.



So, over and out from Sweden - I'll post more if I get more info.
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/mats  - "catlovers" husband

ppearl214

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #23 on: May 19, 2009, 07:56:24 am »
sending my good luck wellness wishes for a speedy recovery! Will be watching the "cat" updates to see how things are going.

Be well!  Thoughts and wishes headed east to Sweden! :)

Phyl
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"Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness", Capt Jack Sparrow - Davy Jones Locker, "Pirates of the Carribbean - At World's End"

SML

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #24 on: May 19, 2009, 10:25:15 am »
Helene and Mats,

Good wishes and prayers for surgery day and for a speedy recovery.

Remember Helene, lots of  “Cat Napsâ€? while recouping!  ;D

Scarlett & Rich
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SML(Scarlett)-Massachusetts
1.5 cm x 2.5 cm Cystic AN - Right side
Retrosigmoid 3/18/09 at MGH in Boston,MA.
Dr. Barker - Neurosurgeon, MGH - Dr. Lee - Neuro-Otology, MEEI
no facial issues, SSD right side, balance issues to work on.
Outstanding Surgeons, I'm very happy with the results.

suboo73

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #25 on: May 20, 2009, 04:50:36 am »
Mats,  Hi!  I am anxious to hear how Helene is doing right now - i have been awake and saying prayers for her today! 
But i know i must be patient - this is something you learn as a member of the AN club.   ::)

I wanted to thank you for the links to the hospital.  My younger daughter is studying to be a nurse, and i think she will be very interested in the "Lean Healthcare" concept.

My thoughts and prayers are with Helene, you and your family.
Sincerely,

Sue
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suboo73
Little sister to Bigsister!
9mm X 6mm X 5mm
Misdiagnosed 12+ years?
Diagnosed Sept. 2008/MRI 4/09/MRI 12/09/MRI 1/21/11
Continued W & W

largecat

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #26 on: May 20, 2009, 09:21:57 am »
Surgery is over, she is in Intensive Care and there is no need for panic. That is what I know so far, I just spoke to one of the very busy nurses in IC - that's all she had to tell for the moment. Apparently I called the same minute Helene was rolled in there...  I'll try calling again in 20 mins...
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/mats  - "catlovers" husband

NancyMc

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #27 on: May 20, 2009, 09:30:04 am »
Great news, Mats!  I'll check back again this afternoon.
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Watch and Wait since 9/19/01
Increased from 1.1 x 1.9 to 1.9 x 1.9 cm as of 10/27/08
Right SSD, tinnitus, compensating balance
Dr. McKenna at Mass Eye and Ear and Dr. Barker at MGH
Translab April 8, 9 hours, 18 mm Tumor all gone SSD some facial weakness

largecat

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #28 on: May 20, 2009, 10:39:32 am »
I've seen her smile - both halves of her face is working! Facial nerve is not damaged - they where a bit unsure about hearing. Tomorrow they can tell better.

She was very whoosy?? - spoke a few words to me, very short sentences: "Feel sick" "Sh*t" and "Drugs". So I think she is rather ok considering it took five hours.

It was a sticky one, according to Dr Sidensjö??? . That and the fact that they sometimes waited for the machine that watch the hearing nerve and goes BEEP made it take the extra time.

Tomorrow she is supposed to move from the IC to the ward?? and to her single room there.

In IC they only allow short visits - I will check on her once more and then take the train home.

All ok!



 
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/mats  - "catlovers" husband

Kaybo

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Re: Now it's my turn!
« Reply #29 on: May 20, 2009, 11:28:55 am »
Great News, Mats!  Please give helene a very BIG (& soft) hug from Kaybo!!

K  ;D
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Translab 12/95@Houston Methodist(Baylor College of Medicine)for "HUGE" tumor-no size specified
25 yrs then-14 hour surgery-stroke
12/7 Graft 1/97
Gold Weight x 5
SSD
Facial Paralysis-R(no movement or feelings in face,mouth,eye)
T3-3/08
Great life!
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