On a lighter note

Looks like Kevin and I are off for a long weekend to the Biltmore before the radiology appointment!  We are very, very excited.  It will be a much needed change of pace, along with fresh air and sunshine!

I'm gonna glow soon....

So, we did get the final pathology report.  And instead of a WHO grade I benign meningioma, it ended up being a WHO grade II atypical meningioma.  It's still benign, but atypical ones tend to recur.  So.....I'm looking at a course of radiation in the near future.

I've got an appointment with a radiologist on March 16th to discuss options and course of action.  Yes, I'm somewhat bummed about this, but as Dr. Shapiro said, "you will lead a long, normal life".  I'll just be seeing him more.

Argh, it's just one more thing.  And more stuff begets more stuff begets more stuff, know what I mean?  With more potential complications.  And more potential for side effects.  Even if it's not right away, who knows what potential side effects radiation will have on me in 10, 20 or 30 years from now.  

Of course we've been doing research, and it indicates that patients who have grade II atypical meningiomas with complete removal (as I did) in conjunction with a course of radiation actually have less recurrence than patients who have grade I meningiomas with no radiation.  Yes, it's probably the right thing to do, but it doesn't mean that I'm happy about it.  Dr. Shapiro, I'm sure, just doesn't want to have to do the same surgery on me 5 years from now.  And neither do I.  But from the patient perspective, it's just more complicated than that.  I'm thinking about how it could potentially affect all aspects of my health - now and decades later.

MEDICATION UPDATE: I did call Dr. Shapiro's office about the increase in pressure at the base of my skull, and the fact that I'm now hearing my heartbeat again in my right ear.  These were all the original symptoms that I had pre-surgery.  They indicated that they may have tapered me too quickly off the Decadron.  Perhaps my brain just needs more time to settle down.  So, I'm back on the big "D" for about 5 days, and then we'll see what happens.  

The farther down the recovery road I get, the more I realize that with this type of surgery, it's all a guessing game as to how much, how long, etc. for the medications.  It's just depends on the individual, and one just needs to be patient.  It's all mad science!  :-)

Post Surgery Blues

I'm taking 5 minutes to complain.  And then I'll get it out of my system.  The two weeks after meningioma surgery are no fun.  My head/scabs itch.  My numbness is still sticking around.  The pressure in my head is getting more intense, probably because I've weaned off the drugs.  My skin still has some frostburn.  I'm just generally uncomfortable.  And I feel like whining.  Now I'm done!

Staples are out!

Well, as you can all see, Jenny does not appear to be in too much pain!  This picture was taken while Dr. Shapiro was removing the staples (there were around 40 of those little buggers!).  Of course, it wasn't my head that was being messed with!

Seriously, Jenny has been such a trooper through this entire ordeal.  She has been a good home patient- taking regular naps, eating well, not yelling at her husband when I ask her 'how are you feeling' every 30 minutes.  Which I do appreciate a great deal!  

Post-operative CT Scan

Here is one of the CT images that was taken right after surgery.  This image, if you compare it to the MRI images, shows just how quickly the brain re-expands to fill in the space left by the tumor that was removed. The neurologist, during her rounds the evening of the surgery, indicated that the brain would fully expand with 12 hours or so.  It will be interesting to see what the first post-op MRI images look like.

Jenny's skull after surgery

So.. isn't this a cool image.  This was taken about 30 minutes after Jenny got out of surgery.  You can see the staples AND the portion of her skull that was removed.  It was nearly half of the right side of her skull!  Unbelievable right!  You can also see the devices that are holding that piece of skull in place.  I sure hope they do their job!  I don't want her brain falling out.  

The healing process

So, it finally and officially feels like my head was in a vice at some point in time over the last couple of weeks.  It's kind of shocked me that up until now, I haven't had too much pain.  But you can definitely tell the front of my forehead is swollen, and I do have the sensation that the right side of my head was torn from my skull and I still can't open my mouth very much because it's too sore.  Sorry for TMI, but it's true!  I just think with all the medications finally wearing off my body is now super sensitive.  And I can't get this damn fog in my head to lift!  It's like I'm in super slow motion...