just saw this-----brings back memories....lighting a candle and lifting a glass here's to your speedy recovery...!!!!

Wishing you only the very best!! and remember you are looked after with love and compassion.

Love & Light

All the best...and you rest afterwards ok..biggest hugs... hope you are spoiled but the thing of all you get a positive outcome from the surgery and have kicked the ass of this conditon..

Best wishes. Hope you have a speedy recovery!

John

I too am hoping the best for you. I am one month post-op and can tell you, it will all go very quickly and it is important to take it easy the first couple of weeks.

You will do great! I look forward to seeing you post soon.

Ed

Good luck with your surgery. I'm about 6 weeks out and feeling better every day but I agree with above take it easy for a while and don't rush your recovery.

All the best Suzannabanana! Stay positive and you'll heal up that much faster!

Go Penguins!

Well, I'm alive and well. My surgery took 9.5 hours and I had a terrible reaction to the anaesthesia, but they think they got it all! I can already see some changes. I'll write more later when I have an actual computer. Thanks everyone for all the kind wishes!


And yes, go penguins!!!

Suzanna glad everything went well! Wow that's a long surgery but worth it if they got everything. Didn't you tell me you were being treated by Dr. Gardner? I'd just about give that man my first born for what he did for me, except she's almost 20 and thinks he's hot LOL.

Take it easy and rest A LOT. Don't rush things, you have a lot of healing to do for quite some time still.

Ok folks, here's the long version:

My tumor was apparently really invasive and was wrapped around everything it could find. My heart stopped during surgery for about 40secs (they said it was because of some nerve that got stimulated), and one of the surgeons just stopped what he was doing and gave me CPR. I woke up with a lumbar drain and was having paranoid delusions about the nurses in the ICU. It seems that I had a very different experience than most of you guys. I couldn't even sit up until two days after, and I still feel an immense amount of pressure and some headaches. I'm home, but I'm constantly worried about a CSF leak due to the amount of pressure. I just got the nasal catheter removed, but still have splints in my nose. All the nurses and docs say everything's fine.

All you guys getting ready for surgery - don't let my story freak you out! Think about it this way - all of these things happened and I'm still fine! And I've already noticed positive changes; my fingers and feet are smaller, my jaw seems to be moving, and my skin is less oily. Oh - and the biggy - all of my joint pain (nearly crippling before) - is GONE.

Nymphamoi - yes, I had Dr. Gardner and Dr. Miranda-Fernandez - and I too am in awe of both of them. And not just because they're both smokin' hot.

So I have a question for the group - did you guys fell a lot of pressure in you head this far after the surgery? Am I just being paranoid again? I also feel really lightheaded - but that might be the hydrocodone.

Suzanna I had some pressure, not tons but noticeable. Enough that a week after surgery I was still taking pain meds on a regular basis. I guess about 10 days to two weeks after it settled down some. And honey I'm 2 months out and I'm still paranoid about CSF leak! I don't know why. I'm officially released to return to work and stuff on Monday and I'm still paranoid about picking up heavy stuff, sneezing, doing too much, etc. I'm hoping that paranoia goes away with time. And yes, every headache and dark circle under my eye makes me spaz just a little and worry that the tumor is coming back. Hopefully that will settle down too.

Sounds like you had a horrid experience during surgery. Thank God you had such amazing surgeons to take care of you! When do you see them again for your follow up and find out if they got all of it out?

God Suzanna you been through the mill eh? Just wanted to welcome you back and wish you a quick but relaxing recovery and hope you've kicked the acromonsters's ass. Fingers crossed for good results when the time comes xx

Congrats for surviving!!! What an amazing experience. I felt the same way you did about the crippling pain being gone. I think being careful makes sense. Don't ignore the messages your body is sendng you. I slept wht an incline pillow after surgery so that I could avoid any risk of CFS leak or pressure in my head. I like it so much I still use it. :) I did run into some depression after the initial joy of the success of the surgery. That caught me off guard. I was also afraid to start exercising..I ending up doing PT and that helped me not be soo worried about my head...etc...and be willing to exersize. Recovery is definitely a journey...resting and being kind to your self makes it soo much better. You are amazing!

Mctraj - I'm so glad you posted about exercising and depression. I am still afraid to try too much exercising. I've done some track walking but not a lot and ended up with a headache so I stopped. I'm a little afraid to try again. I also experienced some depression a couple of weeks after surgery and still do every now and again. I thought it was just me being weird.

I'm 7 weeks post op and have noticed my emotions up and down. Some days I could cry over anything and others I'm feeling great. It's good to know I'm not the only one. I guess it's the hormones trying to regulate. I've just noticed in the last week the feeling of pressure finally gone and strength coming back to my muscles.