Officially it's called an adenoma

You can Google Non-Functioning Pituitary Adenoma if you want detailed information but in a nutshell it’s a benign tumor in my pituitary gland.

Three times, it's grown to the point where it affected my optic nerves and pituitary function. Surgery was performed Feb. 2007 again in Feb. 2009 and yet again Nov. 11, 2010 to remove as much of it as possible.

My vision was preserved in each case however I've lost Growth Hormone production and am on thyroid medication to help those levels.

I had radiation after my last surgery. The risk is I could over time loose all pituitary function. The hope is it will slow or stop the persistent tumor's aggressive growth.

11/2/10

Halloween started with the Headache from Hell

Woken by the worst headache I've had in a very long time.  It haunted me until the wee hours of the following morning.  Took the limit of pain medication then being slightly stubborn went out for a couple hours of family fun.  I was toast the rest of the day and feel worn out today.  Pleased the pain subsided to a dull pressure ache.  Hope it remains such for a while.

This headache came with an odd complaint.  My eyes felt and still feel painfully dry, especially my left hurts.  Eye drops provide temporary relief, I've gone through half a bottle.

Doctor's comment on the above.  "You can get both vessel constriction and dilation which may be an explanation."  (Now if I only understood what that meant.)  And I'm to use whatever keeps me comfortable, pain medication. eye drops etc. (Do large doses of chocolate count?) until surgery.   Nothing else can be done until afterwards. 

8 more days of waiting.

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