The doctors wouldn't aggree to send me home Thursday night. However the surgeon was pleased that the tumor was 'soft' and therefore what he could remove was 'easily' done. As I've posted before my tumor cannot be completely removed since part of it is about the carotid artery, which supplies the brain.
However since I didn't have a leak, I had a much shorter confinment. I was discharged Saturday afternoon, tired, hurting but very happy to come home.
Still not up for happy dance yet but image snoopy doing his thing for me. :)
11/20/10
Day of Surgery
I was told to be at OHSU by 7:30am on Thursday Nov. 11th. They couldn't give me time of surgery but said I was second in line.
It was a long quiet dark drive. Countless thoughts zipping through my mind but few words spoken. It felt so familiar to park in the patient garage. Only a little over four months have passed since Chris' spinal fusion and it was one week shy of twenty one months since my previous pituitary surgery. Too familiar by far. I felt trapped by circumstances, by the tumor, by the doctor and my steadfast husband who while he gently held my hand also assured me I wasn't leaving until they discharged me - after the surgery.
As is the typical time warping of hospitals, I was finally wheeled back into after 1:30pm. So tired and worn out by then all I wanted was for it to be done and over with.
They removed as much as possible transsphenoidally. The approach is through the sphenoid sinus, one of the facial air spaces behind the nose. An incision was made in the back wall of the nose and the sphenoid sinus is entered directly. Our eldest told me afterward that when told I didn't have a CSF leak, Chris looked like he wanted to hug the doctor. When I woke with no nasty packing, headaching but not so badly I wanted to rip it off, I knew instantly I wasn't leaking, heartfelt relief enveloped me. Too exhausted for a happy dance at that moment, I settled for a large smile. A small miracle to me. Many thanks to all who keep me in their thoughts and prayers that day.
BTW if my medicated memory is correct, once I was settled in my room Chris and Jason did cute happy dances on my request. :)
It was a long quiet dark drive. Countless thoughts zipping through my mind but few words spoken. It felt so familiar to park in the patient garage. Only a little over four months have passed since Chris' spinal fusion and it was one week shy of twenty one months since my previous pituitary surgery. Too familiar by far. I felt trapped by circumstances, by the tumor, by the doctor and my steadfast husband who while he gently held my hand also assured me I wasn't leaving until they discharged me - after the surgery.
As is the typical time warping of hospitals, I was finally wheeled back into after 1:30pm. So tired and worn out by then all I wanted was for it to be done and over with.
They removed as much as possible transsphenoidally. The approach is through the sphenoid sinus, one of the facial air spaces behind the nose. An incision was made in the back wall of the nose and the sphenoid sinus is entered directly. Our eldest told me afterward that when told I didn't have a CSF leak, Chris looked like he wanted to hug the doctor. When I woke with no nasty packing, headaching but not so badly I wanted to rip it off, I knew instantly I wasn't leaking, heartfelt relief enveloped me. Too exhausted for a happy dance at that moment, I settled for a large smile. A small miracle to me. Many thanks to all who keep me in their thoughts and prayers that day.
BTW if my medicated memory is correct, once I was settled in my room Chris and Jason did cute happy dances on my request. :)
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.
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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