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.

7/2/09

Post surgery update

3 months after my 2009 surgery and I feel okay.

I’m having a difficult time accepting that 3 MRI’s which showed the tumor not only still there but growing were mishandled and because of that I had over a year of misery. Anger and depression are dominating me but I’m working on it.

Headaches, odd unexplained pains and near constant nausea are gone. Thank God. Less fatigue, it's great to walk across a room and not be exhausted but it still dogs me. I feel like I'm improving a baby step at a time. I'm walking daily, reached my goal of a mile then Chris brought home the flu.

The doctors and my poor husband urge patience. That's hard. I want to be surging through life, completing all the projects left unfinished over the last years because I’ve been too tired RIGHT NOW. Instead, ever so blessed slowly I complete something.

I missed my April appointment but have the results of my 3 month follow up visit. My hormones all came in within ‘normal’ limits. My T4 is still the same low ‘normal’ and will continue to be watched.

The MRI revealed they weren't able to remove all the tumor, a small bit couldn’t be removed because it’s by the carotid artery. However they relieved my optic nerve and my vision exam last month shows improvement.

Whenever even a few cells of a pituitary tumor remains it will grow, the question is how fast. There is nothing to do but wait until November when my next MRI will measure the growth. Pituitary tumors are usually very slow growing however mine grew aggressively last time so that's little comfort. If it's growing aggressive again they may have me undergo radiation. Since I’m only 42, and radiation would kill not only the tumor but also the pituitary AND that would mean replacing all the hormones it produces for the rest of my life, we hope it’s not.

Dr. Delashaw said it could also grow so slow after ten years he'll get bored and won't even bother to monitor me. I'm hoping I bore the hell out of him.

1 comment:

Shirlee McCoy said...

It's hard not to be bratty and irritable when you've got a little tumor and feel like crap.

Throw your angst into a manuscript and try to forget that your body isn't cooperating.

I've never had a tumor, but I suffer from severe adhesions which cause almost constant pain. Sometimes it is a struggle to move past that and get the creative energy flowing.

But, I'd rather be an author in pain, than be in pain and not be an author!

I hope you feel better soon.