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.

11/21/09

A Long Day

The day dawned with promise. Moving about as zombies in the grey light of early morning, eyes gritty, watching the coffee pot belch steam.

Arrived at the Imaging Center on time only to discover OHSU has two places for MRIs and I was at the wrong one. At correct location 15 minutes late, embarrassing but practically no wait time. Finished and at the doctor’s office five minutes before my appointment.

Chris and I waited. Over an hour and a half later, they called my name, processed me in so I could wait again, only now in the exam room. Knowing one of my blood tests requires a blood draw, medication injected then 30 minutes later another blood draw, my patience worn thin. 20 minutes later, that test started, another ten minutes then the physician’s assistant came in.

Same questions, same answers, same issues, same advice, feels like I repeat my first visit every time. I’m ready to climb the ugly tan walls by the time she trys to look up my MRI results which is what I’d been waiting for all that bloody time. 

The system wouldn’t let her log on.

The surgical intern scheduled to explain my brain scan popped in then to say that system crashed hospital wide. I’m promised that as soon as the system is back up they’ll post my test results on MYCHART.

I’m still waiting and am guessing i’ll be until Monday or Tuesday.
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