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.

4/6/10

Growth Hormone Replacement

If you click on the title of this post you'll go to a site about my medication and Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency (AGHD).

We've decided that replacement therapy is best for me and since my pituitary won't suddenly start producing it again, I'll be taking this for the rest of my life.

We've had some good news. Our insurance approved my prescription for Genotropin on the third week of March. Of course only then did they tell us they'd cover it like any other name brand prescription. We have a 30.00 per month co-pay but they'll 'review' it next year.  However this year the Pfizer Bridge Program is going to cover the co-pay.  I cannot express how much of a relief those two pieces of news were.

Another bit of interesting news is that on the day of my second stimulation test my IGF –1 was normal even though my growth hormone was low. Therefore my growth hormone could've been low for some time, weeks, months, years, there's is no way to tell. The initial growth of the tumor could've done the damage, the first surgery, the re growth, the second surgery, when and which of those events did it is anyone's guess. I'm lucky my IGF-1 was low in November because otherwise they wouldn't have tested me.

I'm also lucky for that in February I tested normal IGF-1 with low GH. They usually adjust dosage based on the IGF-1 results. If my IGF-1 had been low with low GH as is typical then they'd after I started taking Genotropin they'd have adjusted my dosage when it tested in the normal range which may have left me still deficient and feeling bad. Because of my February results my doctor said she'll have to figure my 'normal' to be in the top end of the typical range.

And so the daily shots begin.  I received my first round of meds last week. Today a nurse came my home and instructed Chris and I on how to handle those shots. He gave me my first dose and for a man who used to say he hated needles, he did just fine. I feel a little shaky but okay.

It’ll take weeks to adjust to it, months to see improvement. My next appointment is in June. My blood work then will show if I’m good on this initial dose or if it’ll need to be adjusted. Still it’s nice to have a treatable cause and to finally begin the treatment.
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