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.

10/22/10

What happens after surgery?

Depends on how the surgery goes. Best case 3 days in hospital then home. Back at OHSU on Nov. 23 for first round of tests to asses function, then again 2 weeks later, then 4 weeks after that then 3 months post surgery, and so on. Radiation soon after surgery. MRIs at 6 weeks and 3 months post surgery. They will have to continue following me with tests because radiation effects show slowly, basically I could lose pituitary function straight off, lose only some or gradually over a period of the next few years.
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