![]()
What can I expect after Surgery? (board transfer)
Reply
![]() |
|
From:
![]() ![]() MinnieChat
|
Reply
![]() | | | No personal perspectives? Ah well, everyone is busy this time of year. I found these helpful things on the net today. | | Reply
![]() | | well I have just had my surgery 5 days ago.
I feel very stuffy in the nose and have headaches but otherwise I personally feel pretty good.
I had a large growth that actually incased my pit gland, so when they actually cut the growth the pit gland sorta popped out of it! so i luckily have all of the gland still intact. the only meds i am on now is thyroxine for an underactive thyroid. presently i am ok verywhere else, of course there is no final resolutioon there yet after only had the surgery 5 days ago, so my levels haven't balanced out yet, but i feel pretty good, the packing up the nose totally freaked out about getting it removed, but with a shot of pethadine, i found i had worked myself up for nothing, getting stiches removed from my nose tomorrow, and the staples from the graft at my abdomen removed in 5 days.
If you have a great surgeon, which I did, had the best in Australia, you should be fine, I was told all the things that can go wrong you know - extreme things, but i think they say all that to cover their backs. Apart from my body going into shock and a high blood pressure post surg, I am all fine now.
best of luck
family support and love is a huge benifit!
take care
andy
| | Reply
![]() | | | I just had surgery to remove a prolactinoma last Monday. The decision to go with surgery, rather than medication, was a hard one. But, I am glad I chose to have it taken out. After trying Bromocriptine and Dostinex for a month or so, feeling sick most of the time, just knowing that the tumor is out is benefit enough for me. The side effects of the medicines were tough at first, but they seemed to wear off after a couple of weeks. The main reason I chose surgery is because of my family history of cancer. My Father died at 26 with Lymphoma and my Mother has chronic fibrosis problems. I also had a tumor on my Thyroid removed when I was 10. All of this kept swirling around in my thoughts the entire time I was trusting medicine to control the prolactinoma. My prolactin level was in the mid 200's at diagnosis, then dropped to 20 after 10 days on medicine. My surgeon said that if I was considering surgery, that I needed to stop taking it, so not to make the tumor resistent to removal. Just out of curiosity, my wife (a Nurse Practitioner) drew another prolactin level prior to surgery and it had gone back up to 300 or so. So, surgery it was. What to expect? Well, I went in on a Monday morning to have surgery, stayed in the hospital for 2 days and 1 night, then spend the next 3 days in a hotel room with my wife and parents before coming home. I received excellent care at UAMS in Little Rock, Akansas. Basically, they took it out, implanted some 4" long rubber tubes called "trumpets" in each nostril for about 30 hours, kept me on IV fluids and antibiotics, and woke me up every 4 hours to take vitals and dose pain meds as needed. On a scale of 1 to 10 for overall pain and discomfort, I give it a 5. I don't like needles and my face and head ached. When they took out the trumpets, the bulk of my headache went away quickly. It didn't even hurt to pull them out. I think they coat them with a lubricant before inserting them, so they don't pull off scabs upon removal. The catheter (spelling?) wasn't real comfortable, but it came out when they took out the trumpets. There's just something about having a rubber hose in my pecker that is uncomfortable to me. Now, I am at home and my pain level is probably a 2 out of 10. I do everything I can to rest and keep my blood pressure low. No picking up my boys or anything like that. My nose is full of bloody snot and has a slow drip that I wipe if I need to. DO NOT BLOW YOUR NOSE is what the doctors told me before discharge. So, I haven't. I did have a few stitches around the corner of my right nostril and I took them out this morning. I'm still not out of the woods, so I am going to continue resting as much as possible. I don't have to go back to work until March 22. You are the first person that I have written to and I am happy to do so. I was all over these boards prior to my surgery trying to find out what to expect. Good luck. Do what they tell you to do and things should go smoothly. :-) Football Coach | | Reply
![]() | | | Andy I am thrilled that your surgery was a success! I've never heard of a growth that incased your pitutiary gland. That is very interesting. When you learn more, please share! I am thrilled to hear that all of your gland is still intact! It is truly awesome that the only medication you need right now is thyroid replacement... but... your endo will need to monitor you to see how you do over time because things can change. 'Course you yourself seem to understand that time will tell ![]() . I am so thankful that you had a good surgeon in Australia! You know, I think with the new packing matierials, it isn't as bad as it used to be. I remember years ago hearing horrid stories, and in recent times, it just isn't so! Even at the chat on Monday, we talked about the new trumpets that are being used for nasal packing, and how much of an improvement they are compared to the 'old' way. Take care of yourself during your recovery and try not to do too much. You have a few weeks of rest...rest... and rest! ![]() Get Well Soon! Minnie | | Reply
![]() | | | Hi Coach! I understand how difficult it is to make a decision about surgery for a pituitary tumor. You are fortunate that you had a very good surgical team at UAMS. I hadn't heard of Dr. Al-Mefty in the world of pitutiary tumor resection before, but I have heard of Dr. Ali Krisht. Dr. Al-Mefty is heavily published in skull-base surgery. Dr. Krisht has a book out called: I saw it in the research library the other day, and have plans later to check it out further! It seems that you have had alot on your mind with finding the tumor and deciding what to do, and I fully understand your decisions. I know in some of the journal articles, it mentions that with a highly skilled surgeon, and the sucess rate of the surgeon, complete cure is attainable. ![]() What kind of approach (if you don't mind me asking) did the team at UAMS use when resecting your tumor? You need to rest, rest, and more rest before you go back to work next week! We are thrilled that you have shared your experience with us all and are so happy that you received such good care at UAMS. It is my hope that we are together to help others in their journey, should they too face pituitary surgery. I so like to hear successful stories. Your and Andy's successes have made my week! I am hopeful that you do achieve full cure from your surgery and that you go on to coach many games! Go get'em Coach! Minnie | | Reply
![]() | | | It was a microscopic transnasal approach. They used an operating microscope to look up into my nostril to resect and remove the tumor. I was looking for a doctor to do it endoscopically, but Dr. Krisht "wrote the book" on microscopic techniques and said it didn't make sense to utilize a method less-proven than the technique with which he was most comfortable. I also inquired about the newly introduced stereoscopic technique. It was out of the question, as UAMS does not yet have that equipment. The stereoscopic technique approaches the tumor endoscopically (spelling), but has the combined advantages of having a panoramic, plus, 3D image to the viewer. :-) Coach P.S. Spring Break will be over this week, so I have to go back to work next week. But, I plan on riding in a golf cart at practice for a few more weeks to take it easy. | | Reply
![]() | | | From: Paula | Sent: 3/28/2004 9:45 PM | | HiMinnie~post surgery 6 years ago, I experienced both of the dire circumstances the docs tell you about. 6 hour surgery went well~and 6 years post there is still no regrowth...a day or so after surgery I did go thru a couple of days worth of diabetes brought on by the surgery of the area, in general & spent about 2-3 days in an ICU @ Methodist...after a week went home w/the same stuffy nose as incision was under my top lip, transpehnoidal, they call it. Hormone crazies abounded back and forth, anxiety attacks, etc...then after a wk home my sodium level dropped drastically while we were on the freeway over by Galleria @ another doc appointment(that feeling is like being in a state of shock, and I remember having to constantly force myself to breathe in and out). Death, just as the docs explain it, could have occurred, and it did seem an option to me @ the time, but I kept pushing myself to breathe....my husband raced back to Methodist, where after after about an hour or so, they began treatment to raise that level, which took an extra stay of almost a week...took about a yr-half -2 years later before I also got on growth hormone, which has been a lifesaver~growth hormone seemed to be the last leaf unturned which actually was the last piece of my puzzle toward semi-emotional wellness...I still work @ it all ...mine took longer/have heard stories of people who go back to work in a couple of days, my total time back to the real world would be more like 2 years | | |
|
View other groups in this category.
![]() |
To stop getting this e-mail, or change how often it arrives, go to your E-mail Settings.
Need help? If you've forgotten your password, please go to Passport Member Services.
For other questions or feedback, go to our Contact Us page.
If you do not want to receive future e-mail from this MSN group, or if you received this message by mistake, please click the "Remove" link below. On the pre-addressed e-mail message that opens, simply click "Send". Your e-mail address will be deleted from this group's mailing list.
Remove my e-mail address from Pituitary Chat.
|
|
