Brain Surgery
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Well hello folks… It’s been a while since I have posted around here. Be assured that I have been here, just not real active :) As some of you may know (and most may not) I have been at war with a brain tumor over the last few months, doing the chemo and radiation thing because the tumor was ‘at that time’ in an inoperable place on my left side. Well now that the chemo and radiation have proven that they can’t kill this little bugger the powers that be (and me as well since I want to fight as much as I can) that surgery is required to remove the darn thing. I’m just wondering here if anyone has ever undergone brain surgery before and can lend some insight into what it is actually like. During my primary start with this nasty little bugger I did have a biopsy so I am familiar with the concept of having a whole drilled into my head and a tube stuck in to get some of the tumor out, but this is going to be a much larger endeavor to remove approximately a quarter sized mass from my left side. It is low on the brain but deep towards the center so I get the idea that they are going to be going in and up from the bottom. I have various appointments to get more details I assure you, but this is the general path that has been discussed so far. My biggest question here is has anyone ever had this done to them and can you give me any insight into what to expect when I wake up and during the recovery period afterward? IE: Confusion, temp memory loss, anything else that I should be aware of that I may not be getting told? Any hints or tips that you may feel could help recovery? Thanks.
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Yeah... before I even knew I had this I had decided to go vegetarian and drop a bunch of weight. In retrospect I think it was my bodies was of telling me to get ready for something. The damn steroids I am on make it hard to keep excess weight off though. I am also afraid to overdue exercise due to the seizure risk. I am about one month away form being able to drive again and that has been a REAL pain. Not looking forward to mucking that up, but I know that at some point I am going to HAVE to get back to the grind.
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Well hello folks… It’s been a while since I have posted around here. Be assured that I have been here, just not real active :) As some of you may know (and most may not) I have been at war with a brain tumor over the last few months, doing the chemo and radiation thing because the tumor was ‘at that time’ in an inoperable place on my left side. Well now that the chemo and radiation have proven that they can’t kill this little bugger the powers that be (and me as well since I want to fight as much as I can) that surgery is required to remove the darn thing. I’m just wondering here if anyone has ever undergone brain surgery before and can lend some insight into what it is actually like. During my primary start with this nasty little bugger I did have a biopsy so I am familiar with the concept of having a whole drilled into my head and a tube stuck in to get some of the tumor out, but this is going to be a much larger endeavor to remove approximately a quarter sized mass from my left side. It is low on the brain but deep towards the center so I get the idea that they are going to be going in and up from the bottom. I have various appointments to get more details I assure you, but this is the general path that has been discussed so far. My biggest question here is has anyone ever had this done to them and can you give me any insight into what to expect when I wake up and during the recovery period afterward? IE: Confusion, temp memory loss, anything else that I should be aware of that I may not be getting told? Any hints or tips that you may feel could help recovery? Thanks.
Ray, you sound like a braver man than I. I wish you all the best my friend and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. :rose: I'll call up a friend of mine that had a tumor removed last year and get more details. What I can remember though was that he had vision problems after that cleared up in a week and he was unsteady on his feet for sometime. He also had some slight association problems, specifically with abstract concepts. He's a developer too so we used to joke about his "lookup" routines being faulty. You might want to get in touch with Sebastian Shneider, I'm sure he knows a thing or two about this sort of thing. Keep us posted man.
If the post was helpful, please vote, eh! Current activities: Book: Devils by Fyodor Dostoyevsky Project: Hospital Automation, final stage Learning: Image analysis, LINQ Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]?
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Well hello folks… It’s been a while since I have posted around here. Be assured that I have been here, just not real active :) As some of you may know (and most may not) I have been at war with a brain tumor over the last few months, doing the chemo and radiation thing because the tumor was ‘at that time’ in an inoperable place on my left side. Well now that the chemo and radiation have proven that they can’t kill this little bugger the powers that be (and me as well since I want to fight as much as I can) that surgery is required to remove the darn thing. I’m just wondering here if anyone has ever undergone brain surgery before and can lend some insight into what it is actually like. During my primary start with this nasty little bugger I did have a biopsy so I am familiar with the concept of having a whole drilled into my head and a tube stuck in to get some of the tumor out, but this is going to be a much larger endeavor to remove approximately a quarter sized mass from my left side. It is low on the brain but deep towards the center so I get the idea that they are going to be going in and up from the bottom. I have various appointments to get more details I assure you, but this is the general path that has been discussed so far. My biggest question here is has anyone ever had this done to them and can you give me any insight into what to expect when I wake up and during the recovery period afterward? IE: Confusion, temp memory loss, anything else that I should be aware of that I may not be getting told? Any hints or tips that you may feel could help recovery? Thanks.
A fellow in the community here had a large brain tumor that was removed, and he experienced some "uncoordination" for a while, but a year later gave a moving talk about his experience and, having known him before, he seemed essentially unchanged to me. Now, keep in mind, this was an elderly person so recovery would be different for you. Out of curiosity, is there someone who could make a post after your surgery that would let us know how you're doing? Marc
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The only other one I have had was due to a burst appendix and one small minor surgery on my lip was I was young, but I have to admit this one has me a bit on edge. I fully trust my doctors, I really due, I just hate it when odds come into play like they are. The brain is such a funny place to poke around and I rely on it so much. To count it all, I JUST completed my damn masters degree and don't want to loose any of that :)
Ray Cassick wrote:
I JUST completed my damn masters degree and don't want to loose any of that
That would SUCK. I really hope you'll be fine.
If you truly believe you need to pick a mobile phone that "says something" about your personality, don't bother. You don't have a personality. A mental illness, maybe, but not a personality. [Charlie Brooker] ScrewTurn Wiki, Continuous Localization and My Startup
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Well hello folks… It’s been a while since I have posted around here. Be assured that I have been here, just not real active :) As some of you may know (and most may not) I have been at war with a brain tumor over the last few months, doing the chemo and radiation thing because the tumor was ‘at that time’ in an inoperable place on my left side. Well now that the chemo and radiation have proven that they can’t kill this little bugger the powers that be (and me as well since I want to fight as much as I can) that surgery is required to remove the darn thing. I’m just wondering here if anyone has ever undergone brain surgery before and can lend some insight into what it is actually like. During my primary start with this nasty little bugger I did have a biopsy so I am familiar with the concept of having a whole drilled into my head and a tube stuck in to get some of the tumor out, but this is going to be a much larger endeavor to remove approximately a quarter sized mass from my left side. It is low on the brain but deep towards the center so I get the idea that they are going to be going in and up from the bottom. I have various appointments to get more details I assure you, but this is the general path that has been discussed so far. My biggest question here is has anyone ever had this done to them and can you give me any insight into what to expect when I wake up and during the recovery period afterward? IE: Confusion, temp memory loss, anything else that I should be aware of that I may not be getting told? Any hints or tips that you may feel could help recovery? Thanks.
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A fellow in the community here had a large brain tumor that was removed, and he experienced some "uncoordination" for a while, but a year later gave a moving talk about his experience and, having known him before, he seemed essentially unchanged to me. Now, keep in mind, this was an elderly person so recovery would be different for you. Out of curiosity, is there someone who could make a post after your surgery that would let us know how you're doing? Marc
Well that is good news I guess. I like the way I am and plan on staying this way (sans tumor :) ) As far as updates goes, my wife has an account here and I will make sure she gets word out as soon as she can. A laptop and wireless card can do wonders.. Maybe I will log-in form the hospital on my meds and ramble a bit :)
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That is such a big piece of news! The surgery you describe is a major thing to do, and I don't just mean the complexity of the operation. I completely understand why you would want to face it and can only wish you the best of luck.
------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave
Dalek Dave wrote:
...and can only wish you the best of luck.
I can only assume he'd much rather have the surgeon's skill rather than his luck with this type of procedure.
"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson
"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons
"Man who follows car will be exhausted." - Confucius
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Well hello folks… It’s been a while since I have posted around here. Be assured that I have been here, just not real active :) As some of you may know (and most may not) I have been at war with a brain tumor over the last few months, doing the chemo and radiation thing because the tumor was ‘at that time’ in an inoperable place on my left side. Well now that the chemo and radiation have proven that they can’t kill this little bugger the powers that be (and me as well since I want to fight as much as I can) that surgery is required to remove the darn thing. I’m just wondering here if anyone has ever undergone brain surgery before and can lend some insight into what it is actually like. During my primary start with this nasty little bugger I did have a biopsy so I am familiar with the concept of having a whole drilled into my head and a tube stuck in to get some of the tumor out, but this is going to be a much larger endeavor to remove approximately a quarter sized mass from my left side. It is low on the brain but deep towards the center so I get the idea that they are going to be going in and up from the bottom. I have various appointments to get more details I assure you, but this is the general path that has been discussed so far. My biggest question here is has anyone ever had this done to them and can you give me any insight into what to expect when I wake up and during the recovery period afterward? IE: Confusion, temp memory loss, anything else that I should be aware of that I may not be getting told? Any hints or tips that you may feel could help recovery? Thanks.
Ray Cassick wrote:
surgery is required to remove the darn thing
Dang it.
Ray Cassick wrote:
undergone brain surgery before
Unfortunately, my brain is so small it would not be worth the trouble.
Ray Cassick wrote:
Any hints or tips that you may feel could help recovery
Only thing I can think of is to get a second opinion from Dr. House :-) Best of luck to you. Let us know how things go.
Why is common sense not common? Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level where they are an expert. Sometimes it takes a lot of work to be lazy Individuality is fine, as long as we do it together - F. Burns Help humanity, join the CodeProject grid computing team here
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Yeah, I really wish I could get some functional mapping done. The surgeon I have is VERY good and seems to think that since I seem to have no deficits now due to the tumor (other than the fact that I HAVE one) and that it can trigger a seizure if I am not on meds, indicates that the possible risk of negative side effects may be low. But you know doctors playing it on the safe side (as I probably would also) and is marking this one at a 20% risk of SOME neurological deficit (ie: short term memory, etc...) I have a feeling that I can come out of this OK, but I would lying my butt off if I did not say I was starting to get a little nervous. I almost want the surgery done while I am awake so I can get a sense of what is going on but due to the way they need to go in and the tools they are using I am not sure if that is possible.
Ray Cassick wrote:
I almost want the surgery done while I am awake so I can get a sense of what is going on but due to the way they need to go in and the tools they are using I am not sure if that is possible.
Probably not. I know docs can be talked into doing minorish surgery that way for the morbidly curious but your twitching at the wrong time while having a heel spur carved off is much less likely to cause permanent damage than while they're working on your brain. At the point of having you full of paralytic and pain killer but not sleepy gas the problem is that they've removed the primary failsafe on not enough morphine at the same time they've removed the only way for you to inform them of the fact.
3x12=36 2x12=24 1x12=12 0x12=18
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Probably. A friend of mine tried chatting over IRC while high on Vicodan(?) a few months ago. He was about as loopy as DD but without the temporary drain bammage that resulted in his chaotic typing. About the only fully coherent thing out of him that night was "why would anyone do this to themselves intentionally?"
3x12=36 2x12=24 1x12=12 0x12=18
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You've probably been told this before but physical fitness before something like that helps with recovery so plenty walsk etc. I had surgery to straighten my jaw (not obvious to others but my teeth weren't fitting together so got damaged) and was otherwise very fit. Three and a half hours under anasthetic yet within ten minutes of waking up I was sitting up in bed talking with people. Also, if you're like me you'll be out of hospital as soon as possible but try not to be too stubborn about getting up and about! A week after that I had a checkup (my mother took me alaong) and was desperate to get any kind of walk we wandered around a supermarket. After about three minutes I had to just sit down but it was worth it. Also not being able to eat solids for three weeks is a good diet.
Join the cool kids - Come fold with us[^]
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I also had jaw surgery. My procedure took 8 & 1/2 hours though. The recovery time was 5 weeks. I lost about 30 pounds from not being able to eat solid food. I agree that being in shape does help tremendously with the recovery time!
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Well hello folks… It’s been a while since I have posted around here. Be assured that I have been here, just not real active :) As some of you may know (and most may not) I have been at war with a brain tumor over the last few months, doing the chemo and radiation thing because the tumor was ‘at that time’ in an inoperable place on my left side. Well now that the chemo and radiation have proven that they can’t kill this little bugger the powers that be (and me as well since I want to fight as much as I can) that surgery is required to remove the darn thing. I’m just wondering here if anyone has ever undergone brain surgery before and can lend some insight into what it is actually like. During my primary start with this nasty little bugger I did have a biopsy so I am familiar with the concept of having a whole drilled into my head and a tube stuck in to get some of the tumor out, but this is going to be a much larger endeavor to remove approximately a quarter sized mass from my left side. It is low on the brain but deep towards the center so I get the idea that they are going to be going in and up from the bottom. I have various appointments to get more details I assure you, but this is the general path that has been discussed so far. My biggest question here is has anyone ever had this done to them and can you give me any insight into what to expect when I wake up and during the recovery period afterward? IE: Confusion, temp memory loss, anything else that I should be aware of that I may not be getting told? Any hints or tips that you may feel could help recovery? Thanks.
Best wishes, Ray... take care :rose:.
Software Zen:
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Fold With Us![^] -
Well hello folks… It’s been a while since I have posted around here. Be assured that I have been here, just not real active :) As some of you may know (and most may not) I have been at war with a brain tumor over the last few months, doing the chemo and radiation thing because the tumor was ‘at that time’ in an inoperable place on my left side. Well now that the chemo and radiation have proven that they can’t kill this little bugger the powers that be (and me as well since I want to fight as much as I can) that surgery is required to remove the darn thing. I’m just wondering here if anyone has ever undergone brain surgery before and can lend some insight into what it is actually like. During my primary start with this nasty little bugger I did have a biopsy so I am familiar with the concept of having a whole drilled into my head and a tube stuck in to get some of the tumor out, but this is going to be a much larger endeavor to remove approximately a quarter sized mass from my left side. It is low on the brain but deep towards the center so I get the idea that they are going to be going in and up from the bottom. I have various appointments to get more details I assure you, but this is the general path that has been discussed so far. My biggest question here is has anyone ever had this done to them and can you give me any insight into what to expect when I wake up and during the recovery period afterward? IE: Confusion, temp memory loss, anything else that I should be aware of that I may not be getting told? Any hints or tips that you may feel could help recovery? Thanks.
I've no idea what it's going to be like, but I'm hoping you will bounce right back. I'd add some more words of encouragement, but man it is hard to follow up Douglas' post. The human body can bounce back from some pretty rough stuff, never stop fighting.
I can imagine the sinking feeling one would have after ordering my book, only to find a laughably ridiculous theory with demented logic once the book arrives - Mark McCutcheon
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Well that is good news I guess. I like the way I am and plan on staying this way (sans tumor :) ) As far as updates goes, my wife has an account here and I will make sure she gets word out as soon as she can. A laptop and wireless card can do wonders.. Maybe I will log-in form the hospital on my meds and ramble a bit :)
I will keep everyone updated... Maybe some pics while he is loopy and I am walking him through the hall with the back-open gown on...... Anyone want a holiday card of that????
Joanne M. Cassick Director of Finance / I.T. In-House Support Completed Accounting Degree & I.T. Degree Bachelor in Business Administration and almost completed my Master's degree in Business Administration (Accounting/Finance)
Albert Einstein "The important thing is not to stop questioning."
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Well hello folks… It’s been a while since I have posted around here. Be assured that I have been here, just not real active :) As some of you may know (and most may not) I have been at war with a brain tumor over the last few months, doing the chemo and radiation thing because the tumor was ‘at that time’ in an inoperable place on my left side. Well now that the chemo and radiation have proven that they can’t kill this little bugger the powers that be (and me as well since I want to fight as much as I can) that surgery is required to remove the darn thing. I’m just wondering here if anyone has ever undergone brain surgery before and can lend some insight into what it is actually like. During my primary start with this nasty little bugger I did have a biopsy so I am familiar with the concept of having a whole drilled into my head and a tube stuck in to get some of the tumor out, but this is going to be a much larger endeavor to remove approximately a quarter sized mass from my left side. It is low on the brain but deep towards the center so I get the idea that they are going to be going in and up from the bottom. I have various appointments to get more details I assure you, but this is the general path that has been discussed so far. My biggest question here is has anyone ever had this done to them and can you give me any insight into what to expect when I wake up and during the recovery period afterward? IE: Confusion, temp memory loss, anything else that I should be aware of that I may not be getting told? Any hints or tips that you may feel could help recovery? Thanks.
My ex-girlfriend had brain surgery in 1997 to remove an egg-sized tumor in her left frontal lobe. They removed a hand-sized plate of her skull (replaced it afterward), so she had a ? shaped scar on her head until hair regrew. When she awoke, her speech center was unlinked (random words, didn't make sense to us). After a day, it rewired itself, and she was fine. She lost some memories of college, but her personality was about the same. 2-3 seizures per day, to none, well worth it. :-D
"The activity of 'debugging', or removing bugs from a program, ends when people get tired of doing it, not when the bugs are removed." - "Datamation", January 15, 1984