My husband, the kids, and I drove to California early last week. My repeat transsphenoidal surgery was scheduled for June 15th at UCLA. I met with Dr. Kelly the day before surgery to discuss the procedure as well as my medical history and recent CT and MRI results. It is difficult to know if what is seen in the left cavernous sinus is a tumor. When there is uncertainty on the MRI, the labs usually reveal whether or not a tumor exists. My IGF-1 levels recently increased, so the doctor suggested I get a GH suppression test done, and the results were normal. My prolactin levels also came back normal. In my report, it is mentioned there is a "developing mass" on the right side. Still, my doctor thinks new growth or residual tumor is unlikely. To have new growth show up out of the blue in the cavernous sinus area would be almost unheard of; of course, this was good news. Until the lab work shows otherwise, doctors conclude that both areas in question are scar tissue. After my appointment, I went for lab work to prepare for the operation.
The day of surgery arrived. Dave and I got up at two o'clock and headed into Los Angeles for check-in at 5:00 a.m. My surgery was to begin at 7:30 a.m. While I was in the surgical prep room, I met with an anesthesiologist who was a student resident at UCLA. He wrote down my medical history and noted that my period was late. He asked if there was any chance I could be pregnant. I told him I did not think so because my cycle has always been irregular, and my husband had a vasectomy six years earlier. The doctor and I agreed the chance was highly unlikely, and there wasn't a need to test for pregnancy, so I signed the consent forms to proceed with surgery. He began my intravenous line, but the vein in my hand blew to my horror. The doctor stood there speechless and looked bewildered as sweat dripped down his face. He quickly left the area to get help.
A few minutes later, another anesthesiologist walked in and was confused by the messy paperwork in front of me. She noticed I was applying pressure to my hand and asked what had happened. I explained that an attempt to start my IV was not successful. She left momentarily, and when she returned, she apologized and mentioned a last-minute mix-up. Apparently, I was removed from the other doctor's patient roster, but he didn't receive a notification. I spoke with this female doctor the night before and thought it odd that a different doctor saw me, but I didn't question the last-minute change. The new doctor reviewed my medical history, and she expressed concern about the late period. Even though pregnancy was not likely, she requested a test be ordered as a matter of procedure. She requires all patients of childbearing age to do this before they undergo surgery, especially if their cycle is off.
An IV was started in my arm, and I was wheeled to the operating room without versed because my results did not come back immediately. I was placed on the operating table and strapped down for surgery. Finally, the room was ready, and a nurse called out the OR time...it was 7:29 a.m. The assistant surgeon and nurses were standing around waiting for a call from the laboratory. My neurosurgeon was on his way to the operating room. A few seconds later, the phone rings, and the anesthesiologist hands me a paper with the pregnancy test results written in bold red, "Positive." My surgery was canceled; It was a very surreal moment.
My husband and I didn't have a chance to meet with Dr. Kelly in person again, but he says I should be okay throughout the pregnancy with the titanium mesh; it needs to come out eventually, but not until after the baby is born. You'd think I would know if I am pregnant after having three kids, but the impending surgery has masked the symptoms. I thought my sick stomach and delayed period were caused by stress or residual tumor. However, based on the information I found on the Net, I wonder if the recent increase in my IGF-1 is due to pregnancy. I'll meet with my endocrinologist regarding the news of the baby and discuss this further with him. It's certainly been a wild few weeks!
*For information regarding my current health situation click here.
