Monday, July 18, 2011

Night Before Surgery

I just received a phone call from the nurse, and I'm all set for surgery tomorrow afternoon. I met with my surgeons last week. They expressed a high level of confidence regarding the outcome of my surgery, but unfortunately, the recovery may not be as easy this time. In addition to having tumor recur, I've been diagnosed with sphenoid osteitis. I've had continual bone growth under my brain that is walling off a pocket of infection in the bone (that has been present since my surgery in 2005). I will be on an I.V. antibiotic post-operatively for six weeks to stop the osteitis from reoccurring. Also, my neurosurgeon does not think he can remove all of the tumor, but he will remove most of it. There is an area of tumor growth behind the left carotid artery and next to my temporal lobe, which is not accessible. All my pre-op labs look good, and my hormone levels are within normal limits. However, these are some of the highest numbers I've had post-operatively since 2005. Here are the pre-surgery hormone levels: IGF-1 255,  GH 4.9, and Prolactin 10.5. My previous labs can be viewed here:  My IGF-1 Levels I'm uneasy because these results could indicate the tumor is functioning again. If I weren't scheduled for surgery right now, I would be scheduling an appointment with my endocrinologist to discuss the increase in my levels. I think I made the right decision in moving forward with the operation. I hope for a successful outcome and effective medicine to knock out the bone infection post-operatively.