Still Trying to Sink In

Well, I haven't gone over the voice recording from this appointment nor have I truly let it all settle in my head yet but here's the information I have from my appointment today.

I am not a candidate for Gamma Knife according to the neurosurgeon we spoke with today. We ended up with more food for thought than anything. (Literally...) Anyway, he doesn't believe that the "swelling" that my local neurosurgeon is seeing is actually swelling. He believes it is tumor. He believes it is still a low grade glioma but rather than being 3 cm by 2 cm, he believes it is closer to the size of half an orange or about 6 cm in size. (Cut an orange in half and you are holding my tumor) This is a significant change from what my local neurosurgeon believes.

I will be seeking a third opinion with the hopes that the third doctor agrees with one of them. Only then will I truly be able to sit and reflect on what is going on. Unfortunately, even if I don't want to, I have to feel that this guy is probably right. Where my local neurosurgeon may have seen a few hundred, this guy has probably seen hundreds or thousands more. Not easy to accept in the slightest.

Unlike my local NS, he believes surgery is the best option even with the risks. He feels with 85% certainty he could remove the entire tumor. There would be risks because there is the "motor strip" which is in the form of an artery that controls my left leg. However, he believes that with an interoperative MRI, it can be removed safely.

My current path has not changed. I will not be going into surgery any time in the near future. I stand by my decision that as long as I am not experiencing problems from this tumor, I will not be doing anything with it. However, it is time to pump up the speed in which I am preparing, just in case it does come to problems. Obviously, my mood on this will probably change 100 times but if there are symptoms that develop... I will reluctantly consider surgery.

I appreciate everyone's continued thoughts and prayers and I will continue to keep you all updated. I will probably give a better blog entry when this all settles a bit in my own mind.

Love ya all.