The results of my last MRI are in and there is no change between it and the previous. I'm waiting for the nurse to talk with my doctor to find out when the next MRI will be but I'm guessing I'm good for another 4 months minimum.
I have a bit of time so I'm going to write this one up. I started the year with a few entries about the things that I had not revealed that we as brain tumor/cancer patients go through that others don't really understand. With my next MRI looming on the horizon on Monday, I thought this was a good opportunity to reveal the uncertainty we go through when the MRI is within sight.
Even when we are almost certain that everything is fine and nothing has changed and we'll get a good report, there is always that lingering feeling in our minds that things are going too well. That this MRI is going to slap us across the face and throw our worlds back into turmoil. A lot of us have fought the cycle for 5, 10, 15 years and each time we tell ourselves we have nothing to worry about but that thought still works its way in to our subconscious..."what if it's not fine"? While some of us never fully get used to our new normal and the limitations we now have, some of us have accepted and learned to thrive with that new normal. However, that one MRI that shows something wrong again can throw us back into a place we are not ready to be back in.
I'll be the first to admit that, while the time it starts varies, I hit that period of time where just about the only thing on my mind that I can focus on is the results of my MRI. The days leading up to it is full of uncertainty thinking about all the little things that occurred since your last MRI and whether they could be indications of regrowth. Often we feel like we have to put life on hold for days, weeks, or even longer prior to the MRI. This particular MRI has done just that to me. We have put off putting the final arrangements on our trip until the results from the MRI are in. All just in case something isn't right and we have to move the trip around to accommodate treatments or specialist visits.
While those around us can move on with their lives once the surgeries and treatments are "done", we always have that lingering in our mind that it can all change with just one MRI. It just takes one cell to make the mutation and cause us to enter the world of uncertainty again.
I think one of the most torturous things doctors do is to wait weeks to give the results of tests such as these. While they might not be concerned, it's the patients that sit around wondering, "Is there something wrong", "am I worrying over nothing", "why aren't they calling". It's the very reason I've gone out of my way to ask a lot of questions of the NeuroSurgeons and Neurologists and to very carefully compare the written report to my MRI so that I can get a good understanding of what to look for when comparing my MRIs and thus, be able to at least partially calm these feelings before I get that call. I never fully ease until I get the official results but at least I'm prepared to the best of my abilities for what might be said when I do.
Whether it is a kicking in of our "Fight or Flight" response, a coping mechanism in case the worst is determined, or an unnatural feeling that things just aren't going our way but it's something we go through and often silently fight so we don't concern those around us. While we all cope with these feelings in our own ways, keep this in the back of your mind when you know that an MRI is coming up for someone fighting a brain tumor/cancer. Follow their lead. Making light of the situation when the person is genuinely concerned about it, can cause them to feel like no one cares. On the other hand, being overly concerned about it when the person is not outwardly showing any concern, can cause them to have panics about it they shouldn't. No two MRIs are handled the same way just as no two people are alike. :)
For those of you that know me, you can guess which method I take. Let me do the worrying about it and don't get overly concerned about it. It's my natural tendency to worry more about others than myself so let me worry over the MRI in my own way. Remember that the smile on my face is sometimes just a facade that is hiding my true feelings but if you reveal that, it could break.
Huggles all and shall Monday hurry up and get here!!
Obviously, I am no doctor but I feel fairly good after looking at my MRI from yesterday. I'm not seeing any obvious change. Therefore, while I'm not going to celebrate yet, I feel pretty good about the possibility of being able to put my cancer behind me for another three months. I should be hearing officially some time next week and I'll be sure to share!
Keep the prayers going up. I know He is listening.
Love ya, All!
Well, I will finally going to get my "8-week MRI" that Mayo ordered... 6 weeks late. I go this afternoon at 2:45 for my MRI.
I've come to the conclusion that doctor's just give a baseline on when things like tests and follow-ups should be done but never really expect it to be accurate. I don't think I've had an MRI one that has been according to what they told me they wanted.
Anyway, MRI today, let's hope and pray there is no additional change.
Ok, first a little update on what has happened since I posted my last update.
On my last update: I had called the neurologist concerning the headaches and was told I could not get an MRI until it had been six months and he wasn't concerned about it anyway. It's just scar tissue so nothing to worry about.
Since then: I contacted the insurance company and the doctor is full of crap because there is nothing that prevents a medically-necessary MRI and they could see no reason this would be denied.
Evening of the 9th, while waiting for a headache to go away, I realized part of the headaches developed when I would lay on my right side of my head. I got to thinking that about a week prior I had hit my head hard getting out of my mom and dad's car. The more I thought, that was also when the headaches went from "constant but bearable" to "horribly painful". Now concerned about a possible concussion, I contact his office again.
This is where we come to today. I heard back from his nurse just before lunch and she asked for additional information on what I was experiencing. Well, by this time I was not only dealing with the headache but I was extremely nauseous and just not feeling myself. She called back around 2 and the doctor said that if I was concerned I should go to Prompt Care or the ER. At this time of the day, he would not be able to get me into an MRI for several days but they would be able to push it forward.
So off to Prompt Care we went. I had a great doctor and she agreed that it needs to be looked into. Within 20 minutes I was ready for an MRI. The basic conclusion was as follows: There has been a lot of change since the last MRI but the radiologist was pretty certain that it wasn't recurrence of any of the tumor/cancer. However, he did think there was a significant amount of scar tissue and that it should be reevaluated with another MRI in one to two months. He said that the scar tissue was positioned as such that it was causing pressure on the "flap" where they went in for surgery and thus causing my pressure headaches. They contacted my Neurologist and he agreed with the radiologist's assessment. He wants me to call next week to schedule an appointment with him to discuss the scan in more detail and schedule the next MRI. Basically, if we had not gone with the MRI, it might not have been the end of the world but we'd be stretching this thing out several more months waiting to see if things changed even more significantly thus changing the diagnosis to a possibility of regrowth.
The final verdict being: There is significant change (this is a bad thing but normal post radiation and surgery), none appears to be regrowth (a good thing), the scar tissue appears to be causing some pressure and the headaches as well as the seizures (a bad thing), we need to reevaluate it in a short term setting to make sure there is indeed no regrowth coming (a good thing). Basically, the Neuro had to "eat a little crow" because at first glance it was very suspect for regrowth and every doctor I was in contact with today told me I was well in my right to get this MRI and that this needs to be watched very closely.
Oh, the remaining bad... go ahead and take the steroids and take ibuprophen/tylenol for the headaches. Not much else right now they can do. Gee thanks, Doc!!!
What a day. I'm going to bed now. The good, the bad, the ugly.
I ran non-stop today from 11 AM til present trying to get information to the correct people and make phone calls to those that are supposed to be on top of things. (I say supposed because I've never yet seen it actually happen.) Anyway, after the crazy day, I have the results of my last MRI.
Before I go too far I need to give a little background information. When you have radiation, it kills cells. (Hopefully cancer cells.) Eventually the brain will clean itself up after radiation has completed but it can take a while for this natural process to complete. Cells that are present but dead are called Necrosis. In the case of radiation, it's called Radiation Necrosis. It is not uncommon for radiation necrosis to show itself in MRIs during the first year.
With that said, the results of the MRI were for the most part hopeful. There was a 4X2X4 cm lesion found as well as three smaller areas of enhancement near the tumor bed. (Where they removed my original tumor.) The report stated it could be either radiation necrosis or tumor regrowth. Based the timing of the MRI and the knowledge we have of these things, there is a VERY good chance it is simply Necrosis.
This isn't just me talking. I had the opportunity to speak with my Radiation Oncologist this afternoon and he seemed to feel the odds are great it is necrosis. He basically said that if it was tumor that grew that large that quickly, I wouldn't have been walking in there to hand him the result.
So, for the most part, our prayers have been answered. I haven't talked to my NeuroSurgeon yet but the chances are there will be another MRI in 4-6 weeks to determine what the lesions do.
There's my update for the day. *huggles*
Thanks for the prompting, Tonya. I'm sorry I haven't updated everyone on my last MRI. The reason is good, I don't have the results yet. I am going to call them tomorrow morning and I hope they have the results by the end of the day. I will be sure to post and send out an update as soon as I know anything.
I did look at the CD when I got home on Friday but honestly, things just look too much different than the last MRI I saw so I have no idea what might have changed. There are a few spots that peaked my curiosity and concern me but I'm hoping they are simply from radiation. Thus why I need the official report this time and you won't be blessed with my predictions. I can say that I am proud to announce I have managed to discover the plates/screws in my head where they put everything back together. :D
Promise I will update as soon as I know anything. For those wishing to pray for something specific, pray that Dr. Amy is wrong and that the spots she sees is simply dead cells caused from radiation and not tumor regrowth. *Huggles*
Today is my first post-radiation MRI. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous about this one. I have said for some time that I never had a good feeling about doing radiation. Even though logic pointed it as the best next step, my intuition fought me tooth and nail. Unfortunately, my intuition tends to be very accurate. My intuition continues to tell me radiation was not the best option. We may never know but this MRI will give us a pretty good idea.
Honestly, I've reached the point that I don't really care what they find this time. I've been through enough surprises in the last year and a quarter that I'm not sure anything can shock me anymore when it comes to my health. (Actually one thing would shock me and that is if I became pregnant...)
I'm going into this thing this afternoon, excited to be reunited with the MRI team at my local clinic (I love these guys), fighting back my intuition by reminding it that we don't yet have the results so quit bragging, and hoping that everything is working as it should and I get a clean scan.
Ok, after two weeks of trying to get things sorted out, I finally have my upcoming appointments laid out. They are as follows:
November 21 - MRI - 3:15 - Local
December 22 - NeuroSurgeon and Radiation Oncologist - 3:30 - Chicago
December 29 - Eye Doctor (They've all said getting set with one is crucial now) - 8:30 AM - Local
December 29 - Family Doctor - To Be Rescheduled
The most important two are the MRI and NS. The MRI will tell us if we did good or bad with the radiation and whether or not there is any further progress of the tumor. The visit with them NS will determine what my schedule will be here on out. (It could also be the straw that broke the camel's back and my reason to search out another NS... again!!!) TBD
Well, we haven't made any huge progress yet but I have got my pre-surgery testing all planned now. I have a physical and further tests scheduled with my GP for Wednesday the 4th. Not sure what all they will require (I was preoccupied when the nurse called for the rundown) but I did catch bloodwork, physical, EKG, and chest x-ray. We'll see what else gets put on that list. She mentioned other things that I didn't recognize but she said they were bloodwork so we'll see what happens. It's definitely getting close and this appointment makes it very much reality. Should be an interesting appointment in between my two vacation dates. LOL
Anyway, just wanted to drop this information. I am hoping early next week we will have everything finalized as far as the date and time go. *huggles*
B-I-R-T-H-M-A-R-K
Well, just as I felt, the bone scan came back clean. :)
My GP wants to do a follow-up on Wednesday. I sure there is a battery of tests they will still want to perform to rule out anything else. However, there will be no more tests. I'm done with it.
Luckily, I also received a call from my NeuroSurgeon today. He is certain it is merely a birthmark... aka hemangioma. It's nothing to worry about although we may watch it just to make sure it doesn't try to invade space that my spinal cord should have to its lonesome. After holding my breath for a week, I can now breathe and the future doesn't look quite as grim. I trust this man with my life, and there's a reason. He doesn't need to scare you unnecessarily and honestly, I suspect he would have never even ordered a bone scan but it wasn't his decision to make at the time.
I trust his diagnosis. I trust him. So the plan will be simple. I will have MRIs for the rest of my life for my brain tumor. Now I'll occasionally have a head/neck MRI to make sure the hemangioma isn't growing.
You wouldn't believe how much this makes me feel better. *Huggles*
On Thursday March 20 I had my first ever (and hopefully last) bone scan. We had to go in early in the morning and I received a shot of a radioactive material that will adhere to my bones in various degrees depending on activity of the bone cells. I was to return almost four hours later to have the scan.
When I returned, I had to lay down on a table similar to the one they use for the MRI. However, instead of laying head first, this one was feet first. They put a "giant rubber band" over my shoes to keep them still and together. Then they used a giant velcro closure to secure my arms to my side. After I was secure and instructed not to move, they raised the table and fed me into a machine.
The top of the machine reminded me of an xray in that it had the white board that is always in the area of the picture. For this test the started with my head and moved the machine up to the point my nose almost touched this board. (Anyone who thinks an MRI is claustrophobic should take caution with this test.) The machine sat there for several minutes before the bed slowly moved and scans were taken of every inch of my body. The scan itself took about 20 minutes and was pretty much just uncomfortable. My legs ached from not moving and the heat from the machine was enough that it would "burn" in the area but it was nothing unbearable.
After it completed my entire body, I was asked to turn my head all the way to the left and the machine was moved to my right side. This scan took approximately 10 minutes and was then repeated on my other side. These were the specific scans that were to be done of my neck to see if it is determinable what is going on. The worst part of these was turning my already hurting neck all the way to one side and holding it for 10 minutes. UGH
After it was over, I was given a copy of the CD and allowed to go home.
Obviously I have not got the experience looking at these that I do the MRIs. I quickly looked at them and then did all the research I could online. To me, they look good but I shall wait for the radiology report before I get to excited.
I hope this description helps someone some day. :)
It has been four weeks since my last MRI but I'm not heading in for another. This time of the head and neck. My NeuroSurgeon believes this is the way to find out if it is anything to do with my head and to see if there might be more going on in my neck. It will answer a lot of questions and probably isn't a bad exercise. However, I'm not looking forward to another MRI.
So, the day before my birthday, I go in for another. It's not bad. They do the same thing as with your head but it takes a little longer. I think it added 30 minutes to the MRI.
I received the call from my doctor today. As I predicted, my MRI showed that my tumor is stable so I can breathe a sigh of relief for another 8 weeks. Actually, I'm breathing an even bigger sigh of relief but I can't really go into details right now. I promise, I will fill you all in real soon. I've just got to have some conversations and then you all will know what I've been thinking about the past several weeks and the real reason I've been so quiet of late. In a few weeks some major decisions should be finalized and I can finally give some back story. Honestly, I have my reasons, you just have to believe me.
So anyway, the tumor remains stable and that means I can remain in my current mode. I will talk to you all later when I have more time to write.
It's late, it's been a busy week, and I'm tired so I'm going to make this a quick entry and I'll write the week in review tomorrow since it will take a while.
My MRI was today and it went well despite what might have been a slight reaction to the contrast. Nothing major just some minor breaking out. Anyway, I am not a doctor but side by side comparisons look like there is no change and this is a good thing. I won't have the official results for a few days but when I have then, you can bet you guys will be one of the first to know. We're hoping for no change and a continued nice and quiet tumor.
Well, I'm tired now so I'm going to bed. Talk to you all soon.
Today I took the WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) test of intelligence. It is a series of 14 tests that test your verbal and performance intelligence. Typically the verbal numbers would be indicative of the left side of your brain and the performance would be indicative of the right side of your brain. The results in this test didn't really surprise me but I find them very interesting.
In the verbal portion of the test I scored 124. This score is considered very superior and only 8 points from genius. (I will not get a big head from this number... LOL) However, in the performance portion (More based on visual cues) I had a test score of 93. There is a huge difference in the two numbers. I have always noticed that my visual acuity is not in line with my "intelligence" but I had not clue it was this much inferior. This isn't completely surprising since my tumor is on the right portion of my brain but it is an eye opener all the same. Who would have ever thought that my scores could be so significantly different? I know I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.
So this test gives us a lot of interesting things to note and it will be interesting to see if these numbers change significantly over time. If they lower significantly, it would be showing the decline of my brain over time caused from my tumor.
Ok, for those that are interested, my comprehensive IQ ended up at 108 which is perfectly normal thank you very much. I will just continue to remember that my inability to judge distances, visualize concepts, and recall events is due to my tumor... oh and to stay in jobs that require brain performance not visual. :)
My fourth MRI will be done this Friday. It should go off without a hitch. I don't have much time to update as I'm ready for bed. Just wanted to post that it's set.
Huggles
Nothing major or intrusive or anything like that so don't worry. Actually, I may be a bit of a guinea pig in this particular testing. Let me explain. Most of the time when someone is diagnosed with a brain tumor it is too late. What I mean is that the tumor has started causing problems and it needs to be addressed immediately instead of waiting around. Therefore, there is very little if any time to run "baseline" type testing.
This is where I come in. I have the rare luxury of time. I have learned that doctors are very good about only telling you what has been scientifically proven. They don't mention the little things that can't be measured. For instance, I have learned that following brain surgery they put you on steroids to help minimize the pressure in the brain. I've had two doctors tell me this has no affect on you outside of that and one tell me that there have been noted changes in personality for a short time. However, from people who have been there, I know that there will be personality changes and most of the time drastic changes. Because this information can't be measured, doctors ignore it or blame it on the "stress of surgery".
So how is all this related? Well, my tumor is located in the frontal lobe of the brain. This is the personality center. I won't go into a lot of detail here but if your interested check out the Wiki page on it. I've basically been told that because my tumor is in the right frontal lobe and I'm right handed, surgery should not affect my personality because it's considered a "dead area". I do not trust or believe this information. I've seen otherwise with my own eyes and talked with people where this was not the case. Besides, I don't believe I am a fully "left brained" individual like they seem to think. Furthermore, it concerns me what could be affected because of the pressure in my brain. If that is suddenly removed, couldn't this cause issues? Am I having undetected personality changes from the tumor?
Well, no one has this answer or at least not an answer with any kind of proof behind it. Now obviously, I'm one person and not several like scientists like for tests but by watching my personality and cognitive scores, we could start to see patterns. Also, in the event that I should ever choose surgery or something along those lines, these tests could tell us if I really am the same as before that time. Interesting eh?
So next Wednesday (January 30) I am going to be taking the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) test to get a personality baseline. I will also be taking a Cognitive test to get a baseline there. I'm very interested to see the results and to track it over time. I know that David from one of the blogs I follow has had Cognitive type tests because of his being in the temporal lobe and he has seen changes.
As a little side note to this, I am going to start tracking my tests on my "brain" games and keep a very close eye to see if any patterns develop. I'll maybe add this to my weekly updates so you can see anything of interest. However, I reserve the right to begin it from now and not back when I got the games. LOL
... That was the question. (Sorry couldn't resist.) As promised, this is the details on what occurred during my hubby's vasectomy. Please be advised that the following entry may not be suitable for the young, the squeamish, or those nearing their own snip.
The day was finally there and surprisingly, John wasn't showing many nerves. That's not to say he wasn't nervous, he just wasn't showing it. Leading up to the event, he had to avoid aspirin for a week, avoid alcohol (not that this was a problem), and shave the front of his scrotum the night before. I think the last task was the more difficult because we were both worried about cutting him with the razor and by his appointment the next day, he was already itching from the hair growing back.
Anyway, we were called back into the "out-patient surgery" room and watched a video on what they were going to do. Maybe this should have been our first clue that they were doing traditional vasectomy and not the no-scalpel but we both felt it was probably just a generic video. Regardless, the doctor then came in, told us some of the possible complications, and gave us papers to sign. (Possible complications include that the vas will reconnect thus making him fertile again and causing pregnancy, a 5 in 4000 chance that there will be a sneak that will make me pregnant even though he is reporting 0 counts, an infection that causes tremendous pain that may or may not be able to be treated and cured with antibiotics with the worse possible scenario being the removal of the testicle. Nothing like saving the worst possibilities for last.) After this was done, he left him a gown and told him to strip from the waist down leaving on his socks.
When they returned they had him lay on a table, flat on his back. Unlike some that I had heard, they did not use stirrups. Anyway, they put drapes around so that the only thing showing was the scrotum then sprayed them with the benetadine (not sure how to spell that). He cringed because it must have been cold. (For those curious, I was standing near his feet the entire time.) Then they took a needle and syringe, not all that much differently then a dentist might use although maybe the syringe was bigger. He felt around a bit to find what he was looking for then stuck it several times in the left side. John definitely cringed this time. From what I've heard from most, this is the worst part but poor John doesn't react very well with local and therefore this wasn't the last time he felt pain. (Not to scare others.)
The doctor waited for a few minutes for it to take affect and then he took a scalpel and made a cm or so incision. This was the first time that I realized this was NOT the no-scalpel method but by this time it was too late to bother complaining. You can't exactly change what is already done. He then took out and clamped a tiny section about the length of to the first knuckle of your index finger and again shot it with local. He then cut it with the scalpel and (I know the word but I can't spell it so I'm going with burned) it on both sides of the vas where the cut had been made. He then stitched it a single time on both sides. At this point, I noticed John's toes curl and realized he was feeling more than a little pulling. Just as I was about to ask him if he was feeling it, he cringed. The doctor quickly gave him more local. He had to do this four more times before it was over. (Told you he had a high tolerance for it.) In the end, I put my hand on his feet and he said that helped a lot.
Anyway, I'm not really sure what all was going on at this point. He finished stitching off the vas that he had and he went back in for something else, then increased the size of the cut. I thought that maybe he was doing the other side from that same entrance but I would later find out that was not the case. I should have probably asked him yesterday at the follow-up but I didn't want to embarrass John. The world may never know. Anyway, they basically did the same procedure again on that side then he got three stitches to close up the wound.
They repeated the procedure for the other side including three extra shots of local when he started feeling it. He only got two stitches in the right side. The doctor then put a gauze pad over the incisions on both sides, removed the drapes and the nurse and I helped him into a jock strap. That was quite interesting since he wasn't exactly in a chipper mood and hates jock straps but we managed. I then helped him off the table and into a pair of sweatpants and his tennis shoes. The doctor and nurse left instructions to change the gauze if there is any oozing, keep neosporin on it until it fully heals, and avoid intercourse and heavy lifting for 10 days. They also gave us a prescription for Tylenol with Codeine and gave us some last minute thoughts such as expect bruising, may be tender even after it starts healing, if it looks swollen and red come back in, frozen peas make good ice packs and should be used for the first 24-48 hours, and that the stitches will dissolve on their own about the time of the follow-up in 10 days.
We then went to the car, stopped at Walgreens to fill his script, and went home. He took the max of the pills in the car on the way home and stayed put on the couch until bedtime. He was very good about keeping them iced because it felt good.
By Sunday (<3 days) he was down to the minimum pain dose and was moving around pretty good. He even helped me with some light duty things in prep for Christmas. Other than being really moody (we'll forgive him) he was feeling decent. By Christmas eve he was only putting the gauze back on to protect his jock from the neosporin and he was a nice shade of purple over the top quarter of his scrotum and the lower half of the penis. This bruising would continue until around day 10 when it steadily minimized to little to none now (14 days). He went off of the prescribed pain meds the day after Christmas and used a few ibuprophen as needed but that wasn't often. By day 7 he was getting "feisty" and despite doctor's orders, he had as much fun as he could bear. He felt a bit funny afterwards but he said it still worked. :)
His stitches fell out at about day 8 or 9 and he was pretty much doing what he wanted by day 10 although he still didn't do much in the way of heavy lifting. It is still a bit tender now but it's a manageable tender and more along the lines of skin healing than anything. He still has scabs on both sides so we are keeping the neosporin on it. He also quit wearing his jock on day 10. He says that now the biggest thing that bothers him is crawling around combines at work (lots of stretching that is still irritating) and the hair growing back causing him to itch.
At the follow-up yesterday, they basically asked him a bunch of questions and gave him the "brown bag kit" to get his samples done to verify that the procedure was successful. He has to produce two 0 counts one week apart in order for him to be declared "sterile" (these are slated for week 8 and 9). In the meantime, he was prescribed lots of intercourse with an alternative method. Yes, he actually asked if he could get a prescription for that. *Rolls eyes*
So there you go, that's the story of the vasectomy. I think it may not have been a walk in the part but it wasn't the worst thing possible either.
...and I don't play one on TV, therefore I am choosing not to comment on my MRI results until I get the official radiology report. How's that for being very ornery of me?
I will vent a bit about my MRI and I will give you some results from my EEG, however. What do you want first, the good news or the bad? Oh? Really? Ok then I guess I'll give the bad news first. The have changed the way they do MRIs at the clinic I get them at. No longer can I get by with them injecting the contrast with a simple shot. Oh no, that was to easy. Now they actually put an IV line in to do it. (Have I ever mentioned I hate IVs?) It's a change of policy. Apparently they had someone have an allergic reaction to the contrast and they had problems finding a vein to inject medication into. Therefore, they've started leaving it in while there is no problem so that they don't hit it again. (Have I ever mentioned that I hate IVs?) What's this mean? Instead of a minor puncture wound that is tender for a few hours, I now get a huge puncture wound that hurts for days. (Have I ever mentioned that I hate IVs?) Furthermore, this thing has to remain in through the entire latter half of the test totaling about 15 minutes. Do you know how lousy this is for someone that doesn't like IVs? Having to lay completely still for 15 minutes with this thing sticking in your arm. Oh and to top it off, I hate IVs. Have I ever mentioned that before?
Ok, I also received the results of my EEG today. Great news, no seizures. As a matter of fact they didn't notice any change over the area that is my tumor either. I guess that typically this is considered a "dead" area and doesn't show any activity at all or something along those lines. Mine shows no change in comparison and my activity was constant with no fluctuations. This is really good news although I'm not sure what the "no change over tumor" means other than to confuse me even more.
Ok, I guess that about sums it up. I promise, as soon as I get the radiology report from the doctor, I will let you know the results of the MRI. All I will say until then is that they changed some coils in the MRI machine and therefore it is near impossible to tell if there is any change or not by comparing the two scans. Because I don't understand what might have changed with the machine, I'm not making any guesses on it. Talk to you all soon.
>