Mark is home from the hospital

I'M OUT !! :)

The surgeon & the internal medicine doctor both said I'm doing fine, and they no longer needed to monitor me so I grabbed my stuff, and headed for home before they could change their mind.

My hospital stay was similar to the first, and knowing what to expect was calming, but when things did not go as I expected, I found it challenging. Neither my condition, the surgery, nor my recovery have given me any physical pain. The hard part to deal with mentally was the immediate loss of autonomy, as well my inability to sleep for more then 10 minutes, for the first 4 days of my stay was physically/emotionally draining. During the day however, I was much encouraged by friends & family that called and visited, and during the night the support from the fantastic staff that made every accommodation to keep me at peace. Everyone's prayers were reassuring and helped me through. Although most times were fine, I had 2 bad panic attacks brought on by my unbalanced hormones, and the insomnia, in the middle of the night in the first couple of days following the surgery, but they only lasted a few minutes, and then I was able to pray for calmness which soon returned.

The surgeon has advised me that although she has not removed 100% of the tumor, she removed as much as she had access to via a telescopic surgery. The surgeon and the endocrinologist will be sending me for more tests within the next 3 to 4 months to determine what future course of action would be best for my health. In the mean time, I am to continue taking the tumor shrinking medication that I started a few months ago. In about 3 to 4 months, the surgeon & endocrinologist will determine my course of action that may include radiation therapy, or open cranial surgery. I asked what the cranial surgery entails, and she explained that they cut open the front of your head, move your brain out of the way, remove the tumor, install a titanium plate where the cranium was cut, and stitch you back up. This type of surgery would result in permanent loss of the ability to smell, but recovery would be the same as the surgery I just had, and I would expect to be in the hospital for about a week. I plan to stop and smell the roses for next little while, in the event I need further surgery.

Thanks for all your support.

Mark