And We Have a Plan!

Albeit, it's a rather fast moving one... but here it is.

After meeting with the neurologist, neurosurgeon, and radiation oncologist yesterday--it was a LONG day--I'm going to be getting biopsied on Tuesday.They are calling it a "low grade tumor." The doctors are saying it is a slow growing tumor; they think it might have been there for years. The tumor isn't really inhibiting me. I don't have any "neurological symptoms." It appears as though the tumor has been slowly growing for quite some time, as the area around the tumor has just kinda made room for it without causing any problems.

We don't know exactly what it is yet, hence the biopsy. What we do know is that they will not be surgically removing it. It is too far inside of my brain and too risky to actually try to remove it. Once it has been biopsied and pathology has determined exactly what it is, then we can decide on a course of action. It looks like I'll be heading towards 6 weeks of radiation to erradicate the tumor.

Here is my schedule for the next week or so:

Friday 11/28
9:45 am Pre-op Physical

Monday 12/1
11:45 am MRI
They're going to be putting stickers on my head and running me through the MRI while Dr. Parney, the neurosurgeon, uses a wand to specifically map out my brain. He will use this map for the biopsy on Tuesday.

Mom, Dad, Bri, Nate, and I will be at a hotel Monday night, as I need to be at St. Mary's hospital fairly early Tuesday morning.

Tuesday 12/2
6:30 am-ish Pre-op Stuff
At some point on Tuesday, I will be getting biopsied. It is called a stereotactic biopsy. Dr. Parney will drill into the back of my head, up and above my right ear. He will then insert a hollow needle to take pieces of the tumor, which will be sent to pathology for preliminary results. The surgery itself should take about an hour. I will spend the night in intensive care, and if all goes well will be up and walking around the next day, discharged probably Wednesday night. After that, we'll all be in Somerset

Final pathology results will take a couple days before they can completely determine what it is we're dealing with. When these results are in, I will meet with my neurologist Dr. Uhm to determine our course of action.

...here's the kicker. Neither of the doctors believe that the tumor is causing my headaches. So, good thing I had a 2 month headache, otherwise it could've been a long time before we ever would have found this tumor.

I'm flying back to Colorado on Friday the 5th. And we'll just have to see how everything goes!