My current status
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 11:37 am
I originally wasn't going to broadcast this publicly in any more detail than the quick announcement at the end of last week's show, but I've had a fair number of email inquiries. I figured I'd just spill the beans here....becauses the folks who are actually a part of the community participate here. Most, but not all, of the others are just "listening to a podcast."
I went to the doctor 2 Fridays ago with the headaches I've had every day for about 6 weeks or so. I also had lost some of my vision in my second eye. This happened in the left eye close to a year ago. I'd been told previously there were a few specks of blood on my left retina that were the likely cause, and not to worry unless it happened in the other eye. Well, for the past month or so it's been happening. He sent me for an MRI on Tuesday (9/30). I had that done, and got a call from the Dr. early Wednesday that I needed to come on in rather than wait on my scheduled appointment to review. Needless to say, I was a bit puckered. Barely 8 weeks after my Dad passed due to a brain tumor, that was a disconcerting call.
It turns out I do indeed have a brain tumor - but not the kind my Dad fought. In fact, it's entirely unrelated and 90%+ likely to be benign. It's a pituitary macroadenoma, measuring about 3.3cm x 2.8cm x 2.4cm. So, I'm currently signed up at a cancer center and making the rounds with an endocrinologist, neuro-opthalmologist, and neurosurgeon. There is an very low chance it could be the type that can be treated with only medication, and I had some bloodwork submitted yesterday that will bear that out. But, in all likelihood I will be having surgery to remove it some time in the next few weeks. I have appointments with all the other guys soon, and will meet again in a couple weeks with the endocrinologist to iron out details about surgery.
So that's why I will probably be absent the show for a few weeks.
**PS - For those interested, I've already been digging around and the American Cancer Society literature has found no link between this type of tumor and smoking. In fact, there are no known risk factors. Current thinking is that it's some how related to genetics, but nothing firm. At the moment, it's one of those things that "just happens." I've been brutally honest with my habits with the doctors and none have taken a hard line on the cigars. Post-surgery I will have to refrain for about 4-5 weeks depending on the healing time, but after that should be back to normal....
I went to the doctor 2 Fridays ago with the headaches I've had every day for about 6 weeks or so. I also had lost some of my vision in my second eye. This happened in the left eye close to a year ago. I'd been told previously there were a few specks of blood on my left retina that were the likely cause, and not to worry unless it happened in the other eye. Well, for the past month or so it's been happening. He sent me for an MRI on Tuesday (9/30). I had that done, and got a call from the Dr. early Wednesday that I needed to come on in rather than wait on my scheduled appointment to review. Needless to say, I was a bit puckered. Barely 8 weeks after my Dad passed due to a brain tumor, that was a disconcerting call.
It turns out I do indeed have a brain tumor - but not the kind my Dad fought. In fact, it's entirely unrelated and 90%+ likely to be benign. It's a pituitary macroadenoma, measuring about 3.3cm x 2.8cm x 2.4cm. So, I'm currently signed up at a cancer center and making the rounds with an endocrinologist, neuro-opthalmologist, and neurosurgeon. There is an very low chance it could be the type that can be treated with only medication, and I had some bloodwork submitted yesterday that will bear that out. But, in all likelihood I will be having surgery to remove it some time in the next few weeks. I have appointments with all the other guys soon, and will meet again in a couple weeks with the endocrinologist to iron out details about surgery.
So that's why I will probably be absent the show for a few weeks.
**PS - For those interested, I've already been digging around and the American Cancer Society literature has found no link between this type of tumor and smoking. In fact, there are no known risk factors. Current thinking is that it's some how related to genetics, but nothing firm. At the moment, it's one of those things that "just happens." I've been brutally honest with my habits with the doctors and none have taken a hard line on the cigars. Post-surgery I will have to refrain for about 4-5 weeks depending on the healing time, but after that should be back to normal....
