01.24.2005 - Surgery

Surgery was now confirmed for 01.24.2005. The procedure should take about four hours total. After that, I would likely be in the hospital for three to four days. Once I am able to walk around, use the restroom, eat, etc. on my own I would be able to leave the hospital. I would probably be wiped out for a couple weeks and be a couch potato. I would likely be able to resume driving after a reasonable period after the surgery as long as I took the anti-seizure medication. I would need to have follow-up MRI scans at regular intervals after the procedure to monitor the tumor.

01.24.2005 at 0830 hours, the procedure began. After surgery, they didn't find any deficits in any of my abilities. Peripheral vision was all intact and I had no noticeable deficits in my memory abilities.

A couple days later, I walked on my own and was feeling well enough to have visitors. I was informed that about 80% of the tumor tissue was removed and that it was believed to be a low grade (grade two) oligodendroglioma. I received my first visit from the neurooncologist (specialist in brain tumors).

The next day, I was discharged and returned home to recooperate. It was nice to be out of the hospital and be back home. A few days later was the first time I felt mostly like a normal person with closer to normal energy levels.