What a blessing it was to go up to Johns Hopkins last Friday. We met with a neurosurgeon who spent over an hour talking with us and explaining various options. It was helpful to have a second opinion and see what the differences were between both neurosurgeons. (This is the part where I completely humble myself and thank my mom and dad for finding this neurosurgeon at Hopkins, and for lovingly encouraging me to get a second opinion. It doesn't matter how old I get, you always love me and guide me toward truth. I am more appreciative than you know!!)
Ultimately, we know both neurosurgeons are excellent. But it came down to resources available, and Hopkins has more. There are two MRI Neurography machines that specialize in peripheral nerve tumors, and Hopkins has both of these machines! This gives me such a greater sense of peace going into the surgery.
What this means, is that instead of waiting for the surgeon to cut to see where the tumor is sitting amidst the nerve "highway," he will actually be able to map out the surgery and see exactly which nerves are affected, and which nerves he will need to move and possibly cut. This neurosurgeon also confirmed that it is a schwannoma, and for those of you who read the previous blog post, you will remember that is the best case scenario that I compared to linguini and meatballs :) He did a comprehensive exam of my right arm, hand and fingers, and was also able to say that it is benign! That is such a huge burden lifted- thank you God!!
There already has been some nerve damage to the nerve sheaths (protective coverings to the nerves). This will not be restored with the surgery- it is what it is. However, he was fairly confident that he would be the only surgeon necessary to remove the tumor. This means no removing and cracking the collarbone (which also means a better recovery). All around, it was all great news!
The surgery is very risky, and he was upfront with the risks associated with the surgery. He also explained why it was necessary to remove the tumor- it is much larger than I expected (6 cm- in a circle). Kind of the size of a small orange. No wonder my arm tingles all the time!! There is always a risk of deficit when dealing with the nerves, but he was confident that this should be a routine surgery with no complications. I know who my Great Physician is, and I'm trusting Him to guide the neurosurgeons hands!
My surgery date is scheduled for June 5th. I will be in the hospital for a minimum of 2 days, depending on how the procedure goes. I still have to go up to Hopkins for one more MRI so they can get a better look at the nerves, as well as a more recent scan. I also have to go for a complete physical, to include EKG's, chest x-rays, lab work, etc... This is a journey, and I'm blessed to have such amazing friends and family walking this road with me.
Thanks for your continued prayers for me! I can't tell you how much peace I had during the appointment on Friday, and how much more at peace I am with the whole procedure. I will continue to keep you posted!
