Not Dead Yet !: waiting, just waiting

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

waiting, just waiting

Post surgery, all seems well. Just waiting on results... Results of "histo-pathology" that is. The surgeon removed a lump of "brain". What exactly was it? That's what the h-p determines. The analysis takes quite a while.

Why does it matter? Because it determines what happens next.

If it's dead brain -- radiation necrosis -- then we probably relax. But avoid more radiation treatment :-)

If it's tumour then, what sort of tumour? Okay, "GBM4" -- or can I move on to GBM5 now :-? I do seem to remember (from years ago) that there are varieties of GBMs. Identify the exact variety -- then wonder what to do about it.

So, h-p analysis is important. We'll get the results in the next couple of weeks.

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Our Deep-ENT said, He can try to find out but... it's still not ready. I said, Eh! doesn't matter...

We'll get the results from the surgeon... or from the oncologist... all in good time. Good *enough* time, anyway :-) A week or two makes no real difference, not to me, anyway.

I admit that I do like to get early results from "our" insider. But not if it adds to his stress levels.

So we're waiting. Sort of. I'm just not hanging on the edge of my seat.

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Meanwhile... I do have a post-op picture of my brain. What's left of it! There is a very large, quite new, hole.

I look at the picture and... well... not sure what I'm seeing. There are dark areas, were they there before? They look like "normal" brain shapes.

But that rather laaaarrrggge... dark area? Quite an even shape. That can't be natural?!

How big is the new hole? As big as... well, of course... As big as a golf ball. Isn't it always :-) So I have a hollow space in my brain. A new space. The size of a golf ball. Wow!

Here's the good news: That space was previously dead brain or tumour. Either way, better out than in.

Even better news: As far as I can tell... The hole has no *new* effect. I still don't see anything to the left. (That's permanent.) But no new damage. Plus there's the positive expectation that -- tumour spreading is, again, delayed.

And that's all something to be glad about :-)