I often get asked about my surgery, treatment, and its effects:
Surgical Resection – Awake Craniotomy
- The first 2-3 hours I was pretty drugged and do not remember much
- The next two hour I was very cognizant of what was going on.
- Your head is pinned down to a stretcher, which gave me extreme anxiety
- I would equate it to a person with a paper cutter behind you slicing brain tissue.
- I rehearsed in my mind to tell Dr.Golby she was an Angel and to remove it all; I said that several times.
- The last thirty minutes I remember sobbing uncontrollably.
- Once they stitched me up, I remember giving Dr.Golby a huge hug and we were both crying.
- A memory I will never forget for the rest of my life.
- Woke up in the ICU starving and wanting nicotine so badly (I have since quit smoking)
- At one point I remember feeling outside of my body and looking at the raindrops on the window it felt surreal.
- 3/months of disability
- It is important to take a few month if you are newly diagnosed to go through all the motions.
- Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Finally Acceptance.
Note: Do not read Prognosis Statistics
It took me about three weeks before I could discuss without breaking down.
Treatment – Temodar
- Temozolomide is a pill, and you do not loose your hair.
- Bones Ached
- Randomly Emotional
- White Blood Cell Counts Dropped
- Felt Crappy
- In the line of chemo, this did not have many side effects.
- Worked while taking until the last two weeks, I used disability.
Treatment – Radiation
- I had radiation scheduled every day for twenty-five workdays
- No pain except the psychological pain of getting your head microwaved.
- Took low dose Temodar for forty days
- Low dose Temodar had no effect on me.
- Radiation sucked because I lost my hair.
- A mask molded to your head, so you can’t move.
- Anxious as hell thinking I would fall off the table and break my neck.
- I used CBD/THC during radiation based on studies done on mice.
- Based on This Study
- Made anxiety much worse.
Most are surprised that I worked through both radiation and chemo as an IT Director.
All in all I lived, it sucked, but you just move through it.
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