Busy Thursday

Halloween was a very busy day and it had nothing to do with candy or trick-or-treaters.

At 8:30 I spoke with my endocrinologist to discuss the results of my diluted prolactin test.  The results showed that my prolactin levels were only mildly elevated (85) rather than extremely elevated (250) from normal (15).  That means that I have a tumor that is pressing on the pituitary gland and the treatment is surgery.  I got a referral to neurosurgery.

At 12:30 I got a call from the neurosurgery department to schedule an appointment.  They had an opening at 4:30 and asked if I was available.  I took the appointment.  Then I called Amy to see if she could leave work early (she could) and my parents to see if they could make it from Santa Clara to Sacramento in the next 4 hours (they had to reschedule their AT&T internet installation).

At 4:30 the four of us met with my neurosurgeon.  We looked at my MRI and discussed my tumor and treatment options.  Surgery is the only treatment.  It will be the Endoscopic Transsphenoidal surgery that I mentioned a couple weeks ago.  The surgery is an in-patient procedure that will take about 4 hours and will require a 1-2 day ICU stay afterwards to monitor me.  The removal of the tumor can cause some pretty dramatic and immediate hormone fluctuations as the pituitary gland starts to correct all the imbalances; sometimes that can cause some nasty side effects.  There is also a very small risk for CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) leakage.  My neurosurgeon has done literally thousands of these surgeries--he spent an entire year as a surgical intern doing nothing but pituitary surgeries.  So I'm in good hands.  The current backlog for surgical time for my surgeon is 2 months.  And there is nothing about my case to push me to the front of the line.  I don't have a surgery date yet, but it should happen by the end of the year.  I signed up to be on the short-notice list for cancelled surgeries, so it might happen sooner.

All the tests and visits I've had over the last month have made us really thank God that Amy's employer provides awesome medical insurance.  All of my blood tests (15) and MRI's (2) are free.  All of my doctor visits (3) have been $10 each, including the specialists.  And my surgery will be free!  Hospital Inpatient Care is included with no copay.  Ironically, if this was an out-patient surgery I would have to pay $10.

And I'll end with another bit of irony that happened Thursday.  On Tuesday I mailed my dad his birthday present.  It was delivered on Thursday in Santa Clara.  While my dad was with me in Sacramento.