So, what now?

2 weeks post OP. I feel good for the most part. Mainly the steroids are doing a number on me as far as sleeping too little and eating too much. But I'm not in any pain, just need to get back on a regular schedule and slowly start to work my body a bit at a time. I'm also slowly adjusting to laying back down in bed again, as I've been sleeping on my back in a recliner because of the suture.

So, what does the immediate future hold? Well, we found out on Tuesday and we'll discuss on Friday immediate plans. Let me tell you what happened Tuesday and what can we expect come Friday.

First, I had a CT scan done. It was the first one I've had since mid-April so we weren't sure what to expect. We were a little surprised to learn that even though I've been off the treatment since mid-May, the tumors that are remaining are stable still. This is good. But we are unsure what my treatment will be going forth and we're going to discuss that on Friday.

Secondly, we saw the radiation oncologist about the brain tumor and follow up to the surgery. Basically, they want to remove as much of the tumor as possible without removing any extra healthy brain tissue with it. They could have scooped it all out and removed it all, but at the cost of brain damage so there is a delicate balance there. After the tumor removal, there was no traces of it on the MRI but that doesn't mean there wasn't microscopic cells still left over. He said without additional radiotherapy it'd have a 50% of growing back. So for the next two weeks I'll have focal radiation in the cavity where the tumor was. Focal radiation is precise, so it's kinda like a laser that pinpoints that exact spot instead of something like sticking my head in a microwave.

I will go every other day for a total of 5 times. I'm not sure what to expect as far as side effects, but they said it could be temporary or permanent, with the permanent being a low risk and the temporary being a high risk (due to swelling of the area). I do know how aggressive this has been so I'm getting started right away and not waiting.

Lastly, I got my staples removed (what a relief) and a follow up to the post-OP to ask a few questions about the surgery and my medications. I still will need anti-seizure medicine for the time being but not as much.

The main thing right now is dealing with the radiation. They'll want me back on steroids to control the swelling but I don't know how long/how much I'll be on again. Tomorrow is actually my last tapered dosage too. I've been on some sort of steroid since September and I was looking to finally be done with it. At least I get to enjoy the weekend without it.