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2019-Whenever Misc. Grab Bag Thread

Kind of fitting that Sly and Brian Wilson died the same week. Two genius auteurs and two guys that defied the odds by living as long as they did given their various issues.
 
Just giving an update on my medical situation. I had that procedure in Chapel Hill a couple weeks ago which was a surgical biopsy on the mass in my neck and they stuck some cameras down my throat to check the tonsils. The labs came back clear and it looks like the chemo and radiation got rid of the cancer. They don’t know why the tumor has been so slow to shrink or disappear but it’s all dead cancer cells. However, it has shrunk enough now that they can safely (fairly) remove it now without such serious risks as before. It’s no walk in the park still, but I’m tired of being in pain everyday so I’ve decided to have the surgeon remove it.

I’m scheduled to have surgery at the UNC cancer center in Chapel Hill on Wednesday July 3rd. I’ll be in the hospital about 4-5 days then recovering at home.

Keep your fingers crossed 🤞
 
Just giving an update on my medical situation. I had that procedure in Chapel Hill a couple weeks ago which was a surgical biopsy on the mass in my neck and they stuck some cameras down my throat to check the tonsils. The labs came back clear and it looks like the chemo and radiation got rid of the cancer. They don’t know why the tumor has been so slow to shrink or disappear but it’s all dead cancer cells. However, it has shrunk enough now that they can safely (fairly) remove it now without such serious risks as before. It’s no walk in the park still, but I’m tired of being in pain everyday so I’ve decided to have the surgeon remove it.

I’m scheduled to have surgery at the UNC cancer center in Chapel Hill on Wednesday July 3rd. I’ll be in the hospital about 4-5 days then recovering at home.

Keep your fingers crossed 🤞
Let's go, fayettenamcanesfan! Get this shit done!

I'll be getting a biopsy of my prostate on July 3rd. We'll have to telepathically fist bump then.
 
Just giving an update on my medical situation. I had that procedure in Chapel Hill a couple weeks ago which was a surgical biopsy on the mass in my neck and they stuck some cameras down my throat to check the tonsils. The labs came back clear and it looks like the chemo and radiation got rid of the cancer. They don’t know why the tumor has been so slow to shrink or disappear but it’s all dead cancer cells. However, it has shrunk enough now that they can safely (fairly) remove it now without such serious risks as before. It’s no walk in the park still, but I’m tired of being in pain everyday so I’ve decided to have the surgeon remove it.

I’m scheduled to have surgery at the UNC cancer center in Chapel Hill on Wednesday July 3rd. I’ll be in the hospital about 4-5 days then recovering at home.

Keep your fingers crossed 🤞
That sounds like great news all around! You got this Kevin! Positive thoughts and energy to get this all behind you! 🙏
 
I'll be getting a biopsy of my prostate on July 3rd. We'll have to telepathically fist bump then.
I had a guided biopsy done in January. They knocked me out and put me in a MRI to biopsy specific spots. I hope yours comes out as clean as mine.
 
Just giving an update on my medical situation. I had that procedure in Chapel Hill a couple weeks ago which was a surgical biopsy on the mass in my neck and they stuck some cameras down my throat to check the tonsils. The labs came back clear and it looks like the chemo and radiation got rid of the cancer. They don’t know why the tumor has been so slow to shrink or disappear but it’s all dead cancer cells. However, it has shrunk enough now that they can safely (fairly) remove it now without such serious risks as before. It’s no walk in the park still, but I’m tired of being in pain everyday so I’ve decided to have the surgeon remove it.

I’m scheduled to have surgery at the UNC cancer center in Chapel Hill on Wednesday July 3rd. I’ll be in the hospital about 4-5 days then recovering at home.

Keep your fingers crossed 🤞
Hopefully you have a happy and restful 4th recuperating with nothing but good news
 
I had a guided biopsy done in January. They knocked me out and put me in a MRI to biopsy specific spots. I hope yours comes out as clean as mine.
My biopsy was a couple weeks ago and was clear so we’re doing the surgery to remove the mass that didn’t ’disappear’ like it should have. As long as they don’t damage the nerves in my neck it’s wrapped around I should be ok.
 
Even if you suffer some nerve issues immediately after surgery, they tend to find a way to reconnect. It may not be exactly where it was in the past. I have a spot on my neck where anytime I run a finger down it, I have a spot with no feeling. Yet, if I move my finger down a few centemeters I get feeling several centemeters in the opposite direction. It's an exceptionally strange sensation, but overall I still feel what's going on along my neck, what I'm feeling may be an inch from where it's actually being touched. Not enough to matter & I'm used to it by now. Luckily, nothing aside from a collar or a cat's paw ever brushes against that part of my neck.

I hope it goes easy and you get a positive outcome.

Jim
 
Wishing all who are going through surgeries, biopsies, etc. great success, positive results, and speedy recoveries.

On a far less serious note, I am undergoing my second meniscectomy in less than 18 months to correct torn meniscus in my knee on July 16th. Last March I had my right knee done due to the wear and tear of beer league hockey; this year I’m having my left knee done after tearing meniscus when chasing a softball in the outfield three weeks ago.

If my recovery goes like last year, I should be back on the field in six weeks and on the ice in eight weeks.
 
Even if you suffer some nerve issues immediately after surgery, they tend to find a way to reconnect. It may not be exactly where it was in the past. I have a spot on my neck where anytime I run a finger down it, I have a spot with no feeling. Yet, if I move my finger down a few centemeters I get feeling several centemeters in the opposite direction. It's an exceptionally strange sensation, but overall I still feel what's going on along my neck, what I'm feeling may be an inch from where it's actually being touched. Not enough to matter & I'm used to it by now. Luckily, nothing aside from a collar or a cat's paw ever brushes against that part of my neck.

I hope it goes easy and you get a positive outcome.

Jim
Not these nerves and this specific tumor location. The surgeon said the damage would be permanent and reason he would not do the surgery 5 months ago. He was waiting for it to shrink some and move away from those nerves. He presented my case to a group of 20 surgeons who all advised not to do the surgery back then due to the permanent nerve damage and they’d also have to remove my jugular vein. Luckily it has shrunk enough that he won’t have to remove it and the chance of permanent nerve damage has dropped below 50%, but there is still that risk.

He gave me the option to wait longer to lower the odds of permanent damage or go ahead and take it out. I’m tired of the everyday pain and trusted the surgeon when he said he thinks he can do it without any long term effects, so I decided to do it.
 
That's the thing about nerves, they just can't take out the ones people keep getting on...apparently, you might need them. Dammit.

The fourth cranial nerve in my left eye was permanently damaged when I was an involuntary crash test dummy in 2007. When I came out of the coma I had split double vision over 100% of my field of view, so I saw two of everything, but since that nerve is damaged, my left eye moves in & down and not in tandem with my right eye. Instead of there being two of what I'm looking at on the same level in an average size room, the left image is 2' to 4' lower and slightly canted with the top in and the bottom out than the one on the right. I did eye exercises several hours a day for around 5 years to try to get it functioning again. I was able to get around 70% of my field of vision back, though I still see two of everything at different heights every time I look to my right. I'm kinda used to it and I'll sometimes close my left eye if it starts acting up. People often ask if I have a bug in my eye or something. It's a bitch trying to look in the rear view mirror and figure out which image is right.

Each of the (6) eye doctors I've seen has me do the "follow the pen" deal with my eyes and they always call in assistants and other doctors to see it happen, like it's some kind of amusement. I'm used to that by now too. Without fail, they break out two identical images, then have me arrange them to match what I see. It messes with their minds. They also want to know which one I'm looking at. I'm grateful for modern medicine, because 25 or more years ago, it just would have been too bad. I'd probably be wearing a crash helmet full time and riding the short school bus. Enjoy every day you get Y'all.

Kevin, is a neurologist doing your surgery since it's in the neck? I had C-4, 5, & 6 fused where they had to go in through the front. My neurologist was Dr. Dennis Bullard, who did a great job. Even though I lost some range of motion, I'm pretty dang functional and moderately pain-free.

Jim
 
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