Just over one year on and I have an appointment with the neurosurgeon to review my latest MRI scan. The last time we looked at what was left after surgery there was too much debris in the void to make meaningful conclusions, although the surgeon was confident that nearly all of the tumour had been removed. This time the MRI was quite clear and we were able to see that only a tiny fraction remained, as was suggested immediately after surgery. The propensity for regrowth is low and it seems very likely that I will never need any further interventions (no Gamma Knife Surgery, for example).
I have spent the last year quite confident that the issue had been dealt with, at least so far as the actual adenoma was concerned, and was slightly surprised to find that a small residue of tension was released at this review. I walked out of the consulting room as if on air suspension, not just knowing intellectually (because my surgeon had told me so, and why should I doubt him) that the lump had gone but having seen the absence with my own eyes.
A further review in 12 months was set up alongside a further check of my visual fields (Goldman Test) and it seems that all we have to do now is keep an eye on hormone levels. Less than a month ago I had an review with the endocrine registrar and subject to a further blood tests and review 2 months from now all seems well.
So, to all intents and purposes, it’s all over. On 28th May 2015 I found out that I had a large pituitary adenoma and started this diary the day after. Today I am declaring it closed. It has been an ‘interesting’ journey, from the despair of those first few days when I thought I was living my last, through the totally avoidable administrative shambles, two postponements while I was at the hospital waiting for surgery, relief at waking up with family around me, delight at the lack of pain following surgery and then the subsequent recovery and settling down back to life as normal. I know that others have had a much more challenging time than I with this particular problem and am relieved that it was caught before doing any serious irreparable damage to my eyesight or hormone balance. To the people at Biobank who discovered the adenoma incidentally, those of you who have ridden along with me, to those (Suzanne especially) who have held my hand and hugged me when I needed it (not very often, toughie that I am!), who have written notes of support and who have had me in your thoughts and not least to the hugely skilled surgeons I say “Thank You”.
And finally to anyone out there who has found out that they too have such a pituitary adenoma, good luck and remember to ask all those niggling questions you have in your mind for the doctors and nurses will be able to answer them and reassure you.
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