I've dodged a bullet...

March is here and half way over and just the other day I realized I was slated for transsphenoidal surgery this month!!!  I can't tell you all how excited I am to have dodged that bullet so far!  And now that I know more about it I truly feel what I have dodged is worse than a bullet, for there are things worse than death!  It seems hard for me to believe that just last November I was pushing and kind of looking forward to the surgery to get this tumor OUT!  I want to have more kids and the Neurosurgeon seemed to think this was the best option since the tumor was pressing against my optic nerves and was close to wrapping around the arteries in my brain.  He thought it would be best to take it out now as complications would be less severe since it was not huge.  "Complications?" I asked  "What might that be?"  
a)1/1000 die or have a stroke.  
b) 1-2% get diabetes insipidus, which will lead to frequent urination and excessive thirst, since the kidneys will no longer adequately concentrate the urine. This can be controlled with a nasal spray or pill form of a medication called DDAVP.  It's side effects include but may not be limited to: Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); burning, redness, swelling, or pain at the injection site; calf pain, tenderness, or swelling; chest pain; confusion; coughing up blood; fainting; loss of appetite; mental or mood changes (eg, agitation, irritability); muscle weakness, spasms, or cramps; nausea; one-sided numbness or weakness; personality changes; seizures; severe or persistent dizziness; slurred speech; swelling; unusual headache or restlessness; unusual tiredness or sluggishness; unusual weight gain; vision problems; vomiting.
c)If they take to much it would mean replacement hormones, such as 
1) thyroid hormone, side effects:  Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); changes in appetite; changes in menstrual periods; changes in weight; chest pain; diarrhea; excessive sweating; fast or irregular heartbeat; headache; inability to tolerate warm or hot temperatures; nervousness; pounding in the chest; shortness of breath; trembling; tremors; trouble sleeping; vomiting.
2) coritisol, side effect for short term use: Thin skin, Fluid retention (oedema), Susceptibility to bruising, High or increased blood pressure, Susceptibility to infections, Build-up of fat around the face, chest and abdomen, Thinning of the limbs, Osteoporosis (thinning of the bones), Bone fractures, particularly in the spine and ribs.

Long term Use: Fatigue, Nausea and vomiting, Low blood pressure, particularly when standing up from a sitting or lying position (orthostatic hypotension), Low blood sugar, Shock, Coma

 3) estrogen replacement, side effects:  heart disease, breast cancer, stroke, blood clots, and mammography abnormalities
4) testosterone, to many side effects to list...here is the link:  TESTOSTERONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

I would be on these and other such things THE REST OF MY LIFE.  One of the long term side-effects of many of those "replacements" is a shorter life span.  As a 28 yr old mother, that IS NOT AN OPTION!  Then to top it all off only 60% of those who have surgery are cured.  The rest have to have surgery over and over and over again!   Therefore increasing the chance of needing these replacement hormones. 


Needless to say, I'm glad I did some research before jumping off that boat!  I still can't believe I was going to go through w/ it!  I'm so glad I found an alternative that is SHRINKING MY TUMOR NATURALLY!  I say many prayers of thanks everyday for this miracle!