The eventful times continue. Here's what's been happening with me since my last update.
I had an MRI in July that showed a small tumor on my pituitary gland. At the time it was about 9 mm in diameter. That finding explained the symptoms I had been experiencing before that, which were eventually diagnosed as hyponatremia (low sodium), hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone), and adrenal insufficiency (low cortisol). These three together combined for some miserable months for me where I was weak and nauseated, and barely able to function. At my worst I was basically unable to walk more than 100 feet without being exhausted. Getting on the right meds has helped tremendously, and on September 17 I had transsphenoidal surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible. In between July and the surgery, it had grown to about 12 mm, so getting it out quick was good. Unfortunately, a small piece was attached to my carotid artery, so I will also be having radiation therapy (yet to be scheduled) on that area. Preliminary biopsy shows it is malignant, so my doctors, my family, and I are all glad we moved quickly to get it taken out. Recovering from that surgery has gone better than I expected, and despite having a small hole drilled into my skull 5 days ago I am only on ibuprofen and acetaminophen for pain control. I'm more mobile than I was two to three weeks prior, and generally I am feeling much better, other than my sinuses being very stuffy and still healing. This little section of fun isn't over yet, as I have follow ups with my surgeon and my oncologist for next steps and deciding if we need to make any treatment changes other than the radiation I know is coming. I suspect PET/CT scans and MRIs will be in my immediate future as well.
Here's Kirsten and I out for a little walk on the 21st, just 4 days after my surgery.
On a little different note, I want to take a moment to thank all the caretakers in the world, who have a very tough job caring for the sick people they love while also trying to take care of themselves, all while grieving the decline and the (eventual) end of their caretaking responsibilities. It is not easy, in fact I think I can safely say it is very stressful and demanding, with patients who are feeling terrible, can be demanding and very cranky, and who despite their best intentions may not be able to adequately express their gratitude. Being sick and weak and in pain puts us in vulnerable positions that we don't want to be in, and makes the smallest things seem insurmountably difficult sometimes.
So I would like to personally thank profusely Kirsten, who bears the brunt of my caretaking during my bad periods and recovery from various treatments. She has been so wonderful through what has been the most stressful thing either of us has ever gone through, and I love her wholly and completely. Dylan, my son, has also been of great help. My daughter Maya is living on her own, trying to establish her adult life, but has been a great help as well when she is here.
I would also like to thank my father, Lloyd, who took care of my mother Nancy while she was going through her breast cancer treatments before she passed back in 2012, and my aunt Sharon who took care of my uncle Bruce during his own fight with lung cancer before he passed in 2023. What they did was not easy, and I appreciate everything they did for two people who meant a great deal to me before they passed. I would also like to thank my step mother Beth, who took care of my Dad during his own battle with head and neck cancer 6 or so years ago, and now with his (thankfully) stage 1 lung cancer. My dad is fortunately still around, and having his own live in nurse (Beth was a nurse in her professional life) has been enormously helpful for him.
So if you know someone who is a caretaker, please take the time to check in with them to see how they are doing, and to see if they need help or are struggling under what can be a very heavy burden.
Thank you caretakers.
