I've been gone for so long that I actually have stuff to blog about...

I lived through my Hulk procedure, here are some photos and everything you wanted to know about gamma knife and were afraid to ask.

This is the "before" taken at 4:30 a.m.



This thing I had screwed into my head from about 7:00 a.m. til 2:00 p.m. They do not knock you out, but they do sedate you a little and, of course, my head was numbed. In fact, it still is a little and it's two weeks later. (No, this is not a blonde reference, but a statement of fact.)

No one seems to think this is as cool as I did. So, this bubble thing is placed over the frame and then they insert a metal measuring rod through all the holes. They then use that information to create a virtual image of my head which they use to set up the gamma program.

This is the gamma knife machine. Basically, it's an MRI like device. I did not feel anything during the actual "zapping", but what I DID feel is the pressure from having my head mechanically turned. That's what the frame is for -- the screwed in one.

This is the salad bowl through which they shoot the gamma rays. Interesting note: when Scott went back to take these pictures for me (and even before that when they wheeled me back there), he made several Hulk jokes. Some were a little more specific, referencing the names of his girlfriend, but most were like don't make her made afterwards and is she green and that crap. None of the people in there acted like they had EVER heard a Hulk joke/reference before. Maybe they were tired of them and just feigned confusiong, but still -- it was pretty surprising.

(I thought I included an after photo, but I guess not. I don't know how to add a photo after I've already added and have it be in the right order. Sorry.)

Anyways, I had the procedure done at Riverside Medical Center in Newport News, VA. I am including this information, because I googled gamma knife a fair bit prior to my procedure, but don't remember ever seeing any photos and I think it would have helped with the anxiety. (Maybe add to it, who knows?)

I'm two weeks, exactly, out from the procedure. Because I am NF2 my results are possibly different than someone who "only" has an acoustic neuroma. So far, my balance has been a little wonky (my favorite word from another site re: balance issues) but that has been the most noticeable thing. I notice this particularly after driving or if I have been sitting for a long period and then move. No noticeable difference in hearing and (thankfully) no facial paralysis. My tumor was 19 mm when they performed the gamma knife and the maximum they prefer is 25. They were able to set it up so that 80% of radiation used went into the target area and Dr. Chang was able to direct the remaining 20% into bone. (There is a word for this, but I cannot remember it.) Scott's impression from Dr. Chang telling us this is that Dr. Chang was "pleasantly surprised" that it worked out to 80% (as this made it an "A" procedure or optimal conditions) because of the size of the tumor and the NF2 factor.

So, that's all the stuff about gamma knife. We'll get into more interesting stuff soon...