What to Expect when you are Evicting

This post may be rather disparate.  I thought it would be fun to list out what I expect to happen, then I can compare what actually happens come surgery and recovery.  Yes, perhaps this is more for me than for you, but then again, maybe this whole blog is just my own therapy anyway.

Surgical Cost
This is from Miss A:

On average, a surgery can cost anywhere from $150,000 +.  The cost to you is based on the individual patient/insurance contract.  Our office is responsible for obtaining prior authorization but your insurance company doesn’t process the claim until after the surgery. The post-operative period is three months following the date of the surgery.  All visits with the surgeon within that three month period are included in the cost of surgery.  Patients typically meet with Dr. McDermott approximately 6-8 weeks after surgery.

The Surgery Itself:
More from Miss A:

You will be admitted to the hospital on Wednesday/the morning of surgery.  The check in time is 6:30am and the surgery starts at approximately 8:30am.

What I think I know about the surgery:

• This is an all day kind of thing, an 8 hour operation
• Dr. L is in charge of drilling to the tumor, with this approach that can be 3 hours of drilling!
• A very large drill will be involved
• Dr. M is in charge of removing the tumor
• This is microsurgery, a very powerful microscope will be involved
• UCSF is very organized, according to Miss C
• I pretty much will be knocked out and the next thing I know I will be waking up and it will be all over.

The Hospital Stay:
Yup, Miss A again: 

That night (night of surgery) you will be in the Neuro-ICU.  Patients usually remain in the ICU for one night.  You may have visitors but no one can stay with you. 

The next day (Thursday) barring any complication or change in plan made by the doctors you will be moved to the regular Neurosurgery floor.  You may have visitors and they can stay with you.  

Three days with lumbar drain, then after they remove it another day of observations.

[Regarding whether Audrey and Enzo will be able to visit me in the hospital] Yes, your children will be allowed to visit you in the hospital.  They may not be able to visit you during your night in the Neuro-ICU.

What I think I know:

• When I do wake up, between the surgery and the anesthesia I will feel like crap.
• The hospital food will be awful.
• They do not ease you into meals, they are serving you normal food from the start (where's the jello?!)
• They will make me get up the first day after surgery and it is going to be the hardest thing, although I have had two kids so it may not be that bad?

Post-op:This is mostly from Miss J, the Nurse Practitioner:

Patients usually remain off work for 4-8 weeks following surgery.

Your suture/staples will need to be removed 10-14 days after the date of surgery.  This can be done by Miss J or your local physician

No driving for 3 weeks.

Physical Activity:
0 - 3 weeks: unlimited walking ok.
3 - 6 weeks: may do 1/2 intensity of normal.
No aerobic exercise for 6 weeks.
after 6 weeks: no restrictions

Post-op appointments:
6 week approximately: post-op appointment with Dr. M
6 month follow up brain MRI and appointment with Dr. M
12 month follow up brain MRI and appointment with Dr. M

After your initial post-operative appointments with Dr. M (approximately 6-8 weeks after surgery) you can follow up with your local physician if you prefer. 

...and more about what I think I can expect:

• Pain.  There is going to be a lot of pain.  Take the meds, don't be a hero.  The incision on my abdomen will hurt, my head will hurt ALOT!
• Balance issues: I *will* have balance issues.  They are cutting out my balance nerve, of course I am going to have balance issues!!  As brainy as I like to think of myself, it is going to take time for my brain to figure out how to remain stable with just one vestibular nerve on the left side.  This is going to completely suck and I think be the hardest part of my recovery.
  
• Facial weakness:  The right side of my face will not be working very well.  It will be crooked because I will not have as much control over it.  Yup, I will be drooling on myself.  One effect of this that Mr. A pointed out is I am not going to be able to chew hard foods or open my mouth very wide in the beginning.  Pizza, toast, big juicy hamburgers are not going to happen immediately.
• Stiff neck?  I will be laying in surgery looking left so they can operate.  Lady C said she had such a stiff neck afterwards she went to massage therapy to loosen it up.  It could happen to me?! 

There are of course some serious possible complication post-op, mostly due to drilling into your head.  I know I should be prepared for them, but I really just don't want to think about it.  They are rare and I just hope they don't happen to me.