2011

While I was in Washington, it was so enjoyable to be surrounded by my family and really good friends. I never thought I'd be so amazed to be able to hop in the car and drive on a paved road to see such good friends all within a close radius! My lungs quickly filled and a smile pushed up my cheeks each time I got to see someone I had missed so terribly. The feeling was a good one.

The first week home led to more doctor appointments than had already filled my planner. I went to the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor and the dentist first. At the ENT, he heard about my facial numbness and ordered a Brain MRI and a CT scan on my sinuses. Since the nerve that is numb is routed from the brain, they wanted to rule out a possible tumor or Multiple Sclerosis.

Each time I had another nurse ask if I was claustrophic I almost started believing I just might be, while I was thinking back to the time in Anchorage while I was trying on snowmobile helmets. Although my tonsils are slowly decreasing in size, at the time they were fighting about which one could "puff their chest out" further. When I tried on my first helmet, I remember stiffening up and flipping the eye protector up. I looked at both Nathan and Tricia and as calmly as I could said, "I'm not sure why, but I feel as if I try to take off this helmet I won't be able to. I am trying not to panic but I will need both of you to take each side and rip it off as fast as you can." They did it and I was just fine, however, they probably thought it was a little strange since I've worn many a helmet during car racing and motorcycle riding. But, I think having a restricted airway from the tonsils has made me the tiniest bit claustrophobic. So when I heard I had missed out on the Valium pill before the MRI, I was regretting it a little.

An hour of humming, clicks, and beeps, was not bad at all and my MRI was done.

The next day, I had a follow-up appointment with the ENT and my regular doctor. (We really didn't discuss my tonsils much at all, but I am on my third round of antibiotics.) They concluded that they still couldn't explain my facial numbness, but they had found an incidental finding. I have a 5.5 mm pituitary tumor. After more appointments and talking with a couple different Neurosurgeons, I now know a little more about what that means.

Apparently doctors predict about 15% people might have pituitary tumors and don't know about them because they just haven't had an MRI on their brain. Our pituitary gland controls every function in our body including kidney, thyroid, metabolism, etc. The tumor can secrete hormones that block or increase certain functions. I'm still hoping to speak to an Endocrinologist to find out more about that. As of now, I will have to schedule to have another brain-scan and more tests when I get back this summer to see if it has grown or changed. If it does end up growing or causing more damage I would have to get it extracted. As far as from what I heard from the doctor, the surgical procedure is routed through the nasal cavity and is of the easiest type of brain tumor to get to.

Thank you to all of you who have supported me with research, answers, and consideration.