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Gamma Knife and Updated Neurosurgery Summary



Had Gamma Knife yesterday. Highlights:
  • Fitting for the cage/helmet was straightforward / not a big deal. The last step for the surgeon was using a torque wrench to set the tightness on the four pins where it attaches to my skull.
  • Got a new MRI for them to make their Gamma Knife plan from.
  • My plan was quite involved, treating 2 tumor beds (for what was resected 6/1), a new suspicicious spot (also spotted 6/1) that grew since then, and finally one new tiny spot that showed up on the MRI for the plan.
  • The actual radiation treatment lasted just under 4 hours.
I'm very happy to have received the procedure. Next up... IPI.

Corrections to my previous description of neurosurgery on 6/1:
  • I had 2 tumors resected on 6/1, not 3. I guess it would have been a triple, not a double, craniotomy if 3 were removed.
  • Resected: Left Parietal Lobe tumor previously treated w/Cyberknife in November.
  • Resected: Left Temporal Lobe tumor (new)
  • On 6/1 they had spotted a small suspicious third node (mentioned above) but did not try to resect it at that time. That was one of 2 new spots now treated with Gamma Knife on 6/17.
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