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What to expect after Craniotomy?

Forums General Melanoma Community What to expect after Craniotomy?

  • Post
    EricNJill
    Participant

      Eric had the emergency Craniotomy on Saturday, November 6th.  He still has balance issues and just wants to sleep all day.  About 4 days before he had the surgery he started with hiccups around the clock and immediately after the surgery the stopped but now they have started again and I'm worried that maybe he has some swelling in the brain.

      Is it normal for him to be very fatigued?  What should I expect?  Also he is scheduled to see someone on Monday for Gamma Knife, what should I expect from that as well.

      Eric had the emergency Craniotomy on Saturday, November 6th.  He still has balance issues and just wants to sleep all day.  About 4 days before he had the surgery he started with hiccups around the clock and immediately after the surgery the stopped but now they have started again and I'm worried that maybe he has some swelling in the brain.

      Is it normal for him to be very fatigued?  What should I expect?  Also he is scheduled to see someone on Monday for Gamma Knife, what should I expect from that as well.

      Thank you guys.  I don't know what I would do without all of you.

      JillNEric In OH

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        jolainajo
        Participant

          Hi Jill,

          It is normal for him to be fatigued, I had gamma knife in late aug, on 2 tumors, one on the front right, and one on the back left. They put a halo on which was horrible, then I waited for 7 hours for them to map out the precise areas to do the radiation(gamma knife), I was very soar afterward, probubly from the halo, but had the worst headache that day I have ever had. Then, I was tired for about 2 weeks, and then I saw this round flashing rainbow and still see it occasionally. It kinda freaks me out sometimes, because I know what it is from, but the areas that they do radiation on swell first then they go down, in some cases they will use steroids but others they dont. I hope things go well for your husband, and I know that this is a hard time, I know from first hand experience. Keep stong for him… I hate this cancer, were too young to have to be going through this. I hope you keep us updated..  Praying…. Jolaina

          jolainajo
          Participant

            Hi Jill,

            It is normal for him to be fatigued, I had gamma knife in late aug, on 2 tumors, one on the front right, and one on the back left. They put a halo on which was horrible, then I waited for 7 hours for them to map out the precise areas to do the radiation(gamma knife), I was very soar afterward, probubly from the halo, but had the worst headache that day I have ever had. Then, I was tired for about 2 weeks, and then I saw this round flashing rainbow and still see it occasionally. It kinda freaks me out sometimes, because I know what it is from, but the areas that they do radiation on swell first then they go down, in some cases they will use steroids but others they dont. I hope things go well for your husband, and I know that this is a hard time, I know from first hand experience. Keep stong for him… I hate this cancer, were too young to have to be going through this. I hope you keep us updated..  Praying…. Jolaina

            Carmon in NM
            Participant

              Hi Jill – for at least the first three weeks after my emergency craniotomy I was asleep more than I was awake. My oncology neurologist assured me this was not only normal but very good. She said the brain does the majority of its healing during the deep sleep phase and to sleep as much as I could. As long as it wasn't difficult to wake me up, she assured my care givers I was fine.

              I had mild headaches and a feeling of pressure in my head for several weeks too along with the other side effects. Your husband's brain has been through a big trauma and it will take a while for it to begin to heal and sort itself out again. Because I lost shape recognition, I had to ask people to treat me as though they were in a blind person's house because if they moved things around and I saw them out of the context I was used to, I would have to actually put my hands on things to figure out what they were.

              It's been five months now since the craniotomy for me and four since gamma knife and some symptoms still come and go a bit, especially if I let myself get too tired. Carmon in NM

              Carmon in NM
              Participant

                Hi Jill – for at least the first three weeks after my emergency craniotomy I was asleep more than I was awake. My oncology neurologist assured me this was not only normal but very good. She said the brain does the majority of its healing during the deep sleep phase and to sleep as much as I could. As long as it wasn't difficult to wake me up, she assured my care givers I was fine.

                I had mild headaches and a feeling of pressure in my head for several weeks too along with the other side effects. Your husband's brain has been through a big trauma and it will take a while for it to begin to heal and sort itself out again. Because I lost shape recognition, I had to ask people to treat me as though they were in a blind person's house because if they moved things around and I saw them out of the context I was used to, I would have to actually put my hands on things to figure out what they were.

                It's been five months now since the craniotomy for me and four since gamma knife and some symptoms still come and go a bit, especially if I let myself get too tired. Carmon in NM

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