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I'm having liver surgery on Thursday February 16th, 2012 at Emory Hospital. I have been diagnosed with hepatic adenomas. To translate that means liver lesions or tumors. There are four of them, the largest is 4.8 cm next to a major vein. I cannot have the surgery laproscopically due to the location of the largest one.
The surgeon is estimating that I will need to stay in the hospital 5-7 days and recover at home 2-4 months. I can walk for exercise as much as I want, no heavy lifting. My liver will regenerate to regular size in about six months. There should be no long term effects, no needs for meds and hopefully I can be back to being me in a few weeks.
People that want to help can email Laura Schilling. She will send you a link to my Care Calendar. lksatty@earthlink.net (mailto:lksatty@earthlink.net)
I don't have any symptoms at all, as a matter of fact I feel great. The lesions were found when I had complications from pneumonia in November 2011. Boy was PNEMONIA a hidden blessing! First they were seen on an abdominal CAT scan, and then revealed clearly on two follow up MRI's.
Please consider adding yourself to this website's email address so that when my friend & author, Lauren Menis has any updates you will be the second to know.
I would like to express my gratitude to my husband Glen and his family, they were wonderful during the pneumonia, many doctor's appointments and I know they will be my heros during my upcoming surgery and recovery.
I look forward to reflecting back on this in a year or two, laughing with you about this tiny bump in the colorful story that seems to be my life.
Bunches of hugs,
Hildee Isaacs
Home Address:
3464 Ennfield Way
Duluth, GA 30096-7408
UPDATE 2/4/2012:
I selected my surgeon yesterday, Dr. David Kooby from the Emory Winship Cancer Institute. He's smart, personable and usually removes cancer from livers so I'm confident that he can remove my tumors. He suggested today that I consider removing my ovaries during the same procedure.
Since adenomas are hormone related the thought is that removing my ovaries greatly lessens my chances of these things growing back. I have not used my ovaries since June of 2010 so it makes sense to me. The problem is that I'll need to consult with an OBGYN and I don't have one. We switched from Kaiser to Coventry last year and I just scheduled my first apt for April. Now I'm in a frenzy to meet with one and discuss this in detail before the surgery. YIKES, no wonder it's 4 am and I can't sleep!
My surgeon's office is working on getting me in to see an OB GYN.
