Welcome to our CaringBridge website for Sam. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place, and using it as a way to manage and ask for help and support in the weeks following her surgery. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Stay tuned for updates on when she'll be ready for visitors!
So, here is the scoop: For the last 4-ish weeks Sam's vision has been declining. After many visits to eye docs, Sam had an MRI and was diagnosed with a tumor approx. 2x2cm that is (most likely) situated on her pituitary stalk, called a craniopharyngioma (typically benign). It's pressing up and out, causing her optic nerves to bend at acute angles, which is what's impairing her vision and causing her cortisol and other hormones to be out of whack. I say "most likely" because until they're in there, they can't be certain that it's on the stalk and not on the gland itself. Given her symptoms and the MRI/CT scans, however, that's their best guess.
She's fortunate enough to have Doctor Manuel Ferreira (
http://www.uwmedicine.org/bios/manuel-ferreira) conducting surgery; it seems he's THE guy to have for this sort of thing. We all liked him VERY much and feel she's in the best hands possible.
Risks are what they are, but this is necessary. And the outcome? They expect her vision to improve, and will treat her pituitary organs with the care they need, in order to prevent long-term hormone treatment. Sam's young, healthy, and strong; she's the ideal candidate to bounce right back from this, which she'll do.
Dr. Ferreira has scheduled her surgery at the UW on Friday, Sep.1 at 7:30am. They'll access the tumor through her nose, with the cameras heading up one nostril and his tools up the other.
Sam thanks you all for your good thoughts and energy. She's surrounded by a whole lotta folks that love her to bits, and I certainly believe it matters.
