I am scheduled for an operation next month

[AngeloGR]

Hi to all, This is Angelo from Athens Greece.
I am scheduled for an operation for pituitary adenoma removal on 8/19/09.

I can say that I am a little scared but I am looking forword to do it.

I have a few questions to you.

After the operation I will have to do all my life blood tests for hormone levels ? and how often ?

Do I will have to do MRI test ? and how often ?

Will the pituitary adenoma grow back after its removal ?

Thanks
Angelo

[AngeloGR]

Thanks for your response
I thought so that i will have to do blood tests for hormonal inbalances and MRIs for the rest of my life.
Since I started taking the medication that the edocrinologist gave me I month ago all the headache disappear, not to mention that when he saw the first hormonal results he sent me right away to have a hormone injection, he was surprised that I was still standing on my feet.
Now I feel fine like nothing is wrong with me.
The funy thing is that I am not feeling tired at all.
I wake up at 6:30 in the morning go to work from 9 to 5 and then I go to my local gym from 6 to 7. Then I go home to do whatever i have to do until 11 o'clock when I to sleep.
My parents ask me almost every day how I feel and some times they tell me to slow down until the operation day, (to tell the truth they were very scared with all the symptoms I had, I also had fainted at least 3 times at home).

So I can say that I look forward for the operation next month.
Things dosn't look so bad if I have to take my madication every day and have some tests during the year.
Take care
Angelo

[testdeprived]

your one of the lucky ones be thankful you found someone willing to operate on you. id kill someone for that opportunity all i get is....yours is incedental.....uim not operating...you are healthy.

[rumpled]

I had my pituitary tumors removed in 2004.  I have had 12 operations and this was one of the easiest.

Yes, you should keep checking your hormones for life - "once a pituitary patient, always a pituitary patient" is the motto. As for how often, that can depend on how you do. Right after surgery, it will have to be frequent, or should be as the pituitary can be unhappy right after being wacked and some people get diabetes insipides and other things on a temporary basis.

Long term, other hormones may be lost such as growth hormone. The thyroid hormones may need to be replaced. Some of my friends go every six months, while I have to go every 4 months as I am less stable.

For MRIs, the usual is annual.

As for growing back, it often depends on the type of the tumor. I had Cushing's disease and it has a rather high rate of reccurance. Mine came back. Part of why I have to go back so often. My prolactinoma did not grow back.

PS - I was in Athens twice - loved it!