jbird recovery

jbird

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After 3 weeks in St. John's Hospital (Springfield) that included neurosurgery, last Friday I was transferred to Kirby Hospital (Monticello). I am currently scheduled to be here thru November 30 on I.V. antibiotics and getting physical/occupational therapy.

Bottom line is that I'm not dead yet and I feel fine. I have been told that there is nothing wrong INSIDE my brain, but rather the issue is limited to the inside of the front of the skull. I have to believe that if there was another malignant tumor in my attic, it would have been identified in the several CT scans and MRIs that were performed at St. John's. I have a phone call scheduled for Friday morning with my oncologist during which I might learn something more definitive. Until then,GO REDBIRDS!!!
 

Hamdonger

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Jbird!! You're very generous in your sharing. Thank you so much and here's to healthy living, quality of life, and the awe and wonder of...it...all.
 

Cindy00

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Hoping for good news for you on Friday. I think most of us would like you to be around awhile to cheer on the Birds and share all your knowledge with us.
 

jbird

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If they keep removing parts of my brain, I'm not sure how much longer I can retain any knowledge.😁😁
 

Birdswin

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Hoping and Praying for Good News. Too much banking knowledge up there......
 

jbird

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Not good news from my oncologist. The pathology of the skull fragments removed during neurosurgery last month revealed tumor cells. NOT a brain tumor in or on the brain, but cancer cells inside the bone structure, in addition to an infectious disease for which I am already on a daily I. V. antibiotic regimen, so will be discussing my prognosis with my oncologist and neurosurgeon(s) regarding course of treatment ahead (no pun intended).
 

jbird

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Just my luck..........I'm going to have cosmetic surgery early next month but afterward won't be any prettier than I am now. i intend to be at every session of Arch Madness, through the title game on March 5th. Unfortunately, 3 days later I will be back in downtown St. Louis for back-to-back surgeries at Barnes Hospital. My most recent CT scan shows a significant amount of rot or "erosion" in the upper front of the cranium. The neurosurgeon and my oncologist believe that the damage is up there is a rare, residual effect of 30 sessions of radiation treatment following the removal of a brain tumor in my right frontal lobe in the Spring of 2010. Nobody should feel sorry for me..........I have far outlived the average life expectancy given the type and grade of brain tumor that I had 12 years ago.. Anyway, the game plan for March 8th at Barnes is that the neurosurgeon will be the starter and will (hopefully) extract the tumor cells from my noggin. Then the cosmetic surgeon will be the "closer" [no pun intended but pun not withdrawn) who will perform reconstructive surgery to repair and seal any openings or debris that exist from the neurosurgeon's handiwork. If the cosmetic surgeon decides that a skin graft is necessary for the skull incision and he takes skin from one or both of my butt cheeks (a possibility but he doubts it will happen) then I might not have a winning case in a defamation lawsuit if Hulka calls me a "butthead" or an "ass-hat."
 

jbird

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BTW, general anesthesia is one of God's greatest gifts to mankind. This will be my third neurosurgery, and one moment I am talking to the anesthesiologist and the next (s)he is waking me up in the recovery room, and in between those two moments a doctor has been plowing through my head.
 

SgtHulka

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Just my luck..........I'm going to have cosmetic surgery early next month but afterward won't be any prettier than I am now. i intend to be at every session of Arch Madness, through the title game on March 5th. Unfortunately, 3 days later I will be back in downtown St. Louis for back-to-back surgeries at Barnes Hospital. My most recent CT scan shows a significant amount of rot or "erosion" in the upper front of the cranium. The neurosurgeon and my oncologist believe that the damage is up there is a rare, residual effect of 30 sessions of radiation treatment following the removal of a brain tumor in my right frontal lobe in the Spring of 2010. Nobody should feel sorry for me..........I have far outlived the average life expectancy given the type and grade of brain tumor that I had 12 years ago.. Anyway, the game plan for March 8th at Barnes is that the neurosurgeon will be the starter and will (hopefully) extract the tumor cells from my noggin. Then the cosmetic surgeon will be the "closer" [no pun intended but pun not withdrawn) who will perform reconstructive surgery to repair and seal any openings or debris that exist from the neurosurgeon's handiwork. If the cosmetic surgeon decides that a skin graft is necessary for the skull incision and he takes skin from one or both of my butt cheeks (a possibility but he doubts it will happen) then I might not have a winning case in a defamation lawsuit if Hulka calls me a "butthead" or an "ass-hat."
I hope the cosmetic surgeon does take your head and transplant it to your butt. Best of luck J. You're a good man. Glad you were able to postpone till after the tournament, though a true bird fan would have them wait till after the NCAA tournament is over, just in case. Barnes is a great hospital. You're in good hands. Tell Dr Blinder hi from me. Hope you're ringing the bell soon.
 

Hamdonger

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Just my luck..........I'm going to have cosmetic surgery early next month but afterward won't be any prettier than I am now. i intend to be at every session of Arch Madness, through the title game on March 5th. Unfortunately, 3 days later I will be back in downtown St. Louis for back-to-back surgeries at Barnes Hospital. My most recent CT scan shows a significant amount of rot or "erosion" in the upper front of the cranium. The neurosurgeon and my oncologist believe that the damage is up there is a rare, residual effect of 30 sessions of radiation treatment following the removal of a brain tumor in my right frontal lobe in the Spring of 2010. Nobody should feel sorry for me..........I have far outlived the average life expectancy given the type and grade of brain tumor that I had 12 years ago.. Anyway, the game plan for March 8th at Barnes is that the neurosurgeon will be the starter and will (hopefully) extract the tumor cells from my noggin. Then the cosmetic surgeon will be the "closer" [no pun intended but pun not withdrawn) who will perform reconstructive surgery to repair and seal any openings or debris that exist from the neurosurgeon's handiwork. If the cosmetic surgeon decides that a skin graft is necessary for the skull incision and he takes skin from one or both of my butt cheeks (a possibility but he doubts it will happen) then I might not have a winning case in a defamation lawsuit if Hulka calls me a "butthead" or an "ass-hat."
Maybe they could take skin from Hulka's butt and use that for your touchups?? I hear there's plenty to spare...don't know that for fact, only speculating.

Wishing you the very best Jbird. There's a JBird license plate that I see running around Springfield on occasion.
 

SgtHulka

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Maybe they could take skin from Hulka's butt and use that for your touchups?? I hear there's plenty to spare...don't know that for fact, only speculating.

Wishing you the very best Jbird. There's a JBird license plate that I see running around Springfield on occasion.
Unfortunately, our blood types don't match or I would
christmas selfies GIF
 

jbird

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Jul 25, 2017
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It has been a few months since I have posted about myself, but I'm still alive. This last week, I began receiving proton radiation treatments at Barnes Jewish Hospital in downtown St.Louis; Barnes is one of only 12 facilities in the U.S. that offers proton. I will have 5 or 6 weeks of Monday thru Friday proton sessions; Because commuting a couple of dozen trips from Chatham to St. Louis is not practical, my sister (Julie) and I will be staying in St.Louis except on weekends.We will be in a place financed by the American Cancer Society for cancer patients at Barnes or Siteman Cancer Center, so our only personal costs will be for whatever food or beverages we buy for ourselves.

I had my first 3 treatments Wednesday thru Friday of this past week and we returned to Chatham for the weekend yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately, before beginning the proton sessions at Barnes, I was rehabbing with physical and occupational therapy at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield when I fell at home and fractured a couple of ribs. I highly recommend against cracking ribs, especially if u are stridently opposed to pain. The pain has receded quite a bit by now, but I have to conclude that football players are crazy when they play with cracked ribs simply because they wear a protective padded jacket under their uniform.
 
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jbird

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Tomorrow (Wednesday, 06/21/2023, will be my 15th of 30 scheduled proton treatments..........so several treatments past the halfway point (maybe 7 years of Monticello High School wasn't quite enuff).
 

jbird

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909
Tomorrow (Wednesday, 06/21/2023, will be my 15th of 30 scheduled proton treatments..........so several treatments past the halfway point (maybe 7 years of Monticello High School wasn't quite enuff).
BTW, my cracked ribs have healed, at least to the point that I can do back-flips pain-free.
 
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