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Vanessa
  • Female
  • Elizabeth, New Jersey
  • United States
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Enlarged Thymus Gland
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Started this discussion. Last reply by caroline Feb 19.

 

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Hey Everyone, I'm writing because my doctors have found an enlarged thymus gland. I used to have a giant cell tumor in my sacrum (which was removed during a sacrectomy) and I was wondering if any of you have every had an enlarged thymus gland. I ...
February 16

Profile Information

About Me:
I am a middle school language arts teacher. I also direct a children's choir. I have been tumor free for a little over a year, and I am back at work!!! I have a great support network at home and work, and now I have you! Thanks Heather!
How do GCTs affect you?
GCT patient
Location of primary tumor:
Sacrum (the bone between the hip bones, right around the lumbar spine)
Date of diagnosis of primary tumor:
November 21, 2006
Treatment of primary tumor:
1. Multiple embolizations at UMDNJ in Newark NJ. (I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS FACILITY AT ALL) They do not believe in radiation, so the embolization was my only choice next to surgery. I was on so many pain killers(percocet, oxycodone, oxycontin, dilaudid(sp?)) that weren't working and had sharp pain down my legs, numbness, and burning of the vaginal area. It was a long terrible process there. I was hospitalized multiple times for pain management.
2. Radiation at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. I switched facilities after my doctors at UMDNJ told me that I faced only two possibilities:1. remove the entire tumor and sever the nerve bundle through which the tumor grew, rendering me unable to walk w/o assistance and incontinent, OR 2. remove part of the tumor and hope it wouldn't grow back(HELLO!?!). Anyway-I left to see a doctor at Sloan Kettering, Dr. Patrick Boland, whom I now adore. I had radiation for a month. I was in an increasing amount of pain and was hospitalized there for about 8 weeks on and off for pain management. I was giving a pain pic(SP?) and had a mechanical pump that would give me doses of methadone constantly and at request. It was the only thing that would work long enough for me to be able to leave the hospital; patches and pills didn't work for me at all. However, I would return when the pump wasn't doing it for me.
3. Sacral Resection at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. A wonderful team of surgeons removed my sacrum. Metal bars and screws now hold my lumbar spine to my hip bones. I also had a bone graft from my hip bones. Unfortunately I now have partial incontinence. I must use a catheter to urinate and take many laxatives because of the nerve damage from the surgery. But this is minor! I spent five(5) weeks recovering in the hospital, and I recovered oh so slowly at home and out-patient rehab for about nine(9) months. I went from using a walker, to using two(2) canes, to using only one(1)! And now I am back at work (teaching) and often do not use the cane at all! I am truly blessed to have found the right doctor after all!
Facility treated at for primary tumor:
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Would you recommend this facility and it's Doctors to another GCT patient?
Yes!!!!!

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At 11:27am on May 23, 2009, yamen said…
hi
waht is your news vanessa
i had com back to my work
At 11:43pm on April 28, 2009, Pam said…
Hi Vanessa,
I hope you are well and thank you. You are a brave and strong young woman, my hat is off you you! Any update on your enlarged Thymus gland and what is that? I hope you continue to progress and I'd like to keep in touch. Best wishes and good health, Pam
At 2:53pm on February 26, 2009, yamen said…
hi i fineshed my surgery vanessa i dident know what is the reasalt i stell in my home i send my new xris
it was a dark days in hospital
are you good i hope that
yamen
At 7:54am on February 25, 2009, Yonca said…
Your story is amazing, you are such a brave and positive person...
At 1:17pm on January 11, 2009, yamen said…
h Vanessa
thank you i can fawnd a new basword but I wont to till you
you know that my english is not good so i cont understand your last masege
please tring to write it in an easy way
today i do a new test for prepering a surgery evry think in the blood are good that meak you bater
write more abawt you i like to hear new
bay
At 12:49pm on January 8, 2009, yamen said…
hi vanessa
i am yamen the seane one who are smoking turecsh tobaco
i had forgatin my basword of yamycin1000@gmail.com
what i can doing now help me please you know the english is not good
At 10:37am on January 7, 2009, yamen said…
hi
please Vanessa dont be sad for me i dont like that your photo in your page we can sea you smile i liketo sea your smile in your writting .
when ifeeling weth fearst paine i go to the France hospetal and ther i mesd the doctor and i trust weth him but now i didnt like hime
abowt medecation of peine i had teaken it so much and make a pien in my stomac and fisecal therapy i don
but i hope to travel to uroepe after the next surgery to do a good fesecal theraby
if have enaf many
bay
yomen
At 11:47am on January 6, 2009, yamen said…
dear Vanessa
thank you
no the surgery well be by anather doctor he is a brof of bone and goint surgery
in SAR my cantry we havent doctores specializein in GCT
vanessa. I safaring so much by this disease in the 1 surgery i stay in the bed 6 weaks than my lige becam shorter day after day and the bean and lemens did not leave my at any time but it was ordenary to me and i woked so hard in my vet clinc than in the beginig of 2007 GCT come bake agean so I do the 2 surgery by anather dr he was so streang dr in france hosbetal in Damasces after thes my bone became day after day lost calesumand the femur so weak when i cary 3kg some thing hapen in my lige and feled dawn pesyd my car and a heuge bean in my lige
sence that day i wait the surgery but a very big inflameation hapen to me so i well be bater and laboratoy sey evry thing in the blood good mor than 20 test i had don in the last 2 weaks
thank you to hear yamen Delete Comment
At 8:58pm on January 5, 2009, Lauren said…
Thank you so much for writing! I am very interested in talking with you about everything, I feel like I have so many questions but I can't sort them out. You really have an amazing story and I hope I can be as lucky as you. I am at the frustrating point right now where the tumor hasn't done a thing yet. It hasn't gotten bigger, which is in itself a great accomplishment, I am very grateful for that!! But I am hoping it starts shrinking or something. Did yours shrink at all with the embolizations? I will think of more I know I will! Thank you so much again!
At 3:16pm on January 4, 2009, yamen said…
hi vanessa how,re you
that good you came bake to your work
and your Dr is a good chance .i did 2 opeation and i well do the 3 in 15/1/2009 1and2 opareations the dr do a big mestak you can sea my x rise it is a very bad operation and the next one in to removeng the right goint and big bart of femur my femur was broken in3/11/2008 and i stay in the bed sence that day
in the end i so happy for you and please dont be angry by my bad writtingin englesh
 
 

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