Search for a Surgeon

The Neurophysician had insisted that I undergo the surgery as soon as possible.  We had to start looking out for a surgeon.  I called up the physician who asked me to undergo EEG and he told me about a senior Neuro Surgeon and gave me his contact number.  The neuro surgeon was out of country that week.

My father then contacted his cousin, whose daughter in law is a neuro surgeon.  She then asked us to consult her Senior, who is practicing at the hospital (Manipal Hospitals, Old Airport Road, Bangalore) where I underwent EEG.

Meanwhile my sister who was working in Delhi availed a month's leave and came home through flight.  I could hear her wailing to my mother one early morning before her arrival.  She had browsed the internet about glioma with her friend the previous night.

We went to consult the Surgeon Dr. Praveen M Ganigi.  He asked normal questions about the seizures, the anti consultants that I was taking and started inspecting the scan.  He confirmed that a surgery was required and asked us whether we ready to get the surgery performed at the same hospital.  Within that short duration, I was convinced that he was a good surgeon and we informed that I could get admitted the very next day.  He told us that there were few equipments required and that he would call us once he gets them.  During this conversation, Dr. KM Bopanna who was practising with Dr. Praveen M Ganigi in 2011 walked in and joined in the consultation.  Since we were ready to get the surgery done there, he asked me to consult a neuro physician Dr. Uday A Murgod practicing in the same hospital.

We asked the Surgeon whether it is required to shave my hair.  He said that it was not required.  He did not panic us in any way.  

We consulted the neuro physician and he was a bit worried looking at the long list of oral medicines I was taking.  However, he had to add another drug (Frisium)  to the list.

Admission to the Hospital and initial tests

The Surgeons, Anesthesia Specialists and the technicians were very helpful and thoroughly explained what I had to do during the surgery.

I got admitted to the hospital on 12th of October 2011.  It was evening by the time I got admission.  The next day, there were a set of tests that had to be undergone.  A dietician came in the evening and took details regarding my health and what kind of food I preferred.  A technician from the department for blood tests came to the room around 5:30am and took blood sample for tests.

The dietician would visit everyday to confirm what I want for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The patient could choose soft food that would very easy to digest.  The patient can also order for more fruits for dinner.  A patient can order for fruit juices at any time of the day.

The surgeon whom I had met the previous day was practicing with another surgeon.  He came to my room that morning and gave me certain details regarding what was expected from me during the surgery.  During surgery, they would show me a sheet of paper in which pictures would be drawn.  I would be waken from during surgery and will have to read the pictures that were drawn.  I should not take solid food in the morning and the surgery would be from 8:30 am in the morning.  Couple of hours later, I was taken to the Department of Anesthesia.  There were two anesthesia specialists whom I met there.  There told me that I would not be given complete anesthesia and that I would woken up during the surgery and would be asked to read drawn in the paper that would be shown to me.  They also told me that almost all patients were able to cope up with this, but, if at all I was not able to, then they would give me complete anesthesia.

Then, a technician from the Operation Theatre, took me to the there and showed me how it looked like, the facilities that were available there.  He took me to the next room were a spine surgery was being performed (there was an instrument being used to perform the surgery and there was noise, I am not sure whether it was something to do with the the spine)  He told me that the patient undergoing the surgery was given complete anesthesia.  (Luckily I did not start getting tense, at the bottom of my heart, I must have been ready to face my surgery)

There was an MRI taken that evening.  The technician would give me instructions during the process - start speaking, wave your hand and I was supposed to do the same.  This was for use during surgery.

My surgeon came around evening.  He gave me the same instructions as the other surgeon.  I was supposed to be on fasting from 10pm that night.

The Surgery - Awake Craniotomy

I was brave went I went into the Operation Theater, I do not know how, but I was. 

The nurse came to my room the next morning at 5:30 am.  She asked to brush my teeth, take bath and plait my hair (two plaits).  I had cut my hair short (upto shoulder) and it was not easy to plait it.  We called my mother and sister and asked to come to my room immediately from home.  Thankfully, the hospital was at a distance of 2 kms from our home.

I got ready by 7:30 am.  The nurse came to my room again with quarter a glass of water.  She gave me the three anti convulsion tablets that I used to take every morning and asked me to swallow them, with that water (in empty stomach).  Another medicine was sent in to me as drips.

By 7:45 am, I was taken to the Operation Theater in theater robes.  All that I remember was a small prick given by nurses there. 

During surgery, there was a voice of a Doctor (Anesthesia Specialist) that called 'Chitra Chitra' so softly and I would then read, the pictures drawn on a sheet.  I was able to see only the sheet, not any faces.  After reading 'This is a  boat, this is a house, this is an apple'  (or the second row of pictures), someone would say 'Ok' and then I would not be awake.  This happened thrice during the surgery.  I would not hear or see anything after that.

 

Neurosurgeon Dr. Praveen M. Ganigi, Head of the team of Surgeons who performed the surgery and myself

I could understand that the surgery was over after these words were heard.  'Okay now the surgery is over, the patient can be taken to the ICU.  A soft stitch can be given to her on Sunday and she can wash her hair on Tuesday and get discharged the same day'.

They started taking me out of the OT.  I could not still open my eyes.  I could then hear 'Her relatives are all waiting for her, show her once to them and then take her to the ICU'.  On hearing this, I slowly opened my eyes, and lifted a hand and waved to my relatives, I could see them'.  I was then taken to the ICU.

I later got to know that was nearly 4 pm when I was taken to the ICU.  The surgery had been a long one.  The other surgeon had come to the Operation Theatre couple of times during the surgery.  Most of my relatives had come since the surgery was a critical one.

Later, we got to know that the surgery underwent was awake craniotomy  The Surgeon that informed that since the surgery was performed around regions of the brain that controlled vision, speech and movement they had to be very careful while performing it.  The glioma was not a single piece that could be removed, but it was spread across and had to be removed very carefully. It was on the left side of the brain.