Disocovery

November of 2008, Dr. Rob Diegel of Urban Optiks in Broad Ripple. He's the best I've been to in 30 years...the ONLY one to ever see it and say it.

I've been wearing glasses since 1981. Back then, I just was having trouble keeping up with my reading. I complained of seeing a "negative shadow" on everything (for those of us old enough to remember rabbit ears on tv sets, it was like bad tv reception). If an object was light in color, there was an equally dark shadow around it and vise versa. Unfortunately for me, I also had an astigmatism in my right eye. If not for that, maybe someone would have suspected a tumor which must have been growing even then.

So I limped along, eventually getting used to what I was seeing, but still not enjoying reading like I wanted to. The dark type on a light page was difficult to see clearly even with glasses.

And then I found Dr. Rob. My eyesight had gotten much worse and I was wearing 9 year-old glasses. Time for a check up! I had not bothered to cover one eye and try to see out of the other, but during the exam, we discovered I had lost all of my peripheral vision! My eye appointment was 3 1/2 hours long. He was either looking for something, or had found it but didn't say. I got my glasses and went back for a follow up because they still weren't helping me. That's when he knew. He said, "Sarah, there is nothing wrong with your eyes, except for your mild astigmatism and presbyopia. You have a brain tumor." WHAT? No way. Thank you, bye-bye.

Well, I came home and told Brian, and I cried. In fact, that was one of the only times for tears in this whole ordeal. Much later after the MRI, Brian and I both had an emotional breakdown. I was crying mad--angry for my lack of emotional strength. Brian I think, was frightened.

Then I sat on it for a year and a half. I have my reasons.

Eventually, what I could see in the middle went to double. Driving was difficult, but I still did it. Framing was difficult, but still did it. Lying, or omitting certain truths (to everyone, but Brian and Dr. Bob Killingbeck) was difficult, but I still did it. Still had my reasons.

Until March 2010. It was unbearable and needed to be corrected, despite the cost and possible financial ruin. So I contacted my sister-in-law, Emily, a Physician's Assistant or PA. She is aggressive, loves me and kicked my butt! I had an MRI within 48 hours of visiting her office. The official diagnosis came the next day. Dr. Rob was right. I was right. Just wanted to know how big.

The answer was really big. It was in or on my pituitary gland which hangs in a bony area behind the sinuses called the cella. It had filled that cavity and was invading the optic chiasm (where the optic nerves cross over) and had also affected the muscles that control the eyes. The measurement was 3.5-4cm...basically an oblong golf ball in the middle of my head.

I really lucked out and got into Dr. Paul Nelson of IU Hospital, Department Head of Neuro-Surgery. An extremely accomplished man, he took my case as the pituitary specialist on staff. Along with excellent care from everyone at IU, he treated me well and with great respect. I could not be happier about the outcome and recovery! But maybe getting ahead of myself...

Sarah