[Ryan_Reid]

My name is Ryan. I'm 25, and I'm pleased to say I had a successful skull base tumor resection last week and am recovering nicely.

Specifically: Chondrosarcoma growing from the clivus and impacting the brain near the brain stem. My operation was a craniotomy behind my right ear. The tumor was 'thankfully' completely removed. I had a severe csf leak following surgery (the most painful thing I have ever experienced, but I'm kind of a wimp) which led to a subsequent surgery to repair 2 csf leaks. One was repaired with a muscle graft, the other with wax.

The operation was done by Dr. Robert Spetzler and his team at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. Dr. Spetzler was the only surgeon of many I spoke with who was confident he could address the issue. I couldn't recommend him, or his staff at Barrow, more.

I'm dealing with some minor issues, mainly psychological. I have nightmares about the csf leak recurring every night. It interrupts sleep and is overall a terrifying pain in the butt. Any advice or experience with that would be very welcome.

Other than the psychological recovery, I'm aiming to be active in a community that has been there; that maybe I can help support in some small way.

Thanks!!!