This is going to be my blog / diary over the next six weeks. It is going to be a record of my recovery from brain surgery. But first I will go back to early April where all this started, or shall we say become more obvious and serious.
Mid April I woke up at about 2.30am on my bedroom floor naked with just my socks on (only socks because I was lazy). I woke up feeling hazy and could hear strange voices. I looked up and saw three random strangers standing over me all in green. They were paramedics, two from an ambulance and one from rapid response. I quickly grabbed the covers, they chuckled and said "don't worry we have seen it all before." I had no idea what was going on, felt ok, not brilliant but maybe as if I had been drinking, had a hazy head. I got changed myself and was then taken to the hospital and was in A&E for a few hours and sent home with no real answer to what happens, just that I had had a fit. I had never had a fit before so we were a little confused, my wife was obviously worried as seeing me like that was more frightening for her than me.
The next day I could barley move as I had pulled all the musles in my back. Our main worry was what caused it. We were going on holiday and we were worried about what would happen over there. We managed to get in and see a private doctor, we discussed my symptoms and he said it was an epileptic fit. This was confirmed after I also explained funny spells I had been having for a year, which I had put down to stress. These spells caused metallic taste in my mouth and would struggle to speak, I could feel them coming and would last a matter of seconds. He put me on a course of tablets called Keppra. These had an instant result, no more funny spells. So we went on holiday, I had to get new travel insurance which increased from £5 to £60! I had no problems on holiday and just tried to forget about it all and relax.
When I returned I went to a NHS neurologist at Colchester General, she was a bit strange and had a bit of an attitude problem, she didn't like the fact I went private and couldn't see how the private doctor came with that diagnosis and that I would have. CT scan and no MRI scan (private doctor had said I should have on). We thought we would see the out come of the CT and if nothing about an MRI came about we would ask for one, but had no issues. I had a CT scan, then a week later I was asked to have a MRI the following day and see the neurologist the following day. All this happened very quickly. Myself and family were wondering what is wrong especially as the neurologist had said I will not have one.
I returned to the neurologist and she informed me I had a lump deep on the left hand side of my brain about 2.5cm x 3cm. We asked all the questions, is it cancer, is it life threatening, does it need to be removed. She informed us it was cause liquid to be trapped brith it and that was causing the fits and it could have been there for at least 20 years (I'm 28). We were told as the medication was working it will probably be left there but I still need to see a neurosurgeon at Queens Hospital, Romford.
How wrong she was...
A few weeks later we went to Romford (45mins away) to see a neurosurgeon. We thought this was mandatory and he would tell us that I just need to have regular MRI scans to make sure it is not growing. straight away he informed us that they do not know what it is but that it has to come out. We were shocked, we explained what we had been told and he noticed how surprised we were. Te specialist would produce my MRI scans to a board of doctors and surgeons and they would discuss what the best thing to do was, though he did say were probably going to agree with him. So we left shocked and would return in two weeks.
Couple weeks later we went to see the neurosurgeon and he confirmed what he said before. They will be removing it, they will remove as much as they can, though maybe not all of it as it increases a risk of permanent damage to the brain.in the previous meeting he had also dropped another bomb shell and asked for me to think about having this operation completely awake. The operation is a craniotomy, they will use the MRI scan and a stealth MRI scan as I very special Sat Nav for my brain to locate it. I will be totally aware what is going on and will be asked questions and have tests to make sure I am ok during the 4-5 hour operation. In America they knock you out at the start and wake u back up once they have opened up your scull (the whole is about the size of a tennis ball). I was prepared to have this done and am currently thinking of what music I want to listen to as they allow you to play your own just to get through it. I was told the worst bits are the noise of your scull being opened up and the boredom.
Now I am chilled out with these things and still am now, I don't get worried to the day before. I have just had my hair cut to a number one so it's nice and short and still thinking of music I want to listen to.
Recovery, I have read up and as I am not bing knocked out I will be in hospital for 3 days max if all goes well, maybe put on the Saturday 20th August. I am going to be off work for a while, maybe 6 weeks. To keep me entertained I have been leant a bunch of computer games, signed up to love film and brought the first 6 series of CSI: Las Vegas ( original is best, no Miami or new York.) for the first week I have been told by my wife and mum I will be moving back in with my parents so they can look after me together, I haven't lived with my parents for three years and wasn't too happy as I am more comfortable at our flat. I made some demands, control of tv, sky movies and I decide what we eat (how many will come true, who knows?!?)
This was my long introduction, I may add to it but I didn't want to waffle but a lot has happened, I will now be adding a bit to this blog up to the date of e operation, Thursday 18th August 2011, 4 days away. Though this date may change as due to one neurosurgeon being away and one surgery being deep cleaned if an emergency comes in I may be put back 2 weeks, I will find out the day before which will be frustrating as that will be when I begin to worry.
So let this begin...
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