Topic: Surgery! Yay!

[Blair]

Ok, maybe "yay" is a little over-expressive. I don't "enjoy" surgery, but I don't freak out and worry over it either. It needs doing; I get it done; I move on.

Since most of you don't know any details, I have had a cerebral shunt since I was a baby due to complications caused by arachnoid cysts at birth. Every 6 years or so, there are problems with it, so of course something then needs to be done about it.

For my routine yearly checkup, today I had a head CT done followed by an appointment with my neurologist who told me the draining tube has separated from the shunt by about an inch and a half. This is causing not as much fluid from draining as should be which is resulting in a very slow build up of fluid in my head. Though this has likely been the case for at least a few months if not since last year (meaning a few more weeks or months of waiting probably wouldn't "hurt" me,) I've decided to fix the problem before the Christmas holiday, hoping for no complications so that I can enjoy my time with the family without concern.

My surgery will be this Wednesday.


The surgery involves reopening two incisions, one in my neck and one in my abdomen, and threading a new tube from one to the other and then attaching it to the shunt (I could have had an easier "patch job" done which would be splicing a small piece of tube within the gap, but that can fail more quickly meaning surgery again sooner.) If possible, though unlikely, they will remove the old tube, but it won't be the first tube left behind. That's not a big deal. I have actually had this exact problem once before, though it was a much more extreme case that time. In that one--sparing you the weird details as to why--the problem was "hidden" and the severity only discovered once I was under the knife.

Having been told this news today, it likely explains a few things from minor headaches and mild head pressure I have been feeling lately. It could also be the cause of why I suddenly started as of last year having some trouble breathing through my nose. So, if those problems by chance get fixed as well, bonus!

[DJ Doena]

Wish you good look. :-)

[samuelrichardscott]

Hope it all goes well Blair!

[Kathy]

Surgery and hospitals are never fun. I hope everything goes smoothly.

Hopefully you'll get a few new DVDs instead of flowers while you're there!

[addicted2dvd]

hope it all goes well!

[hal9g]

Best of luck, Blair.  We'll be praying for success and a quick recovery.

[Eric]

Surgery and hospitals are never fun.

Not true Kathy.  After I had my back surgery they kept me stone all day long for 2 weeks............I never had that much fun after that 

Good luck Blair !

[DSig]

Good luck!

[Dragonfire]

Good luck.

[kahless]

Good luck Blair! 

[Achim]

I wish all the Best for the surgery!

[Blair]

 

I will see you all again in a couple of days!

[Blair]

   I'm baaaaaaack

It all went even better than I suspected that it would. The surgeon looked in and saw that the entire cord was functioning normally and it was loose/free, so he simply pulled it back up to where it should be, plugged it in, and tied it off.  It couldn't have been much simpler.

I have a fresh scar lower on my neck (I wasn't expecting that) and the other on my next stitched up tight. Because it is the reopening of a scar, he wants to keep the stitches in for an extra week or two. That's fine except that they probably look scary to some people. and there is no way to cover them up well. My shoulders are killing me (has something to do with one of the procedures) and I naturally I can't fully turn my neck.

I'm a little tired from only about 2 1/2 hours of off-and-on sleep in the room. and actually I keep closing my eyes while I type. It's just way too early to go to bed, but I'm almost falling out of my chair! So I will fight it for a few more hours or just fall to sleep sitting up on the couch!

[addicted2dvd]

Glad everything went well... take care! 

[samuelrichardscott]

Take it easy mate!