Emergency Brain Surgery Send Happy Thoughts!!

Question

I'm her husband.  She had a rough day yesterday that culminated with emergency brain surgery.  The problem was located and surgeon believes it is corrected.  Time will tell.  She is expected to be in the hospital for a week or so.  She appears to be doing very well but weak and tired.  It was csf (fluid) in her brain. She has a lumbar drain to keep the csf pressure in her head low and to help the healing.

zygy2 · Answer

Hello Surgery buddy :)  how is your recovery going!  With any luck, lots better than mine! LOL  It is a crazy ride just to have the surgery!  Hopefully you are starting to feel better and stronger and doing more "normal" things.  Can you drive yet?  I will find out Friday when I get my stitches out when I can drive.  I have no idea because of the damage on my left side if it will change when I can drive.  It is minimal but I can tell there is a small issue, they said the cerebellum will compensate and it will go away at least.  I guess the hole in the brain won't heal but it will adjust to make things better again.  Can't wait to get the stitches out, it really was terrible that the EXACT day I was supposed to get my last stitches out ended up with emergency surgery... not quite what i had planned!  My surgeon laughed that he DID remove my stitches... :)  I have a few extra this time but I am so happy they used my tissue.  What did your NS use for a patch?  I am so anti-bovine after all of this.  I hope you are doing wonderful.

Stephiec79 · Answer

You have such a positive attitude!! I can't believe all you've been through! So happy your home & recovering!! Take it slow & REST....you certainly deserve it!!! Hugs 2 you, my friend!!!

selmaS · Answer

WOW...I am always amazed just at what we go thru and  how much of a toll it takes on us...I am so glad u r home and doing better even if it is at a slow pace...better is a good thing no matter how much we get at a time...

 POTS is a diff condition to deal with on top of chiari...I will give u that for sure.....

 Rest up and keep us posted : )

  "selma"

zygy2 · Answer

Home!  I can't believe that it has been a month since my pseudomengecle repair surgery and I am at square one again.  Actually less than square one.  I am much much weaker this time.  The past nine days in the hospital were very difficult.  I thought the chemical meningitis was terrible but it got so much worse.  When the ambulance came i could not even move, my brain did some very strange things to me.  I was so afraid and hours until surgery felt like days.  Then waking up from surgery and trying to process where I was and what had just happened was just so painful.  I had a golf ball size pool of fluid making a hole in my cerebellum, I was losing motor control on my left side and could not figure out walls, ceilings and floors, I was so "lost" I could not open my eyes because i could not process what I was seeing.  The head pain was crazy, I had a fever and I was not suffering vertigo but that is what I thought it was.  I had the feeling if I moved that I was being tossed backwards off a cliff in the dark.  I can't explain it any better than that, I can only say it was the worst feeling of my life.  During the emergency surgery they found the bovine was stuck to my brain so fluid could not flow correctly, he had no idea why it was doing what it was though, said he never saw anything like it before.  Recovery is so slow and I still have a low fever and feel terrible but I am still happy to be home.  My heart rate is still really high but with POTS being a problem  before they are explaining it that way for now and we will see if time makes me stronger.  I  already think it is improving a bit, he said POTS is not cured by surgery.  I hope recovery picks up speed now that I am home.  I am more exhausted than I have ever been and mentally still trying to process things, I need to find the positive happy me again.  I really expected this surgery to be so fast and easy that all this really surprised me.  Things are getting better though!

selmaS · Answer

Wow...u r certainly going for a record...lol....just rest and let us know how u r doing when u can...keeping u in good thoughts : )   

      <3
    "selma"

zygy2 · Answer

HI guys!!! Still in ICU but my sweet hubby brought in the lap top today since I was feeling a bit better. Had a new CT scan today and hoping it looks good. Long week in ICU, really crazy week. Having a hard time thinking still that I had a third surgery. The bovine patch was stuck to my brain. he harvested my tissue this time and "unstuck" things. The incision is a bit larger this time and the hair cut is much worse :) LOTS of missing hair. I will give more details when I am home and feeling stronger but just wanted to thank you for your kind thoughts. It was pretty insane to wake up after the emergency surgery knowing I had done it again!!! Zipper times 3!!!

selmaS · Answer

Goodness she has been thru so much already...sending prayers to both of u and please let her know  we r keeping her in our thoughts : )

   <3
 "selma"

Stephiec79 · Answer

Please give her a hug from her "surgery buddy"! She is in my thoughts and my prayers, as are you and the rest of the family!!! Please continue to keep us updated!!!!