Useless Brain - Help!

[thehighwaycode]

First of all sorry this is a bit of a drawn out story, thank you to anyone who reads it and anybody who can offer and help.

Around 2 and a bit months ago now I started to have a really bad constant headache headache which lasted 3 weeks. It was diagnosed as stress but after 5 visits to the doc and being pretty persistant he agreed to send me for a CT scan. 3 Weeks later, after the pain had gone and I'd continued with normal life I had my scan. It revealed I had an Arachnoid cyst, aswell as a blood clot and bleeding to the side of my brain. I had burr hole surgery a few days later on my right temple, from the hair line going backwards and all went well. I was out of hospital the day after and felt like I could run a marathon.

Then, after the first week I started feeling really cold, was tired, started getting headaches again, light-headed, dizzy, I can't remember what other symtoms, but I also got a really stiff and quite painful neck, whenever I moved it I got a shooting pain and went dizzy. I went back to hospital after a week for a routine CT. After telling the Consultant of my symptoms a blood test was organised, this showed by 'inflammatory markers' (I think they're called) were high. (They stated one was meant to be around 10, mine was 18, and the other was meant to be around 12, mine was 136).

The CT also shown a new build up at the bottom of the skull just above my right ear, which was believed to then be an infection. A new op was explained to me which meant opening up my first incision, which would reveal 'bits of gunk, debris and bone', cleaning it out and carrying on to make a new reverse ? shape incision from my forehead, up to the top of my head and around down by the side of my ear, removing the side of my skull, clearing the new build up and fixing me up with bits of metal etc.

Obviously this scared the crap out of me but had to be done and 20 minutes later I was in theatre. I was massively relieved when I came round to find when the surgeon's opened up the initial incision it was spotless with no sign at all of infection, which meant the second part of the op wasn't necessary.

I was kept in hospital 6 days, blood pressure and memory etc was fine, my temperature was high on one night and fluctuated a little. Eventually tests on fluid from my head came back clear and I was released, my IM in my blood were still high (around 110) but were decreasing. Since being home my initial symtom's seem to be either gone or rare and much milder...

All except the neck ache. It has changed, its no longer constant or causes dizzyness or shooting pains. Now it seems to be there as soon as I wake up. It can be just stiff, but can also be a sort of throbbing pain, it seems to mainly be in the muscles at the back of my neck. But when it is throbbing, it can sometimes cause a sort of pressure pain by the back of my eye(s), mainly my right one. I have noticed twice now that if I'm walking down steps or down hill I get a bit of discomfort in my back, this may have been there before either of the ops - my memory is a bit hazy. The back thing is no problem at all, it's the neck I'm finding it difficult to get on with.

I'm spending most of my time sat at home resting, innevitably thinking about this which is probably making it worse. I have a fear of needing to have that planned surgery, I'm due to see my surgeon on monday and I'm trying to prepare myself for the worst but can't help hoping it will be nothing, maybe a massage! I've not been able to find thing's online with my sympoms, I've only just found on this symptom checker on this site Brain Aneurysm. Which I'm in the dark about also but sort of seem's to fit.

What surgery does an Aneurysm require? Does it sound likely I will require the planned surgery which wasn't required last time? Could it be as simple as poor sleeping posture/pillows? - I slept elsewhere last night and when I woke up did not have the problem. I'm 21 and was fit and healthy before this, my family are planning on going on holiday monday morning but are not sure in case I need further treatment, and I just want to know what to prepare myself for.

If anyone is still reading I genuinly thank you for you time - if anyone can help please do, thank you and take care.

[caregiver222]

You asked an interesting and unanswerable question. Just remember that nobody has an expiration date stamped on their foot.

It depends on where the aneurysm is located, for one thing. The second problem is that if you have one aneurysm, or a potential aneurysm, there is a good chance there may be another weak vessel somewhere. There are often congenital.

IF you have an aneurysm (which is by no means certain), you have a serious life-threatening problem, but that doesn't mean you are going to die.

It sounds to me that you have had competent top-shelf medical care. I wouldn't be so quick to cricicize them. These problems are difficult to get a handle on.

I would suggest a 3T MRI, or 3T MRA, (not a 1T)  which provides the best imaging possible. A CT is not acceptable. INSIST on a 3T imaging evaluation.

DO NOT get a massage and don't let anyone near your neck to massage it! You will likely dislodge plaque in the carotid arteries. That is not a helpful thing to happen.

Don't hesitate to get a second opinion.

Please post back.

[stmnm]

http://www.brain-surgery.com/aneurysm.html

here you go for more details
hang on and keep smiling it is good at any kind of medical situatin