All-
So while I was thrilled to get some slight hearing (dial tones close up, loud music on one head phone)-- I was frustrated that I was not improving. Stuck on a plateau. I went to see Dr. Kassam and an Ear Nose Throat specialist (Dr. Hirsch). The news--- mostly likely: this is all I am going to get. Dr. Kassam thinks the nerve is dead. I said how is it dead if I can hear something? Isn't nerve working kinda like being pregnant? You either are or you aren't? I can't believe he started to discuss that there can be an in between for pregnancies. I cut him off before he started telling me about ectopic pregnancies or something else and got him back on topic. I asked, "Well, isn't it like the binary number system? You either are a ZERO or a ONE? He said basically yes-- and I seem to have a very low functioning nerve-- so there is hope it could make something of itself--- but that this would probably not happen.
Anyway, not great news.
My plans are to continue to get this fluid out of my head (I am now taking diuretics for this), a lot which is hanging around my right ear. And then to also start physical therapy with a PT who specializes in vertigo. Which I still have. Usually this is caused by a tramatized 8th nerve (not a dead one) I'm also going to see another ENT who can explain why I can hear a few things--- but the nerve is being treated as it's dead
Anyway, if this is the best it gets--- I'm still overall glad about the results. That being said, I'm going to be (very) cautiously optimistic and assume some of this fluid building on my right side is part of the reason my nerve is nervous and not at its healthy best.
I'll keep you posted on this crazy soap opera.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
All-
So due to technical difficulties, it took a while to get the CT scan results. And then due to timing difficulties, it took me a while to update. Good news is that the CT scan revealed nothing abnormal, just a bunch of fluid still in my head. My hearing is still about 10% and I continue to have vertigo but no more headaches.
I'm used to going at warp speed so this glacially slow improvement is frustrating. That being said, every day I am so glad that I have my smile back completely.
Susan
So due to technical difficulties, it took a while to get the CT scan results. And then due to timing difficulties, it took me a while to update. Good news is that the CT scan revealed nothing abnormal, just a bunch of fluid still in my head. My hearing is still about 10% and I continue to have vertigo but no more headaches.
I'm used to going at warp speed so this glacially slow improvement is frustrating. That being said, every day I am so glad that I have my smile back completely.
Susan
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Feeling much better/quasi scan results
On a scale of 1-10--- 10 being the worst--my headache over the weekend/monday was an 11 (said with a mock British accent, like in the movie Spinal Tap.) Anyway, this morning it was much better--- about 6. And after a slightly higher than recommended dosage of Excedrin, plus a Coke and a bowl of cereal-- it was a 3, so I felt good enough to go into work around 11 am.
It was nice to be back at the office and I got a ton of stuff done. I discovered you can blow off any meeting or phone call simply by saying, "I'm recovering from brain surgery, I can't make it." I've been talking regularly to someone who also went thru this (we met thru a website on this surgery) and she said she had this done over a year ago and continues to use the excuse.
As for the results. The CT scan place puts them online so doctors can see them. Guess who decided to update their servers this morning so no one can see them? Anyway, normally, I'd go nuts over this but I didn't because 1. I'm not supposed to do anything to raise my blood pressure. 2 Since nothing is coming out of my nose/ears/incision-- I know this isn't a spinal fluid leak causing the problem. 3. I'm feeling much better and have been working on my own pain relief cocktail that involves Coca-cola (the cure to everything) that is helping.
Before people lecture me about drugs, let me say that I was told to take caffeine to reduce my headaches. And, despite being offered prescriptions for percacet (sp?), codeine, and other drugs that could get me boocoo bucks on the streets of Baltimore, I can't take any of those. You see, besides the nice legs that I inherited from my mother, I also inherited her tendency to get nauseated by taking any pain relief stronger than aspirin. And I have had enough barfing for more than one lifetime.
Will keep you posted on what the surgeon says about the CT scan results.
It was nice to be back at the office and I got a ton of stuff done. I discovered you can blow off any meeting or phone call simply by saying, "I'm recovering from brain surgery, I can't make it." I've been talking regularly to someone who also went thru this (we met thru a website on this surgery) and she said she had this done over a year ago and continues to use the excuse.
As for the results. The CT scan place puts them online so doctors can see them. Guess who decided to update their servers this morning so no one can see them? Anyway, normally, I'd go nuts over this but I didn't because 1. I'm not supposed to do anything to raise my blood pressure. 2 Since nothing is coming out of my nose/ears/incision-- I know this isn't a spinal fluid leak causing the problem. 3. I'm feeling much better and have been working on my own pain relief cocktail that involves Coca-cola (the cure to everything) that is helping.
Before people lecture me about drugs, let me say that I was told to take caffeine to reduce my headaches. And, despite being offered prescriptions for percacet (sp?), codeine, and other drugs that could get me boocoo bucks on the streets of Baltimore, I can't take any of those. You see, besides the nice legs that I inherited from my mother, I also inherited her tendency to get nauseated by taking any pain relief stronger than aspirin. And I have had enough barfing for more than one lifetime.
Will keep you posted on what the surgeon says about the CT scan results.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Slight setback
For those of you still reading the surgery saga, I had a bit of a setback this weekend. After non-stop improvement including more hearing in my ear, I suddenly got the worst headache. Just moving my eyeballs made my head feel like it was exploding. While headaches are common right after brain surgery, it was disturbing for me because I had no headaches at all for 3 weeks. In fact, I've never had a headache in my life up until now. (and was a bit ticked this ruined a perfect record). So I contacted my surgeon who I figured would say it's normal. Instead, he said it's not normal at all and instructed me to immediately get a CT scan. Ack.
So Marty took me in and then it at first seemed to be a mini deja vu all over again from my last hospital visit. They asked me if I was allergic to seafood. I said I get violently ill from scallops due to the high iodine content. Then they explained--- well, we're injecting you with an iodine dye solution. Nice? I asked for a barf can. They explained they ionized the iodine so it shouldn't cause the barf effect. Then, in front of Marty, they told me to sign a release form explaining that this dye could cause many additional side effects aside from just nausea including a heart attack. As he stewed in the waiting room he almost busted in the door and said-- Stop, it's not worth it.
Fortunately, I did not barf or have a heart attack. I'm waiting for my surgeon or his partner to explain the results. The good news, while my headaches are still horrible, they are better than before.
Hopefully, this soap opera ends soon.
Susan
So Marty took me in and then it at first seemed to be a mini deja vu all over again from my last hospital visit. They asked me if I was allergic to seafood. I said I get violently ill from scallops due to the high iodine content. Then they explained--- well, we're injecting you with an iodine dye solution. Nice? I asked for a barf can. They explained they ionized the iodine so it shouldn't cause the barf effect. Then, in front of Marty, they told me to sign a release form explaining that this dye could cause many additional side effects aside from just nausea including a heart attack. As he stewed in the waiting room he almost busted in the door and said-- Stop, it's not worth it.
Fortunately, I did not barf or have a heart attack. I'm waiting for my surgeon or his partner to explain the results. The good news, while my headaches are still horrible, they are better than before.
Hopefully, this soap opera ends soon.
Susan
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