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Weight Loss Forum / General Topics / July 2006Update
My wife underwent the first of 2 embolization procedures. This is supposed to shrink the AVM and make it less capable of bleeding. The plan is that she will have the next one on Wednesday, and they are still planning to do the brain surgery to remove it on Thursday, although they may bump this. Again, please pray for us, even though you don't really know us. And please, take stock in your life, and just stop and realize how much you care about your loved ones, and think about how precious and fragile life is. No matter what problems you have, if you have your family and good health, you are way ahead of the game. We go on autopilot and start stressing about trivial details until something like this happens. I can't wait to hug my wife, and if the washing machine breaks, who cares. Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com schrieb: > My wife underwent the first of 2 embolization procedures. This is > supposed to shrink the AVM and make it less capable of bleeding. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > something like this happens. I can't wait to hug my wife, and if the > washing machine breaks, who cares. Hi Mitch, lurker here. I went through the same thing with my husband in June 2003 and he *wasn't* in good health before it happened. I agree with you it's hellish and unfortunately it'll probably get a little bit worse (for you, not for her) before you begin to see improvement. These surgeries are hard on the loved ones and since you aren't the focus of attention it might happen no one takes you aside and really tells you what to expect. Or if they do, you're so pent up you can't process it. Keep your chin up though because my husband is sitting right here beside me with his feet propped up, picking his teeth and playing on the pc just like he always did. Aside from a barely noticeable scar you'd never know he had anything happen to him at all. They had him up and walking less than 24 hours after his surgery, and he was back home giving me the usual grief in about a month. His isn't an isolated case, either. A former classmate of mine had the same happen and while his recovery time was a bit longer the outcome was the same. From the info you gave, your wife's youth and good health, I'd predict your situation is very hopeful too. I bet she'll be home with you again before you get turned around good. One more thing - you got some good advice from another poster, please listen closely to it. Take care of yourself. Sleep, eat, keep strong so you can help her. Live in the moment and try not to think too much right now. Things are seldom as bad as we imagine them to be. Turn your imagination off for a while and try to keep your hopes up. Focus on your next immediate goal and what you have to do to achieve that, even if it's only an hour away. Little by little you and your family are going to come through this. I pray also and I'll say a special one for you and your loved ones and keep you in my thoughts. Hope Mitch got to read this.. Will~ > Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_address.com schrieb: >> My wife underwent the first of 2 embolization procedures. This is [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > I pray also and I'll say a special one for you and your loved ones and > keep you in my thoughts. >Hi Mitch, lurker here. I went through the same thing with >my husband in June 2003 and he *wasn't* in good health >before it happened. Hi, LC. I just want to ask how things were immediately after the surgery. Things are really scary right now. My wife has double vision, so bad that her nausea has her throwing up about every 2 hours. Her speech is slurred, but I'm hoping that's because of the pain meds. They did say that the angio and CT scans are clean, the monster is gone. But I'm so scared about the possibility of permanent brain damage from the surgery itself. > >Hi Mitch, lurker here. I went through the same thing with > >my husband in June 2003 and he *wasn't* in good health [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Her speech is slurred, but I'm hoping that's because of the pain meds. Mitch, a friend of mine just had brain surgery a few weeks ago. She's had side effects, including the vomiting you've mentioned. But they have been lessening. > They did say that the angio and CT scans are clean, the monster is > gone. But I'm so scared about the possibility of permanent brain > damage from the surgery itself. Always a possibility. Did the doctors warn you about this? Or are you just overstressing? Take a deep breath. Your wife is OK. She needs you to be strong for her, for your kids, and yourself. Neil Mitch@This_is_not_a_real_address.com schrieb: >> Hi Mitch, lurker here. I went through the same thing with >> my husband in June 2003 and he *wasn't* in good health [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Things are really scary right now. My wife has double vision, so bad > that her nausea has her throwing up about every 2 hours. Hi again Mitch, I understand this scary part, but hang in there. The worst is over and you guys made it. Congratulations. :) Our doctors told us after surgery of this nature the body reacts as though it's undergoing continuous trauma even though whatever caused the problem initially has been corrected or removed. Sort of like what happens with the skin after it's been burned even though the heat causing the damage is no longer there. In my husband's case there was much visible swelling but that was gone in about a week. He was blind for almost 48 hours afterward and had intense headaches, so intense he didn't want to be touched. After he regained his sight he had first double then halo vision, then light sensitivity because one of his pupils no longer reacted as it should. Like I mentioned, the blindness was gone in a couple days. The double/halo vision disappeared within the first six months, and the pupil got slowly, steadily better within two years. To date it hasn't completely recovered but is much better than before. He looks at it as an excuse to wear really cool, very expensive sunglasses. ;) > Her speech is slurred, but I'm hoping that's because of the pain meds. His was too and he shook a little, most noticeably in the hands. He was also unsteady when he walked for a while, and not due to the eye problem. This disappeared completely within the first year. We were told there is always a chance of side effects (seizures) from scar tissue forming on the brain - they have to tell you that but it's not a certainty. My husband had been having petite mal seizures for twenty-three years that no one noticed, and one grand mal seizure that resulted in his diagnosis. After the surgery the seizures disappeared completely. > They did say that the angio and CT scans are clean, the monster is > gone. But I'm so scared about the possibility of permanent brain > damage from the surgery itself. I understand your fear. Remember, she is going to recover, but slowly. Slowly is the key and the hurdle you have to get over. With time her body is going to mend itself bit by bit, and over the coming weeks you'll see scary side effects happen then lessen and lessen until they're barely noticeable if present at all. Look at it this way too, no matter what happens, are you going to trade her in if the symptoms don't go away? Of course not. If you were that kind of man you'd have been gone already. Whatever the residual effects you will both adjust and learn to live with and in spite of them. Just remember give the eyes (and everything else) plenty of time to right themselves. Say, a year. Until then know they're steadily and surely getting better. And try to relax a bit now. You've earned it. >He looks at it as an excuse to wear really cool, very >expensive sunglasses. ;) So, Maui Jim's, huh? Thank you so much for your response. The hardest thing is that I live 3 hours from the hospital, so I have been splitting my time between home and hospital. I feel like I should be sitting there next to her bed 24/7, but I don't have anyone to take care of the kids. The other frustrating thing is, when I call, all I get is a nurse telling me that she's "stable." In other words, her pulse and blood pressure are okay. I haven't been able to get REAL information from a doctor. Good news is, my wife's parents visited her today, and her dad saw one of the residents and grilled him for details. He said nothing that she displays is unexpected, because days 3-4 are the worst of the brain swelling. Her symptoms are normal (as you said). And finally, he put her on the phone and I got to talk to her. It seems like "she" is intact. She knows what's going on, she doesn't think she's from Mars or married to Brad Pitt. Her slurred speech was definitely from the drugs, because it's much better today. Thanks for all the kind thoughts. Mitch@This_is_not_a_real_address.com schrieb: >> He looks at it as an excuse to wear really cool, very >> expensive sunglasses. ;) > > So, Maui Jim's, huh? Something like that. :) > Thank you so much for your response. > The hardest thing is that I live 3 hours from the hospital, so I have > been splitting my time between home and hospital. I feel like I > should be sitting there next to her bed 24/7, but I don't have anyone > to take care of the kids. Oh, the memories... and the guilt. I lived ten minutes from the hospital by car and I still couldn't be there enough. You're never going to be able to be there enough. > The other frustrating thing is, when I call, all I get is a nurse > telling me that she's "stable." In other words, her pulse and blood > pressure are okay. I haven't been able to get REAL information from a > doctor. Stable is legal nurse-speak for "doing just fine". I'm guessing the doctors aren't going to tell you much because first, they don't know anything but the facts of the case as they've already seen them - which is probably just as much as you already know, too. And second, even though they may know the possibilities of what *could* happen, none of that really applies to your wife. Every body is individual and hers will heal as it heals. To tell you any more than that would be worrying you unnecessarily and reassuring you past what they can reasonably predict. It's just not good practice to do that. So until they tell you otherwise it's safe to assume everything is fine and progressing as it should. > Good news is, my wife's parents visited her today, and her dad saw one > of the residents and grilled him for details. He said nothing that [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Thanks for all the kind thoughts. You're welcome. Great news. Mitch, It's good to hear that your wife is doing better.  Signaturethe volleyballchick >>He looks at it as an excuse to wear really cool, very >>expensive sunglasses. ;) [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > Thanks for all the kind thoughts. >It's good to hear that your wife is doing better. Thank you. And I guess I should say something relevant to the group. :) I'm at a solid 175 pounds, even after 2 weeks of poor eating at the hospital cafeteria. I've tried to stick with turkey sandwiches and fruit, but I fell back to comfort food a few times. When I'm home, the calorie counting really works. 230-->175-->170 Mitch this all has to be so hard... Still thinking about you and your family a lot! Glad to know that things are going your way finally!!! Will~ >>He looks at it as an excuse to wear really cool, very >>expensive sunglasses. ;) [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > Thanks for all the kind thoughts. >Still thinking about you and your family a lot! Thanks, Willow. They moved her to a rehab hospital today. They're going to whip her back into shape. It's heartbreaking. 37 years old, and she looks like she has Parkinson's. She can't walk, her head bobs around, she can't see with her left eye, she sounds drunk when she talks. She was so vibrant and full of energy before she got sick. I can't wait to see that again. She is an upper-level executive at a very big, very well-known company. I have her films. Very clear picture of the brain monster. I plan to blow it up and memorialize it in some way. *hugs* Will~ >>Still thinking about you and your family a lot! > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > I have her films. Very clear picture of the brain monster. I plan to > blow it up and memorialize it in some way. > >Still thinking about you and your family a lot! > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > I have her films. Very clear picture of the brain monster. I plan to > blow it up and memorialize it in some way. Thanks for the update, Mitch. This is good news and a positive sign your wife is on the road to recovery. It may be a long and rough road at times but I know you'll make it. As always you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Beverly > >Still thinking about you and your family a lot! > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > She was so vibrant and full of energy before she got sick. I can't > wait to see that again. And you know she will be back, Mitch, thanks to your support. She is an upper-level executive at a very > big, very well-known company. > > I have her films. Very clear picture of the brain monster. I plan to > blow it up and memorialize it in some way. Mitch, proceed with caution. I can see something like this happening: Mitch: Honey, I got this for you! (Pulls out large framed picture, wrapped in paper.) And you thought I forgot our anniversary! Mrs. Mitch: Oh, how nice! (She starts to tear the paper off.) I wonder what it could be? (Skip forward six months to divorce court....) > My wife underwent the first of 2 embolization procedures. This is > supposed to shrink the AVM and make it less capable of bleeding. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Again, please pray for us, even though you don't really know us. I'm sure many of us are doing just that. Hang in there, Mitch. A friend of mine just underwent brain surgery - removing a cancer; they sent her home the same day. She's fine now. I expect your wife will be too. Neil 385/309/220 > And please, take stock in your life, and just stop and realize how > much you care about your loved ones, and think about how precious and [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > something like this happens. I can't wait to hug my wife, and if the > washing machine breaks, who cares. >My wife underwent the first of 2 embolization procedures. This is >supposed to shrink the AVM and make it less capable of bleeding. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >something like this happens. I can't wait to hug my wife, and if the >washing machine breaks, who cares. My thoughts are with you and your family. The good thing is that they've caught this in time for medical intervention, and she's in good hands with specialist help right there. If you get a chance, do update us, because I'm sure lots of people here are thinking or praying for you. Don't forget to take care of yourself as well. janice *hugs* Thinking about you guys, hang in there.. Will~ > My wife underwent the first of 2 embolization procedures. This is > supposed to shrink the AVM and make it less capable of bleeding. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > something like this happens. I can't wait to hug my wife, and if the > washing machine breaks, who cares. > My wife underwent the first of 2 embolization procedures. This is > supposed to shrink the AVM and make it less capable of bleeding. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > something like this happens. I can't wait to hug my wife, and if the > washing machine breaks, who cares. Sounds like things are looking better or at least promising. Still keeping your family in our thoughts. Keep us posted. Signaturethe volleyballchick |
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