Anyone had brain surgery before?

[paul5186]

Thanks. The worst thing is that they cannot give you strong drugs afterwards incase of a brain bleed. They have been giving me stillpayne. I was like, that's what I take when I am babalas.

Anyway lots to be Thankful for, its so sad, I saw baby twins in the neurosurgery ward. Just cannot imagine that.

 

[jellievis]

Glad to see that it's done and you're recovering.

All of the best!

 

[Aquadyne]

Glad you're feeling better. I had a brain op in October 2015.

Initial surgery was a doddle (easy).
But the scar would not heal and every time I sneezed or laughed the brain-fluid would squirt or pour out.
Apparently I was producing too much spinal fluid.

They then did a lumbar puncher (spinal tap) where I had a tube coming out my spinal cord and draining into a bag. They wanted to drain about 10ml an hour, but it filled (10ml) within minutes each time.

After 7 days and no difference - although I started losing feeling in my toes & feet - they decided to operate again. This time they sealed the hole properly.

Unfortunately I then picked up meningitis after the operation. This was in Netcare Pretoria East. They had me in morphine for 3 days to help with the pain but it did nothing. I eventually asked them to stop the pain meds and just try and get through it. After another 3 days of hell it started getting better.

What could have been a week off turned into 2 months off work.

Mine op was for acute bleeding on the brain. My symptoms also manifested as regular and persistent migraines - but without nausea or light-sensitivity.

Prior to me going for an MRI, my doc used to tell me it is just stress. I was taking neurofen like eating smarties.

Ended up almost dying due to internal bleeding causes by ruptured stomach ulcers. Then he recommended acupuncture. This was in Durban.

Luckily I insisted on an MRI when I moved to Pretoria and the migraines persisted.

 

[paul5186]

Glad they found the reason and it was operable. I have been reading such horror stories in the UK and USA about waiting for months for an MRI or a consult. At least we have very good private health here in SA.

 

[paul5186]

Ps here wa my MRI, the tumor is the fuzzy white thing on the left.

 

[xrapidx]

Glad you're feeling better. I had a brain op in October 2015.

Initial surgery was a doddle (easy).
But the scar would not heal and every time I sneezed or laughed the brain-fluid would squirt or pour out.
Apparently I was producing too much spinal fluid.

They then did a lumbar puncher (spinal tap) where I had a tube coming out my spinal cord and draining into a bag. They wanted to drain about 10ml an hour, but it filled (10ml) within minutes each time.

After 7 days and no difference - although I started losing feeling in my toes & feet - they decided to operate again. This time they sealed the hole properly.

Unfortunately I then picked up meningitis after the operation. This was in Netcare Pretoria East. They had me in morphine for 3 days to help with the pain but it did nothing. I eventually asked them to stop the pain meds and just try and get through it. After another 3 days of hell it started getting better.

What could have been a week off turned into 2 months off work.

Mine op was for acute bleeding on the brain. My symptoms also manifested as regular and persistent migraines - but without nausea or light-sensitivity.

Prior to me going for an MRI, my doc used to tell me it is just stress. I was taking neurofen like eating smarties.

Ended up almost dying due to internal bleeding causes by ruptured stomach ulcers. Then he recommended acupuncture. This was in Durban.

Luckily I insisted on an MRI when I moved to Pretoria and the migraines persisted.

Had encephalitis... Worst pain in the world... Was misdiagnosed as sinus problems. Only after a week did they get it right. The pain meds they gave me did sweet fokol.

Almost to the day, 10 years later - shingles zoster. Also worst pain in the world. Also misdiagnosed as pink eye. Wife took me to the emergency room when I started looking like the walking dead.

Left with some mild scarring, and sight never came 100% right. When I'm tired I can't read subtitles on TV..

 

[paul5186]

Food in hospital has been great so far and the nurses are top notch which really makes a difference. I just randomly fall asleep all the time, I think I had three afternoon naps today.

 

[paul5186]

Here is my external stitches for when they flapped my skin back to get to my skull. At least its mostly in my hairline.

 

[Gozado]

Wow, that's a lot you've been through! All the best for regaining your strength.

It's really quite impressive that you've been able to post here so soon after surgery. I hope that's a sign of good initial progress, and bodes well for the longterm.

 

[MirageF1]

Wow, that's a lot you've been through! All the best for regaining your strength.

It's really quite impressive that you've been able to post here so soon after surgery. I hope that's a sign of good initial progress, and bodes well for the longterm.

Was gonna add he should be careful with the contortions trying to get a good shot of the stitched up flap on his crown, we wouldn't want him falling out of bed on that very delicate head of his!

 

[airborne]

All the best mate, looking good, the amazing power of modern medicine.

 

[blunt]

Ps here wa my MRI, the tumor is the fuzzy white thing on the left.

That's pretty huge in terms of brain tumors isn't it?

 

[paul5186]

That's pretty huge in terms of brain tumors isn't it?

Yup it is but luckily not next to my speech and motor functions. However I have seen tumors the sizes of grapes next to the brain stem that are deadly or cancerous.

 

[blunt]

Yup it is but luckily not next to my speech and motor functions. However I have seen tumors the sizes of grapes next to the brain stem that are deadly or cancerous.

pretty lucky - apart from having one in the first place that is, scary stuff.

 

[paul5186]

pretty lucky - apart from having one in the first place that is, scary stuff.

Yup, moral of the story us to listen to your body and if I went in earlier perhaps I could have just had radiation to shrunk it. Also to know that seizures take many forms and not always like in TV.

 

[paul5186]

Last few days at hospital yay then home. I hope my wife know that I now expect a dessert with every meal haha.

Pain is still a bit extreme until the swelling goes down which is still causing my double vision.

 

[bromster]

Well man, there are a lot of people here who are glad that you're okay.

Personally, I hope that this experience brings a new sense of profoundness to your life, that you might increasingly appreciate all of the beauty which we get to enjoy during our time on this spinning rock.

Nothing can wake you up like a confrontation with your own mortality. Take care of yourself.

 

[Gozado]

Well, Paul, you're an impressive man. While still in considerable pain and seeing double you take the time to let us know how you are. And your posts are full of gratitude: glad that it wasn't worse, grateful that your speech centres are not affected, finding the nurses very kind, appreciating the desert, glad your wife was there, etc. That's seriously impressive, to maintain that attitude in the middle of all this.

I hope that your swelling and pain levels soon come down. Before you leave hospital, try to make sure you (and your wife) know what the warning signals would be, of anything possibly not progressing properly. Just in case. And some recommendations for you for coping with, or learning to manage, (so that you're safe in your home environment, and with Baby) any symptoms that are not yet completely healed.

Here's wishing you rest and healing sleep, as much as you can get.

 

[now05ster]

Last few days at hospital yay then home. I hope my wife know that I now expect a dessert with every meal haha.

Pain is still a bit extreme until the swelling goes down which is still causing my double vision.

You are a better man than I am. I would be complaining about the pain six love.

 

[EMAM]

@paul5186

I've just come across your thread now. I'm sorry for what you've been through but happy to see the op is over and you're doing so well. I wish I would have seen it earlier to give you encouragement and support.

I also had "near" brain surgery with Dr Melvil some 25 years ago. He's an amazing surgeon and you were in brilliant hands.

I say "near" as I had a benign tumor on my skull. A lump formed on my hairline on my forehead 5 weeks before I was due to get married. Dr Melvil checked it out, told me not to worry about it and decided to operate after my wedding. It was actually at its biggest on my wedding day, thank goodness my hair kinda covered it.

During my honeymoon, it vanished . I thought it was gone, but, alas, it was moving into my brain. They caught it just in time.

On the day of surgery, obviously, they had to shave my beautiful long locks in the area (my pride and joy)... I've never cried so much in my life. During surgery they removed a piece of my skull and were going to put in a metal plate to cover the hole but I was too infected. I came out looking like a monster. Swollen head, swollen eye and staples running from the top of my head, down the side. Dr Melvil told me I could come back in 6 months to have the plate inserted..... No thank you, I wasn't going through that again , so now I have a hole in my head..... It's my party trick... Lol... I get people to stick their finger in it but, thank goodness it's not always visible.

I'll try get a pic, but, in the meantime, I wish you a speedy recovery and just know that you're in the best hands.


/edit.... Took a pic