09-10-2011, 02:38 AM
Wednesday evening- I'm working out in the gym with my friends, doing some weight lifting. I finish a set, stand up and everything starts to go black. I try to lower myself safely so avoid hitting the floor too hard but that's the last thing I remember. Apparently I rolled onto the floor, then my body tensed up and was seizing for a few minutes. Paramedics arrive, I am conscious, they get me on a stretcher and are asking if I want to go to the hospital but I am resistant. Even talk to my wife on the phone about it, but I don't remember any of that. First thing I do remember was the paramedic saying "We're going to take you to the hospital OK?" and I said OK.
So they take me in, do a CT scan and find a 2cm mass in my head that shouldn't be there. Need to transfer to another hospital for an MRI. I am there all day Thursday waiting for the MRI which finally gets done that evening. Everything else is looking normal. The lead neurosurgeon reviews the MRI results and consults with me about what to do this morning.
Basically they are not sure what it is yet, but we are calling it a tumor for now. We decided to go ahead and operate on it soon. The goal will be a fairly aggressive removal with a biopsy later on just to see what it was. The surgeon said if there ever was a spot on your brain where you would choose to have something like this exist- that's where it is. Right hemisphere, frontal lobe, on the outer layers; so basically they won't need to mess with my brain at all to really get at it.
For now I am on an anti-seizure medication. Because I am stable and otherwise in perfect health I was allowed to go home for an important family event this weekend. I will be going back in on Tuesday for the surgery. WIll probably be recovering at the hospital for up to a week, and then probably off work for a few more weeks. About a 1% chance of things going wrong during the surgery, including but not limited to bleeding in the brain or other brain / neurological damage. There may be a need for physical therapy afterwards.
So for now I am trying to relax at home, no drinking or driving, and no strenuous or over-stimulating activities. I'm just hoping everything goes well and I am back to normal in a few weeks.
Not sure how common brain-surgeries are within our group, but if you have any stories I would like to hear them!
So they take me in, do a CT scan and find a 2cm mass in my head that shouldn't be there. Need to transfer to another hospital for an MRI. I am there all day Thursday waiting for the MRI which finally gets done that evening. Everything else is looking normal. The lead neurosurgeon reviews the MRI results and consults with me about what to do this morning.
Basically they are not sure what it is yet, but we are calling it a tumor for now. We decided to go ahead and operate on it soon. The goal will be a fairly aggressive removal with a biopsy later on just to see what it was. The surgeon said if there ever was a spot on your brain where you would choose to have something like this exist- that's where it is. Right hemisphere, frontal lobe, on the outer layers; so basically they won't need to mess with my brain at all to really get at it.
For now I am on an anti-seizure medication. Because I am stable and otherwise in perfect health I was allowed to go home for an important family event this weekend. I will be going back in on Tuesday for the surgery. WIll probably be recovering at the hospital for up to a week, and then probably off work for a few more weeks. About a 1% chance of things going wrong during the surgery, including but not limited to bleeding in the brain or other brain / neurological damage. There may be a need for physical therapy afterwards.
So for now I am trying to relax at home, no drinking or driving, and no strenuous or over-stimulating activities. I'm just hoping everything goes well and I am back to normal in a few weeks.
Not sure how common brain-surgeries are within our group, but if you have any stories I would like to hear them!
