What now....

Linear Accelerometer was applied to my AVM on Thursday, August 7, 2008 - instead of the Gamma Knife; seems they are equivalent.

The procedure is less intrusive than embolization and, from what I heard from all the pre-op docs, side effects will take longer to appear. Any impact could be seen in 6 to 8 weeks- and could be similar to the ones I had with embolization or worse- as the irritation of the brain could be more intense.

Follow up of the AVM will be done every 6 months using MRI scans- but any final determination regarding the status of the AVM will take about 2 years.

Life goes on - I am now focused on Big Bend in November and my appointment with the ENT doctor on Monday, August 11th to see what is the mass they found on my right sinus cavity.

One day at a time....

Death by Piano

I still do not know what the cause of the underlying cause of the headache was. The MRI showed the AVM and the rest is history -some still to be written.

The probabilities of having a stroke or cerebral bleeding are reason enough to treat the AVM, specially at my (tender :-)) age. The treatment of the AVM is not painfull but it is stressfull and I have had side effects that are concerning- episodes of numbness on my left side.

And then I can be run over by a bus, or killed by a falling piano.....

Knowldege forces you to act. It also creates stress and the benefits of that knowledge are questionable. If that piano falls on my head, all was for nothing.

Gum Disease and life

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If you have ever been in a dentist office chances are high that you have seen the poster of gum disease.
Recall the bone where teeth are attached? It is porous -not solid but full of holes. No two bones are the same - each one of us (maybe with the exception of identical twins) are the same. No bone structure is better or worse, just different.
But fundamentally, at the DNA level, we are the same.
Think about you refrigerator (for the older of us) or your iPod. Fundamentally they are the same but we have made them unique. I have my
Juanes and Vives songs, lots of the classical music I like and
photographs of Machu Picchu that give me great pleasure when my day is not going well. I would be very surprised if anybody in the world had
the same content on their iPod.
My iPod is no better or worse than anybody else's. It is just different
just like the bone in the Gum Disease poster
When the iPod came out of the box it was like our shared DNA- exactly the same.

To be continued ...

2nd Embolization

Done on April 3rd 2008. Overnighted in Hospital. Went well - better recovery than 1st time around.

Results were good and next step is the radiation treatment.

Key is timing given the busy schedule of Dr Rossenwasser- but this is important because he suggested no backpacking until AVM is gone.

Anyway, I am happy this is over with as Radiation is not as invasive as embolization. I was told no overnight will be required!!!

2008 Hiking

Did my first 2008 hike- 13 miles in the Appalachia Trail (PA) from Wind gap towards Fox Gap. 

Treatment

December 17Th- the 1st embolization was done, after a long wait for schedule availability.

Procedure went well - a new embolization will be required.

Surgery happened in the morning, was awake by noon and released from the hospital the following morning.

Most uncomfortable part was the urinary catheter and constipation 24 hours after the surgery.

End of January had 3 of 4 events of numbness of left foot and left hand (no loss of strength and some loss of coordination); ended up in emergency room and after Cat Scan, MRI and EEG, no specific cause was found. Was prescribed Kepra- anti convulsant drug, at a low dose. As of mid march, the numbness had  not recurred.