What would you do to give yourself peace of mind?
There are no guarantees with this condition. But you do what you can, with what you have.
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Incidental MRI finding: Highlighting what lurks beneath the surface.
Despite hearing my surgeon speak, providing medical information, sound no longer filtered through my eardrum. After some time (I’m not sure how long), I drifted slowly back to the sound of his voice. I heard Dr Tollesson half thinking out loud; “How do you get a patient not to worry when you tell them they…
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Brain injury wreaks havoc on relationships so protect your heart
Finding the balance, living life with hydrocephalus and brain injury, is tricky. Relationships take strain and fall apart. The loss of some relationships has been sad for me. But I’m realizing that this is inevitable unless the required effort is made by all parties. Truthfully, some have been easier to let go of than others…Maintenance…
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Brain surgery: What you may not have considered…
Concussion, based on a true story, is currently playing on Netflix (until 9 June). It’s scary how being able to relate to something, so serious, can hit you so hard. Despite it being centred around the National Football League (NFL), the bottom line of this movie, and how it relates to me, is that brain…
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Brain bleeds are serious and need attention
2 years ago I posted this: There’s always risk with any operation. Despite having a brain bleed during surgery last week, the reason for the blood in my CSF, I feel fortunate to just wait it out and have the blood clear. The discomfort and side effects of nausea, headaches and general unwell feeling, are…
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No one asks for a brain injury.
There are so many reasons why this happens to people: Concussions, domestic violence, sports injuries, motor vehicle accidents, etc. And yes, even brain surgery. You (literally) go from one moment to the next…injured beyond your own understanding. Like a butterfly, you have a rebirth of sorts. Becoming someone else in the process. It’s confusing. It’s…
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When you feel like sinking to the bottom…
Today marks two years since my repeat ETV. An operation that placed the cherry on my hydrocephalus cake. I’m navigating a brain injury caused by the bleed I had during surgery. It’s been hard to accept. It still is. (Time, patience and understanding is what I need, especially from myself. Easier said than done). So…
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Celebrate the milestones, it’ll help you face the next one!
A year ago today, I had a VP shunt placed. That was just less than a year after my repeat ETV (Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy). A surgery which sealed my fate with a brain bleed (A post for another day). Statistically, shunts fail within the first year of placement. That doesn’t mean they can’t or won’t…
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Acceptance and understanding go hand-in-hand
So much of what we face in life we have no control over. Some things we can change or simply eradicate from our lives. (That goes for some people too). But, sometimes there aren’t choices given with the challenges we have to endure. The only choice we get, is how we react, or respond to…
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Ever feel like you’re losing your mind..? Part 2 of 2
For context, you can read Part 1 of 2 here. I’ve always been one to take care of others, especially my children. The thought of “slipping”, is leaving me feeling quite perplexed! C. A. Marriday I know there’s not much I can physically do to change any of what I’m going through right now. As…
