I'm a 39 year old female, from Mississippi.(right outside Memphis,TN). My nightmare started 3½ years ago. Was having numbness in right side, and headaches. They found a large avm right over motor skills in left side of my brain. In one day I went from a happy dental assistant to not knowing if I would live to see tomorrow.
They said surgery too risky. So opted for embolization. Had stroke. Was paralyzed on right side and couldn't speak. Went through small rehab, got better quick. Then gamma knife 4 months later. Then a year ago they checked it said was 3 small ones. Started having trouble last week. Checked again. It's back and it's ugly (to quote the doctor).
Now can't decide what to do; two choices:
Leave it alone and wait for a bleed. and hope its not bad.
Have surgery and take a chance on being paralyzed and no speech.
N
eedless to say I'm going crazy. This is the short version. Alot of headaches and sickness, vocal seizures, changing med.s along the way. I need some help! No one knows the answer. Guess i just wanted to say it, to people who have been through an AVM.Update 3 Aug 1999
I have decided to have the surgery. I'm really scared. I'm taking 1mg Zanax twice a day, but it doesn't seem to work. I'm snapping at my husband Randy, yelling at my friends. Thats not like me at all. Usually I'm the happy one. When I asked for nerve pills till the surgery, My regular doctor acted like I was just trying to get drugs. How can you make someone understand the feelings and the fear. I'm suppose to hear from the surgeons office, tomorrow, about when we are going to split my head open and possibly change my life, and my family's forever.
I'm married to a wonderful man, Randy. we have been married 15 years. He's very supportive. But can't understand why I'm so jumpy. He's never had any surgery ( not even tonsils). He keeps asking why I'm doing this to myself. The nerves and I keep telling him " I'm not doing it to myself, myself is doing it to me."
I have 2 step children. Randy jr. 23 and Mandy 21. Both my parents are still alive. and I have 2 sisters and a brother. They all live close. Thank God. And i'm very close to my husbands father Charles, his brother Pat, and his wife Lori. and their 2 kids Josh 7, and Harlie 3. We all live on 52 acres of land in the country. We have horses, cows, chickens, dogs, and cats. I'm especially close to my sher-pei sassy, shes always willing to listen.(no matter how crazy it seems) HaHaHa
I recieved so many nice e-mails. Thank-you all. I may not get around to answering you all, but i feel you will understand. I will have a lot going on. Thanks again for listening. And GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!
Update (by Gina's husband, Randy) 24 Sep 1999
Well hello everybody. How is everyone? We (meaning Gina) are doing pretty good. Started to get scared over the weekend because Gina wasn't talking much at all, but she woke up Monday morning and has gotten better every day. It's really weird how the brain works. Anyway Gina is talking alot better and walking pretty good too.She is pretty clear mentally and attitude continues to be good. The only drawback so far is still no movement in her arm or hand. The doctor and therapists still think she will get some movement back when her brain swelling goes down some more. I hope they know what they are talking about but the doctor has been right about everything else so we are still hopeful. She still has reflexes in it so maybe it'll come on back. The therapist said if progress continues at this rate she could probably come home later part of next week.I think KAYCE asked me if I was scared. Are you kidding me? I was probably as scared as Gina and remain so. But everything is going good so thats starting to go away some. Well thats all the news I have for now, keep on praying!!!!!!!
Oh also I talked to GINA before I wrote this & she said for me to tell ya'll this: DAMN
Update 12 Nov 1999
Went back for ck ups they say I,m doing outstanding. Had 2 CT scans, last one better than the first. My therapy coming along, had some headaches, and had to miss some. They tell me I can make it up. I've had a headache for 9 days. So forgive me for not getting on as much. This didn't seem to alarm the doctors. My CT looked fine. So I guess not unusal.