Wow

Mar 28, 2010

I am about to go on this journey, and while I am super excited, I am also extremely nervous. This has been in process for over 7 years now. Back in 2002 I went through all the motions of getting approved for the surgery, and while waiting to get the actual date, I found out I was pregnant. He was a complete surprise, and for me reason enough to wait to get the surgery until it was perfected a little.
So back in July of 2008, I began having headaches so bad that I could barely stand myself. No doctor could figure out what was wrong with me. I was diagnosed and tested for all kinds of things, including Lyme disease, High blood pressure, dehydration, and Lupus. Then I noticed my vision having little episodes that would make me see double, or wavy. One morning, in August, a full month after this all started, I woke up and opened my eyes, only to see nothing for about 10 to 15 seconds. Even though it was a small amount of time it seemed like hours. I called my sons pediatric opthmoligist, Dr. Dankner and begged him to see me. He said "I only see children" I cried and cried, and begged him to please help me. He said "Can you be here at 10:45a.?" I hung up the phone and went right there. Once I got there, Dr Dankner, came out and said "I have an emergency, and have to leave, but Dr Fiergang is going to take care of you." They called me back, and dilated my eyes, and Dr Fiergang took one look in my eyes and said "You need a catscan, and to see a Neuro Opthamoligist ....today" I immeditally thought I had a brain tumor, but Dr Fiergang, said he believed it was a condition called Psuedo Tumor Cerebre. They made all the appointments, I went for an MRI and Cat Scan, and then went right to see Dr Singman the Neuro Opthmoligist. He was wonderful!! So warm and concerned. He confirmed the diagnosis of Psuedo Tumor Cerebre, which is accumulation of fluid in your brain. The fluid backs up and presses on the nerves in the back of your eyes, and cause vision disruption. If left un treated you can do so much damage that you can go blind. He had said he had never seen nerves so swollen before. He also said I had a blood clot in my brain and needed to see a nuerologist right away. Now this blood clot is not the type to cause strokes, it was blocking the drainage, and therefore why the fluid was backing up. So the next day I went to see Dr Michael Williams at Sinai Brain and Spine Institue, and he said you need a spinal tap to get some of this fluid off, or your going to progressivly start losing vision. We schedualed for the next day. The did the Spinal Tap and the opening pressure for a normal person should only be around 10 to 12. Mine was 220. After the procedure I was put on medicine, to help with fluid. Dr Williams said there is not a concrete cure for this, but studies have shown that weight loss does normally solve the problem.
I went on Weight Watchers, and did great. I cut the medicine a little, and really felt good. I thought I could do it. When I went back to the doctors, he told me that everything looked great. But then I stopped Weight Watchers and all the weight krept back up on me. I got sick again, but what really did it for me, it that Dr Williams told me that I have 6 months, and after that I will begin to go blind. That was in December. I have to do this. I have no options here, and like I said I am scared to death!!!

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