My Brain Surgery is Behind Me!

Praise the Lord!!  The surgery to correct the trigeminal neuralgia is behind me.

They had said I'd be in the University of Virginia hospital (about 65 miles from home) for a couple of days and after that I would go home.  I was there for 4 days but when they discovered I live alone, things seemed to change.  I came to a rehab facility here in the Shenandoah Valley, which I chose so I would be nearer home.

 

VMRC (Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community) turned out to be a wonderful choice.  I was there for 18 days and realize I needed the therapy, especially to work on my balance and stamina.  A therapist had to come check my house to be sure it would meet Medicare's standards for safety before they could send me home.  By that time, I had worked hard in therapy and was relieved I didn't need home therapy or outpatient therapy.

I asked the surgeon for more information about how the surgery was done.  There were two surgeons and they started with loupes like jewelers use.  Then they switched to microscopes.  That's when they inserted the Teflon pad to stop the friction between the nerve and blood vessel.  

The faint circle shape towards the bottom of the incision is where they used a 1" drill to drill  through my skull.  Afterwards, they covered the hole with a titanium plate and used screws to hold it in place.  I do wonder if I'll set off the alarms at the airport security lines!

At first it scared me because I was still having some face pain.  The doctor at rehab explained that the nerves in my face have been attacked and beat up for three years.  It takes a while for nerves to calm down and recuperate so I must not panic.  He was right - I've been over a week without a pain pill.  

Now I can get on with my life without living in fear of an attack coming at any time, plus I don't have to take all the medications that caused me such dizziness.  I do think the surgery was a success! 

This is all so mind-boggling to me! (Pun intended!)

 

p.s. It is now 2021 and I have been through the mill.  The surgery didn't work after all.   

 

Next, I had a cyberknife procedure in 2017.   Cyberknife for the Monster in My Face  That changed my "affliction" to Anesthesia Dolorosa.  Updates will follow.