had my decompression on 24th of Oct, and things seemed to progress but slowly.
last weeek, it seemed to take a tuen for the worse: Mu cognitive function deteriorated, balance couldn't not type a simple text let alone an email. I've even found tons of stupid typo's in this post.
We made quick appt with NS who ordered CAT scan, cat scan showed that the decompression was doing greg but my brain was dehydrated????
He changed my meds.took me off Percocet and valium now I take a Butalbirtal/Apap'CAfeine every 6 hrs and Dexamethasone 3 times/ per day and put me in a all I can inhale Gatorade diet and told me to go back to drinking coffee. Now coffee was was a big weakness for me pre-op just hadn't acquired a big desire for it yet.
HE also said to eat better: for some reason Jello and Yogurt doesn't seem to impress hime too much (LOL) Good news is Ive lost about 30 lbs. bout another 75 would hurt! But that might have to come off the old fashioned way once I'm felling right.
My balance is horrible especially if I get up from lying down position.
Im hoping to meet with my regular Neurologist this week as I hope he has a better grasp on my recovery time than my surgeon. My surgeon think I can go back to work on Monday following Thanksgiving (I'm a meat cutter/meat manager And Im not real sure about bouncing into power saw and meat grinders.
I guess Im just frustrated because my Surgeon said I'd be back on my feet at work in 4 weeks and I dint seen that I've made much progress in the last several weeks
I had my surgery on Sept 30th and I've been having some issues with balance and my twitching. I was told that the earliest I'd be back at work was Nov. 14th and I'm still not ready. I'm still having mobility issues with my neck. I doubt I will be back at work before Christmas.
Hope you can get the brain hydrated quickly. Sorry, you are having trouble.
I agree you don't need to be around power saws or tools until you have your balance back. I'm not sure what you surgeon is thinking about only 4 weeks to get back that type of job. I had to beg to back part time at 4 weeks and only was approved because I have a desk job.
Praying for leaps and bounds with your recovery this week.
brain dehydrated?? seems to me that means to little CSF which would strike a larger bit of concern from the neurologist-or- neurosurgeon- i would seriously consider talking to your doctor and INSISTING that in the condition you are in right now there is no way you can work with that sort of equiptment. Iam not sure what good the meds are going to do to bring back the "hydration". On the CT scan are the Ventricles of the brain small? if so go back to your neurosurgeon ( or perhaps even a new neurosurgeon) and demand help now-- this could very well contribute to a lot of your troubles.
Kenny, Wow does your story sound familiar! I too had surgery, mine was on Oct.21. I am having almost the same symptoms as you. My memory is horrible, my thought process is totally gone. When I go to get up I have to stand for a few minutes to gain my balance. Still have blurred vision in my eyes, was only the left, now it's both. Had the clogged ear, on left side with ringing. Still have that but only worse, now hearing is worse. I have headaches if you touch the back of my head. I was in the hospital for five days, then sent to a nursing home for seven after surgery. Long.......story!!! I went back to ER a week later for major headache, said I had lost a lot of fluid in surgery so they pumped me full of them and did cat scan, which came back fine. Last week I had a lumbar puncture to see if my pressure was ok, and of course it was. My dr don't want me on pain meds, gave me one script after surgery and told me to weene myself off them. They said I don't need anything except muscle relaxers. Which I have, but not sure what to do bout the pain. My NS office called today, they now want me to go see a neurologist. Said I must be having migraines. So...brush me off just a month post op? Seriously?? The only symptom that went away was my right eye twitched. That's completely gone. YEAH!! Glad I can say something is fixed! I don't think migraines cause the clogged and ringing ears, and the blurred vision! My NS also said I could return to work Dec. 5. LMAO!! Today is the first time I have driven a car in almost two months, and that wasn't fun! And I deliver mail, walk almost 20 miles a day, carry over 70lbs a day. HMMM!!! He said he can only put me off 8 weeks. So, if you have complications or don't recover from surgery you are screwed?? Well the NS said that the neurologist would have to be the one to put me off work. So now I have to go spend $50.00 copay to have some other guy that don't know squat about me write me off work? And my insurance sucks and don't pay anything! I would love to know if this is normal, and if my eye site might take awhile to come back since my csf fluid was blocked so long, and maybe my clogged ears will too? Does it happen right after surgery or later? I tried asking the NS nurse this but he kinda blew me off and gave me a yes and no answer. I just don't feel better since this very traumatic surgery and im a month post op. Wish someone could give me straight answers, and not pass the buck to another damn dr!!
Kenny, I am so sorry to hear of your problems.My daughter ( 11 yrs old)She had her 2nd decompression on Sept. 27th. She is healing slower this time than last. She did have duraplasty this time, but is still experiencing problems. She is still in pain, not her incision, but her head neck and nack.She still has the eye twitching which is starting to slow down now.She woke up from surgery with hearing loss and ringing in her right ear.She complains that everything is muffled and the ringing is quite loud for her sometimes.Since her release from the hospital she has been back to the ER for vertigo.She is dizzy everytime she stands up, so she is taking her time to get to the standing position,Her hearing is somewhat coming back.All of this is normal according her NS. shw has had 2 brain surgeries in less than a year. I do notice her spelling words wrong, that she hasnt always done.She also has a hard time using the right word, or using the past tense of words inappropriately. This is all new after the 2nd surgery.Her handwriting has changed and she is "off".I believe with time she will heal, the dr did say give her a year to completely heal.She has also started having seizures, which could be from her brain healing, and should go away with time, she is scheduled to see a NL in january. She is on muscle relaxers 3 times a day and back on lortab for pain as needed. It sounds as if the two of you have just about the same things going on.Take it easy, you will have good days and bad days.Luckily, her days are getting better for her, just slowly.Hope this helps. You are not alone. She was also dehydrated, the dr said to drink at least 2 liters of water a day, and increase her iodine.This has helped a little.
Mandy, I am so sorry your baby has to go through all this! I can't even imagine a child having to suffer such pain! My thoughts and prayers go out to you both! We as adult's know and kinda understand what's going on, but an 11 year old can't fully grasp it! Sounds like she is in good hands though! My NS doesn't think that my clogged and ringing ears has anything to do with surgery or chiari now. Funny, that he said it did before surgery. Im just so confused about all of it! I'm going to try and drink a lot more water, which I hate! But think that might help some. They are scheduling an appt with a NL, so we will see how that goes. Just a waste of more money im sure! Im sorry your prescious little girl has had to go through two surgeries! I hope she get's better everyday! Hugs and prayers to you both!
My NS was supposed to call me on Saturday to check on me but never did. I made APPT with reg neuro-Doc on monday that was NO HELP! Alll he said was he wasn't the surgeon but that he wanted to load me up on topamax. He did tell me that the surgeons notes mentioned aseptic meningitis which scared me a little at first until i talked to my sister who is an RN and she reassured me it wasn't that bad of a deal.
We talked to Surgeion yesterday told hime how bad I was doing and he said NO!!!!! to Topomax- instead of cutting me off cold turkey he said 1/2 pill last list and 2nd half tonight then no more.
Woke up this forming still wobbly but was angle to stay awake a bit longer than normal. I have an appt with Surgeion on 7th- he may do spinal tap but that is still in the mix until then-