Woke up a few hours ago, dizzy and confused with slight pain in the left side of my head. The anesthesia was wearing off, when I remembered the gravity of the situation and that the brain surgery would be over by now. Would I be able to feel my arm? Control my face? I almost didn't dare check.
The hemorrhage or tumor had been sitting in the left frontal lobe, which affects the right side of my face and my right arm. Risk of some sort of paralysis from removing a cancerous tumor would be very high, around 40%. Less if "just" a hemorrhage or a benign tumor. MRI scans just showed a pool of blood with no way of telling what was underneath.
For weeks, I had tried to prepare myself mentally for this exact moment. Heart pounding, I got ready to try and lift my arm, anticipating the worst. It moved. Feeling was normal. I had full control. Oh god oh god oh god YES! I could exhale again. And my face. Tried to move my lips. Tongue, cheek, eyes. Everything seemed normal.
Could I speak? Would it be like the week since the hemorrhage, where I had trouble moving my mouth and tongue? Sounding like the son from Breaking Bad. I tried talking aloud, to myself. Speech was perfect. Too fast and sort of mumbly, exactly like it had always been.
The surgeon showed up. I had really taken a liking to her, and her sweet auntie demeanor. A woman in her fifties, kind and super professional. As she put it: "The surgery was a success. We drained the blood, and found a small tumor, which we were able to remove without complications. The tumor was a kind of birthmark and that was the cause of the hemorrhage. You are cured now."
You are cured
I almost couldn’t believe the words she was saying. So I am completely off the hook? No cancer? Not even a smidge of damage from the hemorrhage or surgery?
Back in the private ward with tears in my eyes. Words cannot describe the relief I am feeling right now. I feel incredibly lucky and grateful for everything that I had been so deathly afraid of losing.
Everything will go back to normal. Family, work, nerdy-time with friends, raising my daughter. Everything except one thing.
Blyf on October 2nd, 2019 at 23:21 UTC »
Woke up a few hours ago, dizzy and confused with slight pain in the left side of my head. The anesthesia was wearing off, when I remembered the gravity of the situation and that the brain surgery would be over by now. Would I be able to feel my arm? Control my face? I almost didn't dare check.
The hemorrhage or tumor had been sitting in the left frontal lobe, which affects the right side of my face and my right arm. Risk of some sort of paralysis from removing a cancerous tumor would be very high, around 40%. Less if "just" a hemorrhage or a benign tumor. MRI scans just showed a pool of blood with no way of telling what was underneath.
For weeks, I had tried to prepare myself mentally for this exact moment. Heart pounding, I got ready to try and lift my arm, anticipating the worst. It moved. Feeling was normal. I had full control. Oh god oh god oh god YES! I could exhale again. And my face. Tried to move my lips. Tongue, cheek, eyes. Everything seemed normal.
Could I speak? Would it be like the week since the hemorrhage, where I had trouble moving my mouth and tongue? Sounding like the son from Breaking Bad. I tried talking aloud, to myself. Speech was perfect. Too fast and sort of mumbly, exactly like it had always been.
The surgeon showed up. I had really taken a liking to her, and her sweet auntie demeanor. A woman in her fifties, kind and super professional. As she put it: "The surgery was a success. We drained the blood, and found a small tumor, which we were able to remove without complications. The tumor was a kind of birthmark and that was the cause of the hemorrhage. You are cured now."
You are cured
I almost couldn’t believe the words she was saying. So I am completely off the hook? No cancer? Not even a smidge of damage from the hemorrhage or surgery?
Back in the private ward with tears in my eyes. Words cannot describe the relief I am feeling right now. I feel incredibly lucky and grateful for everything that I had been so deathly afraid of losing.
Everything will go back to normal. Family, work, nerdy-time with friends, raising my daughter. Everything except one thing.
A new outlook on life. (And a badass haircut).
[Previous post from the moment before the operation](https://redd.it/dc7vzm)
I screwed up the title, so it was removed.
indyK1ng on October 2nd, 2019 at 23:51 UTC »
Craziest moments of your life so far.
EDIT: Make sure to read OP's comment. It's not right that I have more upvotes than he does.
ThrowAwayJoeMartin on October 3rd, 2019 at 01:59 UTC »
r/picsaboutsurgery