Posted by Ernest Catino on October 19, 2003 at 09:06:19:
In Reply to: 20 yr old daughter posted by Ernest Catino on October 18, 2003 at 00:30:35:
Thank you very much for sincere responces. That alone has helped already. To answer some questions, my daughter was admtted twice to Hershey Medical last fall for the TIAs she was experiencing. This resulted it the neurologist putting her on two meds to thin her blood and a salt suppliment to maintain a higher blood press. for better profusion and also a med for siezures.
He told us in late Nov. he could do no more and called a little later with DR Scott's number saying she might be a canidate for surgery. We called his office right away and he personnely called back in less than a day. We met and he believed she would be helped with the procedure where as he takes a artery from the scalp and lays in on the brain surface around the temple area. She had both sides done on the same day in Jan.and had a rough week of recovery having a day and a half of uncontrolled body jerks. This was finally brought under control with meds. which she only takes now on a as needed basis. Post surgery she has had constant headaches which only change in intensity. She was in the hospital twice for IV drugs to settle the headaches. The neurologist said it was a migraine type that if left go too long could not be controlled in a nonhospital setting because everything becomes very inflamed and needs the IV type meds. That was in the spring and early summer and she kept having the headaches untill he suggest doing another arterioragram. We said we would like to have it done in Boston because Dr Scott wanted one done 1yr post-op. He agreed completely with the idea and the results showed little improvement in blood flow. Dr Scott was unsure if it is because it hasn't been a year yet or because of the good colateral system she already had in place and the brain isn't going to use the arteries he placed. He has copied us in the letter to her Hershey neurologist where he states his desire to continue to assit in her treatment with the headaches and even the possibillty of another surgery. Thats when we met with the neurologist and he said her blood flow problems are deep within the brain and another surgery is very risky with not much chance of a good outcome. He also said that the headaches might be because of the brain still not being completely healed from the surgery. When we asked about her completing college and working fulltime with her headaches,breathing problems,dizzy spells and occasional arm and leg weakness,he kind of said what could she really do and then stopped talking and stared ahead. He did say he was going to continue to work on her headaches. Sorry for long letter but that's where we are at now. We are afraid of the thought of another surgery and don't think my daughter is even open to the idea especially after what the neurologist said.