are awesome....

does anyone else have stenoses in their vertebrobasilar and posterior cerebral arteries (particularly the right)??? as well as an occluded right miiddle cerebral artery....
cause my doctors sure as hell aren't entirely sure what to do.....

considering the right MCA is completely occluded you'd think that'd be the one to work on first, but virtually all my symptoms (blurred vision, weak spells, headaches etc) appear to be from the stenoses in the right posterior cerebral artery....
hmmmmm

anyway i'll keep researching, i've got a meeting with the hospital's stroke, neurology, neurosurgery and radio-neurology experts on monday to discuss plans.... who knows!!

Hmmm i reckon i've solved my own problem....

The most confusing issue in my case is that i have been esxperiencing minimal symptoms from my right occluded MCA, however extremely frequent symptoms that appear to be originating from  the basilar region.
You'd think that I'd be having symptoms similar to what I experienced from the occluded artery on my left side  - speech & coordination problems, loss of feeling etc.. - however, i'm not.

Possible explanation:

Now.... in most people their posterior cerebral arteries originate from their vertebrobasilar artery .... but in some (30%) the PCA originates from their internal carotid artery (this is called fetal PCA).

I haven't had a stroke in the basilar region [yet]... and the stenoses there don't appear to be enough to give me such major symptoms, but i guess i'm getting a few warnings!

PCA strokes occur like any other - a local interruption of bloodflow to the brain. However in a patient with fetal PCA, a stroke in the PCA region can be the result of an occlusion in the Internal Carotid Artery - which I have.

So it would make the most sense to perform a by-pass on the occluded ICA (MCA) to restore bloodflow to the PCA region in order to prevent a stroke.

Some of "my" team have queried whether or not the basilar region should be operated on next.. but apart from that being a much more complex operation (and recovery from any surgical complications is MUCH more difficult - particularly for visual field defects) it also doesn't make sense that I could be experiencing such severe symptoms from a small stenoses such as what I have in that region.

As yet though the report from a recent MRI/MRA on thursday hasn't been confirmed so we might find more juicy details on that! :)

Hmmmm i'm kinda leaning towards applying for a research position at the hospital.. hehe... this is all very interesting..... pity my mechanical engineering background is probably not entirely appropriate.

well.. i was correct..... right STA_MCA coming up..

oh and there was a doctor from Stanford Uni at the meeting too, interesting..

Hi Emily

Glad to hear some decisions being made. When is your surgery scheduled ?

Regards from a fellow Aussie

Helene

Emily~

This is Linda from California sending love and support.

Your knowledge and awareness is impressive as is your ability to express it.  Yea, too bad it had to come from such a wierd and tenuous state of your life. I respect your quest for every bit of imformation possible.

Keep you spirits up,

Love and support,
Linda (LA)

 

hey guys, thanks :)  :D  ;;D  

still not sure of exact surgery date, looking to be march 30 or april 6.... will find out soon