I will be heading back to Cleveland tomorrow. I am scheduled to have my left side STA-MCA bypass by Dr. Rasmussen at the clinic Thurs. morning. It is hard to believe that I had my right side done on June 17th. I went back to work on Aug. 29 and have been feeling really good and wonder sometimes is this really necessary ?  I know it is but when you are symptom free for so long you wonder sometimes. I will update my condition as soon as I can and want to thank everyone for their support and responses to my posts.

Larry,
i am happy to hear your feeling so well. Just imagine how much better you will feel after the second surgery's recovery time is on its way.  You may be questioning why do I need the other side done. it is a simple answer: Since the brain is kind-of divided you will want the same amount of good blood flow on the other side. So your Doctor may have seen something that would make him/her want to do the other side eve if you are symptom free to make sure you don't have any issues. that is also why we get the annual follow-ups to see if it has progressed any more.

I will pray for a super successful surgery and a speedy recovery. Please keep us posted!
Becky

I returned home today from my sugery at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr Rasmussen and his team only took around six hours this time. I am very sore in my temporal area and my ear tube feels almost  swelled shut. Dr. says these will pass as swelling goes down in next few weeks. I now have left and right side STA-MC bypasses to take care of my MM. The road back to full strength and health will be a little slow but I know I can handle it with my wife and family's support. My drug therapy is a little changed this time...no Plavix, one 325 Aspirin and a daily dose of Dilantin 100mg for 4 weeks along with my multivitamin and coenzyme Q-10. Also I must get my glasses away from my temporal area. I may ssek out Lasik vision suregery to eliminate them.

Larry,

So good to hear the 2nd surgery went well for you and that you are now home to complete your recovery.  Here's wishing you a speedy one!

Jennifer

Hi Larry,
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Kim

Great Larry.

Thanks for the update and best of luck for your recovery.

Stay strong
Mark (Luca's Dad)

Larry,
I am so Happy to hear your surgery went well!! I got Lasik and it has been a great blessing. I was amazed on how fast you could see and how fast the recovery was. The most important thing about the lasik is following the medication drops schedual so you don't get some of the side effects (ie halos around the lights). Also I strongly recommend the "wavefront" process that maps your eyes. The cheaper thing is the by prescription but I have a co-worker that is not happy with that out come.

Stay strong,
Becky

My eye doc checks my vision fields (I think it's checking peripheral vision).  I also had glasses at the time and my surgeries and have since started wearing contacts instead (next month will be 7 years!).

Glad to hear your surgeries went well...speedy recovery!

-Shari

Hope you are doing better today and glad you emailed me about the lasik surgery options at the Cleveland Clinic. I am so very happy with my results at 3.5 yrs post lasik. It is the best thing since sliced bread! As I mentioned to you in the email, my only side effects have been 1-2 months a year (when we turn on the heater) I get some dry eye and use the over-the-counter rewetting drops. I eventually get used to the change in weather and all is normal. But, to be fair, during that time I also get dry skin (hands & face) so it makes sense that my eyes too feel the effects!

Hope your ear pain/pressure issues are resolving. Take care and get well soon!

diane

I'm glad everything went well with your surgery.  I have mine at the end of Nov.  Did you have more an the 2nd the first?  I have told the second is worst the 1st.

Good luck with your surgery at the end of Nov, Jen. I leave in two weeks for surgery in early December at Stanford. Please keep us posted.


Nina :)

Nina,  I am going to Stanford for my first surgery Dec. 8th!
Lisa

To those who asked about second sugery. Yes the second seems to worse. I am still struggling with pain management meds. I am also taking Dilantin 100mg 3x a day for anti siezure. I wasn't on this medication back in June with my first surgery only while at the Clinic. I had trouble with Percocet the other day and had my wife take me to Forum Health's North Side ER. Doctor did CT scan looking for a bleed, bood work looking for Dilantin levels and basic stuff and EKG. All test came back good and I was given morphine for pain and some anti nausea medication through an IV line. Lucky for me ER Dr. Tishman knows Neuro Drs. At Cleveland and was able to call them directly for info about my case. I am doing a little better  now but am taking a Vicodin pill. My left side ear canal still seems blocked and I have extensive bruising on my left side neck. When I lay down I have lots of pain in the back of my neck. I feel like I was in a bad car wreck. I am hoping to get better each day as it took about 2 weeks last time befor i got off pain meds.

When my daughter had her STA-MCA bypass done she complained of her ear being blocked too. Her neurosurgeon explained that a solution used prior to surgery can enter the ear canal and melt the wax causing a plug. He prescribed ear drops to help soften the wax and it cleared. Hope this helps and you are feeling better soon.

Wow, Lisa! My surgery is on December 7th!

Nina

I lost about 50% of hearing on my left ear after the surgery. The doctor told me it could be the solution they used during the surgery getting into the ear tunnel and dried out there as a block. So I went to an ENT doctor to check, but the ENT doctor said nothing was there.  The ENT doctor did bouch of tests, said that the nerve of my ear was fine but I did appear to have weakened hearing, they don't know why.........oh well, so I thought I have to accept this little side effect after the surgery.

But about a month later, I was just using a Quittip to clearing my ear, and suddenly, I dig out a gigantic dried round thing out of my ear, it's the size of 1.5 snow pea......it's not the color of normal ear wax, it's more black.  I guess it was the dried solution. and my hearing was all back immediately!  It's hard to believe  with all those fancy equipments, how come the ENT doctor didn't see such a big bloackage in my ear! ;D

Went to my local Ear and throat Dr. Yesterday. He looked in my ear and saw no build up but said I have a small bubble that will go away in time. He had me plug my nose and blow lightly and I heard a pop. He told me to do this about 10 times a day and if it isn't gone in about 10 days come back. I am either getting less pressure or I am getting used to it. I still have vertbrae pain in my neck.. I think they had me contorted during my surgey. I had similar pain back in June after my first operation. I am almost weaned off of pain medication containing narcotics. Trying to get by without any meds. using Tylenol sparingly.

Went to Severstal Warren (employer) yesterday for return to work physical. Plant Dr. asked if I thought I could perform my job duties. I answered" I think I can ", so it's back to the steel mill Sun. morning.  Plant Dr. is a retired physician that is 80 yrs. old and is "facinated" with my condition. In all his years of practice, '"GP" I think, he has never encountered or heard of MM. He has some ideas of what caused my condition but doesn't share willingly with me what they are. Some co-workers suggest maybe contact with fumes and chemicals and radiation sources used in the steel industry may have contributed. I saw the new post about the rarity of this disease and must agree that it is. In my hometown area (Youngstown,Oh.) almost all Drs. I encounter have no idea what MM is when asked. I try to do my part to get the word out because how many people go undiagnosed for years or maybe not at all.

Lary,
I am Happy to hear you back at work!!

My OB Doctor, and my Aunt who is a nurse (that drives to people's houses to give medicin and check up on there status) are also "facinated" with my condition. They have been tring to find out more about it and what could cause it.

I would see if you could get the theorys from your Plant Dr. Please also let him and you coworkers know that it is probably not the work enviroment. I pesonaly have never been exposed to that kind of stuff. I am just a "normal" 29 year old, and I don't think some of the other less then 5 year olds have been exposed to those kinds of fumes and stuff as well.

Becky

Larry,

Congratulations on being released to head back to work - that's great news!

Jennifer