Hi, everyone!

I'm new here. Found this great place not long ago. I'm from Taiwan and I'm a 23-yeer-old mm patient. I'm not a native speaker so my wording might be a little funny from time to time.

My history goes back 5 years ago but I was only diagnosed with mm a bit more than half a year ago. The interesting thing about my mm is it's only on my right side. Because the stenosis in my brain was sever, so quickly the STA-MCA bypass solution was decided, I was operated on my right brain 2 weeks later. It went well. After another angiogram and CT perfusion to make sure the arteries were connected, I was out of the hospital.

Things went fine the first two months, but after that some symptoms reemerged, but my doctor told me not to worry about it because I was still in the process where my new blood vessels were expected to grow. The fourth month came and my neurologist told me to exercise regularly, so like before, I went to the gym, pushing weights, riding exercile every other day. Almost a month later I felt even worse, I often felt numb and slightly prickly on my left hand, leg and lips, then my left foot often had tics, this had never happend before or after op. The fifth month when I went to my surgeon, he said I should not be doing the kind of exercise that would make me breathe heavily. Then I walked. After less then two weeks, the numbness and tics didn't bother me that much, however, I started to feel pressure and pain around the place where I was operated.

Now I often feel tight and a lot of pressure around my STA area. And when I feel really bad, I can often feel the strong pulse on my STA, it's like my STA is going to pop. But I'm not sure if it's the thing which causes the painful pressure and tightness, becasue the upper temporal area where the scar is also often feels funny and tight when I move my jaws, and the STA area, I'm not sure whether it's blood vessel or nerve, often has small twitches. In the morning it's better, the later it is, the worse it gets. And the feeling almost always quickly goes away as soon as I lie down.

It's been like this for more than half a month, no signs of improving or worsening. Among other syndroms that I could live with, this truly has caused a trouble. Because I cannot walk a bit faster, bend down or move quickly, esp at night. Going out can be a problem for me, even a bumpy vehicle riding like bus taking could cause the ache on the right side of my head, it feels like a nerve or a tight thing in my head is being pulled . I've often felt strong pulse on the STA after op, but it didn't cause tightness, pain or anything. I could run quickly to catch a bus two months after op. Went to my surgeon the sixth month, he said the strong STA flow is a good thing, but shouldn't cause pain, and thogh it has been half a year, he didn't think any angiogram or CT is necessary for me because judging from my ongoing symptoms, the development of my blood vessels hasn't got quite there to be checked (is this right??)

Never really had any major headaches in my life (not even sure if I can call this thing a headache or maybe migraine). But now this has become a major problem to me. If anyone could be kind enough to suggest me what I should do, or share your opinions or experience, it would be greatly appreciated!!

P.S. Oh, forgot to mention. My blood pressure has never been high, if anything, it's always been kind of low. It's always like 9X/6X, even when I'm having my symdromes, it doesn't really have significant change. Systolic almost never goes above 110. I eat healthily and I'm a skinny guy, but totally on the opposite before when I discovered my trouble, hehe...

It me again, I don't mean it normal normal, I mean that all the trouble you have we all have, you see, my thought is not that great either

Hi Ben, let me know what she said, I can't watch movie for hour long either, on top of everything my memory is bad, I'm on disability from work, can't drive yet( doctor order) I still go thought a lot of test . Good luck to you too and take care.

Kieu

Thanks for your encouraging, Moira! I'll be trying hard to stay on the positive side. My personality has always been kind of bluesy but recently I found I coundn't be like that anymore, it started to affect my body more than I would believe.

Kieu, I went to my neurologist today and she scheduled an MRI check for me. By the end of this month, I can know the result. Will surely keep you updated! Hope your tests go as good as they can get!!