We i was recently diagnosed with moyamoya, and have written a few post, well, I finally got my insurance to pay more than what they were for office calls, and i found out last week, my surgery is planed for the 18th of June, i am pleased with the surgeon, he was very nice, and knew alot, well i dont know to much about moyamoya, but the way he talked he knows he stuff, said he has done this surgery before, it is Dr. Thompson at the university of Michigan, i am having the sta-mca (???) by-pass, i think thats what it is called, im tired and cant remember exactly. Does anyone have any advice, for me being so darn nervous, everyday i get more anxious and nervous, i think im going to have a stroke just from my heart racing when i think about them operating on my brain, lol. Well i would love it if everyone, or even a few people would pray for me, and definitely pray for me the 18th while im in surgery please. I am so glad there is a place i can share my feelings and know I am not alone, its to bad, we are all in the same boat though. god bless everyone and take care all, I will pray for everyone tonight, who has this disease

Hi Mlgohsman,

Glad to hear you have a date for your surgery.   

I certainly understand your nervousness and anxiety.  It is only natural to feel both nervous and anxious before any major surgery.

I think we tend to be more nervous when we think of brain surgery however, the STA-MCA surgery is common.  It is a direct bypass giving you immediate blood flow which you so desperatly need. I have seen first hand the results of the needed blod flow and it is good. Proper blood flow does wonders for the brain and body.

My advice is to think of this surgery as not only something you need but have to have and that it corrects the problem to allow you a level playing ground.
I certainly don't want you to be so nervous that you feel like you will have a stroke.  You can ask your doctor about the anxiety and perhaps he can prescribe something to help with eliminating some of the anxiety.

I know you have family and your son requires constant care and that your family is so very important to you and you want to be there for them and they need you. I also know that your family is very supportive and that is of great comfort in itself.

It may sound corney but if you can get your mind to a happy place (so-to-speak) and think positive thoughts that can really be helpful in eliminating anxiety and nervousness. Everyone deals with anxiety differently so whatever works for you is what you need to do.

Sometimes we get nervous about major surgery because it can be unfamilar territory for us meaning we hear everyday about gall bladder and tonsil removal but we don't always hear about brain surgery on a daily basis except on this site. LOL!

Just remember, there have been thousands who have had brain surgery and hundreds if not a thousand people on this site who have had brain surgery so you are certainly not alone. Hopefully that brings some comfort to you simply knowing you are not alone.

If you have questions and need answers, once you have your questions answered, you may feel more at ease.  If you have questions about your specific surgery and what to expect you can get those questions answered by your surgeon and the MMer's who have gone before you will support you by sharing their stories like Becky did. Everyone is different but there are common threads to each MM experience.

Just remember, you are not alone and we are here to support you through your journey so ask any questions and know you are in my thoughts and prayers and I will be thinking about you on June 18th.

Think positive thoughts and keep the faith.

Hugs,

Lore

I just had to share I read some awesome stuff, my child has severe cp, epilepsy infantile spasms, and a stroke, and they are doing stem cell to help, many people have tried it in other countries and it has worked, I applied to see if i can get him in it, i know this is for moyamoya stuff, but maybe that will help us too, i am so excited, i found out my surgery time it is at noon the 18th, and i am a little nervous, i just am so excited, i want to tell everyone,, YAY, I can not wait until I find out if he is a candidate, I pray he is, and it will work,

That is awesome news! I am excited for you and your son. I will keep my fingers crossed that your son is accepted in the program.

I'm glad to hear you are less nervous about your upcoming surgery.  Just remember, we are here to support you through this journey and we want to know how you are doing. E-mail us when you get the opportunity to update us on your progress.

I'll be thinking of you on the 18th.

Hugs,

Lore

Hi mlgohsmam,  I just want to send you my prayers for when you have surgery. I had bypass in 2003 and things went fine. Don't work yourself up about it. You will be fine.    Take care, Sharon