An Answer and More Questions

Today was a day of waiting. And waiting. And waiting. We were trying to get in earlier for a Friday afternoon appointment, so we waited on standby. No such luck today in getting an earlier appointment, but that also means no needles today. Yea!

So we have a few answers, and more questions. The biggest answer so far is that I can not have the major brain surgery to fix the problem and repair the damage. It just can't be done. It is a blow to us. We knew from the beginning it was a long shot, but we were so hoping that something could be done.

Now our hope rests on an implant, something called a neurostimulator. It doesn't fix the problem, but it basically short circuits the pain signals my brain gets, making my brain think I'm not in pain. Realistically, it can reduce my pain by about 50%. That's a huge amount, and something we really, really hope can be done. We don't know if it can be done yet. More tests will tell, but we are so hoping.

I will still have a leaky brain, but the pain from the leaky brain won't be as bad. There are risks and complications associated with the surgery; and I have gotten some test results back that are not exactly making my doctors happy. So the jury is still out on this one. Our fingers are crossed and our prayers are fervent. My main neurologist, after getting back results from one test, told me, "Well, I went neurology because I wanted a challenge. And here you are." He wasn't smiling.

So on to plan B, or C, or D....I've lost count. But still here we are, and we aren't down for the count yet.