A few months ago I may have been, ever so slightly, a tiny bit critical of brain surgery. I apologize. If I implied any negativity toward the true wonder of operating on the brain, I’m sorry. Please don’t be angry with me brain surgery. Don’t take out any anger on me. Not that there’s ever a good time for a brain surgery to take out anger, but it’s specifically not a good time when you’re about to have brain surgery - which I am. Again? Yes, again. Monday, 11/19/18, I’m having surgery for multiple reasons.
First of all, I am experiencing something called hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain.” It’s something I experienced a lot of the very first time I had surgery. Spinal fluid filters through the brain and spine. Back during my first brain surgery (which was great because brain surgery is ALWAYS great) a collection bag was surgically attached to my head to collect fluid. Fluid that my brain was not taking care of. for a couple of weeks post surgery. Since the fluid had to go somewhere, and my brain couldn’t handle it, the fluid went into the bag. Slowly the color of the fluid in the bag lightened as my head began filtering the fluid on its own. One goal of this surgery is to reinstigate the draining of fluid that the mass is currently blocking. The mass is like food waste clogging a drain.
Besides opening up a passage for fluid drainage, the surgery aims to remove whatever seemingly cancerous material can be seen and removed without causing complications. Removing that material means that material can be both analyzed to see what treatments may work best and leave less for said treatments to work on.
Finally, there is a cyst. It’s grown to the point where something must happen. The cyst must be drained. Brain surgery provides access to the cyst so it makes sense to take care of that issue too. These three things, especially in conjunction, prompt the necessity of surgery. A kind and benevolent surgery. A surgery that I am beyond grateful to have. A surgery that’s more than worth the commensurate phyiscal pain involved. According to me…right now…and on Monday.