Pooter's surgery updates

[MaryBKAriz]

Hi Jenni,

I don't have answers but I am cheering you two on.

It seems as long as he was under, it would take awhile to get all his wits back, but I don't know. I do think it sounds good that he is realizing he is not up to his ole self. Also if he is not eating or drinking up to par yet, I would think that make a difference also. Then the steroids I have heard can do all sorts of interesting things. Hang in there. He is in good care with you. Tell him Hi for me.

I am sure others will have some insight.

Take care of YOU, too!

Mary

[Kaybo]

Jenni~
I was under for 14 hours and I did experience all of that.  I am no doctor, but I think that the longer you are under, the longer it takes to get everything back.  It is not that his brain isn't functioning, it is just still in a fog from all of the medicine on surgery day(didn't I read somewhere that it is like 10 days for every hour under?? or did I make that up?).  It will take a while to get rid of all that & be out of the fog!  He is doing great - I know it is hard being patient, but really, that is all you can do right now.  We are all SOOOO proud of Debbi and her quick recovery, but I hope he is not comparing himself to her -- she wasn't under near as long as he was (I don't think).  EVERY AN is different -- you cannot compare any two!!

Keep up the improvements!
K

[leapyrtwins]

Jenni -

I didn't have a problem with slow speech, but because everyone has different experiences post op it may be perfectly normal.  As Mary said, he was "under" for quite a while and if nothing else, anesthesia can cause brain fog   

As you know, there have been some on this forum who burst into song regularly after their surgery, I talked like Mickey Mouse for several days; no one knows the reasons behind these things.  I'd imagine that Brian will move past this stage soon.  I hate to keep saying "give it time" but there's a lot of truth to that suggestion.

Jan

[lori67]

Jenni -

I had the slow speech thing for a little while too.  I knew what I wanted to say, but my mouth wasn't cooperating, so it felt like it was hard to get it out.  And then occasionally the wrong word would pop out - still does sometimes today.  Please tell him not to feel bad about it - it was a huge surgery and it just takes time to get back to where you were.  I'm sure he's still the genious he was before the surgery (must be pretty smart to think ahead to sending flowers.  My husband didn't have brain surgery and I just went today and bought my own flowers.)

He's making progress - it's just a lot slower than what most people are used to - but it's still progress.

And Jan.... Lori who???

Lori (the broke one...)

[LADavid]

Jenni
Someone who is more versed in this like Jim Scott can give you a technical reason for the slow speech.  I do know that cognitive thinking is affected by brain surgery.  I'm five months from my surgery and I still find myself stuck for a word.  I remember what it was like trying to carry on a conversation three months ago -- I felt like a combination of the Village Idiot and Quasimoto while staggering aimlessly around.  Please tell Brian that it does get better.  I don't stagger around as much  .  Seriously, as I said before, this takes time and patience.  Nothing improves day to day but in month to month or even longer. But as the forum pros will attest, things do get better.

Please keep us posted.

David

[ppearl214]

I do know that cognitive thinking is affected by brain surgery.  I'm five months from my surgery and I still find myself stuck for a word. 

Hey Jenni,

Please give that "Pooter" of your's a BIG old huggle from me!

In follow up to David's comment, the medical community and ANA have recognized that an AN (and related treatments) can cause cognitive issues... so much so, there were discussions/workshops at last year's ANA Symposium in Philly covering the topic. The ANA may have info relative to this particular conversation and what was said at the symposium (as well as those on this forum that attended last year's symposium that may have sat in on the talks re: cognitive issues).

Just a possible avenue to think about... and don't forget, you get some rest too! hang in there!
Phyl

[Cheryl R]

Jenni.       I had mid fossa surgery on April 17th.         I am not the usual ANer here as I have NF2 and this was my 4th surgery.         My previous ones were on the right and I was with it right away.        This one was on my left.                I had some problem with swelling or some type of difficulty where  I was out of it  and forgetful for 3 days.      I then improved and was to the usual type of recovery.       It is a weird feeling when you don't feel quite right mentally.        I did improve but even now can be forgetful of some words or when I told someone.          I was warned pre op that this could happen with it being left sided surgery.     
  I think he will improve faster than you think  esp once he gets off the meds and up more and past the tired stage.    He may feel not quite right for a couple weeks.             I would worry more if he was doing it and had no clue it was happening.                     Every single surgery that I have had has caused me to feel a bit different.      I was one who did well  each time and this times event luckly was only for a short time.                 I was one who was next to deaf and I now have improved hearing so feel very lucky.                             
        Hang in there.      It all will improve in time.                     Cheryl R

[Jim Scott]

Hi again, Jenni:

Brian sounds as if he is progressing nicely.  Eating, drinking, walking to the bathroom and sitting in a chair are big steps for a recent post-op AN patient.  The slow speech is not necessarily something to worry about, although I'm sure its annoying to Brian.  I concur with the other posters that the long period under strong anesthesia is likely the culprit.  Like most, I was a bit groggy post-op but I 'pushed through' it and, almost as soon as I got home, (well, the next day) I was on the computer, using my brain, my hand-eye coordination and exercising my cognitive abilities.  I was fine - but it took a few days. If Brian is anything like I was, he'll be impatient to return to normalcy.  He can use that as his motivation to do whatever he has to do to 'get back'.  You'll have to be his 'monitor' and, let me warn you, Jenni, Brian may chafe at being 'watched'.  I did and I wasn't too nice to my wife when I felt she was 'stifling' me with her watchfulness.  I later realized she was simply trying to look out for me and keep me from 'overdoing it'.  I profusely apologized to Tina and, being a saint, she easily accepted my apologies.  Two years later, we can laugh about how impatient I was (to be 'normal' again) immediately post-op.  You and Brian will too.  Meanwhile, thanks for the updates. We're thinking and praying for you both. 

Jim

[HeadCase2]

Jenni,
  It's not surprising that Pooter isn't feeling up to snuf yet.   One of the things early on post-op is the need for more sleep and not gettting much.  The brain is working overtime trying to learn how to use the new vestibular input, and working on general balance.  This by itself can be taxing.  This combined with the effects of the steriods, which can make it difficult to ever reach a deep sleep state, or sleep for very long-- not to mention that a hospital environment is not a great place to try and get uninterrupted rest.  Pooter will feel better once he is home and can get the rest he needs.
Regards,
  Rob

[lori67]

Oh, come on Rob, 15 minutes at a time is pretty good uninterrupted rest!  That's about all I got when I was in the hospital.  Until the anaesthesiologist came in for his daily rounds one day and I asked him to please anaesthetize all the nurses so I could get some sleep.  I think he might have because the didn't bother me for a while....   

Lori

[leapyrtwins]

I do know that cognitive thinking is affected by brain surgery.  I'm five months from my surgery and I still find myself stuck for a word. 

In follow up to David's comment, the medical community and ANA have recognized that an AN (and related treatments) can cause cognitive issues... so much so, there were discussions/workshops at last year's ANA Symposium in Philly covering the topic.

Thanks for this info, Phyl.

Like David and Lori, I also find myself stuck for a word and I still have times when I'm thinking one word, but another pops out of my mouth.  Sometimes it really amazes me to hear what I just said 

I wish I would have been at last year's symposium; this is a discussion/workshop I would surely have attended.  I wonder if these issues last forever or go away in time?  Anyone who attended the symposium know?

Lori - great idea about anesthestizing the nurses so patients can get some rest.  I wish I could have anesthestized my neurosurgeon.  He's a great guy - absolutely love him - but every morning like clockwork he would stop in about 6:30 a.m. to see how I was doing.  I kept telling him that he could stop in later in the day, but he would have none of it 

Jan (way broker than Lori)

Is broker even a word 

[Tamara]

Another thought - if he is used to caffeine daily, and is now not getting it, he may be foggy from that too.  Even without surgery of any sort, I feel dull without it.

Well Wishes!
Tamara (caffeine addict)

[Debbi]

Hi Jenni (and Brian)

I would have to think, like others have said, that all that time under anesthesia would be contributing.  I was fuzzy for several days and was only in surgery 5.5 hours - Brian was more than double that amount of time. 

I also have to think that steroids may be playing a role.  They definitely interrupted my sleep patterns, and that can mess with memory pretty significantly.  Also, remember that even normal stress can affect memory - and if this isn't stressful, I'm not sure what is! 

I think patience is the hardest thing right now - for all of us who are post surgical.  Tell Brian not to be too hard on himself.  If it helps, my recovery has not been bump free either - last two days were close to the worst I've had.  But tomorrow is another day.

Hugs to you both,
Debbi

[ppearl214]

Broker Jan,

Contact the ANA office... I believe there are notes or videos or such that cover last year's symposium. The office can tell you what they have specifically to the workshop on cognitive. I, myself, would like to know was well... sometimes words are in my head faster than I can process verbally or in writing.  I figured... that's just me.

Phyl

I do know that cognitive thinking is affected by brain surgery.  I'm five months from my surgery and I still find myself stuck for a word. 

In follow up to David's comment, the medical community and ANA have recognized that an AN (and related treatments) can cause cognitive issues... so much so, there were discussions/workshops at last year's ANA Symposium in Philly covering the topic.

Thanks for this info, Phyl.

I wish I would have been at last year's symposium; this is a discussion/workshop I would surely have attended.  I wonder if these issues last forever or go away in time?  Anyone who attended the symposium know?

Jan (way broker than Lori)

Is broker even a word 

[Cheryl R]

If you look on the homepage under items for sale, you will see what workshops from the symposium are for sale from Cambridge Transcriptions.             Other years are also available.
                                      Cheryl R