Tag Archives: coiling

Dolls

Tonight I’m off to get an MRI and MRA to check on the status of my brain aneurysm – whoop!  One year ago a surgeon filled my brain with platinum, (the procedure is called “coiling”), in order to keep my aneurysm from bursting – eek!  I was actually very lucky because when I was in the hospital for cancer treatment my doctors accidentally stumbled upon my aneurysm while scanning my body.  Who said cancer doesn’t have a silver lining?!

I always come prepared to these scans with a pocketful of pills.  Lying in an enclosed, small space for 45 minutes while the MRI machine pounds you with loud noises – which sound like punk rock combined with power tools – is not ideal for anxious types like myself.  Six months ago at my last brain scan, several poor souls in the waiting room started to freak out with nervousness.  The nurse told them that they should have asked their doctors for a sedative before coming to their appointment – nice!  I was tempted to share my stash with them, but since I’m not completely insane I didn’t.  Personally I think the waiting room should come equipped with a Chill Pill dispenser.  The pills, or “dolls” as I like to call them (watch  “Valley of The Dolls” if you haven’t already), could be kept in this fabulous canister by Jonathan Adler:

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To shop his whole selection:

http://www.jonathanadler.com/pottery/by-category/boxes-and-canisters

 

Hospital-Chic

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I can now officially say that I have a sparkly brain!  On Wednesday I had my brain aneurysm “coiled” with platinum, so I’m feeling pretty swanky!  The surgery went smoothly for which I am very grateful.  I only had to spend one night at the hospital and I had the loveliest nurses.  But, my God almighty, I have never experienced headaches like that!  I spent the night riding waves of intense nausea mixed with the most brutal headaches.  They gave me morphine which helped the pain – a bit – but made the nausea worse.   And as with all my recent medical experiences, there was an absurd quality to it: the patient next to me had an odd, bedazzled female visitor who was blasting Celine Dion while performing a weird interpretive dance – in an ICU style recovery room – r u kidding me?!

The doctors wrote me a prescription for Percocet to help with my headaches, which are supposed to last for a few days.  For some reason I felt deep shame picking up the drugs – I felt like a low-life!  I was paranoid that I would become addicted and that I would end up like Nurse Jackie, doing anything to secure my next high.  Once home though, the drugs were a godsend and I spent most of the day in a loopy sleep dreaming of Iron Maiden – who were dressed like Wizards! – flying through the sky.

Editor’s Note:  A special thanks goes out to my cancer!  Had I not been in the hospital being treated for Mesothelioma – where I ended up with “Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome” after a bad reaction to the drug Haldol – I never would have had my brain scanned and my aneurysm would have gone untreated.  So thank you Mesothelioma!

Brain Shenanigans

You know you have Mesothelioma when having a brain aneurysm is low on your list of things to worry about.  LOL.

Last week I totally forgot that I had a brain scan scheduled to see if my aneurysm had grown.  My brain aneurysm was discovered accidentally while I was in the hospital last year being treated for Peritoneal Mesothelioma.  At the time, I remember my Oncologist coming over to my bedside and saying “okay, this is going to sound worse than it is, but you have a brain aneurysm.”  I actually laughed, because what else could I do?  It seemed completely insane.

I am lucky enough to be seeing one of Toronto’s top Neurologists who also happens to be super Euro-Chic and wears the most gorgeous Italian loafers.  In his lovely accent nothing sounds too scary.  If we find out that the aneurysm has grown, then I will have to get a procedure called “coiling,” which for some reason makes me think of 80’s permed hair.  Although it’s ridiculous, I like the idea that the doctor who will be putting metal coils in my brain is a sharp dresser.  Platinum please.