Not sure how to write this so it makes sense, but I'll try.
I had the clipping procedure done on 2 annies back in June of 2012. I've recovered quite well but I have noticed that I have a kind of "disconnect" with my brain with certain things. The first month of driving my car I had to leave little post it notes about how to turn it off because I just couldn't make the connection. I also had to put alerts on my cellphone to remind me to eat on the weekends because I just wouldn't think of it and I didn't recognize that the pain in my stomach was hunger pains. Sounds weird but it's true.
Today I went to the doctors because my daughter was diagnosed with the flu last week and I had a sore throat and just didn't feel "quite right" so I wanted to be checked for the flu. I fortunately tested negative for it but my doc told me I had a sinus infection and an upper respiratory infection. She asked me about my symptoms and I told her that I don't always feel everything that there's a disconnect with my brain.
She had a confused look on her face so I told her about my brain surgery and she said that it all made perfect sense! She told me that women have a nerve in the frontal lobe of their head and if this is compromised, which may have been during my surgery, then what happens is that you need to relearn certain things because your brain loses that analytical approach to things.
She said that this is why I didn't experience the symptoms of why I was sick.
Has anyone ever heard of this?
In a way it made me feel good that someone could explain the difficulties I was having since it didn't make any sense to my family or friends when I tried to tell them about my "disconnect" feeling.
..but then it kind of scares me too. What else may I have to relearn? and is it possible that I might put myself in some kind of danger because my mind is just not comprehending something correctly?
I even called my boss after this because I work as a data analyst and I wanted to check with her to see if I was doing a good job. She said I'm doing great......thank god for that!
It makes perfect sense to me as my wife had the same symptoms post clipping 19 years ago. It took about 12 months for her to recover and begin to feel satiated after eating. I great recall of the meal when she began to feel full again. What a strange way it was to celebrate more improvement.
hi valerie! i was coiled,recoiled sah type but it seems we are all in the same boat my disconnect is time perception- im in a constant fog- i look at my pill box to figure out what day it is-then still doubtful cause i may have missed a dose
Hello Valerie, hope you're well. I'm sorry to see this has happened to you. Maybe your brain just still needs to heal. I felt funny too for 4 months after my clipping, but more with memory loss. I was told this will all pass.
I felt strange for quite awhile, but now thank God 12 months later, i'm me again. Hopefully you are still just healing like i was.
That disconnected feeling lasted well over year for me. I still occasionally get brief bouts of it 2.5 years later. Because of that feeling I did not drive for about 3 months because I didn't feel safe for myself or others on the road. By the way, a sinus infection can cause those same symptoms or make yours worse. You went through a lot and although I know these things cause real anxiety, you need to give yourself time to heal.
Oh and as for men and women having different brains, I don't think a doctor was needed to confirm that :)
I'm so glad to hear others speaking of what, I thought, was only happening to me. I feel seriously stuck on stupid most days. The craniotomy saved my life but the surgery itself took the part of me I knew and was comfortable with. I'm not sure I very much like the person I came out of surgery being. Post surgery I'm angry, anxious, agitated, depressed and do the best I can to get through each day with so many frustrating things! I don't remember much of what I need to so have post-its everywhere (when I can remember to look at them). Do we ever get our old selves back? I still have one unresolved/untreated aneurysm and not sure how to feel about that either!
It has been comforting that others are having the same issues -- although I feel empathy for all of you as well. God Bless us All. =) I just try and get through each day "one day at a time". Of course, lol some days I get thru in five minute intervals. My neurosurgeon released me to go back to work at 4 months and here, at 8 months, I'm still wondering who would hire me: I can't comprehend or stay focused like I could, don't know half of my skills any more and even if I could, the fatigue seems to never end.
Can any of you tell me if you ever did get your "old selves" back and that you are now doing better -- function-wise? I want to know there is hope!
and Debbie, sounds like you're going thru a difficult time. I don't know if we ever got our "old selves" completely back, we just learn to love who we are afterwards.
My biggest obstacle has been when friends or family can't comprehend what I'm going thru and fail to believe that I can't remember something. I spelled my daughters name wrong the other night and she would not believe that I couldn't remember how to spell her name. It was very hurtful to me :(
For the most part though I feel like I've been very fortunate. For every little thing that may not be right with me right now, the BIG things are and I'm grateful for that and try my best to ignore others who aren't able to comprehend it.
Thank all of you for your kindness and support =) Got a postcard in the mail for an aneurysm support group that is being held tonight and I will be attending. Surely there has to be some way to speed up this process lol My husband says I have gone from "one of the happiest people he ever met to a woman who is overwhelmed by life". =( I soooooo want to be better God bless you all