Brodie's Post Op Follow Up

It's been three months since Brodie had his brain surgery. Today we head into the city to the Austin Hospital to start a three day series of visits as part of his post-op follow up.

Today there's an MRI scan to be done. For the life of me I cannot work out why he has to have it done on a Sunday but that's when he was booked in.

Tomorrow there is a visit with the Neurosurgeon and then the Neurologist. On Tuesday Brodie has a visual perception test done to see if his vision has been affected by the surgery. After that we see the Neuropsychologist.

So far Brodie is still seizure free, which is amazing considering they did tinker with his brain. It's been just over four months since his last seizure and three months since his surgery. Brodie's pretty chuffed about this because it means, provided his vision test is fine, that he will be able to get his learners permit back from Vic Roads. I too am very happy with how things are going in regards to his epilepsy. I am not too sure about him getting his learners permit back though. I don't know if I am ready for him to be back behind the drivers wheel (o_O)

Lucky Me I'm A HOH

I have been having problems for a few weeks with my hearing. I have a constant low hum with the occasional high pitched whistle. Not only that I would have problems hearing the boys while out walking. Especially Brodie because he walks ahead of me and he doesn't turn around when he speaks.

When I mentioned it to my GP that I was having problems hearing Mark and the boys. I wasn't sure if they were speaking more softly to annoy me or that I just wasn't hearing them. He told me that might be the case but when I told him that I hear a constant hum (it reminds me of a computer hum, not loud but always there) and the high pitched whistle he said that I have tinnitus. He checked my ears and said my left eardrum didn't look quite right and there was some inflammation there. Plus I have that stupid psoriasis in my ears *sigh*. My GP suggested that I have a hearing test done.

I had that test this afternoon. It turns out that I have high frequency hearing loss in both ears but the left is the worst. Although I have the hearing loss my 'speech hearing' is very good. I have to admit though I did concentrate very hard to hear the words clearly. There were a couple of words that tricked me a little but I must have gotten them correct.

I don't need hearing aids (for now). I just need people to face me when they are speaking to me which should help me when I am having problems. Unless things change I don't need to go back for three years. They will send me a reminder when it's time.

So lucky me! I am a HOH. A person who is Hard of Hearing. They don't call it Hearing Impaired anymore apparently. I am just like my hubby. That's one more thing we have in common (o_O)

Hearing Trouble

I went to see my GP Friday afternoon. I needed to get some repeat prescriptions and let him know a couple of annoying things I have noticed over the last few months that I keep forgetting to mention when I see him or one of the other doctors in our clinic.

First of all I mentioned that I sometimes have a whistling in my ear. It's not there all the time but it's annoying. I also have what I refer to as a hum, kind of like the background noise from a computer. It's nearly always there, actually come to think if it, maybe it is always there. I also mentioned that I don't know if Mark and the boys have started mumbling or not but I am finding it difficult to always understand them. That I need to ask them to repeat what they have said or that they need to face me and talk a little louder because I can't hear them.

Marlon checked out my ear. I have lots of psoriasis in there, which I knew, but I also have a bit of inflammation and a not quite right looking ear drum. I have some ear drops now which I need to use three times a day which should help with the inflammation.
I did have a burst ear drum in that same ear when I was in my late teens. I was wondering if that had anything to do with it. It's not all that likely but you never know, right?

I need to go have a hearing test. Lucky me. Fortunately for me there is a place in town that does them so I wont need to travel far. Unfortunately I don't know whether this will be covered by medicare or whether I shall need to pay for the test. I guess I shall find out when I phone for an appointment.

Second thing was I mentioned the pain I was having in my left hip. Mostly when I walk and sometimes when I stand up after sitting down for extended periods of time. After a little poking and prodding, Marlon found the exact spot that hurts. I was told it was highly likely that it's a trochanteric bursitis. Now I need to go have an ultrasound guided steroid injection if it is needed. I am not looking forward to having an injection but if that is what's needed then so be it. Maybe the ultrasound will show that it isn't a bursitis and that will be all. I can still cope with the pain. At least for now anyway.
Fortunately there is now an x-ray place in town (it only opened 2 months ago) so I am able to go there to get it done.

I am thinking we are very blessed in our little town to have so many things close by that we no longer have to travel to the city or to the hospitals in other towns.

At The Austin

Wednesday was a very long day. Brodie and I woke up at 6 am because Brodie needed to eat breakfast early due to needing to fast from 7 am for his PET scan at 1 pm.
He also had a SPECT scan at 11 am. Trying to find the places he needed to be was like going through a maze. Up and down different levels and around lots of corners. Thankfully we found them okay. Trying to find the way out was another story.

It seemed to take forever before his tests were complete and Brodie could have a snack and a hot drink before we got into the car for the almost 2 hour drive home.

These photos are of the entrance to the Olivia Newton John Health and Wellness Centre at the Austin Hospital. It looks very lovely and peaceful. It looked even prettier at night when Brodie and I walked past it to go to his MRI scan.

We stayed at the Medi-Hotel which is just a minutes walk from this pretty little area. It's on the other side of that concrete wall in the second photo and downs some steps.

I am just so glad that we are home and that is one thing I can cross of my busy (and stressful) 'to do list'. Now all I need to do is survive the next 16 days and I'll be fine!

Hi Ho Hi Ho It's Off To Hospital We Go

Don't panic it's not a bad thing. Well, it sort of is but it isn't. Ah that doesn't make sense does it? Let me explain ... Brodie has to have three scans done before he is admitted to hospital next week for a video monitoring study of his Epilepsy.

He's having an MRI, a SPECT scan and a PET scan. I'm not exactly sure what the last two are but they are all being done to check his brain. I guess they want a before and after look at his brain after the video monitoring is complete.

Next week when Brodie is admitted to hospital for the video monitoring they will be taking him off his epilepsy medication in the hopes of bringing on his seizures. He needs to have a support person with him 24/7. The support person will need to call the nurse if/when Brodie has a seizure and the nurse will inject him with a dye which will show which area of the brain is affected by his seizures.

This is all being done in the hope that surgery is an option in the future especially if the medication doesn't work as well as it should. Brodie is very keen to be rid of these seizures and wants the operation if he can. In his words "I want my life back!" plus he wants to be able to continue to learn to drive. Something he is not allowed to do because his seizures aren't controlled.

Sadly I am unable to be with him the whole time. Luckily we have volunteers and paid helpers (we need so use some of his DHS disability funding to help us out with that) but we only have the roster filled for the first week *sigh* I don't know what we will be doing for the second week. It's stressing me out big time.

So tonight, Brodz and I will drive the two hours from home to reach the hospital. He has his MRI around 6:45 pm. We shall be staying at the medi-hotel overnight then he has the remaining two scans tomorrow; one at 11 am and the other at 1 pm. Poor thing has to fast for 6 hours for the second scan. He's not very good at fasting. He will need to have breakfast early or he will miss out altogether.

Seriously though. As I mentioned all of this stuff is stressing me out. The neurologist has no idea how much stress he has caused our family with this video monitoring. It's so difficult to do this when you don't have family living in this state. My family, who I know would help out, live 800 kms away. I can't expect them to come over and stay with Brodie at the hospital when I can't. I feel like such a bad Mum being unable to stay with him the whole time but I am Mark's carer and I have to take Angus to an ENT specialist during the first week of Brodie's hospital stay. I need to be home for them as well.

I just want April to be over.

Just for Fun - Typing Test

I am most certainly not the fastest typist in the world but it was kind of fun to find out.

Visit the Typing Test and try!