Bridget's Surgery Updates: Breakfast of Champions!

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Breakfast of Champions!

All of Bridget's IV lines are OUT, and real food is going IN! Today she's enjoying her first french toast, scrambled eggs, and milk (still thickened, but later today she will probably be able to have all the regular milk she wants).

She'll need lots of energy today for her transition up to rehab. More on that later!

8 comments:

Alicia CravenJune 23, 2012 at 9:58 AM
Yay! IVs out, scrambled eggs in-- things are both literally and figuratively headed in the right direction!
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elaineJune 23, 2012 at 11:10 AM
Awesome! Wonderful news!
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Emily NeuhausJune 23, 2012 at 11:43 AM
Such good news - what an exciting day!
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UnknownJune 23, 2012 at 12:15 PM
Yay! So exciting!!!
Julia
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MeredithJune 23, 2012 at 4:49 PM
Fantastic--Really good news, and I love how determined Bridget looks in this picture!
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UnknownJune 25, 2012 at 10:50 AM
No glasses - has her diplopia resolved?
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JephJune 25, 2012 at 2:03 PM
Hi Shuo - no, her diplopia is still there, and is still a major issue. We both *really* hope that it eventually resolves.
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UnknownJune 25, 2012 at 7:04 PM
I hope so too!
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What is a cavernous malformation, and why does it need to be removed?

A cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) is a vascular abnormality shaped like a raspberry, that sometimes can develop spontaneously in an otherwise healthy brain. Bridget has one in her brain stem, on the left side of her pons.

These CCMs will sometimes leak out blood, and when they do, they cause neurological problems, sort of like having a small stroke. Bridget's has bled twice now, and doctors suspect that it will continue to bleed. To try to prevent future neurological problems from developing, it makes sense for it to be surgically removed.

What will surgery and recovery be like?

Surgery will cause Bridget to have some neurological problems like facial numbness and vertigo. There is some chance that she will also have facial muscle weakness, double vision, weakness/numbness in one arm and leg, or hearing loss after surgery. Hopefully most or all of these problems will go away with time.

She will also have a lot of fatigue, and will have to heal from the incision and from the removal and replacement of a "bone flap" in her skull.

If everything goes well, she will be feeling good enough to be out and about after a month, and closer to normal after 3-6 months.