My craniotomy
For starters it is not as awake as you might think. For a good part of it I was out. The doctors told me I would be out for the drilling and cutting parts. I do not remember those parts, although I do remember the bolt thingies holding my head in place.
The part I want to bring to you is when I was awake during the surgery. It was really a percentage of being awake, if that makes sense. It was like twilight. I was able to answer questions, but I was not sure exactly what the questions were or what exactly my answers were, the doctors simply wanted me to talk, so that they could map the part of my brain that was active, and thus avoid cutting into those parts. They told me to talk a lot, which was not a problem for me, I'm famous for that. Who knows what I said.
After, the doctors said I did indeed talk a lot, surprise surprise!
I remember I the end best. I remember the surgeon asking how I felt. “Great”, I said. At that point they told me that they / we were almost done they need to put my piece of skull back in place and secure it. I told them to go for it! I felt it going back in place near the side of my ear, and I felt and heard a kinda squish. I think that is very cool. I could not feel the 4 titanium clips, then came the suture staples, I remember 5 or 6 but when you see the picture, there were more.
As they wheeled me back to ICU the anesthesiologist and I had a discussion about real estate investing. I think that it is cool that moments ago they had my head open and now I’m talking about real estate as though nothing has happened.
I plan on posting the pictures. Please be warned that they are graphic and gross and if you are not into that do not look!
For starters it is not as awake as you might think. For a good part of it I was out. The doctors told me I would be out for the drilling and cutting parts. I do not remember those parts, although I do remember the bolt thingies holding my head in place.
The part I want to bring to you is when I was awake during the surgery. It was really a percentage of being awake, if that makes sense. It was like twilight. I was able to answer questions, but I was not sure exactly what the questions were or what exactly my answers were, the doctors simply wanted me to talk, so that they could map the part of my brain that was active, and thus avoid cutting into those parts. They told me to talk a lot, which was not a problem for me, I'm famous for that. Who knows what I said.
After, the doctors said I did indeed talk a lot, surprise surprise!
I remember I the end best. I remember the surgeon asking how I felt. “Great”, I said. At that point they told me that they / we were almost done they need to put my piece of skull back in place and secure it. I told them to go for it! I felt it going back in place near the side of my ear, and I felt and heard a kinda squish. I think that is very cool. I could not feel the 4 titanium clips, then came the suture staples, I remember 5 or 6 but when you see the picture, there were more.
As they wheeled me back to ICU the anesthesiologist and I had a discussion about real estate investing. I think that it is cool that moments ago they had my head open and now I’m talking about real estate as though nothing has happened.
I plan on posting the pictures. Please be warned that they are graphic and gross and if you are not into that do not look!
