Posted by Cindy on October 07, 2003 at 15:44:01:
Hi there. I was directed to this site via a friend who has more time than I to do research on this. The spring of 1999 I was diagnosed with MM. News to me as I at that time was 43 years old and had not experienced any symptoms before. Thanks to a great nurse at work here who has that 6th sense about life, I got to the best neurologist in the Twin Cities area. She in turn connected me with a neurosurgeon at the University of Mn and within a couple months I had my first bypass. Four years ago I heard the word progressive but I'm not sure I knew what that meant until this year when one weekend I suffered which was diagnosed and dehydration and ended up in the ER. Only later to find out it might have been a slight stroke event. The pictures from the angio I had 4 years ago and now show a major progression of the disease where my MCA does not even show up any more. I've been told my head has a great desire to grow a ton of collateral veins from anywhere it can to try to compensate but since the major ones are fading I'm not able to have another bypass for this go around. I'm looking now to have a surgery to have two strips of titanium with holes put into the top of my skull (replacing skull) to allow for a more direct route for the collateral growth to get to where it needs to be.
If there's anyone else in the Minneapolis area dealing with this, I'd like to connect with you.
This sucks and today I'm being rather pissy about it. Most days I am doing quite well. Just not today.
Thanks for all the info on this site and DJ you're great for starting it.
Later,
Cindy