Hi all,
By the time most of you read this blog posting tomorrow morning I will probably already be in theatre, getting ready to undergo my 7th brain surgery to date, and in total my 16th procedure. Please keep me in your hearts, thoughts and prayers as I undergo this surgery. Needless to say, as always there are risks associated with these procedures, the worst of all could be that I don’t make it through the surgery, or after the surgery, despite it being successful, I may suffer a haemorrhage, which would result in my demise.
The non-life threatening risks are that I may lose my leg, as a result of the access artery in my leg total disintegrating and no longer providing life giving blood to my leg. Other risks, as a result of the area in the brain through which access is being gained, could be my losing the use of my legs, i.e. the brain cells that control the foot are damaged, possibly beyond repair. Lastly, in accessing the rear part of my brain, the surgeons will pass through the spatial perception lobe of my brain, which, if a problem occurs here, would result in my not being able to appropriately seeing depth in the future, which is also irreversible.
Notwithstanding the challenges I face tomorrow, I’m confident that my surgical team will achieve maximum possible success and that none of the aforementioned risks will materialise.
To those of you who have already been sending me, my Mommy and Daddy messages, emails, faxes, SMS’s, Tweets, FB Wall Posts and IM’s, thank you so very much. All of us feel truly relieved that we have such a wonderful support structure out there, both on our doorstep and in some instances on other continents. Thank you for arranging the prayer circles and prayer groups, and for dispatching hosts of angels and guardians to look over me, my surgical team and to comfort my Mommy and Daddy, as they face 48 hours of unprecedented stress and sleeplessness.
Just out of interest, the table below depicts all the procedures I’ve notched up to date!
Love you all,
Jarrod
|
Number |
Date (click on date to go to that blog posting) |
Procedure |
My Age at the time |
Location |
|
1 |
Embolisation of vein of Galen b.m.o. radio intervention surgery and sterile super-glue |
8 days old |
Unitas |
|
|
2 |
Second embolisation of vein of Galen b.m.o. radio intervention surgery and sterile super-glue |
8 weeks old |
Unitas |
|
|
3 |
Deployment of coils in the fistula in my head to occlude the blood flow; attempt was unsuccessful, as the flow was so strong that the coils were flushed away, however a micro-catheter was coiled five times over in the fistula |
13 weeks old |
Unitas |
|
|
4 |
Insertion of Amplatzer PFO Occluder b.m.o. a craniotomy and deployment of some coils behind the Amplatzer |
13 weeks old |
Unitas |
|
|
5 |
Deployment of coils behind the Amplatzer (3 larger Boston Coils and 1 smaller EB3 coil) |
14 weeks old |
Unitas |
|
|
6 |
PEG procedure (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) to put a gastronomy tube in my tummy through which I can be fed |
17 weeks old |
Morningside Medi-Clinic |
|
|
7 |
Repair to bilateral inguinal hernia |
20½ weeks old |
||
|
8. |
Grommets |
38 weeks old |
Morningside Medi-Clinic |
|
|
9. |
MRI Brain Scan (not a surgical procedure per se, but underwent anaesthetic) |
39 weeks and 1 day old |
Sunninghill Hospital |
|
|
10. |
Catheter removed at jugular, running to groin |
46 weeks and 5 days old |
Unitas |
|
|
N/A |
MIC-Key is permanently removed (not a surgical procedure per se) |
48 weeks and 6 days old |
Park Lane Clinic |
|
|
11. |
Stoma where my MIC-Key and gastronomy tube went into my tummy, was closed |
1 year and two weeks old |
Morningside Medi-Clinic |
|
|
12. |
Veneers fitted to my front teeth, under general anaesthetic |
1 year and 18 weeks |
Morningside Medi-Clinic |
|
|
13. |
MRI under sedation |
1 year and 30 weeks |
Unitas |
|
|
14. |
Sixth embolisation (brain surgery) in the Vein of Galen |
1 year and 33 weeks |
Unitas |
|
|
15. |
MRI under sedation |
1 year and 41 weeks |
Unitas |
Photo 1 Keep a lookout for my blog tomorrow afternoon
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I am rallying all the troops of angels to watch over you Jarrod. I look forward to reading the blog after it is all done and you are in recovery. Special thoughts and prayers to your Mom and Dad and not forgetting Opa. God Bless you sweet little boy. Lots of Love Gillian, Oliver, Ryan and Kirsten xoxox
Darling Jarrod, we will be thinking of you all, and saying extra prayers! You are an amazing little sausage! zloads of special hugs, Matti, Reilly, and our Momi [@cazpi]
Sending you all lots and lots of Love.. and Angels and Prayers and all that is good…
I Love you lots
Jenni