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Hollow Bones

"In our life there is a time of wonder. Walking with the ancient ones as they share their world. And the dancing voices are carried by the wind. As I walk this sacred ground, I know I'm not alone, and I thank Mother Earth."  ~Alex Davis, Seneca Cayuga

Brain Bypass Surgery Nov. 1

10/16/2022

1 Comment

 
Picture
I’m writing this month with serious but hopeful news.

On November 1, I’m having brain bypass surgery at Barrows Neurological Hospital in Phoenix.

Cerebral bypass surgery is a procedure to restore blood flow to the brain by redirecting blood around blocked, narrowed, or damaged arteries.

The surgery is the brain’s equivalent of a coronary bypass in the heart. The surgery connects a blood vessel from outside the brain to a vessel inside the brain to reroute blood flow around a damaged or blocked artery. The goal of the bypass surgery is to restore blood supply to the brain and prevent strokes like the TIA’s I’ve been experiencing over the last year.

The bypass surgery involves joining a “donor” artery from outside my scalp, to a recipient artery inside my brain with sutures so that blood can bypass the blocked area and increase the flow in my head. That pulse that you feel when you place your hands on your temples comes from the superficial temporal artery (STA), and it’s the artery most commonly used.

This is not a procedure I’d prefer. In fact, I’m terrified. But I think it will substantially improve my quality of life.

There are a lot of ‘pluses’ on my side. First, coronary bypass operations are performed half a million times a year with an overall success rate of almost 98%. My surgeon, Dr. Michael Lawton, has already performed 800 such surgeries as head of neurological brain surgery at Barrows, so I feel I’m in good hands. He says the surgery will last 2-4 hours.

I’m continuing to write my Stones of the Ancients draft in October, but make no promises how recovery will progress through the holidays. The doctor says recovery takes time and everyone recovers at slightly different speeds. Generally, I should be able to sit in a chair while I’m in the hospital, walk after 3 days, and walk up and down stairs after 5 or 6 days. They expect full recovery within 6 -12 weeks of the operation.

The brain’s ability to retrain itself and make new connections—its neuroplasticity—is working overtime after brain surgery, so I’ve been instructed to relax and sleep as much as possible, practice good nutrition, and create a relaxing routine, like a warm bath or reading, to prepare for bed.  

Please keep me in your thoughts this month, and send your prayers, positive energy and magical vibes to my surgical room at Barrows before you retire on Hallows Eve.
Blessed Be. 


1 Comment
Amy
10/29/2022 08:57:20 am

I just found your blog today when I was looking for yule ideas. I guess I was supposed to come wish you all the light and calm you need to walk through these next 3-4 days and then all the love and comfort you need to gently heal. As the acorn sleeps before its spring, may you find this time of closing-in a blessing and a path to the next glorious season of your life. Blessed be.

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