Hi Everyone…I wish all of you a new year of resolution to this monster pain. My neurologist has set me up with an appt. with a neurosurgeonat Vanderbilt…Jan. 4th. I hope he can help me. I have terrible pain…ok if I don’t talk, touch my face, or eat. I can’t talk…the pain is unbearable. I wonder if I am a big baby…,I cry everyday and I have no life…I never even get out of my pajamas. My question is that I wonder why everyone that has this doesn’t just get the surgery?? I am terrified of it, but the meds are just not working and I am already taking the max. Oh, and on top of that, I have shingles. I am one miserable person right now…it is good I live alone…hahahaha. I just would like thoughts on why you don’t get surgery…thanks and Happy New Year to all.
Hi Mary,
I’m sorry you are having a lot of pain. Some people don’t get the MVD because of health issues or age. Some surgeons don’t recommend it. Did your MRI/MRA show a compression? Even though an MRI is negative, there still may be a compression. I can’t answer the question as to why some have it and some don’t. I had my MVD in April 2009. I was never without pain but the surgery helped me tremendously. Since then, the pain has gotten worse. But I’m doing fairly well now with another added medication. I am considering surgery again.
I had my surgery at UAB in Birmingham. I considered both Vanderbilt and UAB but UAB seemed to work out better logistically. My surgeon recommended MVD or GK. He said I made the best choice. He said he usually recommended MVD to his younger patients. I’m not young. I was 55 at the time. I wish you the best. Please keep us posted on your visit to the surgeon. Write down all your questions because it is hard to remember what to ask. And ask him why some surgeons recommend it and some don’t.
Liz
Went to neurosurgeon yesterday. He basically gave me two options…MVD…or the balloon thingy where they go trough your face. He said with the balloon I may have numbness forever…hard to know how much though. He said at my age I should go for the MVD…MY AGE??? Well immediately made me suspicious of my age and was I too old??? Even though he assured me I was not…he said if I were 70 he may question it. So…have any of you out there had this done AT MY AGE>>LOL…I am so terrified of this, but I cannot take this pain either. I am in the middle of trying to sell my house and he said the recovery was about a month…so that leaves another question…should I wait till I sell my house…I am having a new one built so I would have to put this off till about July…or do it now and try to recover while showing my home to potential buyer which would be hard to do. If I wait till summer.,then I will be 62?? Would really appreciate any input…thank you so much everybody,