Tuesday, October 06, 2009

I typed up a whole new status report on my illness last sunday and lost it to password trouble. Still, everything changed since then so now I have another chance.

I had been feeling dizzy a year ago, but it left. I chalked it up to hypertension and booked weekly sessions wth a very mellow psychiatrist. Works very well for me. Still, this summer the trouble reurned and got worse. Since there is a history of brain seasures in my family, my wife and I reteatedly asked for an MRI scan to eliminate anything like that. But all quick and easy tests suggested there was nothing wrong in that department, so no (expensive) MRI scans for me.

When two weeks ago I started slurring and falling to the lef and started losing my typing skills on the left hand, they finally sent me to a neuro-surgeon. He suggested concentrating on the cerebellem where motor skills and coordination are situated.Well, you can see where this is headed. But it didn't. The scan showed I had a huge growth on my upper right cerebellum. Possibly a cyste resultion from a smaller growth bu probably some sortof new an quite rare non tomurous growth that woul have to be taken out completety. A doably operation, but I would see quite a long perioe of recovery while I was to retrain my brain.

Today went back to the first diagnosis - I seem to have a small growth combined with a huge cyste. This has had the result that the fluids in the rest of my brain aren't draining properlyWhich resulted in neausinous and more slurring than necessary (most of which is currently being held in check by medication).

They are going to cut next week. The good news is that they are going to cut less, the bad news is that they have to take a look at the tumor to see if it is malignant (it probably isn't, but they like you scared so you can't sue). How the revalidation wil be is unknown.

15 comments:

Pat Rock said...

Oh, Ger, sorry to hear this. Best of luck to you and speedy recovery!

David King said...

Good luck! I hope you make it through safely

Daniel [oeconomist.com] said...

Ger—

I wish that our wishes could help, for I know that many are wishing you the best.

Runs.with.Ferals said...

Big fan Ger~ you will be back better than ever~ like~ Johnny Quick !

Angeline B. Adams said...

Ger,

Am signed in with my girlfriend's Gmail account, to wish you lots of luck & strength, and hope to see you on your feet soon again!

Let me also take the opportunity to say that I've been really enjoying this blog since I discovered it, and also have been enjoying your tv writing and comic book editing before I emigrated.

Best, and hope to see you back on your feet soon!

Remco
www.remart.nl

Booksteve said...

Best of luck to you, sir! All of your friends and fans here on the Net will be sending good thoughts your way!

zilt said...

Verdomme Ger,
Wat een klote bericht.
Ik denk aan je.

Dirk Arend

HEH said...

Best of luck with it all, Ger.

Mark Mayerson said...

Good luck, Ger. We are all pulling for you.

Dirk Deppey said...

Best of luck to you, and get well soon.

p spector said...

Ger, all the best with it. I'm looking forward to your next post. - Paul

Ger Apeldoorn said...

In the meantime look out for new articles in Alter Ego and Hogan's Alley.

None said...

Unfortunate news indeed. Keep your spirits up and I trust you will be better soon.

Joakim Gunnarsson said...

Hope that everything will go well and that you will get better soon!
Cheers!
/Joakim.

Ger Apeldoorn said...

When I say 'capitalism' I usually mean the rampant anything for a buck let's sell people what they think they want and pretend we are providing growth for the world econemy while getting rich ourselves that has wrecked the planet for the last ten years at least. If you want to exclude the 'nice' capialism that used to be kept in check by governments or something as nowadays unheard of as personal ethics from this, feel free. My issue is with the practice, not the name.