Tim Walters
This story is written in Tim's own words. No alterations have been made.
How AVM was explained to me by my doctor in terms you can understand. If you were to replace all your garden hose with a air hose from a fish tank. Then plug the end. Turn the hose on full blast. What do you think will happen? You will end up with a leek or a burst in it. The clusters of veins that make your AVM are not the right size to take the pressure of the blood coming from your heart.
How Embolization (gluing of the vessels) was explained to me. This is what is done before you get your surgery. If that is the way you are going. If you were going to take out the faucet from the kitchen sink. You need to turn off the water or it will go everywhere when you take it out, right? Well the Embolization is filling all the veins with glue like substance he/she will be taking out. That way you don't bleed when taking out. Warning, It smells like rotten cream corn.
My Story now, On March 19, 2010. I was driving to work. A deer ran in front of my car. I swerved and hit a telephone pole at 40 miles an hour. When I got to the hospital. They did a scan of my head since I hit it on the steering wheel. Yes, I was wearing my seat belt. Otherwise I would have gone through the windshield. Now, my family and I were waiting in a room to hear from the doctors. A nurse walk in and said," did anyone come talk o you about your MRI?"
I said, "NO!" Nurse said,"Oh, well life flight is on its way and taking you to the other hospital. That specializes in it."
As she runs out, I yelled, "Specializes in what?"
I did not get an answer for about 3 hours at the other hospital. Also my $11,000.00 helicopter ride, that I did not even get a window seat in. Took longer than my family driving there. Since I had car insurance, but I swerved out of my lane. They would not help with bills and no Medical insurance. I'm thinking I'm going to die.
So, we started making phone calls and found a specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. My doctor Shaye Moskowitz, MD, PhD. He helped me qualify for Medical Assistance. Thank god with my total bill coming to $416,744.69 plus.
He wanted me to have Gamma Knife. For me, I did not like the odds I was facing. I asked him if he would just take the alien out of my head. He said yes but at what risk. I had a 60% chance of being paralyze on my left side of my body. I said let's do it.
I went through in a 4 month period, 1 angiogram, 4 Embolizations, 1 Craniotomy and a total of around 3 weeks in the hospital. I go back next week for my 6 month post op. The only effect that the surgery had on me so far, is my sight in my left eye. I can't see as far left as right. I'll take it.
The pain after surgery. Well honestly it hurts real bad but, guess what, you ARE alive and it DOES go away. This is my story. Whatever you decide to do. Do not look back and have no regrets no matter what happens.