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Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
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Author:  tgarsenault [ Sun Sep 13, 2009 6:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
So the neurosurgeon explained that my blood vessel is 80% blocked or more, and there is now another narrowing blood vessel branching off the one in question. To go in and inflate via balloon would result in 25% of stroke in one or the other blood vessel while on the table. To go in and surgical remove and replace the blood vessels has an equal amount of danger, something he does not want to do just yet.

So...the procedure to be performed is a non-invasive (kinda) brain bypass surgery where a portion of my skull will be removed and a blood vessel will be removed from my scalp and grafted to the surface of my brain in hopes that the brain will send a message to the grafted vessel and create new blood vessels, bringing a new blood supply to the area in question. Cool, huh? The process takes 6-12 months to mature, so I guess we'll see what happens.

Coolest things...a sweet scare and a free month off to write:-)

Procedure is next month, so I figure I'll ask them to flatten my forehead and suture two bolts to my neck for Halloween. What do you think?

Bwaaa haaa haaa haaaaaaaaaa....

Tim
Author:  ttzuma [ Sun Sep 13, 2009 8:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
A sweet scare? Man, at least you're mentally prepared for it.

Well, it sounds like the odds, though not perfect, are in your favor. I'll be thinking good thoughts for you my friend. Just let me know when I should start thinking them, I wouldn't want to waste the small amount of goodness I have in me too early by having them run out and not have it do any good for you. When are you going for this proceedure? Soon I hope, we all want you healed and writing In The Vein as soon as possible. Plenty of us are a bit pissed off we've had to wait this long for it!

Let us know the day before you go in please. And then get back to us when your head is your own property again, we'll all be waiting to hear from you.

And geez, now that I think about it...it took you years to get back here on the boards and then you go and do this to us! The way I figure it is, is that you owe us about 2 - 3 years of....book publishing annoucements, telling us where your gonna be signing your books, that you have just written a new novella, that you're collaborating with Brian Keene on a story, you'll be appearing at Killer-Con next year, why you like old Stephen King better than new Stephen King, and thanking posters for all the kind words they've written about you. Yeah...so go get that operation, get healed, and come back here and make up for lost time! You owe us big time man.

Good luck Tim, we're all rooting for you.

Tt
Author:  tgarsenault [ Sun Sep 13, 2009 8:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
Thanks again for the kind words, Tony, I really appreciate it. Just thought I'd let you know what's going on....and yes, I do owe everyone quite a bit for disappearing at length. I think Uncle Sam may even medically retire me after this fiasco, so I may have more time to write than I thought...and a lot sooner.

The procedure is less dangerous, but the other options are definite possibilities if this doesn't work. But, I am in really good hands here with some of the best neurosurgeons....and am not worried at all. Maybe I can get videos and pics as well:-)

Take care,

Tim
Author:  ttzuma [ Wed Oct 07, 2009 1:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
Hey Tim, how you doing? Please let us know, you got a bunch of us thinking about you my friend.

Tt
Author:  tgarsenault [ Wed Oct 07, 2009 6:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
Hey Tony, thanks for the concern, i appreciate it.

Well, just did the pre-op paperworkwork and tests for the surgery next week. 2-3 days in the hospital, followed by 4-6 week recovery. 6 months later may give indication if the procedure is working, but could be 12 months. If that doesn't work, they will do balloon angioplasty.

That's about it for now...the waiting is the worst part. Not worried, but am a little nervous.

Thanks again, hope all is well with you.
Author:  ttzuma [ Wed Oct 07, 2009 7:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
Thanks for asking, but I am o.k. Been a little under the weather for a few days, even left work early, but its nothing compared to brain surgery so I'm not complaining (to you anyway!).

I hear you on the waiting, its always the worst part. Hopefully you've got something to do that will help you keep your mind off it. I'm sure your wife, that asian beauty, can also come up with something to distract you! ;) (Gosh...I hope you're still married to her! Excuse me if I screwed that up, maybe I shouldn't have wrote that...ugh...do you have a dog? Does he play fetch?).

Well like I said earlier Tim, after all this is behind you and you come back up this way for a visit, you owe me a beer and I expect you to pay! I'll get the second one, but the first one is on you. You can sign Forgotten Souls for me too while you're up here.

Seriously...take care Tim, please come on back here after the operation so we know you're fine and everything went well. You will be in my thoughts next week.

Wishing You The Best
Tony

(But now that I think of it, how we would know if everything didn't go well? Ugh...does your dog know how to type?)
Author:  tgarsenault [ Thu Oct 08, 2009 9:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
LOL! My wife (still there as of yesterday) takes pretty good care of me. I am WAY spoiled.

I am sure I won't even have to have my cat's (can't fetch worth a damn) learn how to type, so I would gladly buy you a beer in the future and would really love to sign FS for you.

Looking forward to the time off and finishing/editing the second book.

Thanks again for the thoughts, I will write again when I am lying in a prone position on the couch, the laptop out, and a giant bandage on my melon.

Take care,

Tim
Author:  ttzuma [ Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
Sending good thoughts your way today Tim. I hope all goes well for you.

:hi
Author:  tgarsenault [ Fri Oct 16, 2009 6:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
Thanks, Tony. Everything went just fine as well as can be expected and I was home this morning, less than 48 hours after the surgery's completion--amazing! All the marbles (what few of there were) were place back inside, but not before they made an incision from the lower half of my ear to the top of my melon and included 13 cool stitches. I have become a close friend to Vicadin and feel really, really, good :) Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers, they seemed to have worked. I go back in 6 months for another angiogram to see if the procedure worked. The entire hospital staff at Strong Memorial Hospital (University of Rochester School of Medicine) was amazing. Couldn't ask for better and the best of the best in neurosurgery.

Time for a few more white tablets to go down the gullet....not sure if the following link will work, but there are a couple post op pics on my facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/prof ... ef=profile


Take care, Tony, and thanks again!
Author:  ttzuma [ Sat Oct 17, 2009 12:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
GREAT news Tim! Lets hope that everything goes the way you want it to now! Lets hope the worst is over for you and there is nothing but health, blue skies, and plenty of horror ahead for you!

Pain killers huh? Making you a bit loopy and confused huh? Hey...ugh...remember that time I lent you $4,000.00 and you said you'd pay me back by Halloween of 2009.....?

Tt
Author:  ttzuma [ Sat Oct 24, 2009 9:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
Hey my friend, you doing alright?

Tony
Author:  tgarsenault [ Sun Oct 25, 2009 11:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
Hey Tony!

Well, okay for now, I guess. Had a really scary TIA on Monday that lasted for 22 minutes. Numb right fingers and thumb, numb right side of face, and couldn't speak a lick for about 10 minutes. Hadn't had one of these for about 3 years. Went to the ER and they pumped in some fluids, MRI and CT Scan, and monitored me for another few days. Not a stroke. Said it was probably a combination of the surgery, on and off Plavix, and dehydration. Haven't had another symptom since. Drinking lots of water and taking it easy and keeping a close eye on more symptoms.

Stitches come out tomorrow!! My melon is itching like mad.

Thanks for asking:-)

Take care,

Tim
Author:  ttzuma [ Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
Hey T.G.! I don't want to be a pest, but I'm just checking to see if you're still around and doing o.k.

Well, I guess if you're not around I wouldn't know, but if you're doing o.k. you would let us know...so...are you doing o.k.?

Tt
Author:  tgarsenault [ Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
Hello! Yup. Still here and enjoying the time off to do some major writing. Should have my draft complete by next weekend.

No TIAs since the last, which is good. Still have some healing to do. The bones in my skull must be gluing back together--if I press a certain way, I can hear some clickety clacks going on. Weird.

Thanks for asking....

Tim
Author:  ttzuma [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
You're welcome. Glad your tutonic plates are moving in the right direction. And I'm really glad to hear you're writing again!

(If you have any sex scenes in the new one, can you have them doing the dirty deed somewhere other than a hard and cold bathroom floor in a grungy hotel, maybe a fold out bed this time? OH...and can one of the two participants have big breasts? I would prefer the girl to have them, but thats just me...)

;)

Glad to hear you're healing well Tim, and can't wait until we see your new one in print.

tt
Author:  tgarsenault [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 12:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
LOL! I don't know...I'm kind of a dirty/grungy fan:-)
Author:  ttzuma [ Wed Nov 25, 2009 10:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
Hey T.G., I hope those gears in your head are a clicking away and those fingers of yours are flying across the keyboard! Just wanted to interrupt you for a minute and wish you a happy holiday. We are all thankful that you've come through this well.

Tt
Author:  tgarsenault [ Fri Nov 27, 2009 9:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
Oh, man, thanks so much Tt. Hope you and yours had a great Thanksgiving as well! I just saw my parents off...they're head your way and back home to Maine. They brought us some lobstah and clams on Tuesday and I probably gained a few pounds in butter alone:-)

I should be getting back to work next week after I get approval from the doc on Monday (bummer). But, the greatest thing about this whole ordeal is the time it gave to write. I will be writing the words, THE END today or tomorrow! What an awesome feeling. Getting heavy into writing has also generated some new ideas, both horror and "literary" and can't wait to dive into both. I'll also be giving my website a major overhaul soon.

Happy holidays!

Tim
Author:  ttzuma [ Fri Nov 27, 2009 4:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brain surgery--If anything else....more fodder for a story
Ha! It's always good when someone brings New England home to you!

Sorry about feeling better and having to go back to work.

And thats great news about finishing your novel! And even better news about new ideas. Lets hope we see TG Arsenault atop the best seller list soon and we get to read all of these new pieces of fiction that will be coming out of your new head. It does sound exciting for you!

Glad you had a great Thanksgiving Tim, you do have a lot to be thankful for, and so do we now that you are much better. Now lets see if you can stay healthy for Christmas. Ha!

Ttzuma
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