Have you ever had surgery on your head?

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Me? Never. So I know that that never caused my oddities!

(Was this supposed to be a simple reply-post, or did you actually want to start a new thread?)

Anyway, as for me, I had brain surgery when I was 14 (I am 27 now). It was a rather horrible experience, first the diagnosis of a brain tumor, and the surgery and aftermath was a terrible ordeal.
I was unconscious, knocked out on anasthesia, for about ten hours, during which the surgery took place. Afterwards, I was badly incoherent for a day or so. The movement, focusing and pupil control of my eyes wouldn't sync, I couldn't talk, I was puking non-stop (dry heaving for hours, since there was nothing left to chuck up), I had a tube, draining blood and fluids from my brain, stapled to my skull. Not to mention the quarter sized hole in my forehead.

After a couple of days, the hospital had completed some tests on the removed brain matter, and the tumor turned out to be benign. I didn't need chemotherapy or radiation or nothing like that.

We could all go home (my family had stayed with me at the hospital for the procedure) and later we actually removed the stiches on our own, with sterilized tools.

All in all, the experience sucked big time.

As for now, I am rather self conscious when it comes to the scar in my head. I mean, there is no short answer to give if someone asks where it's from. Also, I think people get a bit freaked out when it comes to stuff like this.

The moral of this story is, don't get a brain tumor if you have the choice!

Wow, costre, that's a heck of an experience. Would you say the cancer experience made you stronger? How did it effect your attitude towards AS? You always hear these super-inspirational stories about cancer patients. Hearing about chemo cancer patients sometimes puts things into perspective for me. Sure, I've had embarrassing moments and depression like I wanted to die, but my life was never seriously in danger....hmmmm...although I've had panic and anxiety attacks that were worse than death...

Ana, where do you come up with these thread ideas? I'm amazed at your inventiveness and imagination (or is it just plain weirdness?). Either way, I like it. There is something annoying and endearing about a busybody...I hate having someone poke their nose into my business, but I appreciate the opportunity to share and get out of my shell. Does that make sense? You should put your talents to work as a moderator or a blogger or writing advertising copy.

Quoting Costre:

I'm glad everything turned out all right for you, sorry you had to go through all that though.

I have a scar on top of my forehead at the hairline. It's about 3 inches I guess. I cracked my head open on the monkey bars when I was about six years old. There have been times when I imagined that I've had a lobotomy and that the monkey bar incident was just something I was told or made up to hide the truth. That's pretty far out though, I remember all the blood running out of my head as I headed home and the visit to the ER with my father for stitches. But then, maybe I manufactured that evidence as well. I saw a documentary once about people who had had lobotomies. They were quite popular within the medical community and appealing to parents who did not like the behavior of their children or could not control them. Some of the people who had that operations seemed pretty normal but terribly sad.

I've had lasik surgery on my eyes and that's part of my head. Does that count?

I think we have all been touched by the stories of people surviving cancer, and who got stronger from the experience. It's an ideal image, sort of like Stephen Hawking in his wheel chair.

You seldom hear about the people suffering anxiety, PTSD, depression and stuff like that after having gone through major surgery. It's just not good TV.

I don't feel I have necessarily got stonger from the ordeal, no. Allthough I don't know how I would have felt without the procedure. I have since been able to relate to people in similar situations, and I know what it feels like to go to sleep without a clew of how you're going to feel like, or even who you're going to be, when you wake up.

Let's just say it made me richer for the experience

I had a benign tumour removed from my skull that was denting my cerebellum. I was impressed by the surgeons’ professionalism. I wish physicians had the same attitude as surgeons and not act all high and mighty. I also had lazy eye surgery when I was young that didn't do much.

I think I might have had some mild PTSD after I had a ruptured appendix when I was twelve. I was in the hospital for a month, and it was not too much fun. I was really, really sick, and apart from having my abdomen filled with infection from the appendix leavings, I also developed peritonitis (infection of the abdominal lining itself- very dangerous), and an abscess behind my liver that had to be drained in a very painful procedure. Plus, seeing my mom crying because I was so sick was really upsetting. For years afterward, I would tense up whenever I had blood drawn or my blood pressure taken (in the hospital my blood was drawn twice a day, and my blood pressure was taken any time a nurse came into my room). Also, when I had a PET scan a couple of years ago, and they squirted the radioactive glucose into my veins, I totally tensed up and the guy asked me if I was okay. I think it bothered me because it reminded me of the feeling of the nurses squirting saline into my veins before changing an IV bag. Plus, I think about the experience a lot, more than I should probably.

Say you got attacked my a shark or something that's what I'd do. I'd invent a properly elaborate story on how I got a scar on my head. But if you're comfortable telling ppl you had a brain tumour, I guess that's exciting enough for some ppl!

My cousin has two brain tumours atm; apparently they've been growing for about 2 years. He has to get radiotherapy constantly right now to reduce the tumours so they can somewhat operate. His problem is that his memory is shot, and so every day he has to be reminded that he has these tumours and he has to go to hospital. He keeps texting my auntie the same question that she's answered ten minutes ago. It's upsetting. He's really scared.. 21 and just had a baby. Great timing, eh?

I had 4 impacted wisdom teeth out when I was 18 or 19 years old. They gave me anastesia, but I could hear their conversation while they were doing the surgery and they laughed when they turned on the drill and my heart rate increased. At least it didn't hurt due to the topical stuff they shot in my nerves.

Coffee: An important stimulant required for operator alertness in the morning.

mojo123

I recently had an MRI.
Does that count?

Is that a serious question? MRI is just imaging. The machine doesn't even touch your head.

I had stitches on my eyelid when I was five.

I had some moles removed on my face.

I have never had any sort of brain surgery, if that is what is meant by head surgery.

Oh yeah, also had my wisdom removed. That was surgery.