Wow a neurosurgery PA, that's great. But it sounds like you're in the perfect position to continue to get good advice so I hope you won't continue to blow off any signs. Better safe than sorry!
You and I definitely have a very different situation. I would never have the capacity to work in neurosurgery! For lack of a better word, I've always been incompetent in a lot of ways. I have such a hard time thinking and focusing and understanding so many things. If I'm at a meeting at work I'll have no idea what's going on. If I've read a book or watched a movie, though I may enjoy it, I'll usually have a very hard time remembering what it was about. My sense of direction is absoutely horrific. I can't drive a car myself (from what I've read that's common for folks with hydrocephalus) but that's good, because I'd never ever be able to remember where I parked. If I visit your house and have to walk down the block or something, I'd better hope I've written down the house number or else I may not know which house is yours when I come back. My motor skills are terrible when it comes to games and spots and things.
I've given specific examples but the truth is that the bulk of it is something that I can't really describe - again, incompetence is the word that comes to mind. It's very frustrating, at the very least I wish it was something I could clearly define/explain so that people would understand what I'm dealing with.
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Originally Posted by adult_aq_stenosis
I'm struggling with this issue myself. I've known for many years that my brain anatomy is unusual, and last year I had headaches and was diagnosed with triventricular hydrocephalus from aqueductal stenosis. To make matters worse, or at least ironic, I'm a practicing neurosurgery PA for the past 11 years. I've seen a specialist who utilizes endoscopic third ventriculostomy surgery, which is much better than a shunt and avoids most of the complications of implanted hardware. It is considered ideal for my condition, because there is evidence that my body can absorb CSF, if only my large ventricles are allowed to drain to the arachnoid granulations at the top of the head. My wife, who is a Family Practice MD, and incidentally, or not, has been separated from me for just of 6 months, thinks that it "causes" my so-called anger problem. I had about 5 episodes of urinary spasm resulting in frank incontinence over the past year and a half, which had prompted my neurosurgical advice. I've been feeling better for the last few months, and I'm kinda blowing off those signs(if they are connected) and thinking that I just have "arrested hydrocephalus" which probably will not change with treatment. Stress definitely has a negative effect. There is more I can say, but this is getting long. What are your symptoms, may I ask??
"I posted last week about cognitive issues I've had my whole life - to be honest, I was under the impression that this was rather common for people with hydrocephalus and I was looking forward to hearing how other folks have dealt with it. So far I've had quite a few views and no responses. I'd love to hear from some of you, even if your experiences are very different from mine. Just trying to wrap my head around everything."
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