Thank you everyone for your kind words.

Melody the neurosurgeon dont know enough about this to give me a straight answer, they can only give me statistical information, people can live there lives with this condition and some people have bleeds which sometimes have dibilatating effects, and the decision to have the op is mine to make, if I have the op there are no guarantees that I will have no deficits. So basically Im stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Koalla I will definately check this site out - thanks - I have two sister in laws living in Sydney and the Gold coast in Australia. I really like Cairns and the barrier reef. I am a member of the Angioma Alliance forum which is based in the States. One of the members there referred me to this site.

I have had 3 opinions so far. 2 from neurosurgeons and on from a neurologist. My neurosurgeon here is Dr Frank Snyckers and he is highly respected in his field. I am also sending my MRI scans to a Dr Spetzler in Phoenix USA for a 4th opinion and he is one of the best in the States. All my friends on the Angioma site sing his praises.

Dorre thank you - It is a very anxious time for me and I will be seeing a counsiler for sure.

Chemar - Hi from a fellow native. where are you based now and do you miss SA. It is such a lovely country its just the crime that is spiralling out of control.

Amina

Thanks guys for all your kind words.

Hi, Amina! Welcome to NeuroTalk!

Yes, I sure do miss SA and my beloved Cape Town
I am married to an American, and we now live in Florida, tho we did spend 8 years in SA after we got married....he loved it there too. We had a place in Hout Bay valley and my kids were born there.

Guys, furhter to my introduction emial I would like to share my experience hopefully it might help some one out there or it could help me if some has had the same experience

I got up one morning with a strange feeling that something was not right - I almost felt like I was awake but still living in a dreamworld - if you know what i mean -

That morning my husband got me up as I had overslept - now my husband never gets me up in the morning I usually get up by 6.45am naturally - so I thought to myself maybe Im feeling drugged because my husband got me up and I got up with a fright.

I went to work as normal but I was still in a daze the whole day. That evening we went out for supper and during supper I become very restless and agitated - i could not sit on the chair and I felt nauseous. As soon as we got home I went to bed.

The next morning I could not sit up in bed - The moment I lifted my head I started vomitting the entire room was spinning, I could not even stand on my own - My husband then took me to our family doctor. During the whole trip I was sick in the car, every small bump on the road felt like hell. I kept falling towards the left. I felt like dying.

My family doctor diagnosed me with inner ear infection and gave me an injection, she described my condition as sea sickness. She told me to call her if I dont get better by the next day.

To cut a long story short I started getting worst and I was admitted into hospital as having an inner ear infection the next day.

The ENT specialist that saw me in hospital said that I had a viral infection in my ear and gave me some hectic medication.

After being in hospital to 2 days I started feeling better by the fourth day I was discharged. But I still had a balance problem my ENT specialist suggested that I should get a MRI scan on my left ear just to make sure.

THATS WHEN THE #### HIT THE FAN - They discovered a white spot on my brain the ENT did not know what it was but he booked me to see a Neurosurgeon the next morning.

Dr Frank Snyckers who is the best surgeon in our country saw me and he told be that I had CA on my brainstem. The MRI scan showed 2 rings which meant that I have bleed twice previously. His advise was that it be removed as the CA had bleed and the changes of it bleeding again was greater. Also he said that Im young and if I bled again I could have a stroke etc. In disbelieve I went and saw another surgeon for a second appinion hoping against all odds that Dr Snyckers had made a mistake and this guy would tell me that its nothing and it will go away and I would wake up from this nightmare. He gave me the same diagnosis as Snyckers.

As far as I was concerned this was a death sentence, In my mind I was no longer invincible. I was going to die and my chirldren would loose their mother.

I then went back to see Snyckers and he explained to me what the procedure with regard to the op would be. So we decided that i would have the op in March as I had just started a new job and I did not want to take sick leave just yet. Snyckers agreed that I could have the op in March if I did no bleed before then.

He also advised me to grow my hair - as it will help with the hiding of the scars.

When I returned to work 3 weeks later I asked to be reallocated from my stressful position and moved within the company to a less stressful position. I also tendered my resignation as the Chairperson of our Body Corporation.

Now all I do is stress about the operation. My husband who is very strong mentally cannot understand why Im stressing.

Im scared of whats going to happen - will I die on that operating table.

How is the qualtity of my life going to be after the operation. WIll i still be able to walk, drive,work play sport etc.(live normally)

Just so you know Im a very active person- correction im hyper active.

Amina

Thats Hout Bay alright, it is so beautiful. Cape Town on the whole is stunning. you would not believe the amount of development that is being done in CT due to the 2010 world Cup, in fact its happening all over SA.

Florida's has great weather as well (Hurricanes excluded)

I hope you come to visit soon, Im sure you miss your family very much

(((((Amina)))))
it sure sounds like you have been through a very scary time with your health. I am glad you have a good doctor.

I sure can understand your concerns about surgery....one stresses on even minor surgery so it must be hard not to worry on something major. Still, the best thing you can do for your body is to try your best to keep the stress down as much as possible. I hope you will maybe also be able to connect with others who have had the surgery so that you can hear first hand from them and hopefully be reassured.

I noticed we had another member join recently with angioma
here is their thread http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ad.php?t=48578


Cheri


ps I will trade ya the Florida weather for Cape Town's summertime south easter and wonderful Mediterranean climate anyday LOL. I have been here almost 20 years and I still cant tolerate the summer heat and humidity , plus the storms freak me out each year

You have been in the States for a long time- When I was there I saw the amount of damage the hurriane had done. It is scary, do have good weather here. But I guess thats life.

I am coming to terms with my condition and Im getting advise from one of the best neurosurgeons in the States.

Its 14.30pm Friday afternoon Ive just come back from a huge lunch (had copious amounts of seafood) and Im stuck at work - I wish I could go home.

PS Guys have a great weekend