Initially I felt pretty good.
I look quite content here,
but I don't remember
this time.
However, a couple days later, I had excruciating pain from pressure inside my head
due to brain swelling.
These emails are a good record of my 2 brain surgeries and what was happening day to day to me while in the hospital.
They were originally sent to a large group of family and friends who were following my situation and praying for me during that time.
Duke Hospital
This surgery involved shaving my one side of my head,
then making an incision in my scalp the shape of a question mark.
The scalp was then peeled off to the side.
Then the skull was opened up and
the "bone flap" or door to my brain
was lifted out to provide access to my brain.
Then the surgeon used microscope like aides to differentiate healthy, normal brain cells from cancerous cells as he delved into my brain.
He removed or scooped out the bad cancerous/tumor tissue and left the good brain tissue in place. Of course it is a very delicate operation requiring manuevering around blood vessels and nerves.
Various clamps are applied to my head to keep me from moving my head during the procedure. My procedure did not require me to be awake (thankfully!). Some do so that the patient can move limbs and test sensations during the procedure to help orient the surgeon to
where he is in the brain.