So, last Wednesday I went in to Emory and had a cerebral angiogram done to confirm whether or not I had a fistula (and the extent if so). Turns out I'm more special than I thought, I have 2 fistulas. The one on my left is "benign" meaning it's not bleeding into the vein (or brain) and normally all they would do is monitor it. The other, however, IS bleeding into the vein. Fortunately, the vein has not ballooned or done anything else at this point. So, it needs fixing but isn't necessarily an immediate threat. It would, however, bleed into the brain if it were to change and that is a concern.
The resolution is to go ahead and get both fixed. The procedure is similar to the angiogram I had done. The difference being instead of one line going in through one artery, I'll have one in each (through the groin). One to monitor from the artery side. The other would be a catheter type and would implant a platinum wire coil into the vein to close the fistula (similar to a stint). The procedure will also last around 4hours. I will have to stay at the hospital overnight for monitoring.
From there it's a matter of let the arteries and veins heal. I'll likely have a headache for a while (not surprising) and be sore in the groin. If this past angiogram is any example, I'll be very bruised too. However, I will at that point be "fixed" and able to return to regular activities without the symptoms I've had since January.
No comments:
Post a Comment