Comments | wolfram003: Meh.

wolfram003

Meh.

Feb 09, 2011 03:41

( Of general health, eyes, and shunts; probably not for the squeamish. )

Comments 4

alle_goriest February 9 2011, 16:51:27 UTC

I knew that having that tube in your body has always been unpleasant and kind of gross for you and that it must hurt at times, but I wish you had told me exactly how much pain your shunt causes you constantly. When it was put in, did they tell you that it would be like this? Have you told a doctor or anyone that might know if it's abnormal for the situation or if there is a way to relieve some of the pain, if not all of it? Are you still having problems getting an appointment? Ahh, sorry for all of the questions. I'm just extremely worried, and you shouldn't feel bad for making me worry. I want you to be okay and will do anything you can think of that will help. Please, please don't keep this kind of thing hidden. If you want to mask your pain, fine, but I'm glad we now know that it's there ( ... )

wolfram003 February 9 2011, 18:02:56 UTC

I don't remember being told that it would be like this, but quite honestly, I don't remember hardly anything from about ninth grade to eleventh, maybe even twelfth, grade. My memories are still hazy even after I had the surgery, but I do remember asking about it. Dr. HouseDetweiler said it made sense that it caused me a lot of pain; he said that having a tube forcibly shoved from my brain to stomach was bound to cause it, but there was not much that could be done about it. It's harsh, but at least he was honest about it. As for getting an appointment, I don't have insurance, and the Indian hospitals--well, an appointment to a neurosurgeon who is the only person who knows what is up with shunts in adults, as it is apparently a rare thing since it is usually a common surgery only among infants with hydrocephalus, is a high-tier doctor's visit that they cannot provide. I would have to get a referral, a follow-up, another referral, another follow-up, and then, if I was extraordinarily lucky, they would have the funds to let me visit my ( ... )

wolfram003 February 9 2011, 18:04:05 UTC

As for SAFE, it stands for Student Advocates For Equality, but honestly, I just see SAFE as the rape crisis program from Help-in-Crisis. I'm not the only one, either. I mean, I tried to reason with everyone involved in the name change that "SAFE" not only gets rid of the basis of YAG ("equality" groups in Tahlequah generally don't include equality in sexual orientation, from what I've noticed), but well, it has negative connotations to anyone with any knowledge of Help-in-Crisis, which is most of the people in Tahlequah. No one listens to me, though, so I'm not surprised they didn't heed my arguments. It's to the point where I've given up on it. I just don't care. I'm the treasurer for SAFE, but I don't consider myself a part of the group any longer. *stubborn ( ... )

vicechan February 10 2011, 04:09:12 UTC

I never knew that you had a shunt. . .or even the specifics of one before this. I'm grateful that it is keeping you alive, and I imagine that it has to feel so unworldly and foreign when you can feel it. You handle it with grace and I admire you for that, for what it's worth. Pain like that isn't something to take lightly and I don't think you have anything to be ashamed of in how you handle it.

I'm not creeped out by the details and I don't think that anyone who is a friend should be. I'm appreciative of the technology and I wish that the pain was more manageable, somehow. Thank you for sharing this, and I wish I could say more or more could be done. I know we're not terribly close, but I always enjoy your company when we are together.

Hang in there. <3 It is easy to see that you are truly loved by many ( ... )