UPDATE

*DISCLAIMER*
This post has graphic medical explanations and a photograph that may not be appropriate for children and/or the faint of heart. Please use your best judgment in reading and viewing. I hope you will go ahead and check it out, otherwise you won't know what is going on.

When a neurological surgical staff says that an operation will take five hours, what they really mean is, "We want to run some tests first, and then do an MRI that will last an hour and then we have to set up for the operation and that will take an hour and then we'll tell you that we'll call you every-so-often to let you know how it goes, but really you'll sit down in the lobby for eleven hours without hearing anything and every time you go up to the concierge to ask what's up, they'll tell you to go sit and wait until you are called."

And that eleven hours did not include the tests, the MRI and the set-up time. That was nine hours of surgery and two hours of recovery and then when he was finally put in the ICU we had to wait till the shift change to see him. Another hour.

I can't say if the operation was a complete success, it was in some ways and it was not in others. Let me elaborate.

Originally they were to remove diseased bone (Now I'm not even sure if any of you know, my brother has Fibrous Dysplasia) from the top of his skull, the forehead, and his sinus cavity. They were going to do reconstructive surgery after the removal and he would be in the hospital a week and then he'd go home to recover for another month or so. The surgery was to take five hours.

Now what actually happened was they found that he had no dural layer protecting his brain behind his sinuses so they could not touch that area for fear that it would cause damage. They found more bone than they initially thought, part that was burrowing between his right upper and lower hemispheres, pressing on the temple, spreading his brain apart - which they removed successfully. The other part they found is growing into his brainstem. That's not something I wish to discuss right now. That is bad stuff on a bridge we'll cross when we come to it.

They were able to shave the bone off his forehead down, smoothing what was once overgrown and lumpy. They did no reconstructive surgery, therefore he has a divot in his head on the right side. In other words, he is missing almost 1/4 of his skull. Yes, you heard right, he only has skin protecting his brain and the hospital sent him home. I thank God he came out of the surgery alive and with all his faculties intact. He has some major black eye going on and he is in a hell of a lot of pain...Two Vicodin and a shot of Morphine every four hours kind of pain...And that is just so it is bearable.

So, he is at home right now, being very well cared for by our mother and younger sister. I'm here if he needs anything else. I'm the driver, as my mom doesn't drive and my aunt is senile - she has a broken foot anyways.

In about four weeks he'll go in and get a metal plate fixed to his skull and thus the reconstructive surgery starts.

I wanted to post pictures, but my photo upload isn't working and I'm in no mood to fight with it. Those will come soon.

I have been spending so much time in hospitals lately that I actually started to think about becoming a nurse. I already have all my general ed. out of the way. I just need statistics and then all my anatomy and whatnot. Two years to a bachelor's and become a RN. I talked to a nurse there and she told me all about it. Hmm...Something to toss around in the old brain. I would, of course, have to work something out with financial aid, I'm on academic probation right now and that is why I haven't been back.

Thank you all for your prayers, I'm sorry I have nothing more to say right now...I'm really anxious and PMSing and I just want to go lay under the AC and watch a movie or do some drawing. I'll catch up on all your blogs soon, a few days I hope, when I'm feeling up to it.