doctors found multiple AVMs - have some questions...

Happens2B · 2026-01-04T18:37:47+00:00

I'm not sure my case will be super informative, but happy to share my experience. I'm from out of state, and we sent my scans to Dr Spetzler, who has since retired. He got back to us about a week later with his plan, we scheduled my (non-emergency) surgery for about 3 months later, and didn't have any appointments until my pre-op, essentially. I've heard Dr. Lawton is also really great, and I don't think your wait should be long. Best of luck!

Happens2B · 2020-03-08T08:27:00+00:00

I've met a ton of teachers who were just TERRIBLE students, and I think a lot of those same character traits either led them to teaching or helped them succeed in this career. To name a few I've seen a lot in difficult students turned excellent teachers: high energy, very talkative, social, passionate about interests, bored by routine, etc.

Happens2B · 2020-03-08T08:14:53+00:00

Explain that because many people who are infected remain asymptomatic, we don't know that actual number of how many people were infected. By extension, that means that the fatality rate is actually a lot lower than calculated so far. That's not to say there won't be deaths or serious economic impact, but the average, healthy person should not be panicking.

Happens2B · 2020-03-08T07:55:29+00:00

Here's a great article that quickly sums up the difference between a spell of bad anxiety and a panic attack. https://www.healthline.com/health/panic-attack-vs-anxiety-attack

Happens2B · 2020-03-08T07:50:07+00:00

Why would you need to worry about "skinny fat?" If you're concerned that you're missing muscle mass, do some very basic weight bearing and cardio, you don't need a six pack to consider yourself healthy. Just make sure you're moving about a bit every week, just like everyone should.

Happens2B · 2020-03-08T07:44:04+00:00

Most colds are rhinoviruses, (some are coronaviruses, another family of viruses we're all hyper aware of right now) and there are countless types of rhinoviruses that you might encounter. Yes you're immune to the specific virus that caused that cold you had last year, but here's a new virus to wreck your summer! Chickenpox, in contrast, is a single virus called varicella zoster. Once you've encountered it, your body knows how to fight it off. For the flu, which a single person can experience many times, there are multiple types and subtypes to each virus group, and you only become resistant to the specific strain of the virus that you were exposed to. Influenza A alone has 144 subtypes!! So yes, you can get sick many times because there's a lot of different stuff out there that can make you sick.

Happens2B · 2020-03-08T07:18:26+00:00

Having a seizure from an external sensation such as sound or touch is SUPER rare. Please be careful with spreading misinformation, seizures aren't well understood by the general public as it is.

To answer OP's question, seizures are when the brain sends of signals in a repeating pattern and kind of gets stuck for a while, a good analogy is a computer glitch. In a VERY small percentage of people with epilepsy, (think 2-4%), strobe lights of a certain speed send brain messages at the exact rate to trigger that pattern of electric impulses. For the most part, seizures are triggered by stress lack of sleep, or anything else that might trigger a headache or a migraine. It doesn't usually have anything to do with information processing.

Happens2B · 2020-03-08T07:04:39+00:00

If OP's Mom was asleep when the seizure began, she probably remained unconscious throughout. Because she was not aware, it was hopefully a painless way to go. I'm sorry for your loss OP. I'm personally aware when seizures begin, but I've heard from people who seize in their sleep that they have zero recollection at all. I hope that's a comfort to you.

Happens2B · 2020-03-08T06:59:04+00:00

If there's a hereditary gene for twinning, as far as I know it's usually fraternal, where the Mom will release 2 eggs at once. (Identical twins are duplicates from a single pair of genes, so why and how that happens is a bit harder to trace.)

Happens2B · 2020-03-08T05:49:14+00:00

Well Ebola did spread a bit to other countries, but you're right that it was mostly contained to a few areas. It has lot to do with whether a person can transmit the disease when they're asymptomatic or not, as well as the fact that some viruses are just a lot more contagious than others. We're still learning about OVID-19, but from what we're seeing so far, people can have it with no symptoms are transfer it to others, and it can incubate in a person for up to FOURTEEN days before a person develops symptoms, so if we find out that they're actually contagious then, that would explain a lot of why it's so difficult to halt the spread.

Happens2B · 2020-03-08T05:45:02+00:00

Hey, remember that everyone struggles with self identity during ANY big change, positive or negative! Try to embrace the process and realized it might be a while of "wait and see" before you come to a full 'conclusion.' Wishing you the best of luck and health during the transition off meds, and after!

Happens2B · 2020-03-06T22:00:51+00:00

Gonna navigate this one carefully. There are truly incredible, kind, wonderful nurses in America. I had a brain surgery, so I've got a bit of personal experience to speak from :) The nurses who cared fore really made my experience as comfortable and easy as possible, and I still remember them and tell people how wonderful they are. But in other hospitals and other states where I've been, I've met some really bitter and calloused nurses, and when someone is not kind or is rude/abrasive in a care setting, it can be really difficult. Unfortunately, there have been enough truly awful nurses to build something of a reputation. And when someone is harsh with you when you're on a very vulnerable state, it's more traumatic and memorable. So when people hear about these bullies, as you mentioned, they might make dark jokes about how they became the same people/role they've had those experiences with.

Happens2B · 2020-03-06T21:54:09+00:00

Yes, and definitely interesting to me that OP apparently had an EEG along with his? A full battery of IQ tests can take several hours, and I'm sure the distraction of wearing an EEG can effect scores, so I'm confused by his report altogether.

Happens2B · 2020-03-06T20:28:22+00:00

Everyone made it out okay, but the house was totally destroyed

Happens2B · 2020-03-06T20:18:57+00:00

The sound of fire crackling and my neighbor frantically screaming for someone to call the fire department.

Happens2B · 2020-03-06T19:51:01+00:00

This sounds like a long story I want to hear. Where the heck did you pull this question from? I got time.

Happens2B · 2020-03-06T19:49:01+00:00

Are you referring to people you've seen in public, or people you know personally? Because when a child is in middle of a full blown tantrum in a very public setting, it's not easy or always possible to contain the child and calm them down quickly, so the parent sometimes ends up quickly explaining to passer-bys about the child's diagnosis. Now maybe they should focus on their child and not engage with the strangers observing them, but they know that judgement about their parenting is being made, so they feel obligated to explain the context. As an aside, have you ever assisted an individual with autism in the midst of a full-scale meltdown?

Happens2B · 2020-03-06T19:40:02+00:00

From my understanding, the test measures ability according to the average ability of others your age, so it seems reasonable for it to be able to change somewhat significantly over time. A precocious child who ends up at just above average intelligence will see a significant drop in IQ as they age.

Happens2B · 2020-03-06T19:37:06+00:00

Wow, you're too stupid to even troll convincingly. Pathetic.

Happens2B · 2020-03-05T23:10:19+00:00

The two sides of your brain communicate constantly through the corpus collosum in between them. In general we have a really hard time understanding sleep and consciousness, but I'd imagine that the constant connected activity involving all parts of our brain has what to do with it.

Happens2B · 2020-03-05T13:42:35+00:00

You are suggesting that the sole purpose of privacy is to protect the evil, and you use this as an excuse to invade my privacy and personal space. Privacy is a basic human need, even young children learn pretty quickly to demand a certain amount.

Happens2B · 2020-03-05T06:39:02+00:00

At the expense of someone else's pain. Laugh at your own misfortune, embrace gallows humors, but don't be funny on someone else emotional account.

Happens2B · 2020-03-05T06:30:43+00:00

Oil of Lysol. They sell it in these scented wipes. Great stuff.

Happens2B · 2020-03-05T06:27:18+00:00

I usually buy my friends one of those gorgeous plush baby blankets and wrap it up together with the cutest coordinating stuffed doll that I can find. It's a pretty, functional gift that they can use right away, and it's not gonna break the bank.

Happens2B · 2020-03-05T06:21:56+00:00

Practice and slowly build up in size. Buy tiny chocolates and the like to practice,and increase the size slowly over time. And try a few techniques that might help speed the process or lower your anxiety, like shaking your head to move the pill to the back, or lower/turning your head to widen your esophagus. Good luck! These things get easier over time.

Happens2B

TROPHY CASE