I had surgery on a bleed (AVM left temporal and parietal lobe) in 1997. I was left with balance, memory and focus problems. I had a sudden Gran Mal seizure, no other warning signs. I have not had a seizure for over a decade. All of a sudden, about a week ago, I started having these weird feelings. I don't know what to call it but dizziness although it is nothing like any dizziness I have felt before.
I am losing my balance and feeling at the edge of passing out. I don't know how else to describe this. I have not seen a Neurologist in a few years and am wondering if I should make an appointment. I don't want to overreact. I have a routine medical appointment tomorrow and will discuss this.
Yes, I do! I had one craniotomy several decades ago, then a few months ago had an embolization and gamma knife. I sometimes get odd feelings that are not the typical "dizzy" feeling but sort of close to that. It's not the same as when I do multiple turns and feel off balance, it's a sort of odd distant fuzzy not-quite-coordinated kind of feeling that is very tough to describe.
If this is something completely new for you, you should make an appointment to see your doctor. It's not overreacting to be concerned about dizziness and loss of balance - those are things you need to check out!
Thank you for posting, Shirasaya. I am going to see my medical doctor today and I suspect that he will refer me to another Neurologist. I am a Vet so use the VA system which is quite good here. My medical doctor is is flight surgeon and knows about all kinds of head injuries so I trust his judgement. Will post about how it goes.
Great plan! Glad to hear that the VA system is doing what you need, I know several vets who have had a tough time getting the services they need including one solder dealing with a TBI.
I'd be very interested to hear what your doctor ends up recommending if you're okay with sharing here in the forum.
Unfortunately, the new Vets are having a much harder time as Congress will not allow funds for more staff. Since I joined the Marines in 1965 I was fortunate. Viet Nam was going on so, even through I did not qualify to go to combat, I am considered a Vietnam era Vet which made it easier. They also need a certain number of women.
If your friend with a TBI has not been able to get the care that he needs tell him to contact his State Senator and Congressman.
Off to my appointment and will write later with a report about what happened.
Hummingbird, do make an appointment with your neurologist. I experienced a different kind of dizziness a few years ago. My neurologist ordered an EEG to check for seizure activity. I'd never had a seizure before. The EEG revealed no seizure activity so my neurologist diagnosed vertigo, which I still get from time to time. Not all seizures are like Grand Mals, so your doctor may want to have you checked for other types, just to be safe. Good luck.
I just got back from my doctor's appointment. He ordered a Cat Scan for the 25th. He will let me know where to go after that. I am to call him if I get worse or have new symptoms.
Thanks for responding! Hummingbird
lindabenschop.com
Hummingbird....My AVM bleed in 2007 also on the left temporal, parietal lobe. Since then, I've been on a seizure med, although I still have simple seizures occasionally. If not taking the med, I have had a Grand Mal, so I'm very careful to stay on top of my med.
When I have the simple seizures I do feel dizzy. Therefore, it is very comment to have seizures when you had a bleed in the area where we did, so please contact your Neuro doctor and discuss it with him.
I am wondering what kind of deficits you had following your surgery since it was in the same location as mine. After surgery I spent 6 months learning to walk and talk again. I have improved a great deal although my memory is shot.
I have been checked for seizures and have not had any for a very long time.
Hummingbird, My AVM was so far back in my brain, it could not be removed via surgery. My only option was radiation, which I had. However, I had a massive brain hemorrhage 6 months after having the radiation.
I didn't have difficulty walking after my rupture, but I did have speech disability and had speech therapy for 2 years. If I am tired, I still have a problem talking. In addition, I have aphasia, seizures and problem with my short term memory.
I'm not sure if you could be having simple seizures, but knowing the area you had surgery, I would mention it to your neuro doctor. Could they start this long after your surgery, I have no idea.
That seemed to work. It must have been my computer!
What signs did you have before the rupture? That must have been very scary. The only warning I had was a Gran Mal and LOC. I don't remember a big chunk of time. My short time memory is getting worse. Part might be aging...LOL
Those are the symptoms that sent me to the ER and finally, after 35 years, getting a correct diagnosis. My neurologist calls these "episodes" seizures. My AVM is still active and although its been over a year since I had the "kind of like dizziness" I struggle with being off balance a lot.
I just got cleared to drive after all of these years. That was before the dizzy feelings but not long before. I was not allowed to drive since 1997 until about 2 months ago. I am so excited to have this freedom. I cannot imagine seizures just suddenly starting after all of these year. Tests on Thursday and dh is driving me.
I had my CT scan without contrast. The Radiologist read it and said that he wanted one with contrast. Somewhere (Mistake!) my chart showed that I was allergic to contrast dye which is not true. They put in the IV and then refused to do it.
Now my doctor will not put in a message that I am NOT allergic to contrast dye until I see an allergist who shows that I am not allergic.
In the meantime I am worrying about what the Radiologist saw!
Shirasaya , I know exactly what you mean, I have been having those for the last 30 years , my doctor referred to them as focal seizures along with losing feeling in parts of my leg and foot at the same time. Would last about 20 seconds or so , sometimes longer , sometimes not as long. this started back in 1986 and went for a cat scan after my first grand mal seizure and I was told I had a brain tumor, that's how big my AVM is. I went into the hospital for surgery to remove a tumor and that's when I found I had the AVM when they did an angio to see what vessels were running through the tumor. They sent me home saying there was nothing they can do. I went to several specialists and with all the negative possibilities I decided to leave it alone and just try to live a normal life as best as I could. This past February I finally had a bleed and went to the emergency room , they stabilized me and did a partial embolization where I had the bleed, just had the second stage done a few week s ago and setting up a third stage soon, I am still on seizure meds and probably will be for the rest of my life, I now have headaches which I never did before, tire so easily, moody and ambivalent, partial numbness in my right hand. Going to end this as I went on long enough, thanks for the ear