Brother with possible cyst

[Discododi]

Hi Everyone,
I am in a sort of "panic and hold" mode right now. My younger brother, (39 next month) has been having headaches, dizziness, near blackouts, recently. He does not take good care of his health, and quite frankly, had to be almost threatened by his wife, and older sister (me) to get in to see his docs. I told him to mention his sis had surgery for colloid cyst in past, and also that we have a sis that had decompression surgery for Arnold Chiari.

He calls me today, and says they called about his CT Scan and that they found a "cyst". He has no more info at present. I sort of hit panic mode thinking "OMG here we go again." Granted, I have no CT results in front of me, and I have not spoken with his doc, but from what he told me, it sounds serious.

My brother is a large man, 6'2, 300lbs. He is also a heavy smoker and drinker. I am scared that if this is a Colloid Cyst, (or any anomoly for that matter) that he would not physically be able to handle the surgery.

I am just in a worry mode. (He used to call me "worry wart" when we were kids) Could it be possible for one family to have one set of siblings have so many occurrances of such rare brain anomolies??? (Colloid Cyst, Arnold Chiari)

Thanks for reading. I am not sure if I expect any responses because as I said we are in the "hold" mode waiting for more info from the MD.

Prayers though, are always appreciated. Thanks Colloid Cyst family, Dodi

[Hopeful]

You, your brother and your family are in my prayers, Dodi. Please keep us posted, and I'll keep praying. Hugs, Hope

[LIZARD]

I am just in a worry mode. (He used to call me "worry wart" when we were kids) Could it be possible for one family to have one set of siblings have so many occurrances of such rare brain anomolies??? (Colloid Cyst, Arnold Chiari)

((((((((((((DodiDarlin')))))))))))))))). :(

I'm so sorry, hon'. :( I can say that such things can certainly recur in families, though. You know about me. You may or may not know about my son. (See siggy.) I have to admit that the first thing I thought when we found out about his Chiari was, "Okay, God...this freakin' joke isn't funny...What the hell...:( :mad: " I have since learned that such things are not all that unusual, even though I have been repeatedly been assured that it is, and that my hydro has nothing to do with his Chiari, but how can I dismiss the possibility?? :(

Please keep me up to date, okay??

((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))),

LIZARD :(

[BambiVA]

Dodi, I went through the same thing with my only daughter she has been having very bad headaches. We did not think twice to getting her to a doctor.

The only thing she was worried about was cutting her hair and shaving her head.:o

Thank GOD she only is having migraines (we can deal with that with meds) I don't think anyone knows if they are heriditary or not. Now they say migraines are hereditary. I don't recall my mother or father ever having migraine headaches. Must of been something she got from her fathers side.:rolleyes:


Hope all turns out well for your brother and family

~Bambi~

[chunky]

Hi Dodi, so sorry to hear about your brother, I pray that you will be a strong support and comfort for your brother, know that he is in our prayers out here.
Donna

[LIZARD]

Dodi, I went through the same thing with my only daughter she has been having very bad headaches. We did not think twice to getting her to a doctor.

The only thing she was worried about was cutting her hair and shaving her head.:o

How old is she? I'm asking because I had my last shunt surgery at 13, and although I of course feared death and severe disability, I was also mortified over the idea of "looking like a freak." I was entering 8th grade, in a brand-new school, and believe me when I tell you that 13 yo kids are consumed with such thoughts, especially when they're subjected to the degree of bullying that I had been. :( I understand her thinking completely, especially after having been tortured by relentless taunts and then going through the nightmare of starting back to school with half my head shaved. :( Thank God, I got a much better reception at my new school. The only awkwardness was being asked a couple of times if it was cancer.


LIZARD :)

[BambiVA]

My daughter is 21 yoa and in her senior year of college. With long blonde hair down to the middle of her back.

I can remember when I had my surgery I went got my hair cut very short. 1 month after my surgery I went and got my hair cut evened with the growing out part from the surgery. But when it came it had a lot gray around the surgery site.

~Bambi~

[Serenia_Saissa]

When I had my surgery, I was 220 pounds. I lost 15 pounds, but have since regained almost all of it back some 3 months later. :(

I also have a heart problem as well, but since my heart coped quite well with a 9 months pregnancy, the doctors were not worried about a 4 hour surgery.

My spouse is also a large man. He's 6'1 and 350 pounds. He cant get an MRI, because there are no machines big enough in our city to handle his weight. But he can cope with surgery since he's had several surgeries in the last few years.

The smoking and drinking however we don't do. For your brother, that should really STOP, ASAP, for the sake of his health.

And yes, I think it's perfectly possible for siblings to all have similar brain problems as it could be genetic.

[LaraLei]

When I had my surgery, I was 220 pounds. I lost 15 pounds, but have since regained almost all of it back some 3 months later. :(

I think I was 210 at my surgery time... who knows now, I sat around for two months doing nothing but eat...


The smoking and drinking however we don't do. For your brother, that should really STOP, ASAP, for the sake of his health.

I smoked pre-surgery, but my doc made me stop, and my family reinforced it. Doc said it could cause a clot. And then what would the purpose have been to go through all the trouble of surgery...

[LaraLei]

Thanks for reading. I am not sure if I expect any responses because as I said we are in the "hold" mode waiting for more info from the MD.

Any update?

[Discododi]

Hi LaraLei,
Thanks for asking. Yes, they did find a cyst, but it is not a colloid cyst. It is completely different, and in a different area of the brain. I also found out that my mother had had a cyst on her brain diagnosed many years ago when we were just kids. My family says her doctors always talked about taking it out, but she would never allow the surgery. My mother died a few years ago, at a very young age, @ 54 yoa. The cause was cirrosis due to alcohol abuse. Funny, I never really knew any details about her cyst, still don't.

Please keep my brother in your thoughts, and prayers. I will try to give more info as I get it. Thanks, Dodi

[chunky]

Hi Dodi, I want to offer my concern and prayers on your brother's behalf. We have mentioned on several occasions if all this "stuff" was hereditary... It appears as tho it may be so, my Mom died at the age of 85, but she had a strong history of grand mal siezures, she may have had a cyst, but being born in 1901, they did not do much in the way of dagnostics, and just burshed off the seizures as an epileptic. Please know that your are in my prayers and many others here who follow regularly. Keep us posted.
Donna

[Spinolio]

Good luck with everything, I hope all goes well.