Complications From Brain Surgery


My wife underwent brain surgery 5 weeks ago after suffering with nearly debilitating headaches for the last 4 years, as well as several other neurological symptoms; including memory and word loss, dizziness, falling along with the previously mentioned unrelenting headaches. Before getting a proper diagnosis she saw 4 Neurologists (being diagnosed with Occipital Neuralgia, Ice Pick Headaches, Migraines, Cluster Migraines) the last of which had her get an up to date MRI where a Chiari Malformation was found. I had never even heard of this before. She was directed to see a Neurosurgeon.

MRI’s are nothing new to my wife, she turned 40 this year and has already had 4 shoulder surgeries, a herniation operated on and now this brain surgery.

She saw the Neurosurgeon in May 2018 and underwent surgery July 9, 2018. I am a disabled Veteran (With a TBI of my own) and have a fixed income. We have insurance coverage but it is not enough to cover our bills with one income. Due to this my wife tried to start working from home to help our family, however it was way too soon and now she has a complication and can not work (she is the General Manager at a Manufacturing Company). This has been extremely hard on her. She is used to working, doing things independently, being a hands on mom and feeling confidence with her intelligence. The attributes my wife has are many, however her self esteem has suffered a great deal with her inability to remember things.

Right now she can’t drive and her summer has been spent in the house with only short trips outside or to the hospital.  A few days ago she fell down a flight of oak steps, head over feet and has bruising all over, thank God she did not hit the back of her skull where the area of the suboccipital bone has been removed. She is so concerned about helping to provide for the family that she is putting her own long term well being aside to make sure she can get our kids what they need for school, to help with our mortgage and medical bills that are still adding up and if the second surgery comes will multiply a great deal. She went for a follow up and she told her Doctor that she had been getting bulging in the back of her head. She had a CT scan completed and we found out that she is having a complication called pseudomeningocele. She has cerebral spinal fluid collecting under her skin.

Her Dr. wants her to be off work 2 additional months when he will have another cat scan performed to decide if she needs an additional surgery.We are not looking for “fun” money, we just want to keep up the best we can so that she isn’t jeopardizing her health more trying to earn money. I keep telling her she needs to give herself time to heal. I humble myself to create this page and seek a little help while we need it. We will pay it forward once able, our two sons and I just want their mom/wife back to normal or whatever our new normal will be. Any amount is appreciated, even a $1.00 and believe me when we say we know the value of a dollar, so anything that anyone is able to do is beyond appreciated. We don’t ask for help usually. We have even had friends get my kids school supplies. Anything that anyone can do, I assure you we don’t take it for granted. God Bless.