Managing Your Brain Cyst

So you have a brain cyst. You've been diagnosed by a doctor that you, in fact, have a cyst growing on your brain. You know that you have been dealing with some strange symptoms and possibly pain. You want to get things under control and try to get back to a normal life. Well, you may not be able to get back to the life you once knew, but you can do things to help some of your symptoms.

First and foremost, make sure you:

• Get plenty of rest -- You may find that you are not sleeping as well as you used to before the cyst got to the point of causing symptoms. But that shouldn't stop you from trying to keep getting a good night's sleep.  If you are having trouble sleeping, figure out which symptoms are the most pronounced at night, and be creative with things you can do to help you sleep - and I mean, sleep either through the night, sleep more comfortably, whatever it is that you're having problems with. Take a nap during the day to help give you what you missed at night. The more you can rest, the better you will not only be able to deal with the physical symptoms you get, but your emotional status will be more intact and able to handle dealing with your condition. If you can, try to avoid taking too many sleep aids or any at all. Many sleep aids contain ingredients that may aggravate your neurological system, your symptoms, and your state of mind. Try all-natural sleep enhancers; such as, warm milk, warm decaffeinated tea such as Chamomile, or a warm bath or shower to relax you, just before bed.
• Eat properly -- Diet plays a big role in your situation. When you have a brain cyst, you, more than likely will suffer neurological symptoms; maybe even neurological damage. There are lots of foods and products that are hard on the neurological system. To keep your neurological system intact as much as possible, and prevent it from going into a meltdown or aggravating it more, watch what you eat. Some foods you should reduce or steer clear of altogether are: Caffeine, too much sugar, too much red meat, diet products that contain Aspartame, too much fat, too much salt, and spicey foods may aggravate your condition. Whatever you find outside this list that aggravates your condition or gives you flare-ups, you need to stay away from.
• Exercise --  You may not always feel like exercising, but it is important to get some exercise on a regular basis, if not, a daily basis. Even if you just take a casual walk around your neighborhood, or do light, floor exercises, try to do something every day. At the least, multiple times each week. This will help, not only with your physical stamina, but your mental stamina as well. It can help keep you in a positive frame of mind, especially because exercise causes the release of endorphins in your brain, which is a natural "feel good" hormone. Living with a neurological problem can bring you down, so be sure to do things that help boost your frame of mind.
• Try to keep things normal - Ok, so now you are running to doctors and having bad days. You may feel like, on some days, just crawling into bed or curling up on the couch under a blanket and retreating into a funk - all day. But this can bring you down. Eventually your body will start to notice things aren't normal, and it will start reacting, accordingly. You may not always be able to do all the things and activities you used to do, or want to do, and that is okay - and it's expected. But what you can do, try to keep doing it. You may have to adjust your schedule to fit your new condition, or create a whole new schedule. And that is ok. So long as you try to keep your life as active and as normal as you possibly can to prevent too much down time. Too much down time only allows depression to sink in, and allows your body to get used to being too complacent.
• Rest - Of course you do need extra rest! Yes, you want to try to continue to live a normal life, and keep your routine as normal as much as possible. However.....you need rest, and extra rest, at that! If you find yourself feeling bad or getting too weary, rest. If you are tired and don't have the strength to go on in the day, take a nap. Even a short nap can revitalize you enough to get through the day.
• Seek professional counseling - If you find that your diagnosis, and how you feel physically, is just too much to handle, don't hesitate to seek professional counseling. There are counselors who specialize in helping people deal with medical conditions and changes in their life due to them. If you feel yourself getting depressed over your brain condition and/or brain cyst, talk to someone. Not only can the changes in your life get you down, but brain cysts can also put pressure on areas of the brain that deal with your "coping mechanisms," making it more difficult for you to deal with your situation. You may need a little extra help in dealing with your condition so you can cope.

It is very important that you take care of yourself when you have a brain cyst, a Chiari Malformation, or any brain issue. Without our brains, our entire bodies can fail. Be good to yourself. That is the important, and key issue. Always be aware of what your body is doing and trying to tell you. Get in touch with yourself and your body, and put your brain first!

Are You Serious About Your Healthcare?

So you have a medical concern that you want to have checked out. You go to your doctor, you voice your concerns and complaints about how you are feeling, and request "something" be done.

Your doctor takes the time to set up tests and more appointments. You thank him and leave, having every intention to go to your upcoming appointments.  After all, you are anxious to find out what is going on that makes you feel bad.

Your appointment rolls around, but.....something has come up. Maybe it's something to do with work, maybe you didn't find a babysitter for your kids, or possibly, you just decide you don't want to go. Sometimes, you can feel really bad for a while and you are dying to find out why. At the time, you'd go to any test or appointment made. But if things suddenly let up at all and you get to feeling a little better, suddenly you think you "are" better and cancel your appointment with the specialist - your tests, or your follow-ups with your primary physician. Whatever was scheduled for you, you suddenly don't think you need anymore, or you don't "want" anymore, and you cancel.

Bad idea!  Here's why.......

1. Medical issues are funny - Not funny, "ha-ha," but funny, "Strange." They can flare-up for a while, subside, then flare-up again. You can have strange symptoms that are persistent for a while, then as mysteriously as they came-on, they subside. And they can return, and when they do....they may be worse than when they originally started.
2. Wait-time to be seen is prolonged - If you postpone your appointment, you may have to wait longer to be seen or have your test re-scheduled. If you suddenly wanted to re-schedule, you may not be able to get in for a while due to booking issues. This can cause problems with your health, as well as put pressure on your doctor's office to fit you in where there isn't room.
3. Doctor doesn't take you seriously - If you cancel or re-schedule appointments often or even every now and then, your doctor and doctor's office will begin to not take you seriously. They will think that your problem obviously isn't too serious, if you cancel appointments; after all, if it were, you would keep your appointments and be there - with bells on!

When you see your doctor, if you are scheduled for a follow-up or a test, you need to do your absolute best to keep the appointment. If you need to go home and look at your schedule first, before you set up the next appointment, let them know, but be sure to give them a call as soon as possible.

If there is by chance a conflict in scheduling, with your next appointment, whether it be for a test, or to see your doctor again, let them know right away and set up another time that you are sure you can keep.

If you have had an unforeseen issue pop-up that you just cannot avoid - your child gets sick, your car breaks down, something that you really cannot help and need another appointment time, call as soon as you can and re-schedule it for as soon as you can.

The more diligent you are about keeping appointments, it lets your doctor and his staff know that you are serious about your health. You are telling your doctor and staff that you really want to get better and you care - not only about your health, but about his time. You care that he has blocked off a time slot for you and want to make sure you get in, to fill that slot.

Some doctor's offices, today, will give you one freebie to miss an appointment, and then they will charge you about $25.00 (or more) for missing and not cancelling in a specific amount of time.

The more serious you are about your problem and your health, the more apt you are to keep appointments. You want to build a good relationship with your doctor, and by keeping appointments and following his recommendations, you are saying you are serious and you care - about you....and about him!

My Interview - Greensboro Glimpses

Hi all!

I wanted to post a link to an interview I did a while back.  It was for a local TV show called, "Greensboro Glimpses."  It was my first TV interview; ever, and although the interview-itself went pretty well, I can see how I didn't feel well that day.  I'm very critical of myself anymore, and I notice things, like the color being off in my cheeks and skin.  I see how my right eyelid was drooping significantly that day, and was glad that I was sitting so that my right eye was furthest from the camera during the interview. You only saw it every now and then, but to me, it was still very noticeable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO0PWFO9ZlU

Well, I just wanted to share. There was a second interview with them that may have been a bit better - I've yet to watch it.  Once I locate it, I will post it, too. 

I hope all of you are doing well; feeling well, and feeling happy.  If ever any of you have any questions or comments for me, please feel free to contact me.

Remember, what you are feeling isn't "All in Your Head." And you are not alone!

http://www.amazon.com/Its-Your-Head-Maria-McCutchen/dp/1613460716/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364215875&sr=1-1&keywords=it%27s+all+in+your+head+maria+mccutchen

It's All in Your Head, by Maria McCutchen

"It's all in Your Head."  Has a doctor ever told you or made you feel your problems were "all in your head," when you knew it was much more than just a mental problem.....it was a real physical, medical problem?

Read my story, "It's all in Your Head," and see just how serious my problems were, that doctors tried to blow off!

One of Those Weeks!

It was going to be one of those weeks.  I knew it from the moment my computer got a bad virus and I couldn't find my computer people to help me. They were out of town. I had to take it to Staples which charges a lot more to remove a virus, but with little choice, there went a lot of money I didn't really have.

The next morning I had to drive across town to have State Farm look at some damage on my vehicle, from being in a fender bender the month before. After leaving State Farm, I was headed down the freeway - home, when I noticed my car was no longer running. It had just shut off and I had no power. I could hardly move the steering wheel, and my brakes were hard to push. But I made it over to the side of the highway. It was then, as I started digging around my purse, that I realized my cell phone was at home, on the counter, charging.

I had my standard poodle, Murphy with me, so there was no walking to the exit, which was really too far for me to walk to anyways. So I got out and put my hood up to signify that I was having trouble, but still; car after car, truck after truck, whizzed by me without stopping. That was hard enough to watch, but when a police car went by and didn't stop, that really hurt!  I was shocked! Disappointed and shocked.

Over an hour I sat there before finally, a pick-up truck pulled over.  I was nervous, but knew I needed help and an older, scruffy looking man got out and came to my window to check on me. I cracked my window to talk to him. He sensed my nervousness and explained that that was his job, to drive up and down the highway looking for motorists he could help, that were in trouble.  I felt better and rolled my window the rest of the way down. 

He tooled around under my hood, added some gas to my tank (just in case), but it wouldn't crank. I used his phone to call AAA, and was told it would be about 45 min. So there Murphy and I sat, for not just 45 more minutes, but over an hour. AAA finally came and hoisted my van up on their truck bed, and off to the garage we went. My fuel pump had gone, I was told. It would be $900.00 to fix it, plus the cost of a rental. Feeling defeated, and with no other option, I told them to go ahead and fix it.

It was a long day that day and I couldn't help but wonder what was in store next. I had always heard these types of things come in three's, and so, I was going to keep my eyes peeled for number 3 of my bad luck streak! And then, there it was - the day after I got my car back, that very next morning, my "number three" came.

It was dark outside. I had woken up early and decided to get a little writing done, but needed to let Murphy out and put the garbage out on the back deck. Everything looked normal, and without thinking about it, I stepped out onto the deck to set the bag there. Without warning, my right foot started sliding out in front of me and suddenly I was down. I was on the ground with the appearance that I was trying to do the splits. My knee hurt, my toe was killing me, and I could hardly get up.

I knew within minutes of getting inside that I'd broken my big toe on my right foot. I've broken enough toes over the years, that it's an all-too-familiar pain, and if that wasn't enough to tell me, then the foot and toe bruising-up, and swelling to the point where I couldn't put on a shoe, was.

I have been in pain for a couple weeks now, though it's lessening, but it still hurts. Especially if I try to wear certain shoes. But most of all, my faith took a bruising. I kept finding myself asking, "Why?" "Why me?" And when I'd think about it long enough, I would find the answer - "Why not me?" Just because I've been through all I've been through in my lifetime, doesn't mean I'm exempt from having "life" happen to, and around me. I am just as susceptible to having bad things happen to me as anyone. And they sure did that week.

It took many days to get past that week and actually, I'm still trying to get past that week. I still don't feel up to par after the exhausting week I had. That's how it is, too, when stressful things happen to me, it can take a very long time to recoup from them. I don't bounce back as quickly as I used to.

Well, I did survive my week of horror, and I can't help but think that I am glad the saying goes, that things like that tend to come in 3's, and not 4's, because I'm not so sure I could have handled another crisis! I was barely able to handle the 3 things that did happen that week- as it is!

What Does a Brain Cyst Look Like?

http://www.gouttreatmenttip.com A cyst is a fluid-filled sac and typically, the fluid is a clear liquid that is easy to detect on film.  A brain cyst, then, is no different.  It is a fluid-filled sac and sits on the brain. They can be quite small, or quite large.

My particular cyst is quite large, as I've mentioned before, taking up over a 1/3 of my brain. It covers the whole back portion of my brain and wraps around to the right of my brain.  If you have never seen a brain cyst, here are a few pictures of a cyst.

This picture is similar to the pictures of mine.  This is an MRI, showing someone's cyst at the back of the brain. The white, clear area is the cyst. Typically you would see the brain extending to that area and not a light, clear looking area with no brain visible. This is only because the brain is hidden behind the cyst; however.

My particular cyst takes up the entire back portion of the brain, even extending up the back of the brain, and wrapping around to the right of my brain. My cyst is so large, it doesn't leave much of my brain truly visible.  When I first looked at my films, I thought my brain was gone. But I was assured that my brain is still there; it's just hiding beneath the cyst.

Today, my brain sags, which means that on top of the brain, my dura matter, is visible when it shouldn't be.  What else is visible is that my brain stem has herniated into my spine.

I will download some of my own, personal MRIs soon and post them.  But this gives you an idea of what a large, Posterior Fossa Arachnoid Cyst looks like.


    

Podcast about Arachnoid Cysts and my book, "It's all in Your Head"

Some time ago, I did an interview, a Podcast, with Morgen Bailey.  If you'd like to hear the interview, follow the link below:

http://morgensauthorinterviews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/author-interview-no468-with-writer.html

And here is the commercial for my book: "It's all in Your Head."

I haven't posted it in a while:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XSAXC2UTqk

Please share both of these with others.  That would be the biggest compliment....and help, to me!

Thanks all!

Could Your Child Have a Brain Cyst?

No one wants to see their child hurt or in pain. We want to protect our children, and we will go to any length to see that they are. We will do anything to keep them healthy and happy.

Many things that children develop with their health, are noticeable - the common cold, the flu, a boo-boo from play. But there are plenty of things that a child can develop that are not as easily seen or known what it is. A brain cyst can be one of those medical conditions that although you see outward ramifications of a problem, you don't see the cause. You don't see the culprit. It is these types of medical problems that can be the most tricky to get diagnosed.

Brain cysts can sit on the brain for years - for a lifetime, and never get noticed. Why? Because many do not create symptoms. They don't create problems. And for those where that is the case, you are lucky. You are fortunate. But for those who have a brain cyst where symptoms do arise, and those symptoms are the result of the brain cyst, it can be a horrific and frightening experience. For children, I can imagine it is even more frightening because they do not know how to communicate their symptoms. They do not know how to discern what is supposed to be normal and what is not. Especially very young children. So it is up to us, as parents, to monitor our children and their health. It is up to us to pick-up on changes in their behavior and their physical wellbeing, and to be able to discern what is normal for them, and what is not.

Brain cysts can cause such a wide variety of symptoms and a lot has to do with the type of brain cyst it is and where it has planted itself and decided to grow. There are multiple types of brain cysts. They can grow on any part of the brain, and at any level - meaning, any layer, or covering of the brain; for instance, an Arachnoid Cyst grows on the Arachnoid covering (the third covering, or layer of coverings) of the brain.

There are several things that can affect the symptoms produced by a brain cyst. Depending on where the cyst is growing, this will play a role in the types of symptoms your child may develop. However; as a general rule, there are some general symptoms and tell-tell signs that you would watch out for that could indicate a problem with the brain; such as a brain cyst.

If you notice your child starts to have changes in, or difficulties with these issues, you should have your child checked by a neurologist. It can be a couple of issues or many, that he develops. But if anything seems to come on out of no where, and especially if it persists, keep a close eye on it and seek medical attention.

• Excessive crying - For a baby or toddler, there is no consoling the crying. 
• Difficulties with memory - Especially short-term memory can be effected.
• Balance issues - He tends to sway, trip, or fall often.
• Visual disturbances - Irregularities in pupils. If old enough, he may complain of vision problems-changes that seem to come out of nowhere.
• Head pain - Complains of head pain, or if too young to complain, holds his head, or pulls at her hair or ears.
• Nausea and vomiting - Spontaneous nausea and vomitting and for what seems to be no reason - no stomach bug or fever associated. Comes on for no reason, or out of nowhere.
• Sleeps a lot. Always tired or drowsy. No energy.
• Numbness - He complains of numbness in extremities. Especially often.
• Dizziness - He seems to get dizzy for no reason and often.
• Personality - Noticeable changes in personality, and what seems to be sudden changes.
• Memory - This can be more noticeable in older children. Suddenly they have difficulty remembering things from their short-term memory; like, what they learned in school that day.
• Breathing - Noticeable changes in breathing; either while asleep or awake; such as, sleep apnea. If he's old enough, he may complain of not being able to breath "right," or "good."

Anything that seems to be out of the norm, or out of the ordinary for your child, should be noted. One of the best ways to keep track of symptoms, or regular, irregularities, is to keep a symptom diary. If you notice things about your infant, or your older child is complaining of things regularly, start making note of it - keep a journal and make sure your doctor is aware by giving him a copy.

The more organized, and the more diligent you are with keeping records, the easier it will be to find the root of the problem.

Having your child followed by a neurologist if you notice these issues, is a good idea. If your doctor doesn't suggest it, you may ask if you can get an MRI of your child's brain. A Cat Scan does not show the detail like an MRI does, so be sure to request an MRI.

Merry Christmas!

As this year comes to an end, I hope that all of you had a very Merry Christmas, and will have a Happy New Year!  Any big plans?

My Christmas was low-keyed with just me and my boys.  My ex-husband got the boys for the second half of Christmas today, and they are spending the night with him.  I hated giving them up for any part of Christmas; however, I was so beat at the end of today, that a night to myself was kind of welcomed.  I just don't have the energy I used to.  My Chiari and especially my brain sagging, sap the energy out of me.  I feel as if I am running in 1st gear all of the time.  I can never get up enough speed to get me really going, and if I do get some energy, by small chance, it never lasts. Not long anyways.

But all-in-all, Christmas was nice.  It was low-keyed and it was spent with my boys and that's all that matters to me.  Did I feel real well today for Christmas?  The answer is no.  I was worried because this morning started off with me feeling pretty lousy.  My head hurt - it felt strange, and when my head feels the way it did this morning, it affects every part of my body.  I feel like every group of my body's organs is working on its own schedule, on its own time, and they all have a mind of their own.  I will feel strange and and not myself at all.  Well, not my old self, anyways.

These strange feelings I experience may subside, or they may stick around all day -- leaving me to struggle through my day, and struggle to get done, what I need to get done.  I worried about that this morning, with having so much to do to get ready for Christmas with the boys, and it wasn't until after noon, that some of the symptoms lessened.  But at least they did lessen and I was able to get Christmas presents opened, dinner completed, and we had a nice day; all-in-all.

So, for small miracles, I am thankful.  Every day I try to find one thing I am thankful for, and today, I was thankful that I made it through Christmas day.  I was able to give my boys a fairly good Christmas with no major incident.  But I am going to be honest here, as much as I love the season, I have to say.....I am glad it is over!  All the preparation it requires; shopping, cooking, decorating, etc.  So, another year down, and now -- I am looking forward to next year.  I think it will be a better year.  I am counting on it.  And for all of you -- my followers, I pray that you too, will have a wonderful year this coming year.  I pray it will be full of promising things and above all -- good health!

What's it Like to be me?

Life in general can be tough, but especially when you have any form of a disability.  Disabilities of any kind can make life a challenge; and for me, I live with multiple issues/debilitating issues, and face multiple challenges.  I suffer with multiple physical disabilities that affect my mind and my body.

It's hard enough to live with one or the other of the disabilities. But to have both, has been a mental and emotional challenge beyond any challenge I've ever faced in my lifetime.  There have been days where I have thought, " How do I go on?"  "If I were to happen to live into, say, my seventies, how would I be able to do that?"  "How would I get through, day-to-day for the next thirty years, living like this?"  So, because I have no real good answer for that....most times, I try to put that thought out of my mind.  But every now and then, because I'm hungry for answers, I will ponder it.  I think about it and try to imagine the next thirty-plus years of my life, living with the conditions that I do, and I get very nervous.  Scared even.

Of course there are physical symptoms and issues related to my cyst, my shunt, my brain sagging, and the Chiari.  But what I have found, over the years, is that there are days that the mental affects of my brain cyst and other brain issues are possibly even harder to live with than the physical disabilities.

Unless you have been there and lived with anything remotely close, then it's really difficult to fully explain and describe, what it is I live with, so that you can get a full picture, and truly understand.  But I am going to do my best.  I would like to describe what a day in the life of Maria is like, with "brain symptoms," and mental inadequacies:

- Disoriented - When I wake up in the morning, I feel disoriented.  My head aches, I feel dizzy, disoriented and out of sorts.  I cannot think clearly, see clearly, and am very off balance.  What is going on is that my brain has been in the lying down position, so once I'm up, it begins to sag and I can actually, physically feel it dropping - slipping downward.  It takes about an hour before I start to feel more connected with reality.  Some days I start to feel quite a bit better, while other days, even waiting the hour or so doesn't help.  I will continue to feel disoriented and "not good," after I've waited my hour or more.  When this happens, I can pretty much count on it not being a good day throughout, all day long.

- My balance - My balance is so bad that I spend the greater part of the day fighting to stay upright.  I bounce into walls, door frames, counters, you name it.  If my balance is really bad that day, I have to pick and choose what is important to do - such as, picking things up off the floor.  If it's something that can wait until my boys get home, I will choose to do that because I don't want to risk falling over or bumping into things, etc.  Going up or down stairs will be a major ordeal and something I have grown to dread with a passion.

- Dropping things - I drop things, a lot.  If my day isn't going well, then I will usually dread even the slightest task; such as putting dishes away.  I find I drop things more on some days than others, but every day I drop multiple things.  I hate days that I am so clumsy because even showering is a big task, not only with my balance, but dropping shampoo bottles, my razor, and of course....the soap.  On bad days, I will spend half the time trying to pick up the items from the shower floor, so showering can take me longer.  I will have to lean on the shower wall to wash and rinse my hair and hold onto everything extra tight.

- Pain - Pain is something I have most every day of my life in one way or another.  Some days are worse than others.  I feel fortunate that with all that I live with, my pain level is not that horrific, however it "is" pain nonetheless. So for pain, when I have it, I will take some Motrin or Tylenol.  Nothing strong.  Nothing powerful.  Usually either one of those will give me some relief, but usually the over-the-counter pain meds don't take the pain completely away.  But it will at least make it bearable.

- My vision - This is another very annoying symptom for me.  I have developed very blurry vision -especially in my left eye, over the past few years.  Driving has become a task I dread because if I forget my glasses, I will have a very hard time seeing, and some days are worse than others with how well I see.  And with driving comes reading street signs.  That is also very difficult for me.  The world around me, in general, is blurry.  I have to fight to see street lights and what color they are. The TV will look blurry to me, and more.  It is one of the biggest problems I deal with.  I find myself closing one eye a lot, just to see straight.  Yes, my vision definitely bothers me - a lot!  I may look into laser eye surgery in the near future.

- Tired - Sleepy - I get sleepy easily and especially in the middle of the day.  Suddenly I will feel like I need a nap and I have to take one.  I used to never be a nap person, but for the past year and a half or so, I have needed a nap or two during the day for a while and when it hits - it hits.  I will have no control over my sleepiness.

There are other issues, but these are the most prominent and most annoying.  Sometimes I hope and pray they get better, and other times, I just work on trying to accept everything, and accept who I am today.

Whenever I feel I've accepted myself and my shortcomings, I will have another bad day that makes me realize I haven't accepted my new self, because I feel myself and notice myself getting really upset at, "me."  Then I have days that I feel ok about who I am today.  I am ok with my disability, for the most part....but there are those days when it really hits me hard that I am no longer the person I used to be, and I will mourn the loss.

Get Pain Relief with a TENS Unit

Many people deal with pain on a regular basis. Pain on a regular basis is chronic pain. Pain that has s sudden onset and lasts a shorter time is acute pain. Chronic pain can be some of the toughest pain. It can be harder to deal with mentally, it can be toughest to live with, over acute pain, because it's pain on a regular basis. It can also be some of the toughest type of pain to treat.


If you have pain issues; whether it is from a medical condition, an accident, or another reason, your doctor may suggest you use a TENS Unit (Transcutneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator), to help treat and control your pain level.

TENS Units send electrical impulses to specific areas of the body to block pain signals. The electrical impulses are mild, but they have the ability to block pain messages from being transmitted to the brain. They also may play a role in raising the level of endorphins released by the brain.

Your doctor may also order a muscle stimulator, or a combination unit. At LGMEDSUPPLY, you can find multiple types of muscle pain reliever, known as a LG-TEC Dual Combo TENS Unit and Muscle Stimulator. You can also find TENS Units that are pocket sized, portable, and battery-operated - they go where you go.

From a TENS unit, the electrical impulses are mild, but they have the ability to block pain messages from being transmitted to the brain. They also may play a role in raising the level of endorphins released by the brain.

You can visit LGMedsupply online to learn about the different products and find the one that will best give you relief from muscle pain and soreness. You can also visit the online customer blog to learn more about the products and how they have helped other customers.

Happy Halloween! Moving again!

So, it's Halloween night.  I hope everyone is having a spooktacular Halloween!

My boys went trick-or-treating with a friend and are home now - getting ready for bed so they can get up and go to school tomorrow....on a sugar high!  Tomorrow I have to go look at this house that I am going to rent, to show my dad, who is here in town until Friday.  I am moving into this house December 1st  - and thank goodness!  I have been in this condo since the first of June and it has proven to be very tough for me to live here!  Just very tough with my physical circumstances. 

First of all, it is a condo on the second floor.  When you come in the door, you immediately go up a lot of steps to get to the living area.  With my health and my condition - steps are no longer my friend.  They are most definitely my enemy!  I have to go up.....and down them very slowly.  My balance is horrible these days, so I have fallen down them, and "up" them.

It's also difficult for me here with my dog, Murphy.  Murphy is a big standard poodle, and because I cannot walk him, due to his strength and my balance, I put him on an "in-the-ground" leash so that he can walk around the yard on his own.  But I have to be out there with him - and I trip on his leash easily, he doesn't listen 100% of the time, and it's just difficult.  Other issues here too, and am just weary.  The new house will have a fenced-in yard, and the boys will have their own rooms - they have to share here.  One of the biggest positives is that there will be no one living below me there, like there is here.  With 2 boys, you can imagine what that is like for the elderly lady living below me.  She calls time-to-time to tell me, "I don't know what the boys are doing, but it is soooo loud!"  : ))  Frustrating!

So, anyways, am very much looking forward to having a regular house again.  I don't know why I chose this place to begin with.  Not a smart move on my part.

Moving is difficult for me too, though.  All the packing, collecting of boxes, getting newspapers to wrap things in.  Just sooo much work and soooo little energy.  Especially because I just went through this move back at the beginning of June.  And.....moved 3 times in less than 2 years.  This will be my 4th move in less than 3 years.  Wow.  Ridiculous!  Not good for someone with all the medical problems I have.  I do all the packing and unpacking myself, and I am flat out of steam!!  And....the cost of moving!  That is huge for me!  I am not rich - just the opposite really.  So moving expenses are killing me!

But, all-in-all, I am just so thankful I found this house!  It is a blessing to have found it!  It is just so conducive to my health and my situation.  I hope it ends up being and staying that way for me and the boys.  I hope that I am finally satisfied and happy there.

Well, will update as the move happens.  Oh, and am still waiting to hear from disability.  I have been medically approved for disability.  Now, they are reviewing my financial situation to see what I qualify for......if anything.  I better get something.  That's all I know.  I need it and I have invested a lot of time and energy to get it.

Well, Happy Halloween.  I hope everyone had a safe and fun, Spook night!

Look for another posting real soon.

Getting Comfort With the Foot Sleep Guard

Sleeping comfortably goes beyond having a comfortable mattress. Getting a comfortable night's sleep can be related to keeping your feet and legs comfortable, too. Many people suffer with conditions related to their feet and legs, but many times, they do not put any thought into keeping them comfortable when they sleep.


There are many medical conditions that can cause your legs to ache, even hurt at night while you try to get a good night's sleep. You can have something as simple as a muscle pull or strain, or you may have a much more involved condition, such as:

• Varicose veins
• Myalgia
• Restless leg syndrome
• Osteoporosis
• Fracture or break
• Arthritis
• Vascular problems
• Gout
• Knee or hip replacement
• Diabetic conditions
• Parkinson's

Whatever your medical condition, you want comfort when you sleep. Although comfort is very important, so is keeping a healthy blood flow to your legs and feet. Depending on your condition, it may even be critical.

You can achieve healthy blood flow to your feet and legs as well as achieve a level of comfort to help you sleep, with the FootSleepGuard. The FootSleepGuard is a sturdy lift for your blanket and/or covers. It helps you to get good flow to your legs and feet, as well as keep them from becoming irritated, aching, and sore with covers that may constrict or obstruct blood flow.

Unlike many products that are fixated to the bed, the FootSleepGuard is not. FootSleepGuard sits on top of the mattress, and can be moved or removed easily. It is lightweight, yet sturdy. Made of PVC piping, it can hold up the heaviest of covers and Sized to roughly take up one-half the width of a queen size bed so that your feet and legs have ample room while you sleep. Other great benefits are:

• Blanket lift
• Sturdiest blanket support and foot cradle on the market
• Quick and easy handling
• Collapsible and removable from the bed for easy daytime storage, with the push of one button
• Will not disturb your partner’s sleep
• Great for pillow-top mattresses or any other type of mattress
• The FootSleepGuard will fold flat and travel with you in an overnight bag
• Reasonably priced
• Easy to clean and sanitize
• Works for all mattress types - including pillow top

There are many reasons why you should try the FootSleepGuard: It is easy to clean as well as it is easily folded up to store at home, or to take with you when you travel. In the set up position, it consumes about one-half the width of a queen-sized bed.

Give your feet and legs a good night's sleep, too, with FootSleepGuard. With FootSleepGuard, you can rest peacefully, and painlessly while your feet and legs are pampered. So why not give your feet and legs years of comfort while you sleep, with the FootSleepGuard?

Brain Cysts Have Walls

My second MRI wound up being a regular, full-length MRI.  I had hoped it was going to be a shortened version but it was not.  I don't do well in MRI's - not so much because of the small space and claustrophobia, though that is bad enough.  But more because MRI's require you to lie on your back so long, which means on the back of your head.  For me, that is torture.  All that pressure on the brain stem really creates unnerving feelings - or in my case -non-feeling.  I go numb, get dizzy lying on my back and just feel all-in-all, sick.

In any case, what the doctor was seeing was enlarged trigeminal nerves.  He said, after reviewing my films, that for me that is to be expected.  Other than that, there was nothing major, or out of the norm for me, detected or seen.  The only thing is, is that my cyst has rebuilt its walls.  All the issues I've been dealing with the past couple of years may be due to my walls being re-built.  So, this means that there is a chance I will need to have a repeat of my first surgery I had back in '05, to knock down all the walls and get the cerebral spinal fluid communicatig or flowing with the rest of the cerebral spinal fluid.

I am going to go down to a pressure of 140 on my shunt to see if it will help with the symptoms I've been living with and mentioned in my last post.  That will happen Wednesday.  If in about two weeks there is no change, then we will talk about scheduling a Cisternogram.  A Cisternogram is a test to check the flow of my CSF.  He will be able to see the dye they inject into my spine, flow into the cyst and if it gets hung up in the cyst, then my doctor will know that the walls are trapping fluid again, which causes the pressure.  Cisternograms - just another test that I do not handle well and truth-be-told, I dread that almost as much or more, than the surgery.

If this is the case, another surgery will be warranted.  On one hand I am so thankful nothing major was discovered - no new cysts developing or other issues with the sagging of the brain or my Chiari.  On the other hand, it is disappointing.  No one wants to think about having brain surgery.  I draw a little comfort from the fact that I have been through it before, so I know what to expect.  On the other - I've been through it before, so I know what to expect, therefore I am hoping and praying that surgery is not in my immediate future. 

Latest MRI Reveals.....

I haven't had an MRI in about three years.  Due to lack of insurance because of my divorce, I couldn't get one.  I have known for a while that I really needed one, especially because I have been experiencing some strange symptoms over the past couple of years, and I finally just got one - just over a week ago.  Oh boy!  It was bitter-sweet.  I was glad to finally be able to have the screening I knew I needed.  It's the one test that tells my doctor what is going on in my head.  On the other hand, I was nervous, because I have been having and living with some strange symptoms over the past about 2 years and I was afraid to have the MRI - fearing it would reveal something tragic.  Well, I just found out that it did reveal something, but what it means....I don't know yet.  I have to have another (partial) MRI next week.

What I have been living with the past couple of years is a lot of dizziness - more dizziness than I have ever lived with since my problems with my cyst started.  I have also been unable to sleep on my left side or back, because something strange happens when I do.  I wake-up to a strange feeling - like a pair of cymbals crashing together in my head when I sleep on either of those sides.  Then there is a sudden burst of, spinning dizziness.  I also get extremely weak and have zero balance - unable to walk at all.  I have to sit there or lay there unil it passes, before attempting to walk.

My balance has grown extremely uncoordinated over the past couple of years.  Going up and down stairs is like walking the tight rope for me.  I cling to the handrail for dear life.  Another thing I've been living with is that I feel totally disconnected with the world.  I don't feel like I am in the moment.  I feel disoriented.  I feel disconnected and out of the loop.  For instance, driving around the town I've lived in for the past five years will look totally foreign to me.  I have to use my GPS everywhere I go....even areas where I go all the time.  I haven't been able to exercise in the past couple years....and I have always been into exercise and keeping fit.  Now, I cannot muster up the drive or energy, or the balance to even do a light walk on the treadmill.  It physically bothers me to exercise, as well as it seems too much like such a chore - I have zero desire to exercise at all.  Very unlike me. 

Something else that started when all these other symptoms started is that when I eat, I will suddenly feel extremely tired.  I cannot keep my eyes open.  It reminds me of when I was in the first trimester of my pregnancies, where I would get so tired out of the blue that I would have no choice but to close my eyes.  Now, same thing except for it's right after I eat.  I have to take a nap at least once a day, and sometimes twice - but especially after I eat.

It has been unnerving and frightening.  Many times I chalked all of this up to being under a great deal of stress due to my separation and divorce.  I tried to blow it off and tell myself that I am just under duress.  I've also had to move three times in two years due to my divorce, so just a lot going on in my life.  Well, turns out, that it could be that it isn't all due to the stress of the divorce. There could be  something else going on, just don't know exactly just "what" yet.

So, my MRI I had last week revealed something -  a new development.  The problem is....I don't know "what" it all means yet.  I was called by the nurse the other day and she explained that the doctor - my neurosurgeon, has spotted something.  She says my MRI showed that my trigeminal nerves are inflamed.  But "why," is the question.  I have a repeat of part of my MRI next week so he can get a better view, and I am very nervous.   I go Thursday the 23rd to get it repeated and to see what is going on. 

Boy!  When it rains it pours.  I really thought I was past all of this.....having things happen with my brain, new developments, and issues.  I thought after my last surgery and a few strange things happening a few years back, that I was home-free.  Apparently not.  I guess I was wrong and too quick to assume.

I am trying to remain optomistic and tell myself that whatever it is, it can be treated, taken care of, and resolved.  I know God is on my side.  I know that He knows that I want to keep working doing my writing and marketing my book.  I want to make a difference for others.  Especially because I do not feel even close to having my work here - done.  There is so much more I want to do.

Prayers are needed and positive thoughts are welcomed.  I don't always get nervous about things because I do trust in God.  But after all I've been through over the past few years, now, I am a bit tired from all of this.  I'm getting physically and emotionally worn out.  But....I am not ready to give up yet.  My boys need me, and I know there are countless others who need me.  They need my story and my support to get through what they are going through.  I am hopeful that this is just a small blip in the big picture of what is still yet to come for me.

I will update again, next week, once I get some cold, hard facts on what this is my doctor is seeing.  Once I hear what it is that is clogging up my brain and my life - again.  I am hoping it is an easy issue to resolve.

This brings it all home to me - again, how fragile life is.  One day you are living life, and the next, you can be fighting for it.  So take care, all of you who read and follow my story.  Don't let a day go by that you don't give thanks for your life. 

God Bless!

Muscle Pain Relief with LG Med Supplies

If you live with muscle problems; whether it be pain or the need for muscle rehabilitation, you can find the product that suits your needs at LGMedSupply.com. At LGMedSupply.com, you can find TENS Units, LG-Tec Dual Combo Tens Unit and muscle stimulators, combination units, whatever you need to aid your muscles to be healthy and pain free.


Injury to the muscle can be painful. Once an injury occurs, the muscle needs to heal and rebuild. One way to help it heal, and to reduce pain in the muscle as it heals is with a Tens Unit. A Tens Unit produces electrical currents that encourage healing. The electrical currents produced are mild, yet strong enough to prevent pain messages from being transmitted to the brain. This can raise the level of endorphins (natural pain killers produced by the brain). They can be used for both; chronic and acute pain.

Muscle Stimulators increase muscle tone, as well as re-train and rebuild muscle groups. LGMedSupply supplies all the muscle rehabilitation machines you need. You can visit LGMedsupply Online at LGMedsupply.com. They keep all of their items in stock and guarantee their products. If you need additional information, you can visit their blog at: online customer blog.

Where There's a Will, There's a Way!

When a long term or permanent medical problem butts its way into your life and takes over, it is easy to forget who you once were. Suddenly you are thrown into a world of doctors, running to doctors' offices, maybe medication, symptoms that have you baffled, medical bills, and much more.

Quickly, you can forget who you used to be before your medical condition took over your life. You forget what it's like to feel good, "normal" for lack of a better word. And you forget what it is like to live life without worry.

You just want your life back. But you soon realize that your wish may just be a pipe dream. You realize that you may be destined to always deal with these things and you start to think that you will never again, know what it's like to go to bed at night; carefree, with a worry-free mind. But that doesn't have to be the case. Even after being diagnosed with a chronic medical condition that has dumped its symptoms in your lap, you can take charge and still be in control of your life.

Neurological problems and symptoms are some of the worst their is. With the nervous system controlling everything about your body, your body can suffer greatly when you have neurological deficits. Especially when the brain is involved. Everyday, "normal" functions suddenly become difficult.

When my brain began to change under the weight and pressure of my very large brain cyst, one-by-one, normal, physical functions began to slip away - one after the other, and faster and faster. I was quickly becoming a shell-of-a-person. And as things progressed and my brain began to slump, and my brainstem sunk into my spine, I developed neurological problems and symptoms I never knew I could develop. I felt horrible. There were days I didn't feel like I could get out of bed. There were days I didn't.

I remember, during those days, looking at my boys' very young faces - then just five and seven, and I would worry that I might not be able to watch those little faces grow into the faces of mature, young men. There were days that I was just sure, five and seven were the last ages I would witness my boys getting to.

Then, one day, I vowed that that would not be the case. I would fight as long as there was a fight left in me. I would not curl up into a ball and let this brain cyst, and Chiari Malformation beat me. I vowed that I would find an ounce of energy, each day, to find my purpose here in this world, and that purpose was to be a mom. Soon, that ounce grew, and it became an even bigger purpose. It became my will.

Everyone has a purpose, and everyone has a will. Everyone can find an ounce of energy to donate toward themself. Believe me.....if I can do it - you can do it. Don't give up! Whether it be that you just have the energy to pray - PRAY! That is a very good place to start.

Medical Billing with UB-04 Software

In the field of medicine, there are many types of professions needed to keep the field operating smoothly and efficiently. One field that is needed, is the field of medical billing. Medical billers are people that bill insurance companies and patients to make sure the doctor gets paid, and patients only pay the portion they are responsible for.


Medical billing has become a popular field over recent years. There is plenty to learn with the field ever growing and becoming more complex. It is a field that has not only grown, but has diversified and changed over time.

Medical billers use software geared specifically for billing medical claims. One such software is the UB-04 Software. Depending on the type of billing you need to do, UB-04 Software has you covered. UB-04 bills for medical bills and dental bills.

With UB-04 Software, you will get multiple areas of the medical billing process right at your fingertips. You will get:

• HCFA-1500 EDI Clearinghouse
• UB-04/CMS 1450 EDI/Clearinghouse
• HCFA-1500/CMS 1500 Fill and Print NPI
• UB-04/CMS 1450 Fill and Print
• Dental Association Fill and Print EDI

UB-04 Software makes medical billing easy with help boxes on medical billing forms that act like tutorials, pre-purchased forms, batch printing, automatic charge calculations, autofill for repetitive transactions in rows.

The ease of use with UB-04 claim forms for your billing needs will add to your precise accuracy and get greater, more accurate returns.


References:

Visit: http://www.ub-04software.com/hcfa-1500-claim-form.php, to review what UB-04 software has to offer.

Recent Podcasts

Hi all,

I have recently done two Podcasts and want to share the links with you.

The first was:

http://2012writersalive.blogspot.com/2012/05/maria-mccutchen-and-its-all-in-your.html

And the most recent, just a couple of weeks ago is:

http://toginet.com/podcasts/secondchances/?s=secondchances

Both talk about my condition, my book, and where I am today.  Check them out.  Just log in and you can listen to them.  Then pass them along.

Thanks.

Maria

How Does Your Spouse Deal With Your Chronic Illness?

Living with an Arachnoid cyst is tough. It tests you emotionally, mentally, and maybe most of all, physically. When I started having symptoms from my cyst, although subtle at first, I knew something was wrong. I just couldn't think straight. Before long, not being able to think clearly, quickly spiraled into many other unnerving symptoms that left me feeling like a shell-of-a-person.

In the beginning, things stopped making sense to me - processing what people said to me became difficult. I found I was having to really concentrate hard on what people said to me and trying to figure out how to respond to them. Conversations no longer came natural to me. My responses were usually off-topic. I would give strange answers which were usually followed by strange looks. Like I was crazy. It was really embarrassing to my husband. But it was especially embarrassing to me. I could tell that what I had just said, wasn't right.

Soon after, normal, everyday tasks seemed more foreign than natural; like, driving, grocery shopping, and cooking. I would have to think really hard about what I was doing and what I needed to do next. Following directions, steps, or anything that required concentration was quickly fading.

My husband, who is no longer my husband as you may know or realize, grew to where he no longer knew how to support me. He got to where he wasn't sure what he should be doing, and he wasn't sure who he should be taking me to see. He was at a complete and utter loss. I tried to steer the boat as much as I could, but with little thought process left, I relied on him, as well as family members to help me figure it out.

By the time I found a neurosurgeon in Phoenix who was willing to review my MRI's, if I mailed him copies, my thought process was so poor that I hardly knew who I was. The world around me seemed more like a cartoon-world, as compared to the once, vibrant and lively world I had once lived in. I was scared and confused. And all I could do was pray that this new doctor would treat me - help me.

My husband stood by me the whole way through. He let me cry when I needed to. He listened to me continuously as I complained about my situation and how I felt. He reassured me when I was scared - scared about what was happening to me, and scared that I wouldn't get the treatment I needed to ever be able to think clearly again.

There were many nights that all I wanted was for him to wrap his arms around me and hold me so that I could feel his strength, because I felt so weak and vulnerable. And he would. He would hold me while I fell to pieces.

My husband at the time was there for me, 100%. He was at times, just as confused as I was; not sure what to do - what to do for me, or sure what the outcome would be. But still, he was there. He went to all my doctors appointments with me. He also tried to learn about the type of cyst I had. He asked a lot of questions to the doctor to learn exactly what it was I was dealing with, and what I would be dealing with when it came to treatment. To me, that was loyalty; dedication, and true love. These are the reasons I found it very disheartening when one day, a few years later, when my problems had surmounted and I developed a Chiari Malformation and brain sagging, that I began to see a change in him. I guess everyone has their breaking point and for him, the new and added problems were what broke him. He changed.

I was bedridden and things were looking very grim. I was getting worse and it didn't appear that I'd ever get back to my old, normal self. I believe that is what he thought would eventually happen - that I would get better and get back to my old self. When that didn't happen, he'd finally had enough. His personality changed, he grew more abrupt, showing signs of being fed up, and becoming more cruel towards me. Once it was clear that he was never going to get his "old wife" back - the girl he had married, he threw in the towel. He began to voice his feelings about me not being the same person and he didn't know how much more he could take.

His lack of compassion for "what I was left to live with," finally took its toll and we divorced. He couldn't take it anymore and began to become cruel with his words and actions. It was clear that he was "over it" and wanted out. He wanted a normal life - a life that I could not give him. And on that note, he filed for a divorce.

Today, I am a single mom of my two beautiful boys; now 14 and 11. As wonderful as they are, it has been tough. They too, forget that I have disabilities, and at times, will hold their expectations of me and what I can do - high. But all-in-all, they are understanding and are good with me. And I believe that as they get even older, they will understand more.

Being a single parent with a disability, especially with a disability of the nature I deal with, is beyond hard many days. There are days I wish I had a husband to help me - even if it's to cook dinner for the kids one night when I don't feel well, or take the garbage to the street when the boys forget, or drive them where they need to go because I am too ill to drive. It's hard.

There are days I wish I were still married so that I had someone to lean on for whatever it is I need to lean on him for. But then, there are days that I feel like this was the best decision, because to live with someone who no longer wanted to help me, or could help me, was proving to be worse for my health.

If I had to give advice to those who are living with someone with neurological problems, whether it be a brain cyst, Chiari malformation, or any other neurological problem, I would tell them that patience is key. I would tell them to always try to remember why they loved them to begin with, and try to focus on that; especially because neurological problems can change a person and their behaviors. I would remind them of their marriage vows to "love them, in sickness and in health." And I would ask them: "If it were you - if you were the one who had been diagnosed with a rare medical condition that no one seemed to be able to figure out, or know how to treat - would you want your spouse deserting you?"

Love is supposed to stand strong, in good times and in bad, as well as in hard times and easy times. But it is the hard, unpredictable, and unsure-of times that will test your relationship and prove the kind of person you really are. If you have real love - genuine love for your spouse, there is no illness or condition that should be able to destroy that. If anything, it should bring you closer because you have empathy for your spouse. You want them to get better, and you want to be a part of them getting better. That, is true and enduring love.

"It's all in Your Head," where you can follow my entire journey through my battles with what started out as a Posterior Fossa Arachnoid Cyst, and ended up much, much more, can be found at Tate Publishing: 
http://tatepublishing.com/ ,  Barnes and Noble, Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Its-Your-Head-Maria-McCutchen/dp/1613460716/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339041544&sr=1-1 and wherever books are sold.

May you be blessed by my story in the way so many others have already been blessed.