The Unknown

Our appointment with the neurosurgeon was brief. We asked our questions and he answered them. We didn't learn anything new really, except that the surgery would take 5-6 hours and that we could give blood to the blood bank in the event that Jacob needs a transfusion. He probably will not need to wear a helmet. He probably will need visiting nurses to check his wound. He may need skilled nursing services or a home health aide. He may need inpatient rehab or he may need outpatient rehab. There was a fatality in 1990 but now the procedure is done differently to reduce the risk of blood loss. He will regain his speech and motor skills. He will stay on his medication before, during, and after the surgery until his neurologist decides we can try to take him off. Jacob's motor abilities are coming from a deeper brain structure that will not be removed or from the right hemisphere. He has no motor tissue in the left hemisphere. I think his neurologist was being generous when he said Jacob still had a third of the left hemisphere. Jacob will have a drain in his head until we leave the hospital to keep the fluid pressure off of his brain. They will remove some tissue to allow room for the brain to swell. This is the biggest procedure they do in the neurosurgical department.