YIPPEE, no brain swelling

I had Gamma knife surgery in November of last year.

The Doctor mentioned that a rare side effect might be seizures.

Holy shit! I panicked… I think as a rule I am pretty cool about these things, although the word “seizures” really made me very apprehensive.

I went to NY for my three-month checkup, an MRI and then a meeting with the doctor.

I would have had the MRI in Greece and sent it to NY, a very routine follow-up, but the word “seizures” changed everything.

I went, had my MRI, the nurse was a Greek American girl…and my neurosurgeon is a Greek American as well, we are all over the place…could have stayed in Greece.

I saw the Doctor and I explained my apprehension, he was surprised as he thought it was the most remote possibility…it had to be mentioned for insurance reasons.

I am apprehensive about seizures; they are apprehensive about being sued for not giving all the risks of a procedure.

He looks at the MRI and says in a very casual way, good, no brain swelling.

He then begins to chat about his upcoming trip to Greece to take his mother to visit her village and relatives. I asked him to say again, NO BRAIN SWELLING! 

He did, I left and went and had a martini, two actually