Stage 2

Tomorrow I am having stage two of my surgery. I can't remember if I explained this to you all yet, but if I didn't here it is. So far I have two electrodes about the thickness of a toothpick reaching straight into the centre of my brain, which are fastened solid to the outside of my skull so they don't move. In stage 2, which is done under general anaesthetic, they attach a wire to the end of these electrodes, and then run it under my skin down my head, behind my ear, through my neck and into my shoulder. Here another incision is made and a battery is inserted. The wires are connected so a constant charge can be sent to my brain.

Most of the anxieties I had before stage 1 I no longer have. I know from the in surgery testing that the stimulator will work on some level and as for having a foreign body in my head, I haven't noticed it even a little bit. However, I have noticed the staples in my head, which I can see, feel and itch like crazy.

So how am I feeling about stage 2? There are mixed feelings really. First, they will be taking the staples out which I can't wait for. I don't like the way they look or feel so once they are finally gone, the better. Second, it is one stage closer to finally getting the thing turned on. For stage 1, I didn't let myself get excited incase it didn't work. But this time I am, and the sooner I have the operation the sooner I can turn on the stimulator.

However, there is still an hour and a half of surgery to go and I am not looking forward to this. A general anaesthetic for that long normally makes you feel fairly ordinary so I am expecting feelings of nausea and discomfort. Also there are the nasty surprises that you can get which you don't want. I explained some of these I had after stage 1. I will be quizzing the doctor quite heavily tomorrow morning before the procedure to eliminate as many of these as possible. Next time I blog will be after the surgery, and I will tell you how it went and how I feel. Until then, stay well:)