AVM

i have a brain arteriovenous malformation [AVM]
its a collection of blood vessels that are abnormal in my brain.
the [AVM] is composed of a tangle of arteries and veins that form a clump. arteries are those large, thick walled blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the brain under high pressure; while veins are the softer blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart [veins can usually be seen on the back of your hand]. so, the tangle of blood vessels that make an, AVM may be large, with the tangle web of blood vessels being serveral inches across, or small, perhaps the size of an olive. AVMs are supplied by arteries that branch off of normal brain arteries. it can be visualized as a branch on a tree that goes to a bad portion of the tree. typically there are one to four arteries that supply an AVM, occasionally more. these arteries can be blocked off or removed at surgery safely [so they say] because they supply only the AVM, not the normal brain.


they [my neurologist's] think i was born with the AVM, kind of like a birthmark. there is no known cause for why people have AVMs, and its probably a random event as the brain develops.


brain AVMs dont grow like a tumor. generally they remain about the same size after they are diagnosed. however the blood vessels that compose an AVM can change over time. some arteries and veins may get larger or portions of the blood vessels may close up. some vessels may dilate. these dilations on an artery are called aneurysms; on the veins the dilations are called varices [like varicose veins that can occasionally be found on your leg]. rarely AVMs may get notably bigger or smaller.


there are basically three things that can happen to an AVM to cause problems: bleeding, seizures, or steal blood from the normal brain. right now all i can tell you is, i have seizures.

What's going on in my head?

i have a brain abnormality. which pretty much means that a cretin part of my brain didn't grow properly. most likely due to the fact that i was a two lbs. premature baby. this is a partial reason for my migraine headaches my depression, my learning disability in mathematics and of course my epilepsy. now, don't get me wrong...i am NOT saying this is the ONE reason why i have these issues. i am not saying if any of the above apply to you, you have a brain abnormality. hell, tons of people get headaches, a lot of people suffer from depression, hardly anyone is good at math and many people have epilepsy. im simply stating what's going on in MY head! it's all pretty much conected.
moving on...


epilepsy affects approximately 1% of the population making it one of the most common neurological diseases. epilepsy can strike at any time of life—from infancy to old age. bummer, huh? the most common seizure types are classified as either [partial] or [generalized]. i suffer from a generalized type epilepsy with common partial behavior.
there are many different seizure types, and not all are the same......




Simple Partial Seizure(formerly known as focal motor, focal sensory or jacksonian): this seizure type may be characterized by stiffening or jerking in just one extremity or on one side of the body. it is sometimes accompanied by a tingling sensation in the same area. It may also appear as an aura such as a smell, bright light, or a rising sensation in the stomach. the person does not lose consciousness with this type of seizure. in some individuals, however, the jerking may spread to become a generalized tonic-clonic seizure with loss of awareness and memory of the event.


Complex Partial Seizure(formerly known as psychomotor or temporal lobe): this type is often characterized by purposeless activity. the seizures vary greatly from person to person; however, for each individual they tend to be consistent. this is the type of seizure most likely preceded by an aura or warning. during the seizure the person may have a glassy stare, give no response or a confused response, move about aimlessly, make lip-smacking or chewing motions, fidget with clothes, appear drunk, drugged or even psychotic. emotional experiences, abnormalities in thinking and unusual sensory perceptions may also occur during these seizures, especially at the beginning. the person is not violent but may struggle or fight if restrained. usually there is no memory of the seizure afterward, and the individual is often confused. the seizure usually lasts one to three minutes. In some individuals, these seizures can progress into a secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizure.
in rare cases complex partial seizures may involve episodes of behavior that are more startling such as screaming, running, disrobing or exhibiting sudden overwhelming fear. these are brief, temporary episodes and the person will return to usual behavior when the seizure is over.


Generalized Tonic-Clonic(formerly known as grand mal): this is a generalized convulsive seizure affecting the entire body. there is usually no aura or warning before seizure onset. the person may cry out. this is not a cry of pain but is the result of air rushing out of the lungs. the person falls and becomes unconscious. the body stiffens. then the muscles begin to alternate periods of spasm and relaxation with jerking motions. the person may bite the tongue. breathing is labored or jerky and at times stops completely. if this occurs, pale or bluish complexion results. loss of urine or stool may occur. the person then regains consciousness, but is usually confused or sleepy and may sleep for several hours following a seizure. the entire seizure usually lasts one to three minutes.





like i said, i suffer from a generalized type epilepsy with common partial behavior. what this means is, i have a little bit of everything all rolled into one.
i get a PAINFUL tingling sensation in the left side of my body. this is my
aura or warning. then my intire body stiffens, i occasoinaly bite my tongue, i have muscles spasm and jerking motions my breathing stops with ocasional loss of urine. and i eventualy become unconscious. [for me] this can last from 3-5 minutes.







now im not sure of the exact location, however my brain abnormality is located in the portion of the brain for sensory processing. [the parietal lobes]. i.e.: FEELING. that is why [for me] my aura or warning is a PAINFUL tingling sensation. most epileptic people, no matter what type they have, do not feel any pain. now, that is not to say they don't feel pain after having a seizure, as most lose consciousness, fall down, or have muscle spasms, so they are sore afterwards, no doubt. however [for me] i don't lose consciousness until after i go through all of it. so i FEEL everything that is going on, along with the odd painful tingling sensation.







most common seizures are located in the frontal lobe. be it, [partial] or [generalized] seizures. this makes for easy extraction. however, do to the fact that my seizures are coming from the part of the brain that FEELS, this makes it a little harder. not that any brain surgery is easy, but it is more common than you might think. now i have bored you enough with the epilepsy facts, so i am not gonna get into all the details about the different types of surgery for epilepsy but, just know there are options.


getting back to: if the new meds. do not work my only other option is surgery.


i have all ready been on many different types of ant-seizures medications:


depakote


dilantin


lamictal


tegretol


topamax


just to name a few...
That leaves at least 14 other anti-seizure meds. left. i haven't tried them all...but a few other's...that i can't spell, lol.
right now i am taking oxcarbazepine [antiseizure], along with fluoxetine hydrochloride [antidepressant].