Saturday, August 18, 2012

AUGUST MEETING

This was a wonderfully productive meeting!  We discussed Hydrocephalus Awareness Month (Sept) & how to promote it & the group.  We brainstormed some ideas.  Unfortunately, the state of Washington doesn't do anything to promote Hydrocephalus Awareness Month, or hydrocephalus in general.  I tried generating some interest in it several months ago, hoping for a more supportive response.  Disappointing, but only proves that there is a need for more public awareness!

We also discussed aspects of shunts--in terms of pain, itching & post-surgical responses we've had.  Very interesting.

We also discussed Kathi Goertzen's passing & her courageous fight against her agressive (benign) tumors for the last 14 years.  Our group's thoughts & prayers go out to her & her family.  Her public memorial will be August 19th at 1 pm, at Fisher Pavillion near the Seattle Center.  Specifics can be found at KOMO TV's website.

Along the same lines, we talked about how some tumors can cause hydrocephalus.

We also discussed different types of seizures some of us have.

Again, it was a very interesting, productive meeting.  We look forward to the Sept. meeting!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

August Meeting Coming 8/18/12

There is going to be a lot to talk about this month.  The subject of the passing of Kathi Goertzen, a beloved Seattle icon, this week, will definitely be a topic of conversation.  Kathi lost her fourteen year battle with a benign brain tumor this week.  Brain tumors, benign or not, can be a cause of hydrocephalus.

The group's thoughts are with Kathi's family, both her professional and personal.

Personally, I first met Kathi in 1981 when she was a reporter, at the closing of Queen Anne High School, a school we both attended at different times.  Over the years I watched her go from reporter to news anchor, being a community fixture.  Over the years, we met in passing a few times.  It was always a pleasure.  The last time was a few years ago when I participated in a program at KOMO TV, with a panel of viewers & the news team.  Again, it was a pleasure.

We are also going to be talking, again, about brain injury being a cause of the onset of hydrocephalus with another incident of a suspect being hit about the head.  The message needs to be getting to those who set the tone for the SPD.  But they don't seem interested in this area of discussion, unfortunately.

Last month, we discussed the use of brain scans on children, after an ER doctor, allegedly, refused to prescribe a scan to a young boy who had fallen from a second or third story window.  The doctor, allegedly, said that they didn't do scans because of the radiation exposure to a child.  Unfortunately, in this case, the child (who presented with classic head injury symptoms) was sent home & died.  There are scans that don't expose the patient to large doses, or any radiation!  I find it difficult to believe that the doctor in question didn't know that or that he was unaware of the classic symptoms of head injury.  The autopsy results were that the child DID have a brain bleed.

Looking forward to this month's meeting!