Terry's Brain

For those of you who know us personally you are aware no doubt that Ter-Bear has a brain condition. No not that, Doofus-ism is not really "condition" per say. A real condition. He has an AVM:

"Arteriovenous malformations (AVM) are masses of abnormal blood vessels which grow in the brain. They consist of a blood vessel "nidus" (nest) through which arteries connect directly to veins, instead of through the elaborate collection of very small vessels called capillaries. Some people are born with the nidus, but as the years go by, it tends to enlarge as the great pressure of the arterial vessels can not be handled by the veins that drain out of it. This causes a large collection of worm-like vessels to develop (malform) into a mass capable of bleeding at some future time."

Well 2 1/2 years ago he had gamma knife surgery (a non-invasive radiation surgery) to correct the condition. A process that takes a few years to see any real results. Well we are please to show you all now before and after pictures of Ter's brain. Know that the AVM is not gone but it is decrease in size by a good bit. He may have to have another surgery in the future to completely get rid of it but looking at the new picture makes me feel very optimistic that he will someday be with out the AVM.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Now I know that this may not look like much to ya'll but aside from the fact that it looks smaller Terry himself has been feeling better (much fewer "episodes" -the right side of his body would go numb) Woo-Hoo!