My Colloid Cyst Story

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April 2014 I went to my PCP because I was tired all the time.  A previous sleep study said I had sleep apnea but I never had my septum repaired as I was instructed to do.  So he sent me to an ENT to finally have this done.  At the same time I asked about my clogged ear.  When I went for my check up after my nose repair I mentioned the clogged ear again and he said my ear was filled with fluid.  After some antibiotics that didn't work he recommended placing a tube for drainage.  After the tube was placed I had clear fluid draining out of my ear constantly.  He kept treating it as an infection but nothing worked.  After about a year of this I asked him how could this be an infection it's clear fluid.  He sent me for a CT scan to find out what was going on.  The results were mastoiditis and mass in the third ventricle of my brain (Colloid cyst).  I was sent to another ENT in the city who found out that the leak from my ear was actually cerebral spinal fluid ( CSF) and sent me to a neurosurgeon for a consult before surgery to patch the leaks in the membrane.  The NS said the cyst was large and needed to be removed and I was at risk for sudden death but had to wait until the infection in the mastoid bone was taken care of otherwise I was at risk for meningitis.  He also didn't know if the CSF leaks had anything to do with the CC.  December of 2015 I had surgery for the mastoiditis and CSF leaks.  After the ENT completed his part of the surgery the NS took over and did the repair of the CSF leaks.  At this point the NS realized that the leaks and the CC were related.  I had 5 separate leaks in the membrane between the brain and ear cavity one hole was large and the cyst was pushing my brain through the hole.  The patches didn't seem to be holding so surgery to remove the Colloid cyst was scheduled for 2 days later.  The NS told me that the cyst removal was difficult because it had calcified making it hard to remove.  Lucky for me I haven't had any of the side effects that I was told might happen and the CSF leaks prevented me from getting hydro.   Except for tiredness.I'm almost feeling back to normal.