Replies to This Discussion

ModeratorPermalink Reply by Barbara H. on January 16, 2011 at 9:50am

Hi Cindy. HIGHLY RECOMMEND Dr. Barrow!!!!!!!!!

Permalink Reply by Denice Wellman on January 16, 2011 at 9:56am

Dr Barrow was awesome!!!  I just called up Emory and asked for an appointment.   I had seen 2 other neurosurgeons but after seeing Dr Barrow you just know you are in the best hands possible.  Everyone at Emory has been so great to me as I just completed Gamma Knife treatment (Dec 30, 2010)...recommended by Dr Barrow.   110% recommend him!!!!!!

Permalink Reply by Sherry Buchanan Myers on January 16, 2011 at 11:07am

Hi Cindy, I just called Dr. Barrow's office too and got right in to see him. However, I was evaluated and told that Dr. Barrow only recommended surgery. I decided to have a second opinion, because of the seriousness of having open brain surgery. I flew to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN who is #1 in the nation for AVM treatment. I saw Dr. Bruce Pollack who disagreed with me only having the option of open brain surgery. I spent a total of 3 days in MN, was treated, and able to come back home. The first day in Minnesotta I had consults all day, labs, etc. The second day in MN I had an angiogram and had gamma knife radiation treatment. We flew home on the third day and are so pleased we did that. I don't know what your circumstance is, but in my case gamma knife turned out to be the best option for me. My AVM is small, but is located deep in the cerebellum of the brain. I was able to send all of my medical records to Mayo before making my trip for a second opinion. I recommend that you conduct research and have a second opinion if at all possible. Good luck and may God bless you!

Permalink Reply by Brian Hursey on January 16, 2011 at 4:33pm

I was just told if I have to have brain surgery on my avm he is the best in Georgia. Are you planning on having surgery again? My avm is much different because its in 3 or 4 different places deep in the left side of my brain. So my diagnosis is wait for something to happen then treat that part that is having the problem because trying to remove it all will destroy to much of my brain. Causing a major life impact..

Permalink Reply by Cindy Phillips on January 16, 2011 at 7:27pm

Hi everyone! Thank you ALL for the information!!! I GREATLY appreciate it!!!

 

Sherry: I had emergency brain surgery because mine burst & hemorrhaged in Aug. 2009. The hemorrhage caused me to have a hemorrhagic stroke, which effected my left side (I write with my left hand) and my vision, so complete recovery efforts have been 'hindered'. I moved to Habersham county (originally from the Habersham county area but have made Hall county my home for approx. 10 yrs. prior to my AVM ordeal - with you being in White county & your mother in Stephens county, I assume you know the quiet area of Habersham county -) a few months ago and trying to re-establish some 'normalcy' back into my life and get fully recovered.

 

Barbara, Denice, & Sherry: Did you have to wait a long time (weeks, months, etc.) to get an appt. with him after you called Emory for an appt.? (I have an appt. with a neuro-opthalmologist at Emory's Eye Center (near Dr. Barrow's office, it appears) on Tuesday (1/18/11) to hopefully figure out why I STILL (after almost 17 months post surgery) have double vision and find a managable 'resolution' to this problem. I made the appt. 4 or 5 months ago (apparently, there aren't any NEURO-opthalmologists within the NE GA area - Atlanta's Emory Eye Center is the closest place I've found).)

 

Denice & Sherry: Congrats. on the Gamma Knife treatments! Sooooooooo happy for you two!

 

Barbara: Thank you for the extra personal information you shared with me privately!

 

Brian: I hope to NEVER have to go through this again. I don't plan on having surgery again and I am extremely grateful for Dr. Schultz (in Gainesville) but I just think I should be seeing someone with more knowledge about AVMs. (I still really find Dr. Schultz very skillfully competent & I do like him/his mannerims, etc. but I think I should (also) see someone who has more experience with our 'rare' issue (AVM). I have a follow-up appt. with Dr. Schultz on 2/01/11 & I plan on keeping it. I'm so tired of not being able to COMPLETELY trust ANY of the doctors to 'have our backs'/our best health interest & having to research EVERYTHING for myself (& right now, I just don't have the time to do that) about our rare condition.) Did you ever find yourself another neuro doctor? Did you get another opinion (or a recent opinion, etc.) about your 'wait and see' option? Have you seen Dr. Barrow or anyone outside of GA about yours? 

 

 

 

ModeratorPermalink Reply by Barbara H. on January 16, 2011 at 8:40pm

Hi Cindy. When you see him...tell him a former Eastern Airlines Flight Attendant remembers him!!!!

Cindy Phillips said:

Hi everyone! Thank you ALL for the information!!! I GREATLY appreciate it!!!

 

Sherry: I had emergency brain surgery because mine burst & hemorrhaged in Aug. 2009. The hemorrhage caused me to have a hemorrhagic stroke, which effected my left side (I write with my left hand) and my vision, so complete recovery efforts have been 'hindered'. I moved to Habersham county (originally from the Habersham county area but have made Hall county my home for approx. 10 yrs. prior to my AVM ordeal - with you being in White county & your mother in Stephens county, I assume you know the quiet area of Habersham county -) a few months ago and trying to re-establish some 'normalcy' back into my life and get fully recovered.

 

Barbara, Denice, & Sherry: Did you have to wait a long time (weeks, months, etc.) to get an appt. with him after you called Emory for an appt.? (I have an appt. with a neuro-opthalmologist at Emory's Eye Center (near Dr. Barrow's office, it appears) on Tuesday (1/18/11) to hopefully figure out why I STILL (after almost 17 months post surgery) have double vision and find a managable 'resolution' to this problem. I made the appt. 4 or 5 months ago (apparently, there aren't any NEURO-opthalmologists within the NE GA area - Atlanta's Emory Eye Center is the closest place I've found).)

 

Denice & Sherry: Congrats. on the Gamma Knife treatments! Sooooooooo happy for you two!

 

Barbara: Thank you for the extra personal information you shared with me privately!

 

Brian: I hope to NEVER have to go through this again. I don't plan on having surgery again and I am extremely grateful for Dr. Schultz (in Gainesville) but I just think I should be seeing someone with more knowledge about AVMs. (I still really find Dr. Schultz very skillfully competent & I do like him/his mannerims, etc. but I think I should (also) see someone who has more experience with our 'rare' issue (AVM). I have a follow-up appt. with Dr. Schultz on 2/01/11 & I plan on keeping it. I'm so tired of not being able to COMPLETELY trust ANY of the doctors to 'have our backs'/our best health interest & having to research EVERYTHING for myself (& right now, I just don't have the time to do that) about our rare condition.) Did you ever find yourself another neuro doctor? Did you get another opinion (or a recent opinion, etc.) about your 'wait and see' option? Have you seen Dr. Barrow or anyone outside of GA about yours? 

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Sherry Buchanan Myers on January 16, 2011 at 8:41pm

Hi Cindy, wow you do live close to me. I am so sorry your AVM has hemorrhaged and you are experiencing problems with your vision and left side. Dr. Barrow's office did schedule me within a week or two I believe and you can probably get in there very soon. If not I would have your primary care doctor call them and ask them to work you in or ask to go onto the cancellation list. I agree with you about wanting to get a doctor that treats AVM's on a regular basis. I had to go to the hospital one night and the paramedics weren't sure what an AVM was. Luckily, I have a folder with a lot of my medical records, medications, and information about AVM's so they were able to read the literature and get the information they needed. In the event of hemorrhaging our best alternative would be Emory rather than the hospitals in our area. I hope you get a fast response from Dr. Barrow.

 

Cindy Phillips said:

Hi everyone! Thank you ALL for the information!!! I GREATLY appreciate it!!!

 

Sherry: I had emergency brain surgery because mine burst & hemorrhaged in Aug. 2009. The hemorrhage caused me to have a hemorrhagic stroke, which effected my left side (I write with my left hand) and my vision, so complete recovery efforts have been 'hindered'. I moved to Habersham county (originally from the Habersham county area but have made Hall county my home for approx. 10 yrs. prior to my AVM ordeal - with you being in White county & your mother in Stephens county, I assume you know the quiet area of Habersham county -) a few months ago and trying to re-establish some 'normalcy' back into my life and get fully recovered.

 

Barbara, Denice, & Sherry: Did you have to wait a long time (weeks, months, etc.) to get an appt. with him after you called Emory for an appt.? (I have an appt. with a neuro-opthalmologist at Emory's Eye Center (near Dr. Barrow's office, it appears) on Tuesday (1/18/11) to hopefully figure out why I STILL (after almost 17 months post surgery) have double vision and find a managable 'resolution' to this problem. I made the appt. 4 or 5 months ago (apparently, there aren't any NEURO-opthalmologists within the NE GA area - Atlanta's Emory Eye Center is the closest place I've found).)

 

Denice & Sherry: Congrats. on the Gamma Knife treatments! Sooooooooo happy for you two!

 

Barbara: Thank you for the extra personal information you shared with me privately!

 

Brian: I hope to NEVER have to go through this again. I don't plan on having surgery again and I am extremely grateful for Dr. Schultz (in Gainesville) but I just think I should be seeing someone with more knowledge about AVMs. (I still really find Dr. Schultz very skillfully competent & I do like him/his mannerims, etc. but I think I should (also) see someone who has more experience with our 'rare' issue (AVM). I have a follow-up appt. with Dr. Schultz on 2/01/11 & I plan on keeping it. I'm so tired of not being able to COMPLETELY trust ANY of the doctors to 'have our backs'/our best health interest & having to research EVERYTHING for myself (& right now, I just don't have the time to do that) about our rare condition.) Did you ever find yourself another neuro doctor? Did you get another opinion (or a recent opinion, etc.) about your 'wait and see' option? Have you seen Dr. Barrow or anyone outside of GA about yours? 

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Cindy Phillips on January 16, 2011 at 8:58pm

I will.

Barbara Hanson said:

Hi Cindy. When you see him...tell him a former Eastern Airlines Flight Attendant remembers him!!!!

Cindy Phillips said:

Hi everyone! Thank you ALL for the information!!! I GREATLY appreciate it!!!

 

Sherry: I had emergency brain surgery because mine burst & hemorrhaged in Aug. 2009. The hemorrhage caused me to have a hemorrhagic stroke, which effected my left side (I write with my left hand) and my vision, so complete recovery efforts have been 'hindered'. I moved to Habersham county (originally from the Habersham county area but have made Hall county my home for approx. 10 yrs. prior to my AVM ordeal - with you being in White county & your mother in Stephens county, I assume you know the quiet area of Habersham county -) a few months ago and trying to re-establish some 'normalcy' back into my life and get fully recovered.

 

Barbara, Denice, & Sherry: Did you have to wait a long time (weeks, months, etc.) to get an appt. with him after you called Emory for an appt.? (I have an appt. with a neuro-opthalmologist at Emory's Eye Center (near Dr. Barrow's office, it appears) on Tuesday (1/18/11) to hopefully figure out why I STILL (after almost 17 months post surgery) have double vision and find a managable 'resolution' to this problem. I made the appt. 4 or 5 months ago (apparently, there aren't any NEURO-opthalmologists within the NE GA area - Atlanta's Emory Eye Center is the closest place I've found).)

 

Denice & Sherry: Congrats. on the Gamma Knife treatments! Sooooooooo happy for you two!

 

Barbara: Thank you for the extra personal information you shared with me privately!

 

Brian: I hope to NEVER have to go through this again. I don't plan on having surgery again and I am extremely grateful for Dr. Schultz (in Gainesville) but I just think I should be seeing someone with more knowledge about AVMs. (I still really find Dr. Schultz very skillfully competent & I do like him/his mannerims, etc. but I think I should (also) see someone who has more experience with our 'rare' issue (AVM). I have a follow-up appt. with Dr. Schultz on 2/01/11 & I plan on keeping it. I'm so tired of not being able to COMPLETELY trust ANY of the doctors to 'have our backs'/our best health interest & having to research EVERYTHING for myself (& right now, I just don't have the time to do that) about our rare condition.) Did you ever find yourself another neuro doctor? Did you get another opinion (or a recent opinion, etc.) about your 'wait and see' option? Have you seen Dr. Barrow or anyone outside of GA about yours? 

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Cindy Phillips on January 16, 2011 at 9:06pm

Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOO much!

 

Close = yes. 'We' (AVMers) are here... how sad &,yet, so comforting.

Medical folder = I plan on doing something (like a USB flash drive/thumb drive) with my medical information on it for 'just in case'. I haven't had the time to sit down & work on it yet though.

Sherry Buchanan Myers said:

Hi Cindy, wow you do live close to me. I am so sorry your AVM has hemorrhaged and you are experiencing problems with your vision and left side. Dr. Barrow's office did schedule me within a week or two I believe and you can probably get in there very soon. If not I would have your primary care doctor call them and ask them to work you in or ask to go onto the cancellation list. I agree with you about wanting to get a doctor that treats AVM's on a regular basis. I had to go to the hospital one night and the paramedics weren't sure what an AVM was. Luckily, I have a folder with a lot of my medical records, medications, and information about AVM's so they were able to read the literature and get the information they needed. In the event of hemorrhaging our best alternative would be Emory rather than the hospitals in our area. I hope you get a fast response from Dr. Barrow.

 

Cindy Phillips said:

Hi everyone! Thank you ALL for the information!!! I GREATLY appreciate it!!!

 

Sherry: I had emergency brain surgery because mine burst & hemorrhaged in Aug. 2009. The hemorrhage caused me to have a hemorrhagic stroke, which effected my left side (I write with my left hand) and my vision, so complete recovery efforts have been 'hindered'. I moved to Habersham county (originally from the Habersham county area but have made Hall county my home for approx. 10 yrs. prior to my AVM ordeal - with you being in White county & your mother in Stephens county, I assume you know the quiet area of Habersham county -) a few months ago and trying to re-establish some 'normalcy' back into my life and get fully recovered.

 

Barbara, Denice, & Sherry: Did you have to wait a long time (weeks, months, etc.) to get an appt. with him after you called Emory for an appt.? (I have an appt. with a neuro-opthalmologist at Emory's Eye Center (near Dr. Barrow's office, it appears) on Tuesday (1/18/11) to hopefully figure out why I STILL (after almost 17 months post surgery) have double vision and find a managable 'resolution' to this problem. I made the appt. 4 or 5 months ago (apparently, there aren't any NEURO-opthalmologists within the NE GA area - Atlanta's Emory Eye Center is the closest place I've found).)

 

Denice & Sherry: Congrats. on the Gamma Knife treatments! Sooooooooo happy for you two!

 

Barbara: Thank you for the extra personal information you shared with me privately!

 

Brian: I hope to NEVER have to go through this again. I don't plan on having surgery again and I am extremely grateful for Dr. Schultz (in Gainesville) but I just think I should be seeing someone with more knowledge about AVMs. (I still really find Dr. Schultz very skillfully competent & I do like him/his mannerims, etc. but I think I should (also) see someone who has more experience with our 'rare' issue (AVM). I have a follow-up appt. with Dr. Schultz on 2/01/11 & I plan on keeping it. I'm so tired of not being able to COMPLETELY trust ANY of the doctors to 'have our backs'/our best health interest & having to research EVERYTHING for myself (& right now, I just don't have the time to do that) about our rare condition.) Did you ever find yourself another neuro doctor? Did you get another opinion (or a recent opinion, etc.) about your 'wait and see' option? Have you seen Dr. Barrow or anyone outside of GA about yours? 

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Brian Hursey on January 17, 2011 at 7:12am

I have had 2 neurologist in my time my current one specializes in avm's and sleep disorders and my case in 1998 was reviewed at the national neurological convention as a case study and they all concluded it would cause more damage to try and fix it then wait and see.  They said most likely i will live a full life without it ever bursting. I get a scan every 2 years to look for changes in the structure that would cause issues.  So far nothing. Although I need to get in shape so blood pressure wont be an issue when im older... 

Cindy Phillips said:

Hi everyone! Thank you ALL for the information!!! I GREATLY appreciate it!!!

 

Sherry: I had emergency brain surgery because mine burst & hemorrhaged in Aug. 2009. The hemorrhage caused me to have a hemorrhagic stroke, which effected my left side (I write with my left hand) and my vision, so complete recovery efforts have been 'hindered'. I moved to Habersham county (originally from the Habersham county area but have made Hall county my home for approx. 10 yrs. prior to my AVM ordeal - with you being in White county & your mother in Stephens county, I assume you know the quiet area of Habersham county -) a few months ago and trying to re-establish some 'normalcy' back into my life and get fully recovered.

 

Barbara, Denice, & Sherry: Did you have to wait a long time (weeks, months, etc.) to get an appt. with him after you called Emory for an appt.? (I have an appt. with a neuro-opthalmologist at Emory's Eye Center (near Dr. Barrow's office, it appears) on Tuesday (1/18/11) to hopefully figure out why I STILL (after almost 17 months post surgery) have double vision and find a managable 'resolution' to this problem. I made the appt. 4 or 5 months ago (apparently, there aren't any NEURO-opthalmologists within the NE GA area - Atlanta's Emory Eye Center is the closest place I've found).)

 

Denice & Sherry: Congrats. on the Gamma Knife treatments! Sooooooooo happy for you two!

 

Barbara: Thank you for the extra personal information you shared with me privately!

 

Brian: I hope to NEVER have to go through this again. I don't plan on having surgery again and I am extremely grateful for Dr. Schultz (in Gainesville) but I just think I should be seeing someone with more knowledge about AVMs. (I still really find Dr. Schultz very skillfully competent & I do like him/his mannerims, etc. but I think I should (also) see someone who has more experience with our 'rare' issue (AVM). I have a follow-up appt. with Dr. Schultz on 2/01/11 & I plan on keeping it. I'm so tired of not being able to COMPLETELY trust ANY of the doctors to 'have our backs'/our best health interest & having to research EVERYTHING for myself (& right now, I just don't have the time to do that) about our rare condition.) Did you ever find yourself another neuro doctor? Did you get another opinion (or a recent opinion, etc.) about your 'wait and see' option? Have you seen Dr. Barrow or anyone outside of GA about yours? 

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Debbie N. on January 17, 2011 at 10:26am

Hi, Cindy. I live in Alpharetta and was diagnosed with an AVM on September 25, 2010. I had an emergency angiogram at Emory at that time then a follow-up appt with Dr. Barrow. I'm waiting now for a referral from my insurance company so that I can return to see him and schedule my embolization and craniotomy. I swear...everywhere I turn and explain what I have, someone says "Do you know about Dr. Barrow at Emory?". My dentist has been friends with him for 30 years and told me some really nice personal things about him that made him seem more personal and less clinical. I believe he will be the best choice for removing my AVM surgically. When I made the first clinic appt. with him, I got right in, so I would think you should too. Good Luck! -Debbie

Permalink Reply by Cindy Phillips on January 17, 2011 at 6:10pm

Thank you, Debbie. Hopefully, the insurance company won't take their sweet time on getting you a referral. Hope all goes well for you with both procedures!!!

Debbie Noto said:

Hi, Cindy. I live in Alpharetta and was diagnosed with an AVM on September 25, 2010. I had an emergency angiogram at Emory at that time then a follow-up appt with Dr. Barrow. I'm waiting now for a referral from my insurance company so that I can return to see him and schedule my embolization and craniotomy. I swear...everywhere I turn and explain what I have, someone says "Do you know about Dr. Barrow at Emory?". My dentist has been friends with him for 30 years and told me some really nice personal things about him that made him seem more personal and less clinical. I believe he will be the best choice for removing my AVM surgically. When I made the first clinic appt. with him, I got right in, so I would think you should too. Good Luck! -Debbie

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