I Have a Hole in My What?

Did that get your attention? 

Well, in case you don't know (and you may not even care and that's okay), I have had a headache most days for the last 3 months.  I've probably only had a handful of days that my has not hurt as some point.  I didn't have an internist so I found a great doctor to see and get myself established with her and see about getting these headaches resolved.  I've been been to the doctor about my headaches, I've had them as long as I can remember.  Sometimes bad enough to keep me down a day or so, but I just chalked it up to migraines so I would take something over the counter to help.  Well, the doctor gave me some Imitrex for migraines and said she would set me up for an MRI.  So I had that done and they called me to tell me I had what they call "right petrous apex cephalocele".  I apparently have a hole in my skull, a birth defect, and I have a spinal fluid leak thus causing the headaches.  And I have a headache as I'm typing this. 

I mean 40 years ago, they didn't do ultrasounds and unless I had a heart problem or an obvious birth defect, they wouldn't have known it.  Good luck finding this condition on Google!  I couldn't find anything except studies.  Apparently, it's not a very common thing to have!  I know I shouldn't have Googled it, but it hasn't increased my worry about it, it has just peaked my curiosity. 

So after the MRI, they send me for a CT scan, which confirmed what the MRI showed and they are sending me to a neurosurgeon.  Not really liking the idea of having to see a surgeon, because, well.....they perform surgery and this is my noggin we are talking about.  I have to call today to follow up because I still don't have an appointment date and time from them.  So I'm left wondering what they will do to fix this hole in my skull.  I'm getting a little anxious, well, a lot anxious!  I haven't gotten any answers from anyone yet really, except what my ailment is from a doctor who is not qualified to tell me any more than that and that's okay.  I've been having dreams about getting my hair cut really short before surgery, surgery that I'm not even sure is going to happen, except the fact that they are sending me to a surgeon.  I have a husband and kids to take of and I just want to know something, anything.  I've been waking up crying because in my dreams I'm crying because I'm nervous about surgery, once again, not even sure I'm having surgery.  I'm not a big baby by any means. I'm like all moms I know, we get sick and we just keep right on going.  So I don't think my anxiety is unwarranted. 

I am going to call the doctor's office today in hopes of getting an appointment so I can get some answers.  It's been over a month and I would like some answers.