Big words
Today, medical jargon has become an unexpected addition to my vocabulary. The venogram results are in and they speak of complex realities I never wished to comprehend. The ‘Superior Sagittal Sinus’, a major vein within the brain, is compromised. A part of it has ‘died off’, as they put it, prompting the blood to reroute around the affected section.
The ramifications of this detour are profound – immense intracranial hypertension and increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure. In layman’s terms, the pressure inside my dear friend’s skull is alarmingly high, leading to excruciating pain and other severe symptoms.
Her tumour now has a full name – a ‘left parafalcine occipital tumour’. It’s a term that feels heavy on the tongue, loaded with the gravitas of its implications. It’s brightly enhancing, they say, a statement that in another context could almost sound positive. Yet, here it stands for something far from it.
These words, these medical terminologies, have descended upon me with a weight I hadn’t anticipated. They are intruders in my thoughts, harbingers of a reality I’d rather not acknowledge. Yet, they are also tools of understanding, helping me decipher the maze of medical challenges she’s navigating.
I wish these words were not necessary. I wish they were not now a part of my vernacular. But here they are, intertwining themselves into the fabric of my daily reflections. Through them, I am learning. Through them, I am grappling with the hard truths of her condition. These words, complex and unwelcome as they are, represent the battle she is fighting. They are the echoes of her struggle, the language of her resilience. And I, in learning them, bear witness to her fight.
Leave a Comment