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>> So, my name's Adam Bulakites.
Currently live in Kansas City, Missouri from Denver, Colorado.
I'm currently a Executive Master of Healthcare
Administrations student at the University of Missouri.
I currently also work full time.
In addition, I'm a healthcare consultant.
Being a part of the healthcare field, you
never expect to have to use that knowledge for
your own benefit.
In 2011, I started experiencing fairly bad headaches.
To the point where I was Very concerned that something wasn't right.
I was diagnosed with a small, third
ventricular tumor that was unfortunately causing obstructive hydrocephalus.
It's quite startling to Go in one day with headaches and come
out the next day with a diagnosis of you have a brain tumor.
That's a, that's a very scary, that's a very scary statement
and that was something that, you know, no one prepares themselves for.
>> Well this tumor was located in a, in a compartment of this,
a, Series of cavities inside the brain, and was itself
causing an obstruction of the free flow of fluid.
Therefore there was a buildup of fluid.
Neurosurgeon in Kansas City let me know that They did not recommend a
major surgery that they wanted to put in a shunt to clear the blockage to
reroute the cerebral spinal fluid, and ultimately
it would come down to regularly series
MRIs, where they would observe the tumor to make sure that it wasn't growing and
that it wasn't aggressive.
That didn't sit well with me.
I was hoping there was a better answer.
I found a number of documents written by a physician out at Johns Hopkins, who was
talking about a fairly unique procedure to relieve
the pressure of these exact types of tumors without the placement of a shunt
>> When I saw Adam, he was concerned about the possibility
of of heading in, in a shunt place which is a,
a obviously a, system of hardware that is primarily placed
in in, inside the body from the From the brain into, into the belly.
And, therefore, subjected to possible, malfunctions.
>> I went to the Johns Hopkins website and right on there was request a visit.
I clicked on the link, and within two days, I was getting a call.
I flew out, hopped on the next plane and was
in Baltimore, being seen by Doctor Levy in his office.
That very next day.
I ultimately came to the decision to pursue the surgery based on my knowledge
and based on my knowledge of where the best surgeons were.
>> We certainly suspected not a very aggressive
tumor but we did not have The confirmation.
So the first objective of the procedure was a very
thorough assessment of this tumor by
a good sampling done through a partial resection, partial removal.
Of his tumor.
The second objective was to divert the fluid.
We inserted a small, temporarily, a small tube with a video camera, and then we were
able to open a new passage for the fluid to be reabsorbed.
Helped.
And, that allowed him to recover nicely.
His headaches have certainly disappeared.
He can really conduct a normal life without any significant limitations.
>> I was back up and walking within a week.
I was fine within 2 weeks.
I was feeling good within three.
And within four weeks, I was back to doing the basics.
I was back to being myself.
So, the ceremony tonight is, is designed to
celebrate the success and the end of classes.
For myself and my colleagues.
It was very much a concern of mine that I wouldn't
have the ability to graduate on time or get completed in
time, and thankfully because of the way that the surgery
was performed, it really minimized the time that I had to recover.
I didn't have to delay, i didn't have to push back a year,
I didn't have to de-enroll, i'm staying the course.
all my follow up series on my eyes have come back clean, they
have noticed the scarring as a result of the surgery is looking good.
At this point for all intents and purposes, I'm healed.
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