Raising Awareness For Hydrocephalus: George Bowie!

So as a Hydrocephalus sufferer myself and a usually religious Clyde 1 listener you can imagine the shock that came over me when I opened the paper to see that their long serving DJ George Bowie had been diagnosed with the condition recently.  This comes after Doctors fearing that he was suffering from a Brain Tumour or a Stroke.   It all kicked off when George was floored by a crippling headache - something I know about all too well! 

Newly diagnosed Hydrocephalus
Sufferer George Bowie

In his version of events the Greenock born DJ was taken from the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) in Paisley to the top brain unit at Glasgow's Southern General - the same unit that dealt with myself and Darren Jackson - also for Hydrocephalus and of course, Ex Aberdeen and Current St Mirren Goalkeeper Jamie Langfield for his Brain Haemorrhage. amongst many, many people over the course of time. A unit that has become the saviour of so many lives in Scotland. 

Luckily for 'Bowie Boy' for now I am lead to believe that for now he has been told that it is as not quite as bad as needing an operation to have a shunt put in.   This does not mean that he won't have to have one though, it's a waiting game for the 46 year old Radio and Club DJ.

I must admit at this point I was quite shocked to read that the Doctors had blamed George's early morning get ups and lack of sleep for the reason that the condition had flared up on him.

As I continued to read the article concerning George I read at length about how it took him going for a run before it all triggered off and how the next day on his Breakfast Show he complained of feeling unwell.   This was a case of the condition rarely heard of but shows that you don't always know when diagnosis of it will be.  

He went on to describe perfectly how the headaches the condition gives you feels - like someone has tugged your hair and a constant feeling of light headedness - like a hangover that just wont go away or jet-lag.  Which I know from previous experience and still suffer from to this day even with the shunt in, but for George there's a chance it will clear to an extent without the need for a shunt to be inserted.

At the end of the article he went on to say that for now he has not let the condition beat him, as he returned to his Saturday Night slot for GBX Anthems and resumed normality for his Breakfast Show even with the doctors telling him that the early morning get ups are going to do him no favours especially if his sleep pattern does not improve. Since when did George Bowie do anything he was told though? 

It is at this point that I must also praise Radio Clyde for how they have supported George through it, by saying they will do everything he needs to make sure that he can continue his job to the best of his ability following the diagnosis. They are saying that if the early mornings do not suit him in the coming months they will see what they can do to change things around for him.  So that he can continue his job and go back to normality again after what has probably been a tough few weeks for George and his family.

I do send him the best of wishes in his battle with the condition. 

Hydrocephalus Fact File

• Hydrocephalus is known as water on the brain and comes from the Greek hudroképhalon.
• There are different types of Hydrocephalus - Non-communicating and Communicating.
• Symptoms include: Abnormal enlargement of the head,  crippling headaches, muscle spasms,  eyes staring downwards, sleepiness, irritability - poor temper control, loss of coordination, trouble walking.
• What it Causes: progressive enlargement of the head, tunnel vision, convulsion(sudden muscle movements), learning difficulties and sometimes mental disability.
• Shunts: A shunt(there are many different ones) can be inserted into the heads of those with the condition and is designed to drain the brain of the excessive amount of fluid.  They run from your head right the way down to your abdomen.
• A study has shown 1 in 4 Hydrocephalus sufferers develop Epilepsy.  
• There is NO cure for the condition.

Together We Can Raise Awareness!

Raising Awareness is Simple.