Established April 15, 1995
University of West Georgia Disclaimer
26 January 2001
August 15, 2000. Watching TV the room started spinning, I got very sick, had no balance and lost my temperature control. Memory stops at that stage. My next memories are about two weeks latter in a hospital with a big staple line in the back of my head.
I have some balance troubles still and a little double vision but pretty close to back to normal. I hope to return to work just as soon as my health benefits get sorted out.
Update: 9 August 2004
Its been nearly 4 years since my AVM rupture. I am delighted to report the greatest news possible - there are times when I forget I had such an episode.
I was off work for about 6 months. Spent a month post surgery in the primary care hospital, then another 3 months in TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) rehabilitation, and then some time at home, pretty much waiting for my benefits to get worked out. I started working for the first few months part time gradually increasing the hours to full time.
I work at a fantastic company that genuinely cares about me not only as an employee but also me as a person. They wanted to make sure I was covered by long term disability benefits if I needed them, which I did not. They also were able to make the return to work transition as easy as possible by allowing flexible hours, working at home and environment changes as required. I am now completely full time and receive no special favours!
My balance will never be the same. Its not terrible, just the complex things are difficult. I get dizzy after quick moves, but still play a lot of sports. I have troubles with multitasking balance such as skating and shooting a puck at the same time - although I can do either by themselves no problem. I bike to work most every day in the summer and I know my balance at red lights for instance has steadily improved, but it is not as good as the other regular bikers.
Most everything else has full recovered, I have no more double vision. I believe my memory is as good or bad as it was before and I feel just as smart (dumb) intellectually as I used to be. I still have quite a significant scar in the back of my head that nobody notices except my barber, who has now heard the whole story. I try to go back to the same barber because anyone that sees it just has to ask and hear the story.
My only wish is that someone reading this will be as lucky as me.
Update: 4 August 2009
It has now been close to 10 years since my AVM ruptured. I have made a complete recovery as far as I am concerned although my girlfriend continues to complain about my 'weeble woobles'. I do sometimes loose my balance. I use walls and hand rails as a crutch on stairs, I continue to get dizzy spells making quick turns in sports and have terrible balance in the dark or complex situations such as a moving bus or boat. I wish my balance would get better but other than that I consider myself to have made a remarkable recovery.
Thanks,
Mike
Update: 14 March 2010
Spring has come to Ottawa and the snow is starting to melt. I was walking past the playground near my house and I tried my luck on the balance beam that is there. I walked across it, changed direction, walked back, went to the middle where it is bouncy, jumped around on one leg...I had my balance!
A few years ago I started trying the challenge of getting across the balance beam. I could sometimes skirt quickly between the "blue posts" but it was an off-balanced dash that sometimes worked, sometimes didn't. Last year I took the challenge up in earnest and by the end of the summer I could walk it pretty good. Now, this spring, I walked it first time!
It has been almost 10 years since my AVM rupture, my balance continues to get better. I guess is this update is just to say "never stop improving"
Discussion, comments, or questions: Mike Adams
© Copyright 2001 Mike
Adams
All Rights Reserved - Fair Use
acknowledged
