Been a worker bee all my life until December 25, 1996. Not retired yet, supervisor in a major corporation, managing 45 people. Have two daughters, both 29, and a special grandson, Cameron. Born in the Mid-west, Iowa. Currently live in Washington state and growing web feet. Have our own business. And spend my free time with the family.
After some thought I feel compelled to place something on the support page for others to read, and share my thoughts, and memories of the events before, and after, my wife's surgery.
December 21, 1996, the week before Christmas, was a week that I care not to relive, or have anyone else experience. This was the evening that my spouse was stricken (which at the time I did not know) with an Cerebral Aneurysm. She was admitted to the ER on the evening of the 21st, about 9:30 p.m. After getting my grandson, of less than 3 years old, calmed down (he was with my wife when she had the attack), I too, went to the ER. The thing that comes to mind was that the people doing the admission were more concerned about the paper work than the emotional state of anyone that was involved. The ER doctors and nurses were just the greatest people in the world. Based upon the information provided by the EMTs, the ER personnel had scheduled my wife for a CT scan, and the neurosurgeon had been called.
During the test (CT scan) the neurosurgeon was visiting with me to inform me that an aneurysm was possible, and the CT scan would provide for a more conclusive diagnosis. The CT scan confirmed the presence of an aneurysm, which had bleed. Because of the time of day (11:30 p.m.), the neurosurgeon elected to wait until early a.m. to run a test in which a tube is inserted up to the brain and more detail would be available. That was the longest 8.0 hours I have very lived. Your mind takes you places that you shouldn't go, and you know this with your conscious mind, but your subconscious mind wins.
At this point, day twelve, it looks as if vasospasms should not be a problem. After reading all the support page articles, I can see that recovery will be long, and could be difficult. There are two people that I am concerned about. The first one being the Grandson. There is no doubt in my mind, at all, that this little person was the first of many people that help to save Deb. But he has developed some actions that are not normal (Yea should he be normal after this). While Grandma was in the hospital he would not say anything to, or look at, Deb for the whole time. When we would leave the hospital he would recount what actions had taken place up to the time the EMTs left.
The second person is my daughter, who I feel is having trouble dealing with Deb's short term/long term memory loss. Deb will be talking over a very logical item than make a very sharp right turn. This visible trouble the daughter, and in spite of the assurance that I give her, I feel it does not quell her feelings.
I would like to say that my heart goes out to all the people that wrote and placed articles on the support page. Without this I would feel very lost. As all the information states, this is something that most people will never have heard about unless it happens to them. I would have to say that I have just received the all-time greatest Christmas gift in the world.