At the age of 22, I passed out the Sunday after a Saturday funeral for a friend. He drowned. I thought I passed out because of the trauma of it all. The following week I felt a "movement" inside my head. It was not a painful movement, so I felt no need to see a doctor. Towards the end of that week, the movement happened more frequently. My co-workers insisted I go see a doctor. Fine.
On Saturday morning, I went to the emergency room. I told the ER nurses I am aware that CT scans were not given at the request of a patient. However, my grandmother died from a brain aneurysm and my mother has an inoperable brain tumor and I have something happening inside my head. Needless to say, they did a CT scan on my brain.
When the test was completed, I was wheeled out of the room only to hear someone scream, "Bring her back! Bring her back!" My heart sank. The next thing they did was shoot dye into my IV, a painless procedure. They wheeled me into the hallway and to my surprise a doctor come over to me and said, "Do not move." I really did not take it to heart, so he said it again more firmly, "Do not move!" Okay! I will not move.
I was moved into an area of the emergency room and watched a doctor literally run into the hospital shouting, "Where is she? Where is she?" I was thinking, "Wow, someone must really be seriously injured." Then the nurse turned and pointed to me. He then said, "Awe, she is so young!"
He came over to tell me I had a brain aneurysm and my chances of survival. If I did survive I could have multiple things wrong with me. He then told me they had to do an angiogram.
The angiogram took about 4½ hours to complete. The worst pain I had ever felt in my life. When the dye was shot into my brain, it felt like fire. I saw nurses and doctors standing at a window watching. Some of the nurses were crying. Doctors came into the room to ask how much longer they were going to be. My life depended on it. The size of the aneurysm was that of a quarter. If mine leaks, I am dead.
Now to the operating room, bright lights, cold room, time to begin. The surgery took six and half hours. It was connected to three arteries. Thank God I was under the care of a brilliant man. I survived. I have no problems from the surgery. I am alive!!! I have zero limitations, other than it makes my doctor nervous if I play catch with a football!! I guess because I am a girl he thinks I can not catch!! Well, he is right - oh, but you should see me throw!!
Everyone seemed more thankful than I was that I survived this ordeal. I did not like that. So I prayed, "God, show me how blessed I am. I want to be just as thankful as everyone else is." So He did! I was bowling one night, my right eye still closed from the surgery and my head still shaved. There was a guy next to me bowling. He was not perfect. His body shook a lot and he could not walk very well. He came over to me and asked me why my eye was closed. I began to tell him I had a brain aneurysm and that . . . then he cut me off. He started praising the Lord, "That is what I had!! Praise God I am . . . !" I froze. The tears started streaming down my face. This guy is far more thankful after his surgery and he has problems!!! I have nothing wrong with me that will not be corrected in a short time and I am not nearly as thankful as he is!! God forgive me!
Before the surgery, I used cocaine, marijuana, speed, alcohol - you name it, I used it. I had no purpose for living. After the surgery, I came to meet my Maker!! I realized the Lord has kept me alive for Him. Someday, I will be able to share my testimony with the world! You see, there is more to this girls life than a brain aneurysm. Look for me someday! May the Lord bless you all.
Forever His, Melanie Kertz