My Left Foot And Leg Felt Asleep
5 January 2001
I'm really glad to have found this website. Some of the narratives have been very scary to read, but some have also been very inspirational. So far, my recovery has been a success, so I thought I'd share my story with anyone who's interested.
I am 30 years old. On November 4th, 2000 I was having a normal day. It was a Saturday, and it was an unusually warm fall day for the east coast. My husband and I awoke fairly early and went outdoors for a 4 mile walk. We then had breakfast, did some errands and then drove off for an hour ride to my parent's house. We were meeting my parents to go out for my birthday dinner.
About 5 minutes after I had entered my parent's house, I began to feel as though my left foot/leg was asleep. I stood up and tried to shake it out but it just kept feeling as though it was getting more numb. Suddenly, the numbness started getting worse and moved up my entire left leg and then my arm. I told everyone that something was wrong and to call 911. In the meantime, my left leg began throbbing and I felt this extreme pulsating feeling in my thigh/groin area, and I could not stand or walk on my leg. I also could no longer move my left arm.
I was freaking out because I had no idea what was happening. The paramedics came and a few minutes after they got there, my body felt normal again. They took me to the ER, where I had another episode, but this time my left foot started moving out of control, and I was having twitching sensations in my left hand and face. It was at this time that I learned I was having seizures. They sent me for a cat scan, and soon after, the ER Dr came to tell me that I had a "mass" in the right side of my brain! I really think every Dr. needs to take a class in compassion. This Dr had no compassion. She blurts out the fact that I had a brain mass in the middle of a busy emergency room, and then leaves me until a neurologist got there. My mother was there and I thought she was going to drop to the floor when she heard the news. Of course, it took a minute or two to hit me, but when it did, I was a basket case. I am very grateful to a caring nurse who kindly transported me to a private er room.
From there, a neurologist came to see me and I was admitted to the ICU immediately. The next day or two, I underwent an EEG, EKG and an angiogram. The Dr's believed that the mass was probably an AVM (arterio-venous malformation). However, the angiogram ruled that out, so the Dr's thought maybe it was just a blood clot, with a possible tumor inside (the catscan showed a marble-sized mass within the golfball sized mass). So, they put me on Dilantin (anti-seizure medication) and something else to reduce the swelling in the brain. Next, my family and I met with the neurosurgeon to discuss my options. According to the Dr's, the mass in my brain was very close to the surface, which meant the surgery was not that complicated. So, we scheduled the surgery for Thursday.
Everything seemed to be happening so fast. It was Monday when we scheduled the surgery, and now I found myself just sitting and waiting for the day to come! In a way, I just wish it was an emergency and they just did it right away. The waiting was brutal. No one wants to think about having brain surgery. My family and friends were great. I think I had a visitor every hour of the day. And my poor husband had to drive all the way back to our house to pack up a bag for me, since all of this was happening out of state. I received so many visits, phonecalls cards and flowers that it was quite overwhelming. My coworkers were also very very supportive.
I never considered myself a very religious person, but I feel that this whole experience has changed my faith. Although the Dr said my surgery was uncomplicated, it's still brain surgery and I was scared to death. But, I did find comfort in my faith. I had a number of people praying for me, I was included on prayer chains, and a couple that I never even met before came to see me in the hospital to pray with me. The hospital that I was in was Catholic and nuns played a big part in the day to day operation of the organization. A nun stopped by my room everyday to see me. I do think that prayer gave me strength to get thru this.
Thursday came. Nurses came in the night before and twice that morning to wash my hair with benadine. The surgeon would be shaving some of my hair. My husband and family were all there before I went to the OR. Once I was being transported for surgery, I kind of lost it again. I was a basket case. Thankfully, they gave me something to relax me while I was waiting to be put under.
About 5 hours later, I wake up in the recovery room. They had removed the lesion. The nurses are asking me questions and telling me to move my toes, etc, and I remember feeling extremely happy that I could feel everything and could talk, and remember things! I did see my husband and some of my other family members that same night and then I rested. The pathology report concluded that I had a slightly ruptured aneurysm. There was no tumor.
The next few days were uncomfortable, but not horrible. I was only given Tylenol for pain. The pain wasn't unbearable, but there was a dull, achy soreness. My head was wrapped up like a mummy except for my face. Saturday, the Dr removed the bandages and I was able to shower. I was a little traumatized by having to shower and wash my head. My scar was towards the back, so I really couldn't see it and was very apprehensive about touching it. I had to have a nurse help me wash my hair. (By the way - I think nurses are truly angels sent from heaven. They really are at your disposal when you are at your worst)
Sunday, they removed my stitches, and I was sent home. I was still on medication to reduce the swelling of the brain, but just for another day. I also was to remain on Dilantin (anti-seizure medication) indefinitely.
Since the surgery, I still have a loss of feeling on my left foot/leg, but not 100%. I thank God that I can still walk, talk and see. My scar has healed pretty well, and my hair is growing back. I've figured out how to wear my hair up so that it covers the shaved spot. I had stayed with my parents for a few weeks so that my husband could return to work and I wouldn't be home alone. I was scared to be alone after the surgery for fear of another seizure, but I have since overcome that. I do hope that future test results will enable me to go off of the Dilantin. My husband and I were just starting to try and start a family, but now the idea of being pregnant while on this medication scares me. So, that is on hold until we see what happens over the next year.
As most of you probably experienced, this has been a life changing event for me. I'm very blessed to have had such a successful recovery. Emotionally, though, I think this is something that will take some time to get over. I do find that I get very emotional in certain situations now. I feel like I can cry in certain situations very easily now, and I'm not quite sure why. It's been 7 weeks since the surgery, and I think I'm slowly getting back to my old self. I returned to work this week, which I think is a good thing. Sometimes, I found myself reading too much information on the internet. For example, I think I started believing that I was getting every side effect there is for Dilantin. I need to stop obsessing over that. I also had my first headache since the surgery last week, which of course had me calling the Dr immediately. Apparently, it's nothing to worry about as long as it doesn't get worse. If anyone else has experienced headaches after undergoing surgery for an aneurysm, I'd love to hear from you to make sure it's nothing serious.
Well, if you read my long story, and ever need to correspond with anyone, feel free to email me. I know that there are many narratives which state situations much worse that what I experienced, and I will keep each and everyone of you in my prayers. God Bless!!
Discussion, comments, or questions: Linda Knott
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