After reading some of these narratives, I feel like I am the luckiest person alive. But - I felt like that before reading the narratives. My aneurysm burst on October 28, 1992. I was operated on November 2, 1992 - 5 days later. And I am just fine! (Well - sort of.) No, seriously - I am fine. Here is what happened.
I was at home (fortunately), talking on the phone, when all of a sudden I knew I had to finish the conversation cause I was going to be sick. Which is exactly what happened. Violently ill, with the most horrible pain in the back of my head. I can still remember that pain. I vomited volumes. I managed to clean everything up and I don't remember going to bed. The next morning my co-worker phoned me at 8:40, asking where I was, cause I am never late for work. Apparently (although I don't remember talking to her) I said "Oh why — isn't this Saturday?" At any rate, Gaye let this go, thinking I was very sick. I don't remember the other phone calls I made that day, but apparently I phoned a couple of my friends.
Later in the day, my friend Maureen came over to take me to the walk-in clinic. They sent me home to take lots of fluids. I don't blame them, because I looked normal, and because they didn't know me, they didn't know that whatever I said sounded not like me. So - off we go home. Then my other friend, Linda, came over. I don't remember this - but I had phoned her at work and got one of her co-workers. This co-worker later said to Linda, "I think you should phone Karen. I think there is something wrong with her." So, Linda comes over, and packs me off to Emergency. We were in Emergency about 6 hours before they finally did a CAT scan, which is when they found the aneurysm. At that point, I was so unstable, they didn't operate until Monday, Nov. 2, 1992. My family was told that they would save my life, but they couldn't guarantee what I would be like. There was a chance I would come out of surgery with no memory!
That must have been a very horrible 5 days for my family and friends. I, of course, got the better end of the deal - I knew nothing about it! Fortunately, for me, I came out of surgery just fine. I was quite blind at first, and had no bladder control. But eventually that got better, and I am normal in all regards. My eyes are still a bit wonky, in that I have double vision when I look over my left shoulder. But looking straight ahead is normal. I can read and drive a car with no problems. I was told I should be off work for about 6 months, but I was back in 2.5 months full time. I have had no problems since. No headaches, no dizziness. I feel great.
I was in good physical shape when this happened, and I truly believe that helped my recovery. Medically speaking, I had a subarachnoid hemorrhage pericollosal aneurysm, and a craniotomy for clipping of aneurysm (this taken off a slip of paper that my neurosurgeon wrote). My neurosurgeon was Dr. Bruce Tranmer and I am ever grateful to him for saving my life. For me, it was a very happy ending. But - I can STILL remember that pain! For all those out there who read this - may you be as lucky as I am!