NARRATIVES
TALK TO A
ADVICE
Established April 15, 1995
University of West Georgia Disclaimer
12 August 2002
I was home alone, getting ready to have my family over for the big Turkey. I was a single divorced Mom with two kids. I was a migraine suffer since 17, but I was struck with "the worst headache of my life" while getting a towel out of the dryer. I fell over, and reached for the phone, which was an arms length from me. After coming two, I dialed 911. I could not speak, but I heard them say, we are on our way.
Meanwhile my sister was at the front door to pick up her dog. (I was watching it for a week, while she was in FL) At that moment she was there, yelling for me. "Nancy" and I could not answer back, she eventually found me, laying on the floor. She helped me up stairs, and I collapsed, and began to throw up. Holding me to the side, and holding a bowl I screamed and held my head, I need ice on my head.
The medics arrived and took over. My sis rode in the front of the ambulance and asked why don't you put on the sirens? They said its only a migraine!
As I lay on the gurney in the ER, thrashing and throwing up, the nurse said to my sister, "Don't worry dear, I have had migraines and she will get through it." My sister knew something was not right. She went up to the desk and started to make some noise, "MY SISTER NEEDS HELP!" SHE HAS MORE THAN A MIGRAINE!"
Then it was my turn for the CAT scan...It was then they start to run and move quickly. Brain Bleed. "ANEURYSM" I was unconscious and remember nothing. I was put in ICU and had to be there one week because they could not find the source of the bleed. My family, including my kids were told to say good-bye. I kept hanging on. One week later, one more test, they found it! Rushed into the operation room, I had the right side of my head opened up and performed an operation to save my life.
The Doctors were brutally honest with my family, How I would be afterwards. They nicked my optic nerve and the right side of my face was droopy. Who knew if I would have eyesight, or even walk again. And my brain? Memory? No one knew how I would be afterwards. I was in the Hospital one month. I went home before Christmas, and had the love and support of friends and family. Lost my job.
Well, it is one and a half years later, when you look at me there is no sign of this happening. When you get closer I have many things that changed. The side of my head caves in at the temple, and my eye droopes especially when I get tired. I fall down a lot. My brain and legs have a war sometimes. My memory is very bad, especially short term. I burn food, have a very short attention span, and I get pains in my head, which stop me in my tracks.
Now, the Doctors are looking into putting a shunt in. Does anyone have had this done after the surgery? I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM ANYONE.
Yes, this change my life for ever, But I am alive!
Update: 26 January 2007
It is now 6 years after my burst brain aneurysm, and I am a survivor. I live each day at a time, Appreciate the flowers, the grass, the beauty of each day. It may sound corny, but I did die twice, and I was given that second chance! Not to say, it is not different. I live today with fatigue that over powers me, still, and migraines/headaches that rock my days apart. My balance , well lets say my legs and brain don't talk so I fall down a lot. Oh, and I almost forgot , short term memory.... I don't even remember what I am watching on tv when a commercial comes on.
But all this stuff is "small stuff" because I AM ALIVE! ALIVE TO SEE MY KIDS, TO SEE MY DOG, TO SEE MY NEW HUSBAND, TO SEE THE FLOWERS, TO SMELL THE GRASS CUT, AND TO WATCH OPRAH.
When I get a pain in my head, it paralyzes me. Is it an aneurysm again? Can it grow back? How often do we need to be checked? If it was not for this web site, our information is very limited, and we are a group, who doctors just forget about. Our POST-TRAUMA-SYNDROM IS REAL and do we ever really let it go if nobody address it? We had AVM, Aneurysms in our heads!!!!! TIME BOMBS. SOME BLEW UP. Since not many survivors, in the far away past, doctors were not trained to deal with us and our problems later, because we are surviving now, due to the great new doctors and medical research.
Meanwhile, I struggle daily and Thank God to be alive. I LOVE ALL OF YOU... LOVE FROM GA!
I have a new name! and very happy about it...NancyJo Sobolewski
Discussion, comments, or questions: Nancy Jo Sobolewski
© Copyright 2004 Nancy Jo
Wooddell
All Rights Reserved - Fair Use
acknowledged
