Category: Brain Aneurysm

Clean-up in Aisle Four

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Dave drove me down to the local gas station again for some groceries. We had two things on our short list: bread
and cookies. So, I thought I could handle that.

Since we don’t do our normal grocery shopping there, but it’s closest to our house, it’s the best place to attempt to desensitize myself to stores again. My first trip last Friday, wasn’t good. I felt pretty awful by the time we got up to the counter and we only got ONE thing! I wasn’t looking forward to going again, but know I HAVE to if I’m ever going to be able to live a normal life again…because I seriously doubt Dave is going to want to do grocery shopping the rest of our lives! LOL

It wasn’t too bad. Mostly because I think we went earlier in the day and I hadn’t done a lot at the house prior to our visit. I got our two items and wandered a little bit until my eyes started to feel icky and my head started to pain. I always have Dave stick close by me in case I get sick to my stomach or want to pass out. I didn’t, so that’s good!

I felt pretty lousy when I got home though and had to lay down for some time and rest my eyes. I had the shakes and of course right after we got home, the home nurse called to see if she could come by in 15 minutes! Sure…why not! Bring it all on! LOL

It wasn’t  bad though. I felt okay the rest of the day, but then not last evening and had to take some more pills to help me sleep….it didn’t help, but I eventually got to sleep.

Today, I’m wicked tired. No explanation other than not sleeping well, but I cannot keep my eyes open. I’ve been reading, from the message board, that tiredness can drag on for a long, long time. So, I should pretty much expect that to just hit me at times. I guess this was one of those times. So…I slept.

Down Weekend

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Well, after such a good, and busy day on Friday, I think I paid for it dearly on Saturday. It was not a good day. I woke up with a headache, eye problems, some dizziness and even a little bit sick to my stomach.

I felt that way all day. Took two Tylenol with breakfast and just pretty much laid on the couch. I think four loads of laundry, moocho online shopping and the trip to the grocery store on Friday did me in.

Then after I ate dinner, I had shooting pains in my head in the area of the aneurysm. I ended up taking a Vicadin. The first in several weeks. It didn’t help I don’t think…at least not for four hours. I went to bed at 7:30 and was still having the pains around 10:30. I think shortly after 11:00 they finally stopped…or I was so exhausted I finally fell asleep.

It was the most severe pain I had had in awhile and it unnerved me. I know it’s to be expected. The pains started to hit me every 5 to 10 minutes. The frequency decreased, but not the intensity. I moaned out loud a few times mostly because between pains, I’d feel so much better, then BAM!

Then today, I felt better, but not great. I made myself try some yoga and stretching. It felt good I guess. I know
I need to do some more exercising so I don’t become a lazy bum on the couch.

Because the weather was good, Dave and I FINALLY planted my 150 tulips in the raised bed behind the garage. Dave had had to dig the trench and pretty much plant them all, water them….had to do it all and it kind of hit me how depressing it is to not be able to do much right now. I can’t just pick up and run to the store…I can’t drive yet and stores overwhelm me. I don’t like not being able to DO things…especially this time of year. I love Christmas and I know when we (or rather Dave) gets down all the Xmas decorations, I’m going to want to do more, but can’t. It will be a simple Christmas this year I’m sure and I do love to decorate.

Poor Dave. I don’t have anyone near by that I can ask to do those little tasks. He must be getting so sick of me. Especially when I can do some things around the house, but can’t do others. I know I’m frustrated and a little depressed and some PMS is coming in to play, so that’s not helping. There are just so many things I want to do and know I COULD do them before, but need help now. I don’t like being so dependent, but I have to, or I pay the price.

I did it!

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Okay…so it’s not rocket science and didn’t require a tremendous amount of physical exertion, but I made my trip to
the gas station/grocery store. Dave drove and stuck with me in case I started to feel ill and needed to run out. We went in for two things: orange juice and ice cream.

I zeroed in on the ice cream, Dave picked it out, then I walked down to the orange juice. Luckily I kind of had an idea of where they were, so that wasn’t too difficult, but I did start to feel icky. Sick to stomach, eyes funny and headache right smack dab in the middle of my head. I still don’t feel that great, but I did it and was able to go into a store.

We might go back in tomorrow for a short visit again until I can feel better for a longer period of time. Dave may get all of his stocking stuffers this year from the gas station/grocery store! LOL

I know going into a gas station/grocery store isn’t a big deal, but it was to me. Not sure I’m crazy about how I feel at the moment, but I need to continue to get over this issue with stores. I’m depressed it didn’t go better though and disappointed that the short amount of time I was in the store still affected me that way.

Discharged @ Home

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I was discharged from my occupational therapy. Oh, I’m still participating in it, I just don’t need supervision anymore.

There was a different woman who came to discharge me and she needed to ask me a lot of the same old questions, then she ran me through a few tests.

One of them was turning around 360º. This went fine, a tad wobbly, but not bad at all. Then she asked me to do it the same thing with my eyes closed! Yikes! Thankfully, she kept her arms stretched out around me so I wouldn’t topple over. I didn’t topple, but sure swayed quite a bit. Not bad overall though.

She seemed very pleased with my progress, and I suppose I am too. I still don’t like bending over as there is some pressure in the are of my head where the aneurysm was. Not pain, just discomfort. Also sneezing is still horrible.

Another baby step on the road to recovery. I just need to make myself MOVE and get some exercise. Walking and stretches, possibly very low-impact yoga, are on my agenda for the first of the month.