Friday all day was rough. Sick to stomach most of the night until we were able to get it calmed down with drugs. Finally able to eat something and keep it down early Friday morning, but it was only very bland hospital oatmeal and apples sauce. Not a hell of a lot of nourishment, but it stayed down, so that was an accomplishment.
Not able to eat much that requires a lot of chewing due to sore jaw. That was something I wasn’t expecting – cutting the jaw muscle.
Looks like I went 12 rounds with Mike Tyson and he won.
Face is getting a bit more swollen and left eye is starting to close up. Head pain is coming and going. Taking lots of pills, but having trouble getting comfortable in the hospital bed because I have the automatic compression socks on both legs and their wires and weight make it hard to sleep on side. I can only sleep on one side anyway.
The staff in the 608 ward is fantastic as usual. And boy, they have to be a special breed. Two men needed special care in the ware and all the while the older woman next to me was having serious mental issues and cried most of the night and went on and on about how she couldn’t get her coffee until 7 a.m. when breakfast was ordered. Drove me nuts, but nothing I could do about it.
Dr. Ecker visited this morning and did a short exam and said the swelling was completely normal and that he got some great pics of both aneurysms and got all of the 2nd smaller aneurysm with a great clipping job. Love him.
The catheter was taken out at 6 this morning so I now had to get up and walk myself to the bathroom…with a walker. An occupational therapist visited mid-morning and we attempted to go for a walk with my walker, but we didn’t get too far. I was really shaky and just not up for it, as much as I wanted to. With very little food and more drugs in my system, it wasn’t going to happen. She said she’s stop by on Saturday to see how I was doing, so I had my work cut out for me.
Thankfully lunch was coming up and I was feeling good, so I ordered the backed mac and cheese and OH, that was good and hit the spot. Also a fruit cup. All stayed down and in the afternoon Dave and I took a good walk around the floor. Pooped me out, but felt good to get out and up. Had some pretty good head pain today and that required more pain meds.
I had a great dinner…even by hospital standards. Meatloaf and gravy and steamed broccoli and milk. Tasted soooo good and it all stayed down. Dave and I then did 4 laps around the floor, which was great. I felt good, but tired after that and I wasn’t nearly as wobbly as I was this morning. Things were looking up.
Dave, as usual has been my angel getting me GOOD tea from down in the cafeteria instead of the crappy stuff that comes from the kitchen and even some cookies. He stayed overnight in Portland last night and was there very early this morning. I made him go home early because I was tired and it appeared the night nurse tonight wasn’t particularly in the mood for hangers-on who weren’t patients.
Every two to four hours, I’d get my vital statistics taken and they’d do a neurological testing for my vision and balance. I believe I was doing all of those okay. Just needed to get up more. I was still drinking a lot of water which meant I had to get up and go to the bathroom more frequently, which was a pain because I was still hooked up to a few things, an IV tree and vital statistics monitor.
Thankfully, the IV was stopped in the evening, so one less thing hooked up to me.
Saturday arrived with an actually quiet 608 ward….at least at 1 a.m. The lady next door soon started her crying jags and feeling like people were leaving her there to day and called the head nurse a witch. Although I understand how the mental issues can effect you because I had that in 2006, it was entertaining and annoying this time when I really needed some sleep. It went on for hours.
I did get some sleep…some more pills…some more ice packs for my face, but was feeling stronger. On one of my trips to the bathroom, I sat in the chair looking out at the night lights of the Portland skyline and started working on the blog. Takes awhile to get it all out, but it’s important for me to record it and to let other’s now how the procedure went for me anyway.
Dave went home last night and called in early this morning, but the shift change had just happened and the new nurse hadn’t even had a chance to introduce herself to me yet.
I ordered a little bit more for breakfast, but OH, was it lousy. LOL Egg omelet was like two sheets of egg with some kind of cheese in it and I had one slice of toast, but kind of forgot about my jaw and had a hell of a time eating it. Fruit cup helped…and of course all of the pills.
Thankfully when Dave came he got me some good tea from the cafeteria and a chewy chocolate chip cookie. Ahhhh….
One of the neuro team visited me this morning and ran some neuro tests. Said the swelling in my face and eyes looked “great” and that it’s very normal for them to see. So I guess that’s good. He did indicate I needed to walk more. So as soon as I drank my tea, Dave and I set out for a walk again and did 7 laps. While doing the walking, the neuro dr. was also still on that floor so he was able to see me and how stable I was….even with the walker.
As we were waiting to see if I was going to order lunch, one of the PA’s from Dr. Ecker’s office visited and asked if I wanted to go home today? Well….ummm…yes, please!!! Really??? Yes! It was right around noon and I thought for sure it would take hours to get the discharge papers and everything together, but it probably took less than a half an hour.
They gave me discharge papers and scripts for the drugs I needed. I had the IV ports removed and was ready to go! Changed into my clothes (goody hospital gown!) and realized both of my feet were very swollen. I looked like crap, but my Scotland hat fit nicely over the incision at an angel and loosened up significantly.
It was also snowing significantly! Goody. We said good bye and I was wheeled out into the hallway for “pick up” to go down to the lobby. Dave went to get the car and I got shuttled down to lobby and into the car. We stopped at McDonalds for a big, fat strawberry milkshake that hit the spot perfectly and headed on our way home.
I was extremely tired by the time we got home and my face and head were burning. The nurse at hospital let me bring home my dirty ice bag, so Dave filled that up, I immediately change into my comfy thermal jammies, climbed into bed, called my mom and probably took a nice, long, much-needed four-hour nap!! Felt great. Can’t wait until I can shower on Monday.
Dave cooked me some scrambled eggs for dinner and I took my pills. So glad, and so lucky to be home. Now I just need to take care of myself and listen to my sore, aching face, head, and body. Let the recovery begin!
Seven years ago last weekend, my larger 11 mm brain aneurysm ruptured. Each year I have tried to do something special to remember that day and celebrate my life. Some “celebrations” have been more elaborate than others, like treating myself to a spa day, and others have been low-key affairs mostly due to the time of year because I’m so busy at work in October.
This year proved to be one of those low-key affairs. I had been working long hours on Saturday for a few weeks, but my annie-versary this year fell on a Saturday. So, I took this day off. Then went out for dinner and a movie with my Maine Man. Nothing incredibly special, but it was a night out. I’ll take it.
However, this year, I got grumpy. Almost ticked off. Not AT anyone per say, but I’m a survivor and no one took much notice. (how were they supposed to know anyway?) I guess I need to climb mountains or run major marathons to get acknowledged, as one local woman did and received a huge article in the paper as a result.
The last few years, at our annual KAT-Walk & KARO-5K, I have met survivors who have survived multiple aneurysms and are beating the odds simply be being alive, much less driving and taking care of their children. Some have more help than others and some are dealing with more issues related to the brain aneurysm. Don’t you think they ALL need some attention and love from the state?
I guess that’s where my celebration of life turned to the dark side. A Twitter friend sent me the link to the local newpaper article. It’s a wonderful story of survival…it truly is, but it rubbed me the wrong way especially on the day of my anniversary. It had nothing to do with the fact a survivor had such a strong light shown on her, and it was truly deserved. I think it’s because I see the volunteers (ALL volunteers) put their blood, sweat, tears, and hard-earned money into publicizing our event every September and this article came out in October. September is Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month in Maine. The article would have been terrific the week prior to our walk – which is the only one of its kind here in Maine (MaineBA.org). It was all about the timing of that article that bothered me.
I don’t know what else we can do to try and get the medical community and media community involved. We’ve made them aware of the events. We’ve given them brochures to hand out. We’ve sent them to our website and Facebook page, but actually getting someone to film, write, and participate in our event and has been a huge struggle. I guess we need a celebrity…oh, wait…we’ve even tried contacting with them too! No Patrick Dempsey or Joan Benoit in our camp to help bring in coverage – just a terrific group of volunteers.
If I HAD the money, I’d name a hallway in Maine Medical Center’s 608 Neuro-ward and call it Heidi’s Hallway. I spent many hours walking that hallway….sometime’s running into the walls, somethings only making a few steps with everything that was hooked up to me. I’m one of the lucky ones, but I’m unable to get more focus on the people who have survived ruptured brain aneurysms. If I had more money, I’d sponsor a car in NASCAR for Brain Aneurysm Awareness and get to yell “Drivers, Start Your ENGINES! with a group of survivors”. If I had more money, I’d sponsor a night at a Portland Pirates game for Brain Aneurysm Awareness and have survivors come out on the field and be recognized…together as a united, strong front. If I had more money…I’d have my sister scanned to make sure she too, doesn’t have a brain aneurysm like our sister Dori had. But I don’t, I haven’t, and I’m unable to.
All I can do is continue to bring awareness to brain aneurysms without much money and support from the state or medical community, but through the kindness of family members, friends, and complete strangers who have been affected by brain aneurysms. I HOPE our efforts have helped save some lives. I HOPE other survivors see our stories…read our stories, and come to share THEIR stories with us at the KAT-Walk & KARO-5K each September. It’s all we can do with limited funding and a large group of caring volunteers here in Maine.
So, you’ll just have to forgive my selfish rant that an article wasn’t written about ME on my 7th annie-versary. I should get an award just for survivor the months of August, September and October at work. But I’ll take a quiet dinner with my Maine Man and a movie – that’s probably more than a lot of survivors get.
Stay strong, be proud of your accomplishments, and tell people your story…it could save a life and help other survivors know they’re not alone.
