Category: Support

Getting Ready for Round 2

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As I’m getting ready for the round 2 coiling procedure on my brain aneurysm remnant, I’m reminded after reading a brain aneurysm foundation post, about just how fortunate and blessed I am.

So, get ready, I’m going to count my blessings!

  • My initial rupture of this damn aneurysm didn’t kill me: Blessing #1
  • There was a local Dr. who came back from vacation to insert 16 coils into the aneurysm saving my life: Blessing #2
  • My then boyfriend (now husband) was by my side every day of the 20 days I was in the hospital, even driving back down to the hospital only a couple hours after he left…over an hours drive: Blessing #3
  • My rupture didn’t leave me with any deficits or loss of functions, so I was able to able to return to my job 3 months later: Blessing #4
  • I was able to enjoy four uninterrupted, annie-free years of working, living, gardening and loving life after my rupture: Blessing #5
  • I was married last year to my Maine Man, my angel, and my best friend who has continued to care for me on a daily basis and be so, so understanding and patient: Blessing #6
  • After losing our only Dr. who did coiling in the state, a new Dr. has arrived in the state who does both brain procedures, coiling and clipping: Blessing #7
  • Unfortunately, an issue has developed with my original ruptured aneurysm from 2006 and another smaller aneurysm was newly discovered, but, I KNOW about them and we can monitor and DO something about them before they rupture: Blessing #8
  • I’ll have coiling on Wednesday, by a Dr. who I have a tremendous amount of confidence in. My sister is flying in to be with my husband during the procedure: Blessing #9
  • My family, friends, co-workers and completed strangers who I have befriended on message boards are praying for me: Blessing #10
  • -If all goes well, I’ll be back home on Thursday and recovering nicely….hopefully Blessing #11!!

Fatigue

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Even though what I went through almost two weeks ago wasn’t as traumatic as my rupture in 2006, it was still stressful on my brain. Coiling was attempted and then a stent was employed, so some things out of the norm still occurred.

Even though I know fatigue is a major after-effect of any brain issue, it can still be very frustrating and cause one to feel out of sorts and un-effective when all you want to do is sleep. Reading that it’s OK to feel fatigue and that it’s normal again has helped. It’s getting everyone else to understand that fatigue is a part of this that’s difficult some times.

People at work have been great and Dave is always understanding, but those who are outside of the realm may not get it and explaining it in depth just isn’t something I like to do with every person. Oh, well….it is what it is!!

And I’ll probably JUST get to feeling back to normal and I’ll get to do it all over again for the coiling at the end of April. Goody!

Drugs and Other Enemies

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Hey, I actually slept all night and didn’t have to do it sitting up. Although i think I DID sleep in the same position all night. Neck is very sore. I have the bean bag heated up and wrapped snugly around it.

My job today is to see how the of ALL of my new meds act together. I am now taking 5 pills a day. 3 of which are relatively new (Plavix, Aspirin & Cymbalta). I have discovered this morning that if I’m going to take that many at the same time, I need to eat a lot more at breakfast. I’m shaky and a tad disoriented…..but then I guess I’ve been that way the last six days anyway. Just still not sure how all of this is going to effect me and for how long. I felt pretty good last evening, but had a bad headache right before I went to bed.

I’m not in horrible pain this morning either, so that’s a good sign. My head feels woozy, but not pounding or throbbing and I’m just wicked tired…what else is new. Let’s hope these meds kick in quick, I can get everything regulated and get on with my life as it will be for now. I’m trying to get up and walk through the house as much as I can to keep things moving, but when I’m dizzy…probably not the wisest thing to do. LOL

It feels good to know that a lot of “stuff” I’ve been going through truly WAS withdrawel from taking the Provac cold turkey. Not the wisest thing to do I know, but none of the so-called medical professionals could give me a straight answer…or they could, but they chose not to respond to any of my calls. Better late than never, so I now have a script for Cymbalta and my system will now have to get used to that now. I only take those pills for PMS and for work stress, but without it, all hell could break loose!

At least my appetite has come back and I’m able to KEEP things down now. That was horrible and so exhausting. It’s been seven days, and I don’t think I’m doing too bad considering, but I’m not quite there yet.

Post-Op Follow Up Appointment

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Here’s what I know 5 days later:

•I’ll be on Plavix and Aspirin for at least 3 months.
•The coiling will possibly be scheduled for the end of April. Probably the 20th or the 27th. Dr. Ecker leaves for Finland for three weeks in May to study with a top surgeon there and he wants to make sure he has a follow-up appointment with me before he leaves.
•He doesn’t feel the dizziness and acid reflux are a result of the stenting. I’m checking into one more medication issue with my reg. Dr. now that what I’m experiencing isn’t a common after-effect of stenting. He almost felt it might be from being taken OFF the prozac because of its complication with Plavix.
•The Dr. said if I’m still having dizzy issues at the end of the week to give him a call and he’d order up another CT Scan.
•He said, once I’m not dizzy (LOL), I can have a drink or two. Yippee!! I have some Guinness waiting in the fridge for me to have my delayed St Patrick’s Day drink when the time comes.
•He performed the usual balance and vision tests on me. Had to walk in a straight line forwards and backwards and follow the number of fingers he’s holding up, etc. I passed, even though I did lose my balance briefly and had to grab his leg for support. Ooops! Was that inappropriate? His leg was closer than Dave’s was. LOL
•I’ll still have to continue to take the 4 propholactic antibiotics before every dental visit. Probably the rest of
my life.

I love his confidence with what he does. It really rubs off. I asked him so many questions about things I could and shouldn’t be doing like gardening or soaking in the tub. He basically said, unless something occurs, continue with my life as I lived it prior to the stent insertion. I think he deals with a LOT of elderly people so having a younger person he can joke with and encourage to live my life and enjoy it, is probably
a nice change.

He showed us the images taken during my procedure and pointed out the stent. It sure is an odd shaped artery, but the
stent opens up the walls very, very well. Dr. Ecker seemed to think coiling wouldn’t be an issue at all now. He did start to try coiling during the procedure last week, but during that process the lower part of the artery “shut down”, meaning I had a vasospam and he had to inject me with some Nitroglycerin. In looking at the notes Dr. Kwan reported after my initial coiling in 2006, the same thing happened in that surgery too, so I guess it’s a really good thing it happens on the table, that’s for sure.

Dr. Ecker was also VERY pleased to see the vascular arterial structure on the right side of my brain and all around
the aneurysms looked very good. So, I was happy he was happy.

Dave and I discussed any symptoms to look for in the next few days, but Dr. Ecker was quick to point out that the first 6 hours after the procedure then the next 24 hours were the most critical and he felt I was doing very well. Tell my head, throat, bruises and dizziness that! I got no sleep last night because of this new acid reflux crap along with a dandy headache, so I ended up sitting up in the wing back chair all night. Which I’m sure just does wonders for my neck and my back. I just popped two pills to help with the headache I’ve had all day.