Category: Support

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.

Thankful

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For the obvious reasons, I’m extremely thankful at this year’s Thanksgiving.

I’m thankful for:

✤ Surviving my ruptured brain aneurysm.

✤ That God guides the hands of my neuroradiologist during
surgery.


✤ My employer and co-workers for showing their support.


✤ My family’s love and constant support.


✤ Dave, for being by my side every day  of my 20-day hospital stay, as well as putting up with me at home 24/7!


How about you?

Check up

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This morning, I met with Dr. Kwan, who is actually a neuroradiologist, rather than a neurologist which I have been my mistakingly calling him. He’s a specialist basically, who does coiling.

He had seen my shots from the MRI and MRA from last Tuesday and said things looked very good. I wasn’t even able to find the aneurysm on the MRA images because it had clotted so well, but I sure could on the one MRA image he showed me from the day it happened! WOW! I had no idea it was that large. Very scary especially when I saw how close it was to my left eye and he made a size correction that it was a 11 mm annie, rather than 10 mm. That’s almost a half an inch.

Again, it was located in my left internal carotid artery behind my left eye.

He showed me images taken throughout the surgery where each coil was inserted. Really fascinating stuff. Dr. Kwan was also able to squelch any fears I may have had by answering a lot of questions I’m sure he didn’t have the time to answer, but I’m grateful he at least made the effort.

One of the main questions I had, was how did he get to the LEFT side of my brain from the RIGHT side of my groin.mDr. Kwan begrudgingly drew a diagram…but I found this one as well. Makes sense.

He said the headaches I’m experiencing were still probably being caused by blood reabsorbing into my system and it could go on for months until it completely lets up.

Dr. Kwan said that only something more catastrophic happening would be a signal of a problem with the coiling. So, when I sneeze and it hurts…don’t worry! It may happen for some time yet.

He said to use common sense with getting back into things like housework, driving and work. I need to pace myself and ease my way into it. He said it’s not uncommon for most people to be off work for three months. I’m hoping to get back to work, at least part time from home soon. We’ll see.

Keeping my blood pressure normal is also important as the higher it gets the more the blood is pumped through those
arteries and can cause stress.

Dr. Kwan did NOT recommended any serious neck manipulation, so I’m not sure how that will come in to play with the OMT therapy I’ve been having monthly.

He DID say a beer or glass of wine now and then won’t hurt me, nor will a cup of strong tea or a pot of tea…so that’s good! And he said getting a massage would be good, but with not a lot of neck manipulation.

Overall, I was very pleased with the visit. I still have concerns with other parts of my head, like sinus and migraines, but he basically directed me to go to a neurologist, which I think I will with the help of my regular PCP.