A Friendly’s Event

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Okay, our first Dine 4 Brain Aneurysm Awareness event at Friendly’s in South Portland, ME was a success, but not quite in the way we had thought. Yes, we raised money that will go directly to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation to raise money for research and education about brain aneurysms, and yes, we sold our T-shirts for the walk, and yes, we got a little more publicity for the KAT-Walk coming up in September, but it was the unexpected, random meetings with people that made it all worth while.

Although this particular Friendly’s is in a busy area of town, the number of people who didn’t even know about the event and just came by Friendlys for dinner or ice cream and had personal experience in some fashion with aneurysms, was amazing.

In fact, we found out during the course of the night that 3 employees at that particular Friendly’s branch had been effected by aneurysms or had relatives who had them. Some successes, some not.

Then, a woman from MA who was just there having dinner with her daughter came running up to the booth and said she just wanted us to know she had two annie’s clipped and thought we were doing a wonderful thing raising awareness. She went in to eat them came back out and chatted with us. We were all a little surprised she was unaware of the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, which is centered in MA and I don’t think her medical professionals did a very good job on educating her, but she’s still a survivor and it was wonderful to see her and share our stories.

The big “contact” we made was the head nurse of the neuro radiology OR at Maine Med. She knew my Dr. and spoke very highly of him. THEN she agreed to take a lot of literature and info, not only on the walk in Sept., but for aneurysm education in general, into her staff and area. She was more than willing to do it and apparently told Dave she’d try to get some folks together for the walk. We’ll see, but it’s great she was so receptive and open to doing things. That’s precisely what we were hoping to get. Dave has visited several hospitals and was never really sure if the advertising packets he’s been giving people were being used or displayed. All we can do is try at this point.

We sold a lot of t-shirts for the walk in September and took some names of people and had a nice dinner ourselves. The people at Friendly’s were great. They let us do whatever we wanted, so we set the tent up right outside their door and put some things inside at the PIck-Up counter and inside for people to read while they were waiting. We did take a few donations as well. One little girl came up and gave us a dollar. It was quite cute and another young girl just wanted to help and walk and give us her name.

I think we’ve done a good job of getting the word out there and lots of people are TELLING us they’re coming to the Kat-Walk in September, but we’ll see. I hope so. The more we can educate the public, we might be able
to save a life or at least help those who have already been effected by brain aneurysms. From our lips to God’s ear.

Fear of Falling

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Okay, so I haven’t been dizzy, I’m not unstable, and I’m not overly clumsy. There…that’s out of the way! No, I do not use a cane. I used to…when I was recovering from my ruptured brain aneurysm, but that was in 2006.

I’m sure any, if not all, of brain aneurysm survivors know what I’m talking about. Since my initial rupture in 2006 and with my additional procedures this past spring, I’ve always had this low-lying fear of falling and hitting my head and causing further damage to my coils, stents and unruptured aneurysm. I know it’s silly, but it’s there.

I have “caught” myself from falling on a number of occasions and even that slight catch will jar my head and I’ll feel it. I’m sure only those who are here, know what that means and feels like.

Well, last Friday morning I fell up the concrete stairs into our new office building. Not used to those stairs yet. No, I didn’t hit my head, thankfully, but this is the first time I think I’ve really fallen and didn’t have control. It DID jar my head and that scared me. I just had to sit there a bit and take stock and realize, that although I had some scrapes and had hit my shoulder badly, I was OK.

Thankfully, I fell UP the stairs because I fear going down them would have been worse. I suppose this fear will alway be there. Just another added “benefit” of the lovely aneurysms.

Oh, and thanks to being on Plavix after my stenting in March, the bruise on my arm is VERY colorful to say the least! LOL Ice is helping, buy it’s damn sore.

Still, it wasn’t my head, so I’m thankful.

A Little Free Advertising?

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Okay, so some free advertising never hurt anyone right? I wore my Aneurysm Survivor shirt to the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden’s today. I figured if anyone had suffered a brain aneurysm or knew someone who had, they might strike up a conversation with us.

One woman asked me if I had survived one (well, duh…that’s what the t-shirt says!), and I said yes. She didn’t have any family members or friends who had, but was a nurse, so she knew what they could do. She said I looked great. I told her “God bless you and tell your friends!”.

Then another young woman asked me about the shirt and told me she knew a young mother of three who had a rupture. Her 5-year old had found her and called for help. Thankfully, she survived as well and is doing great. Dave pulled out the business card with the Walk 4 Brain Aneurysm Awareness info on it and told her to let her friend know. She was from South Portland.

It seemed like we were peddling the walk, but the more people in the state we can get involved, the better. And it just so happened she was local, so it seemed fine. She may not have felt that way, but she did accept the card, and we thank her for doing that.

Arterial Challenge 2011

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The main reason Dave and I traveled to Massachusetts this Memorial Day weekend was to participate in the
10th Annual Arterial Challenge Run and Walk to benefit research and awareness for brain aneurysms through the Brain Aneurysm Foundation in MA.

For those of you who don’t know, I’m a ruptured brain aneurysm survivor and two years after my rupture, we lost Dave’s niece to a massive rupture. So, we’re very involved with trying to raise awareness so that perhaps some lives can be saved. We also have our own walk in September in memory of Kim and to raise money for research and awareness. In fact, at one point along the walk, before Kim’s name was even mentioned, I felt her hand in mine and felt her right beside me. It was strange and wonderful at the same time.

I was also looking forward to meeting up with a fellow survivor. Julie and I came to know one another because we had the same Dr. perform our life-saving coilings back in 2006 in Maine. She has participated in our walk and we’ll both be “celebrating” our 5 year annie-versaries this year. We befriended one another on a message board, and she also befriended another survivor, Lori, who would be at the walk as well.

We all met up in the registration area. Thankfully, although it was still warm and muggy out, it was a cloudy morning. Perfect weather for a walk and run. We were participating in the walk part of the day. It was a 1.5 mile walk through a lovely area of Humarock, MA along the ocean.

Everyone received their t-shirts for the walk and we started promptly at 9:30. We all chatted throughout the walk and took it at our own pace….pretty slow. LOL Hey, I just had a brain procedure about 4 weeks ago, Julie still has issues and Lori is a damned walking miracle and is about to undertake her 5th (I think!) open brain surgery in a couple of weeks. Slow was just perfect for us.

It was nice to get to know Lori. She’s been through such a tremendous ordeal. Something like 10 titanium clips have been used on her one aneurysm, which is a massive 4cm. (about 1.5″). My 8mm one is barely 1/2 inch. She has endured so much and has such a fantastic attitude and is living life to the fullest! She is unable to perform her job, but her sense of humor has certainly remained fully intact and you have to love that. I won’t be complaining about my black and blue marks or my measly 5 pills I have to take every day anymore after meeting her. She showed us a list of about 15 pills she has to take…TWICE a day.

After the walk, many people who had participate in the walk and run met at local restaurant and chatted about their personal stories and congratulated one another for completing the walk or run. The sun even came out. A very nice gathering and good company.

Julie brought her mom who drove every day from MA to Portland after Julie had her rupture. They’re both very warm and outgoing women with great strength and passion. Lori was traveling from Florida with her very good friend Cindy. What a magnificent wealth of friendship Lori has in Cindy. I envy that. She is truly blessed and rich in that regard. Cindy is a gem. And I had Dave with me. My angel, my chauffeur, my go-to-guy and love. We’re ALL survivors….caretakers included.

According to their Facebook post, the Brain Aneurysm Foundation said this about the walk: “We had almost 600 participants, including 270 runners. Thanks to all the fundraisers and teams who helped The Brain Aneurysm Foundation raise over $50,000 at the Arterial Challenge.”

I’d say that was a HUGE success! I think just having other survivors and caretakers meet with those who have gone through the same thing can bring great comfort and we can continue to spread the word about the signs and symptoms (if you’re lucky enough to have them) to the general public AND health professionals.

And I pray Julie continues to heal and solutions are brought forth to ease her discomfort. I also pray very hard for Lori who will undergo a serious bypass operation in June. She HAS to come through that because she’s going on a Disney cruise to Hawaii next April!