Tag: Maine

Racing Against Brain Aneurysms

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The title says it all: the sooner we get the best, up-to-date accurate facts out to people, the more lives we can save!

Such is the message behind the hood and rear, deck lid sponsorship on the #52 Chevy Camaro for this weekends NASCAR Xfinity race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The Lisa Colagrossi Foundation, a worldwide leader in raising awareness for brain aneurysms, sponsored the car driven by Iowa native, Joey Gase. The foundation asked for people effected by brain aneurysms to donate money to have either their name or photo of a loved one on the car during the race. The amount of exposure Joey and the car got on this national event was priceless.

Dave and I were asked as special guests to attend the race. And we cannot say enough about Joey and his father Bob. They were extremely generous with their time and hospitality. We certainly never demanded or asked of anything, but they offered so much from golf cart transport to ear plugs and water. Respect breeds respect.

The car was beautiful (if you can say that about a stock car) and seeing it in person was emotional. Watching Dori and Kim’s photo leave the garage area was almost like setting them free to go fly on the track. 32 individuals effected by brain aneurysms were on the car including notable figures such as Albert Haynesworth (NFL), Maryam Dabo (James Bond girl), Andre Jones (TJ Jones/NFL, Detroit Lions father), and Ashley Harris (wife of Tommie Harris/NFL, Chicago Bears) and a few not-so-notable figures such as myself, my sister Dori and Dave’s niece Kim.

Bob Gase and Todd Crawford were wonderful hosts and showed us around the track. We also had an opportunity to spend time with Joey in his hauler to cool off and get out of the sound and noise. He’s a wonderful young man and shouldn’t have had to lose his mother at such a young age. I had fun talking racing with him – he may not say the same. 🙂 Dave and I are big NASCAR fans and we have been following him in the Xfinity series and the few cup starts he has had.

This summer weekend race at New Hampshire is always a busy one in the garage area because they have three different series racing on Saturday and the Sprint Cup teams also had several practices, so there were opportunities to see a lot of on-track action. We enjoyed some of the Whelen Modified race and got to see the end of one of the cup practices. With the pit access we had, we were able to get close to some of the cars and drivers on pit road. Dave snapped a photo of Jack Rousch and saw Richard Childress walking by. We’ve been to three races at NHMS before, but this was a different experience for sure.

The pit and garage areas are regular hives of activities throughout the day and one needs to be aware of your surroundings. Many carts, cars, gas cans, and groups of media moving back and forth between the garages and trackside. I was run into on pit road during the modified race because I had ear plugs in and he couldn’t stop the large cart. He hit me gently and did apologize and we had a laugh.

The weekly circus that is NASCAR is amazing. The logistics and organization that goes into each team and just getting the event produced is impressive. And then add to that the wonderful staff at New Hampshire Motor Speedway who could not have been nicer. A stellar group of people and a lot of fun.

We were able to take many photos with Joey at the car before the Xfinity race as well as stand next to the car during opening ceremonies and the singing of the anthem. Something I’ve only seen on TV previously, or in the stands. This perspective was a lot of fun and It was emotional to be standing next to the car and see our loved ones there with us.

Then after the anthem was sung Joey’s dad led us over to the team’s pit area and informed us we’d be sitting on top of the pit box for the race! Now THAT was very, very unexpected. We weren’t really sure where we’d be to watch the race, but I hadn’t even thought about the actual pit box that is wheeled over from the hauler. It was a tight fit, but Todd, Dave and I climbed the narrow ladder to the three chairs for us. What an amazing view for a race! Dave and I geeked out a wee bit I think.

The sounds and smells of the cars racing by and coming in for pit stops is either something you love or hate. I happened to be one of those people that loves it. My sister Dori and I always used to go the demolition derbies at our local fairgrounds every year until I moved to Maine in 2001. She was also a NASCAR fan back in the day and I truly felt her with my on top of that pit box geeking out with Dave and I and enjoying the event immensely.

Joey didn’t qualify for the race very well, but he move up during the race and finished a respectable 25th place out of 30 cars. He is a good driver. He doesn’t ruffle any feathers on the track and hasn’t caused any fights on pit road or in the garage area (that I’m aware of!) and I think he has treated other drivers with respect. Again…respect breeds respect. I think the two media pieces produced by NBC Sports about Joey over the weekend were a reflection of the kind of young man he is and how he has taken something that is very painful and is helping others. It was a pleasure to meet Joey and his dad and we will continue to support him and cheer for him on a weekly basis.

It was a special, special day at the track and it was wonderful to get close to the action. As a double brain aneurysm survivor, I took great pride in having my name on the car and hoping the words “brain aneurysm” have now entered into the vocabulary of the NASCAR community in a bigger fashion. There are a few people who have even effected within the NASCAR family and we know they’re going to be helping TLCF help raise awareness and make the public more aware of the symptoms and their own personal stories.

Thank you to Todd Crawford and The Lisa Colagrossi Foundation for making this day possible. We look forward to future endeavors and helping to save lives.

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Photo Shoot & Angiogram Follow Up

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This morning my super model brain aneurysm posed for another photo. If I have many more MRIs/MRAs, I’ll stick to the fridge.

The reason for today’s photo shoot was to get a good baseline MRA shot of my large aneurysm and hopefully I can just continue to have MRAs instead of the more invasive cerebral angiograms in the future until they’re needed.

Thankfully, the Dr’s office was able to schedule the MRA on the same day as my follow up appointment for my angiogram that I had earlier in the month. So we headed out early to get to Scarborough by 8:15 a.m.

And it figures, today of all days, I get an ocular migraine right at 8 and had trouble seeing out of my right eye walking into the facility and in the MRA suite. It cleared up actually during the MRA and I could see fine afterwards. Thankfully they don’t cause me pain, just visual disturbance for about 30 minutes and I typically just don’t feel great the rest of the day.

At the Dr’s office we looked at the images of the aneurysm from my angiogram as well as this morning’s MRA, which did show that remnant area where blood is getting back into the neck of the aneurysm. It appears to be below the coils and above the stent. We also looked at previous images and compared any changes to the size and shape for the little bugger.

Since the size and shape it basically the same since last year’s scans, the Dr. is recommending we wait and have an MRA again in two years and if it changes, we’ll add more coils. MORE coils. There are currently 20 pumped into it. Perhaps I really SHOULD call this aneurysm a super model….maybe it’s like continuing to get more Botox.

I’m not sure what results I was expecting from this appointment, but the watching and waiting to get more coils made me disappointed. I was hoping for something more permanent so I didn’t have to worry about this damn thing anymore. If 16 coils, then an additional 4 coils, then a stent weren’t able to stop the blood from getting into it, aren’t more coils also at risk of not working either?

I am struggling on trying to find the positive side of this determination. I DID agree to it but I’m the one who has to walk around with this unstable thing in my brain. I trust my doctor and I know if he felt it was an issue, he’d recommend the coiling NOW, but he doesn’t feel it’s a problem and currently, there are no other permanent procedures that would take care of my wonky arteries. Perhaps in two years something new will come out that CAN be placed inside a stent. Or the remnant will rupture…..see what I did there? I’m normally very positive, but this one is tough. It’ll come, just not tonight.

The good news was that the aneurysm that was clipped in 2014 looks “stunning”! LOL He is just so darned happy with himself for that picture-perfect clipping and I’m glad I was the lucky recipient of it. There! I found something positive.

Two-Year Clip-Aversary

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Me! Brain Aneurysm Survivor
On the anniversary of my ruptured brain aneurysm in 2006 and subsequent coiling, I call it my “Annie-versary” stealing the phrase from other survivors from the Brain Talk Community online who helped me through my recovery. For some reason I feel I need to give my 2nd brain aneurysm procedure (the clipping) a different annual name. Like I’ll be criticized for calling that an Annie-versary too? LOL I doubt it, but I do.

Saturday is the two-year anniversary of the clipping on my second, unruptured brain aneurysm. It turned out to be a delicate aneurysm and it was a delicate time. I had lost my other sister just a few weeks prior to my scheduled surgery and I was wrestling with whether I should go through with the surgery or not. It wasn’t until my niece and mother (who we lost last year) spoke to me and encouraged me to proceed, that I made the final decision to keep the date and proceed. I truly didn’t want to put them through anymore.

I think some angels were watching over me because it was a good thing I DID get the craniotomy & clipping. It was an ugly, thin-walled brain aneurysm that would have surely caused me issues, if not caused my death, at some point down the road.

For my two-year update I’ll recall an earlier format I used to update my family and a few friends on my blog about my recovery process.

FATIGUE: There are still days I KNOW my brain had too much stimulation. It’s difficult to describe other than my brain is tired. I suppose that is something that will never go away. It does get better, but I’ll be able to realize when I need to rest my brain. Not just sleep, but do nothing…think about nothing…just nothing. I need those days still. I also notice my left eye lid will get a bit droopy when I’m overly tired and haven’t eaten much.

PAIN: 
These days, the only pain I feel that is associated directly to the clipping is on the left side of my skull. I have no idea what triggers the pain and I often have difficulty laying on the left side of my head. It “feels” like my brain shifts to the left against my skull and there is pressure there. It’s not a daily pain, but I certainly notice it when it is bothering me and I have to roll over and lay on the right side. Sneezing doesn’t bother me, but coughing really does. I feel it throughout my head and it makes me tired.

NUMBNESS:
 As many people said, including the Dr., this may or may not go away. The skin on my skull hasn’t completely “reconnected” all of the nerves, so a great chunk of it is still numb. I only notice it when others touch my head now. My hair dresser or Dave. At least it’s not painful….just odd. I certainly could have worse issues, so I consider myself lucky.

STITCHES/INCISION:
 I can feel the incision under my hair line and the hair has all grown back so that part isn’t even visible anymore. As the swelling went down and I lost a little bit of weight (20 lbs at one point), the bone flap area “settled” into the skull quite a bit and a dent has appeared. The pins and small plates that secured the bone flap back onto the skull area are also visible and sticking out under the skin on the skull and I most certainly feel them. I’m not crazy about the dent or the brain “bling”, but it is what it is and I doubt anyone but me would really notice them. Although when I have my hair parted differently and the light hits it just right, Dave will notice and always points it out. I’ve seen much worse dents on other survivors I have met, so in comparison, I’m lucky.

Found this great PDF: https://profiles.utsouthwestern.edu/profile/67812/assets/patient-information.pdf

And this one: http://www.mayfieldclinic.com/PE-Craniotomy.htm

BRAIN FUNCTION:
Well, I have survived two more catalog seasons, so I guess my brain function is doing okay. I certainly feel tired at times, but I’m very, VERY lucky that I can drive, work, read, and function on a daily basis. I’m a little slower and a little more careful when walking and traversing walkways, hills or paths because I have a bit of a fear of slipping or falling and hitting my head.

I do still struggle with some survivor’s guilt. Why, dear Lord, am I so lucky with my multiple brain aneurysms when two (and possibly three) people I loved so much were victims of the same ailment? One can say because God has other plans for me to help others. If that’s the burden I have to carry, then so be it. I can’t say I’m crazy about it though. I’d rather have Kim, Dori, my mom and Rhonda back.

So, I will celebrate my clip-aversary in some fashion I’m sure. I’m glad I’m still here and I hope a few others are as well.

Show and Tell

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A few weeks ago Dave and I attended the 35th Annual Atlantic Partners EMS Seminar at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine. This annual event provides education to the most dedicated emergency medical service personnel, hospital staff and firefighters from Maine and New England. There were pre-conference courses, over 100 continuing education classes, and co-sponsored one day conferences from the Maine Ambulance Association, Maine Committee on Trauma, and Maine Cardiovascular Health Council.

We attended the Friday and Saturday sessions participating in the vendor area where we set up a Maine Brain Aneurysm Awareness table/booth. Not only is it a good way to help raise awareness for brain aneurysms, it’s also a wonderful way to connect with local EMS personenel and medical staff to alert them to the possible symptoms and signs that someone may be experiencing a ruptured brain aneurysm. Because of the nature of my own personal story on the morning of my rupture and my sister’s misdiagnosis and subsequent death from a rupture, Dave and I are particularly sensitive to educating EMS crews.

The morning of my rupture in 2006 presented me some classic stroke symptoms. Upon repeating our story throughout the two days, we saw many eyes being rolled, jaws dropped, and stunned expressions when we told them the ambulance crew did not take me to the ER. They basically left it up to us to go to the ER. I’d like to say I believe some of the protocols have changed since then, but at our monthly brain aneurysm support group meetings, we continue to meet some people who have had some of the same issues, or have been misdiagnosed. So, there is still work to do.

In hindsight, it is so very easy to say that I SHOULD have gone to the hospital. And those shocked expressions from the EMS members we met and THEIR insistance that they would have transported me, certainly made us feel good, but the crew that came to our house couldn’t have realized the seriousness at the time…unless they asked some very pointed questions. I need to cut them some slack; they’re only human despite the fact I could have died later that day, or the next day…..

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The MaineBA Booth

Dave and I met some terrific people who devote so much of their time to helping others and making sure the health and well-being of the general public is a top priority. Some important connections were also made with individuals who can truly make a difference in the state’s regulations and protocols. There were several invitations from local groups for us to come and speak to them about our story and make them aware of what CAN be a serious issue if it’s not addressed in a timely manner.

One of the classes on Saturday afternoon was held by Dr. Evie Marcolini. Her main focus that day was to discuss difficult neuro cases and brain aneurysms were one of the topics. She stopped at our table a few hours prior to her class and spoke to us. Once Dave and I knew she would be addressing brain aneurysms and expressed a deep interest in our story, we felt it necessary to go the class. We both did a good job of making sure we kept to ourselves. This wasn’t a class for us, but for those people who are on the front lines of very difficult situations and we needed to maintain restraint in putting in our two cents.

Dr. Marcolini’s class was really wonderful as she provided several case studies of patients that would have altered mental states and questioned the class on what they would ask, how they would react, and what they would tell emergency room personel. It truly is that communication between the 911 responders and the patient that can set the ball rolling for precise care and attention later on.

What I took away from the two days was how dedicated those folks are and many are volunteers. I was surprised and pleased with the number of people who thanked US for being there and raising awareness. The number of people who knew someone or had a family member with a brain aneurysm was certainly eye opening. It’s a far more prevalent issue thoughout the country and our state. We even think we were able to convince one woman to get a scan. She had a family history and she could be highly succeptable to developing one and it’s far better to know you have it and treat it, then to have it rupture and potentially die as a result. THAT was one of our big messages: make sure EMT personal and 911 operators know of any family history of brain aneursyms and to let them know if a headache is the “worst of your life” and very different than any you have had previously. That’s assuming you are able to speak.

On our drive home, I realized I was tired of hearing my own story. Dave and I both retold it many, many times over the two days and I compared it to show and tell: I was the “show” (look at me, I survived and here are a few scars to prove it) and Dave was the “tell” (here’s what happened). There are those times when I just need to step away from brain aneurysms and take a break. It’s difficult to do since I live with them on a daily basis, but I was glad I had Sunday to detox and reset. It wore me out.

I hope we made an impression on people and that their next emergency call for someone with a horrible headache will result in them asking if they’ve experienced anything like that before or if there is a family history of brain aneurysms. Those two simple questions could save a life and get someone to the ER in time to prevent devastating brain damage.

Thank YOU to everyone who goes out there to help save lives!

On a fun side note:

The celebrity guest at the conference on Saturday was Randolph Mantooth from the 1970’s show EMERGENCY. He played the lovable Johnny Gage and I grew up with that show, so I got a little girl-silly when I saw him. He’s a huge supporter for the emergency medical community and the money raised from his autograph session was going directly to local funds here in Maine.

I actually got in line twice. First time to get the autograph and a 2nd time because my camera wasn’t working on the first turn through. LOL He was very sweet and still looked darn good for 70 years old and fighting cancer.

A local EMT also bought and redid an old Dodge truck and turned it into an almost exact replica of the Squad 51 truck. I flipped when I saw it Friday night before we left the vendor area. I did a double take and saw it and realize it was THE truck. On Saturday morning, I wanted to take a photo of it and right after I took a photo, the gentleman who worked on the truck, came immediately up to me and held his hand out like he was going to take my camera away from me because I took a photo! Instead, he took my camera, but also grabbed one of the fireman’s hats off the truck and took MY picture with the truck. Pretty neat.