| WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE SURGERY? | | | | is accepting the fact that you will need help. You |
| Physical and mental damage usually occurs whether | | | | cannot do it on your own, there's no if's, and's, or |
| the ruptured brain aneurysm is repaired with coils or | | | | but's about it. YOU WILL NEED HELP. |
| clips. The effects are very similar to what a stroke | | | | I spent two months in a rehab center learning some |
| victim suffers. | | | | of the fundamental things that are required to get |
| Collateral damage, others that are affected, will take | | | | back to a some-what normal existence. |
| its toll. They have to adjust to the fact that the | | | | My arms and legs needed to retrained. Basic speech |
| person they have come to know and love no longer | | | | was a major task for me. I relearned how to count |
| recognize them or is acting strange. | | | | money. |
| The recovery process can take months or even | | | | 1... 2 dimes and 1 nickel = 25 cents |
| years to restore normal everyday functions. | | | | 2... 3 quarters and 2 pennies = 77 cents. |
| 1... Do you recognize everyone in your family? | | | | That's pocket change. But it takes on a whole new |
| 2... Can you button your shirt? | | | | meaning to one that has survived a ruptured brain |
| 3... Did you remember to zip up your pants? | | | | aneurysm. |
| 4... You got your shoes on okay, but did you | | | | The rehab hospital we have in our area does a very |
| remember to put on your socks? | | | | fine job. They spent many dedicated hours helping |
| 5... Can you walking across a room to answer the | | | | me relearn life. The problem is, as I see it, they seem |
| phone? | | | | to have a rubber stamp program to rehab all brain |
| These simple tasks are just that, simple; unless you | | | | injury people and that has it's limits. |
| have been through a traumatizing brain injury. | | | | However, after two months I still did not know the |
| Everyone will do these everyday things without | | | | names of my children, or for that matter, that I |
| giving them a passing thought. | | | | even had kids. My wife stepped in and started |
| A Note: My cerebral aneurysm burst 5 years ago. I | | | | working with me to reeducate me about me. |
| am still working to regain some physical abilities; some | | | | She made up a list of common everyday questions. |
| will never be restored. | | | | The questions don't seem to make much since to |
| Physical abilities, like not being able to control body | | | | those that know the answers. |
| functions, can be devastating. You learn a lot about | | | | 1... What's your first name? |
| the caregivers during this phase of recovery. | | | | 2... What's your last name? |
| COPING WITH EVERYDAY PROBLEMS. | | | | 3... What's your full name? |
| One thing you have to come to grips with is the idea | | | | 4... When is your birthday? |
| that the brain controls everything you do. | | | | 5... What's your father's name? |
| The hardest part of recovery is realizing that you are | | | | 6... Where were you born? |
| having problems you never thought possible. A few | | | | 7... What's your mother's name? |
| common problems are: | | | | 8... Are you married? |
| 1... Concentration. | | | | 9... How many children do you have? |
| Your ability to think things out is limited. (My mind | | | | This is only a sample of questions that someone that |
| goes blank when I get tired.) | | | | suffered a brain injury cannot answer. Bonnie, That's |
| 2... Reasoning. | | | | my wife, came up with 300 such questions. She |
| You know how much money you need to pay for a | | | | worked with me every day with the questions until I |
| meal at a restaurant. You are positive that the | | | | started to get them right. It's really frustrating not |
| amount of money you have in your hand to pay the | | | | knowing who you are. |
| bill is correct; but it never is. | | | | This type of Question/Answer game is very helpful. |
| 3... Speech. | | | | Try to get someone to make up a set of questions |
| You stutter or get stuck on a word when trying to | | | | that fit you if one of the deficits you are |
| carry on a conversation. Getting stuck on a word is | | | | experiencing is a loss of your identity. |
| very frustrating. | | | | HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE? |
| For example: "Can I get --get-- get-- get-- get-- get-- | | | | A ruptured brain aneurysm turns your life upside |
| you a drink?" Those that do not know you will | | | | down. You have survived. Just surviving a traumatic |
| sometimes give you that "raised eye brow" look, or | | | | brain injury makes you one of the lucky few. What's |
| worse, laugh at you. | | | | taken a lifetime to learn can be wiped out in a |
| 4... Fear. | | | | heartbeat. |
| Those of use that have experienced a brain | | | | It's easy to say "Just hang in there. Everything is |
| aneurysm that hemorrhaged are really sensitive to | | | | going to be okay." Here's the truth. It's going to be a |
| anything that involves the head. Any kind of a | | | | long and hard journey to get back to being close to |
| headache sends us into the panic mode fearing that | | | | where your were before the life changing injury. Be |
| we are having another head injury. | | | | patient and have a lot of faith in your own ability to |
| REHABILATION | | | | pull yourself back up. |
| One of the hard parts of getting back on your feet | | | | |