| This is a story of what happened to me on | | | | delicate. The surgery would last 3 to 4 hours. They |
| Saturday, January 28, 2006 that changed my life | | | | would go up the artery from my groin up through |
| forever. | | | | my neck to the brain where the aneurysm was. |
| I was to go to a friend's surprise party that day. It | | | | They would put tiny titanium coils on the aneurysm |
| was about 1:30 in the afternoon. I was taking a | | | | to stop it from bleeding, They were preparing the |
| shower when I suddenly felt dizzy, light headed. I | | | | operating room. |
| could barley stand up. Then I felt this tremendous | | | | When I entered the operating room they were |
| pressure to my head. It felt like my head was going | | | | playing Queen, We Will Rock You. The next song |
| to explode. Then I got the worst headache of my | | | | made me nervous. They must have had a CD and |
| life. I tried to lay down to see if the headache would | | | | the next song was Another One Bites The Dust. The |
| go away. It did not go way after about 30 minutes. I | | | | surgery lasted 4 1/2 hours but thankfully everything |
| knew that something was wrong. Then I started | | | | went good. They also told me that I was not out of |
| vomiting. | | | | the woods yet. I would spend the next 11 days in |
| Now I knew for sure that something was seriously | | | | ICU. |
| wrong. I told my Brother to take me to the | | | | They told me that since I had so much blood around |
| emergency room. Of course on a Saturday evening, | | | | the brain that sometimes after a procedure like this, |
| the emergency room was busy. I again vomited while | | | | the vessels just clamp down. This is called |
| waiting in the emergency room. I was there for 15 | | | | Vasospasm. They told me that the next 21 days |
| hours before I actually saw a doctor. All this time, I | | | | would be crucial. That was the toughest part. Waiting |
| had the worst headache of my life that would not | | | | around to see if I would go into seizure or have a |
| go away. I must have put about 6-7 cold packs | | | | stroke. |
| during the 15 hours and Advil every four hours. | | | | For the 2-3 days after the surgery, I had a really |
| When I finally did see the doctor, they gave me a | | | | bad, pounding headache. Every heart beat would |
| shot of morphine and that took the pain away | | | | cause a tremendous pain in my head. The doctor had |
| instantly. The doctor said that something could still be | | | | told me that I would get worse before I got better. |
| wrong. They ordered a CT scan of my head to see | | | | He was correct because I was wondering if my head |
| if there was bleeding. | | | | was still bleeding because of the pain. Not as bad as |
| I did not think much of it, but when the results came | | | | the initial headache but close. Not even morphine |
| in, they told me I had a lot of blood in my head. | | | | would take this pain away. After about the 5th day |
| They would need to do another CT scan but this | | | | in ICU, I finally started to get better. |
| time they would inject a dye in my IV to see where | | | | I truly believe that someone was looking over me. |
| the blood was coming from. | | | | The odds were tremendously against me. Yet I |
| The result of the second CT scan revealed that I | | | | came through with virtually no side effects. Now I |
| had a brain hemorrhage. I would need brain surgery | | | | am at almost 100%. There were many prayers from |
| to repair the brain aneurysm they had discovered. I | | | | family and friends that helped me get through this. I |
| was in shock. I did not know what was ahead of me. | | | | could not have gotten through this without them. |
| The doctor told me that what I had was very | | | | This whole situation has thought me a lesson on life. I |
| serious. That 50% of the people that have a brain | | | | realize what the important things in life are, and it |
| hemorrhage, do not make it to the hospital. I was | | | | makes you appreciate the little things because it can |
| very lucky to have made it to that point. He told me | | | | be taken away from you any moment. |
| that the next 3 weeks would be critical. He said that | | | | I feel like I was given a second chance at life and I |
| I would remain in the hospital for at least 3 weeks. | | | | plan on making the most it. I know that I was given |
| He said they would have to do surgery immediately. | | | | a second chance for a reason. I plan on helping as |
| He explained the procedure and said it was very | | | | many people as I possibly can. |