During Nov 2011 I had some very bizarre experiences. While sitting at my laptop my right eye started losing focus. I blinked a few times thinking I was tired but it didnt cure the issue. The more I tried the worse it got. I felt like my vision had turned sideways. I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror thinkin i would see a turned eye. I didnt. After about 15min it cleared. I felt very warm and fuzzy and thinking it was all tiredness i went to bed. I didnt sleep well and had terrible fatigue the next few days. About a week later it happened again. Again I put myself to sleep. This time i noticed how much my eye hurt after it settled.
I do a very physical job and thought maybe I was just overdoing it with xmas stock arriving and thought thats cool a few weeks and it will all quieten down.
The begining of dec arrived and we were well into moving 15 - 20 pallets a week all xmas stock. I unpacked, scanned and put majority of the stock away myself. I work in a car spare parts business so a fair amount of weight was involved and I am not one for taking it easy, the stock arrives and I slam it away as fast as I can so i can help elsewhere.
Midweek one afternoon I was driving home from work and as i was driving on a single lane road i felt my eye starting to "turn" again. This time i was in daylight. It took only a few seconds from feeling to being frieghtened. I was moving at 60kph and could no longer see the road, I couldnt pull over as I couldnt judge where that was. I couldnt hit the brakes because of the traffic behind me. I put on my blinker and made the decision to get off the road wherever that was. best i damage the car and not the people behind me. Worst i could do was hit the gutter n blow the tyre. I stopped and didnt know what to do. should i call for help? how can i call i cant see the fone. I sat there confused. I waited. My eye settled after about 15 min. I could see the rod although my site was a bit blurry. I stupidly decided to try n make it for home, another 15km away. As I drove off i noticed that warm fuzzy feeling again. My eye started to hurt, my temp was rising. My brain wasnt thinking, i was in a daze. I made it home and told my daughter who of course had words with me and demanded i go to the dr. That was out of the question, she is 5 km away and i wasnt driving again.
I spoke to a nurse friend and while i was talking with her i felt tingly, my right side, my leg, my toes, then my face, 1/2 my lips went numb, creeping up my head to my eyebrow it all went numb, then the top of my head.
I put myself to sleep promising i would go to the dr's the next day. I went to work and i was quite strange, slow, fatigued, couldnt think, had no time for customers no concentration. I drove to the dr after work. She wuggested on hearing my story that i go immediately to the ER. I ignored her and went home. Lordy Drs wot would they know" i thought to myself, I have no time to be sick geeez. That was Thurs. I had a funeral to attend on friday and did so. all the while feeling very strange. I ended up collapsing and was taken to a small hospital. a CT was done and nothing found. I signed myself out and went home. I woke up the next day and asked my partner to take me to the ER near to me as something was very wrong. Duh!.
I told them my problems, a contrast CT was done and there they were, 3 aneusysms. 7mm RICA origin PcomA, 3mm left PcomA, 2mm PCA (P1). A lumber puncture was performed and came back clear so i was shifted up to a ward and kept there for 4 days. An appointment was made to see the surgeon and now I am in the sit n wait section. I have 1 more week to wait and I will hopefully be able to complete my story. I have since lost my job, my partner has me on 24/7 watch and he has since lost his job for not being able to perform under the circumstances. Life is one huge beasty ball of stress and I am hoping that by 2013 my life will be alot more pleasant and well past the annie trials n tribulations.
Hi Cassandra and Weclome to BAF...!
My God...you have been put through the ringer ... ! You poor thing...I do hope you will get more information from the surgeon and things will start turning towards a positive direction...!
Cyber~continued Healing thoughts your way...Colleen
Thanks colleen, its been great finding all of Annie people inone area. Im on the research trail and Im ready to hammer the surgeon with all my questions and I have a fair idea on where i would like to go as far as surgery. I am not one for waiting and i am nervous of coiling. Im swayed more towards clipping but I guess it really comes down to the surgeon himself and his knowledge n preferences of the annies that i have.
I am worried about my near future and where it will take us. I have tried to get my partner to research with me but his only interest is in the recovery process and his role once Im home. I have a 2 beautiful daughters 22 & 11. My adult child has been a great source of strength but i worry about her mental state thru all of this, lord knows she doesnt need it at this stage of her life. My 11yo has spent the past week at her dads as I have been moody and cant seem to express myself n the headaches i constantly endure she felt she was making them worse n opted to stay away from me to give me some time out. I miss her laugh n smiles n constant talking.
Today is Tuesday and she is coming home. Im very excited to see her but cautious as well as I just seem to snap really quickly. I love my family soo much, my partner has looked after me well. he takes me for little walks with our dogs and waits on me hand n foot. When i feel ill from headache he panics and has his hand on the batfone ready to call an ambo. Yet while i love them endlessly I sometimes wish they would all just disappear for the day so i can have time alone, is that wrong of me to feel that way?
I have started putting up rosters and emergency hospital plans for the "just in case" especially for my youngest. The rosters are more for me cause noone "cleans" they way I like it in the timeframe i want it and once im completely out of action, the last thing i want to do is worry about the bit of dust on the skirting boards or the washing in the laundry.
Maybe Im just over-thinking the whole situation, but ole mother hen just wants her house to be perfect so they have less to worry about. maybe Im just being selfish or untrusting, or is it possible that i do it so i feel like they cant survive without me. Im feeling very helpless n sometimes snap at my partner "Im not an invalid" "I can wash up". Maybe they are just as scared as me, in fact I know they are, but how do I help them? Oh all the worries that im sure we have all put ourselves thru, it never stops.
we joke as much as we can about "Cyclone Annie" and boy they have a great laugh when my words get muddled or i dont pronounce something the correct way, I dont mind as I believe laughter is a natural way of dealing with stress, it keeps us all a little less afraid right now.
Dang Ive done it again, Ive rambled on, Im good at that. The family always joke that I could talk underwater with a mouth full of marbles.
Thanks for listening, heres to a good day for all ;)
How awful and scary all of that must have been for you. I was coiled and stented October 24, so I am rather new here also. Many of us are not given choices of surgery - a lot depends on the location. Mine was in the basilar tip and clipping was not possible. The waiting is the worst part - your doctor will probably want to do an angiogram to get a more clear picture of the annies.
Keep us informed - love the name cyclone annies!!
Take care,
Sherri
welcome to the place where everyone understands what you're going through!
how terrified you must be feeling despite the joking!!
i sense you are seeking to control many things in a life that has suddenly spiraled out of control. please relax. it's very important that your blood pressure remain normal. the house work will wait. what's far more important than the dust is you.
it sounds as if you have an awesome support system which is key to a better recovery. i so wish i had had the support you have.
i will be sending positive and healing vibes your way.
please keep us updated!
kat
Hi Kathy,
Im thinkin I may be a bit OCD when it comes to the house work, a friend that I shared with had a giggle at me being so worried, but also remembered how fussy I was when she shared with me.
I was never a sitter and that seems to be my biggest downfall right now. After reading my ramblings yesterday I realised that I can just let my family do all the housework and it really is just a cry for wanting to be needed, if the kids do all my chores then they dont really need me, if my partner can cook then he really doesnt need me. Im finding fault in how things are done because i dont want the house to run properly, I want them to say "we need u mum". Silly thing I know they need me, Im their mum and Im always needed.
The girls especially have been great support, they have introduced me to the XBOX. I dont know if thats a good or bad thing yet, only time will tell when i start monopolising their playtime and the complaints quickly follow lol.
I do hope for u that u find the support u need and that family and friends will rally around u and help u when u need it the most. As much as I have the physical support, it has been here that has helped me the most. Here we all have the same issue and can really understand eachothers emotions and the ear being offered is one of complete understanding.
again I thank u for ur kind words and support and I do hope I can in turn help as much as u have all helped me.
Big hugs
Cass
Hi Sherri,
The 7mm and 3mm annies are right and left ICA origin PcomA which is rather difficult to get to but i do know i can have either op, which is why i am swaying to clipping. The 3rd annie is PCA (P1) that i believe is at the cut off point for surgery and considering its only 2mm i think will be a wait n watch.
I hate waiting and today is exactly 1 week till my appointment, I am more than excited I have made it this far although i think my family is over my constant time keeping.
I chosen a name for my annies just so i have some light reflection and laughter, i think if i didnt laugh i would spend my days in absolute tears. And i think sometimes i just have too much time on my hands lol.
How have u faired since ur coiling?... Im interested to know as there are so many varying stories of the immediate after effects. The headache seems to be the common denomiator with either operation.
Big hugs
Cass