I am new to this forum and wanted to share my story...
I gave birth to my beautiful daughter on St. Patricks day. My pregnancy was pretty normal, I had high blood pressure and a high heart rate but that was never alarming enough to take any major precautions. I had a very easy pregnancy and a very easy delivery. Labored at home until I was about 10 Centimeters dilated (!!!) went in and had her within the hour. It was amazing.
A few days later, after being home and settling in, My husband and I fell asleep on the couch. He woke up at about 3am to the noise of me dropping a water bottle I had been holding. I was completely unresponsive and was hardly breathing. Lucky for me, he is a trained EMT and 911 Dispatcher and was able to stay clam. He called 911 an gave my CPR until the ambulance got there and they quickly got me to great hospital. After some scans they learned that a Subarachnoidal Aneurysm had burst.
When I came out of the coiling surgery my family didn't know what to think. It all had happened so fast and the nurses were bracing them for the worst. There were conversations about long term care, paralysis... about how my personality might not be the same. But, within 24 hours of surgery they removed my breathing tube and I was, for the most part, myself. Flash forward through 3 weeks in the Neuro ICU, with my hero husband bringing our new baby in for visits everyday, not to mention some amazing nurses who not only cared for my brian injury, but also dealt with my postpartum care, I went home with some headaches and a prescription for baby aspirin.
I feel so lucky. Things could have looked very different for my family and I. I should feel blessed, instead I feel guilty. For putting my family through that. I feel guilt for the people that were in the ICU with me whose families were not celebrating like mine was. I guess its just hard to wrap my head around the fact that I was really close to dying and that the odds say I should have.
So thanks for this forum. It's nice to have a place to share.
Your story is one that is inspiring...Your baby girl will be your gift...and your fight for Life...You are a true survivor...and Thank you for sharing...~ Colleen
Welcome and Thank you so much for sharing your story & CONGRATS to You and your Hero husband with your new Baby Girl!!! YOU truly Blessed to be a Blessing and was just so wonderful to ready your story and looking forward to hearing more of your story thru your healing which is only going to Inspire and Help many!
Congratulations on your baby Nichole! And for a super sounding supportive husband and family. The guilt seems to be common. I had no ruptures. My aneurysm was discovered last July and clipped in September. I went from feeling intense gratitude to horrible guilt for surviving. But the awesome survivors here have helped me see that each of us is different. Your survival is your gift. Don't belittle it with guilt. Enjoy the beautiful blessings you have in you and your new baby. And congratulations once again.
Congratulations! On your precious new baby and surviving the ruptured aneurysm. It is very hard not to question why we survived especially when we hear our stories told by others. I feel that I survived my ruptured aneurysm because God has some plan for me and just wasn’t ready for me yet. Take it easy and enjoy your life.
Hi Nichole. Congratulations on the birth of your baby. You’re certainly a miracle! To be pregnant and to have a SAH. And to survived and recovered so quickly. Is amazing. Counted yourself blessed. It easy to have guilt after a traumatic experience, but to wallowed in guilt is not healthy. To think that you put your family, through stressful times. And feeling guilty also, for the families in ICU, who are not celebrating like yours were. Nichole, you are not responsible for these scenarios. You have to remembered God was in control, when you came through successfully from coiling surgery. Guilt is not something to harboured, when there is no need to do so. Count your blessings Nichole and enjoyed your baby. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Wow Sue, Although I knew you'd gone thru some major stuff in your aneurysm 'journey', I had no idea of the details~damn Lady, you've truly traipsed down the Miracle Mile ! So glad you're here with us!
Congratson your new baby! Don't bother looking back, you've got a whole new life ahead of you with your baby and husband! theres no use trying to figure it all out, It is what it is and you're here in the now, go for it, be happy, and live..