Hi all!
On November 1, 2014, my mom (and very best friend) suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. I had just spoken to her on the phone a few hours before, and by the grace of God (she lives alone in a VERY rural area), she managed to call for help. She was transported to a local hospital, where they discovered the bleed. After several phone calls and denials, the attending physician finally found a hospital willing to accept her. They attempted to air lift her, but were forced to abort due to weather, so she was transported over 100 miles by ambulance.
Initially, the surgeon attempted to perform a coiling procedure, but the machine failed on startup. He ended up having to perform a craniotomy/clipping. Over the next several days, she remained unresponsive. She would occasionally open her right eye, but could not follow commands whatsoever. I was approached about removing her off the ventilator, and despite knowing very well what her wishes were, I had a tremendously strong gut feeling to continue forward. On day 12, we proceeded with a tracheostomy, and on day 14, inserted a PEG tube. Miraculously, she truly began waking up. She was able to open her eyes on command and wiggle her right toes. She had zero movement in her upper body or her left leg.
They were able to wean her off the vent, and after 20 days in ICU, we moved her to rehab. The first few weeks were exceptionally hard, with no progress whatsoever. Slowly, however, she began to show positive signs. She began moving both arms and both legs, she would consistently open her eyes, nod her head yes to questions and shake her head no, and even started mouthing words.
Fast forward to today, and she is doing remarkably well! Not even three months post-rupture, and she is almost wholly independent (although she still is residing in a nursing facility). She is eating, drinking, walking, etc. with no assistance, and her speech is excellent. She has no issues reading or writing, and her memory is just fantastic. Her short term can get a little fuzzy, but overall, she is 99.999% the person she was before this occurred. It is truly a miracle.
Yesterday, we removed the PEG tube, and in a few weeks, we will be removing the trache. I am hoping to have her moving in with me shortly as well! Through this process, however, we did discover that she has an AV fistula, and will need another craniotomy in April. Despite this news, we are keeping positive and are resting assured knowing she is in tremendous hands. I cannot say enough good things about her surgeon and his team. And, going into this surgery planned and prepared, is a gift. I wish no one the experience of witnessing his or her loved one suffer a rupture, and I cannot even BEGIN to imagine the strength she has needed to come as far as she has. All of you survivors are TRULY my hero.
So, we have another hurdle to overcome in April, but I refuse to let that bring us down in any way. My mom has come so far, and her determination and willpower is beyond inspirational. She continues to defy the odds and stun every single person she comes across. Her wonderful personality and silly sense of humor are completely in tact. She has always been someone I idolize with all my heart, and now...there are just no words to describe my feelings toward her.
As you can tell, I'm extremely proud of my mama! I currently work as a research biologist, and for the longest time, have been considering pursuing my PhD. I am heavily leaning toward neurology at this point. It is such a fascinating field, and I think I have a little bit of personal inspiration in my pocket now! :)
Anyways, just wanted to throw out an introduction. I've been skulking around the boards for a while now. It's been a long, hard road, and it's not over yet by any means, but I continue to find so much inspiration in all of you, whether you are a survivor, caregiver, whatever your role. You are a truly special bunch of folks. It's so nice to "meet" all of you! :)