I thought it might be helpful to share my story with all of you to help me move forward. One monday afternoon, I was getting ready to go take my music publishing final. I was sitting on the couch and felt a very sharp pain behind my left eye. It was the worse pain I have ever felt. Apparently I lost consciousness for about 5 minutes, my eyes rolled to the back of my head and I wasn't responding to my boyfriend Elias calling my name. The ambulance showed up and I was taken to the emergency room at the hospital. They told me I passed out because of pain, didn't get any tests done on my head even though my family insisted and sent me home with an appointment with an ear doctor. I couldn't even walk without feeling pain, and that night was the worse night ever, since the pain wouldn't let me sleep. I ended up going to see the ear doctor the next day and he said there was nothing wrong with my ear and sent me to neurology department. The receptionist said there was no available openings until 2 weeks from then, so I made the choice to go back to the emergency room. After 6 hours of talking with doctors, I kept asking them to take an MRI. I wasn't getting anything for the pain and it was just unbearable, it hurt to lift my head up since my neck was sore and my eyes were super sensitive to light. They finally did an MRI then a CT scan and found I had a raptured aneurysm. I was then sent over to Mass General and immediately got set up to have a clipping done. I was so scared to go through it, everything seemed like it was happening so fast, but it helped that Dr. Ogilvy and his team were very supportive and made me feel at ease. I knew it had to be done and it felt good that I was in good hands. This was just 3 weeks ago, and I am still recovering right now. I am not quiet sure why this happened to me, I don't smoke and there's no family history of aneurysm in my family. Maybe I was just born with it but I am grateful for another chance at life. I am thankful that I had Dr. Ogilvy and his team for helping me through it, along with my friends and family. Other than headaches and anxiety I am feeling pretty good. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night in a panic mode for no reason but I hope I can get back to the swing of things soon enough. I get scared sometimes that this might come back, despite what the doctors say. I think it is normal to feel a little scared, but I am hoping to stay positive and keep looking forward. This website is great and I want to meet more people and hear their stories and hopefully grown from this experience.
I am glad that you are here to share your story and that you are on the road to recovery.
Thanks Terri, I am too. I get really hope it does it's been too much too soon for me
Pamela...welcome...thank you for sharing your story...you've been blessed...I am pleased to know you had open surgery/clip...you were really blessed that you were alert enough to deal w/emergency...the second time around...
Wishing you a very Happy Easter.
Pat
Pamela you had the best Dr!! I also had an aneurysm burst and Dr Ogilvy clipped it. Are you just getting home?
They have a support group that meets the last Monday of every month at Mass General. I find them very helpful. This site is also great for information and meeting people who are going through or have had the same issues. Welcome
Debbie
Thanks Pat, it does feel like a blessing. Even though I was in a lot of pain it's like I knew something was wrong with my head. I am just glad everything worked out Happy easter to you too!
haha he is really good! :) Yeah I have been home for a week, still resting and taking it easy. I want to attend that group, I think it would be great to meet other people that had it. Do you go as well? Thanks again Debbie
Hi Ellen, yea the doctors think I am doing good too, but I can get a little impatient. I want to go back to the ways thing were. But you are right, I need to slow down and just take easy and just give myself time to heal. That's a really cool thing your surgeon told you, I am going to try and remember that next time I am getting scared. I really hope the anxiety goes away on it's own, but if I need to take meds I will. Another thing that started recently is my ears ringing all the time, which I can tolerate since I am a musician and my ears ring anyway, but it's just at night when I am about to fall asleep that the ringing keeps me up. I am just happy to be here, I do believe he is watching me. I don't know how I was still functioning with my head hurting the way it was before I went into surgery. It almost seems like I was being guided or on auto pilot, because when I finally got something for the pain it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off me. Thanks again for your support your words mean a lot :)
Again Pamela Welcome...and Thank you for sharing your story...and your great attitude...keep it going...and have a Beautiful day ~ Colleen
Hi Pamela I do go to the support group meetings I find they help. Lots of nice people that go as well. I had my ruptured aneurysm clipped 12-6-13. I came out of it fairly unscathed. I found I do have a few issues short term memory..not that great..really hate when my husband changes plans at the last minute..for some reason stresses me. Don't like being around lots of people at the same time..can't "keep up" with more than one conversation at a time. Things will never be the same as "before". Tonight I am up super late I am usually in bed by 9-930 because I am soooo tired! Maybe I will see you at the next group meeting. Right now just sleep then sleep some more! That is what I did when I got home. Talk to you later
Debbie
welcome Pamela and thanks for sharing your story :)....take plenty rest and ur panic is totally normal.....glad you found us here on baf plenty of info and lots of nice people here to help you on your recovery ......Happy Easter from Scotland look forward to seeing u in chat...:) Janis
Hi Pamela,
So glad you're here--this is a great website with some really caring people...You know, maybe the panic you wake up with might have something to do with the fact that you got shuffled away to an ear doctor when indeed you had a bonafide need and the right to be getting an immediate MRA.MRI for your symptoms--its rather frightening to be in the care of hospital staff who should know the signs of an aneurysm yet to be told to go home--that whole scenario would give me anxiety ! I'm so glad you withstood the pain and stood your ground, getting the attention you so deserved. Peace to you Pamela, Janet
Thanks Janet, yea my whole family and I thought it was very weird indeed to have them send me home. I couldn't really stand up with out help and it took a lot to push myself to go there again the next day. But I am grateful that at least everything turned out fine at the end. peace to you too :)
thank you Janis. I have heard that it is normal, it's just been a bit traumatic I think for me and I still need to learn how to deal with it better. Happy easter to you too, this is so awesome that this site brings so many people together, even from Scotland, it must be beautiful there :)
thanks again Colleen, the more I talk about it the more I feel better about it. Not many people can relate and I am thankful I can come here and read about others having the same questions and experiences and support each other :)
Thanks for sharing Pamela.. I am scheduled for surgery in May with Dr Ogilvy...good to hear that you liked him and his team
Hi Ashhan you're welcome! He is really good and his team is too, they go over everything with you. I wish you tons of luck with your surgery! <3
Welcome, Pamela!
Thanks for sharing your story…ugh! Wow! So glad you are a survivor! You are indeed doing well; considering the circumstances you have been through. Do give yourself time to recover from a life threatening experience. I will celebrate my 1 year “Annie-versary,” from my rupture and repair with 20 of my closest friends later this month! =D
Hi Teresa and that you! I do feel like I survived, it was the most awful experience I've ever had happen, but I am glad that God helped me live and not be too messed up from it. Although I want to go back to how things were, I feel like my life is more important right now and I do need to let my brain heal. I am glad you are a survivor as well, I hope you have a happy annie-versary!! :)