Here is the simple version of my story. I thought posting my story would help me to process, but also help someone else in the community.
On August 11, 2022, I had a brain aneurysm rupture at home while on a video meeting call. I was on a meeting call with 3 other colleagues and suddenly I heard and felt a pop in my head. I had the urge to go to the bathroom, so I excused myself from the call and went to the bathroom. I sat on the toilet, but could only pee, then I tried to go back to the call, but did not have the strength to sit in my chair at my desk in my home office. I started to sweat and vomit all over my office floor. I wasn’t sure what was going on. I started to yell for my husband who was down the hall sleeping because he had just gotten off a 12-hour shift from work. He did not hear my cries for help, but my office door opened, and my 17-year-old daughter says to me “mama, are you okay?” I responded “NO” please get your dad. She goes to get my husband and he gets to my office door and proceeds to ask me questions to try to figure out what’s wrong. Based on my responses we assumed it was a migraine, which i had never had one before. So he decides to go to the pharmacy to get me some migraine medicine, the whole time he is gone I continued to vomit, but now I was back in the bathroom at the bathroom tub, but my vomit now was clear. My husband returned within 20 mins from the pharmacy, but by this time a hour had passed since the pop in my head. By the time my husband was back from the pharmacy I was still vomiting, and now had light sensitivity and hand a hand towel over my eyes. My husband got concerned because he felt I was getting dehydrated, and he decided to call 911. He then told me we were going to the hospital. The Ambulance came within 5 minutes of my husband’s call, and I was off to the hospital. When we got to the hospital, they started performing all types of tests and decided to send me for a CTSCAN. After the scan a doctor came in and told us “You have a bleed and will need to go to a hospital that handles trauma. We have called for transport, and they will be here soon.” I was transported to the next hospital and the neurosurgeon reviewed the scans and met with me and my husband to tell us the plan. Because I was stable (when the first aneurysm burst it formed a blood clot which stopped the bleeding) he wanted to wait until the next morning to do the surgery at this time it was about 8pm at night and the surgery would take about 10 hours. The next morning, I was prepped for surgery for 10am and while in surgery the second aneurysm burst. Both aneurysms were clipped at that time and surgery took a total of 12 hours. After surgery I went to the ICU and about 4 hours later my husband was called to come back to the hospital because i needed to have emergency surgery (craniotomy) because my brain was swelling and they needed to remove a piece of my skull to relieve the pressure), which took 4 hours. Because it was an emergency to relieve pressure on my brain unfortunately my skull split in half and two months later, I needed to have a skull replacement (PEEK was used, this is an industrial grade plastic from Germany). As if that wasn’t enough during the time, I was waiting for a skull replacement i had multiple complications which would include an external shunt placement and removal and finally and internal shunt placement. Along with other minor surgeries. Between August 2022 and December 2022, I had 12 surgeries.
I am a walking miracle!! God has blessed me with life again! I give all thanks to God using my surgeon to repair me, AND my husband for never giving up, and my family and the countless health care workers helping me in my recovery. I had to stay in the hospital for 3 months in that time bouncing back and forth between two hospitals for rehab and surgeries. I thought my recovery journey ended when I left the hospital on November 23, 2022, but actually it just began. In the hospital I had to learn how to walk and talk again, along with things I use to take for granted (i.e., brushing my teeth, washing my face, going to the bathroom, getting dressed) all these things I use to be able to do alone, but now I needed someone to help me do everything. I was nervous to come home, but i thought it would be better to recover in my own home, but I never realized I had so much help in the hospital, I could ring my bell and someone would assist me quickly. Now being at home, i had no bell and I had to wait until someone (my husband) was ready to help before I could get something or do something. I was having a pity party every day when I first got home because I felt lonely. My husband was still working and I was capable of staying alone. At first when I got home I was so excited to get a text or call from a family member or friend. I think they thought they were interrupting my rest, but little did they know they were pulling me out of a dark place of self-pity. Since that first day home to today, I have grown leaps and bounds, I’m back to work doing the same job I was doing before my two ruptured aneurysms, driving, and going to my doctor’s appointments and grocery store alone! I’m also now able to type when this first happened I could barely text or use a keyboard because my left arm and hand were immobile. I suffered a mild stroke when the second aneurysm burst.
I’m so happy to be here telling my story with a community who can understand! Thank you for allowing the opportunity to share my story, never realized how much I needed this!
Thank you for sharing your story and welcome to the club no one intentional joins! Oh my gosh, you have certainly been through it and come out the other side with your independence intact.
My goodness, you’ve been through it and write beautifully as well! Good for you on being a fighter. I am always amazed when someone who ruptures can return to work. I am also very proud for those who can, and perhaps envious a bit. However, it’s more proud than envious. If I had read your story when I first joined, it would have filled me with hope. I hope new members can see what a person is capable of overcoming. Thank you so very much for posting your story. I hope you hug your family every day for the quick work they did!
So grateful you have recovered so well! , thanks for sharing your story, it helps us know we are not alone and gives hope and strength. Blessings!
What a moving story and what a fighter you are. Praise the Lord you are on the road of recovering 
and share us with your experience. Take good care of yourself and your family
What an awesome testimony. Telling you story is definitely a blessing for others.
Thank you for your story.
First congratulations on your recovery. You’ve had many challenges, and the mental ones are just as bad as the physical ones.
Second, I know that everyone is different, but your story gave me hope. I was thinking that a burst aneurysm was like a “widow-maker” heart attack–rapid death. Knowing that you went quite a while before being treated makes me less worried about mine.I’m careful what I do and wear a bracelet with my diagnosis in case I pass out in public. My next CTA is early next year, then we’ll see if I need to have it fixed.
Love your story, thanks for sharing. I had a rupture in 1998 communicating artery and since my surgery, repair and recovery I got beck to work, divorced my husband, and joined a rock band. Life is good 
Thank you awat919 for your story. I have been a member of this community for a few years, since my rupture in 2016, and it never ceases to amaze me how different we all are yet have something in common. We have all survived one of the most traumatic things a human can go through, but with the love of our families, and the people who work in health care we are able to have a second chance. Thank you for putting it down in writing, and good luck to you for your continued recovery.
@awat919
Oh My Gosh! Your post made my eyes tear up. You are indeed a walking miracle and able to get back to your work!!
When I read your post, I understand why my neurosurgeon said at my follow-up appointment after being released from the ICU. He said that I went though the whole ordeal after the rupture and vasospasm like a mild breeze. Well, it didn’t feel like a mild breeze to me ……
but I understand that I was very blessed.
What a wonderful thing to have your family by your side, it’s a traumatic experience for all of them. Take care of each other. We have to be very thankful that we are still here, among our loved ones 
@awat919 WOW… what a story, and a miracle indeed! How lucky are you to go back to work, something I thought I’d never say, but “I miss my job!”
Thank you for your response. Although I’m back to work each day is a struggle. My job isn’t the same. I’m really still figuring out if my job is what i want to do, but after suffering such an ordeal it’s hard to think about changing career. Thank you for your encouragement.
Wow! Congratulations to you on your new lease on life! It’s inspiring to hear you did all that and are still smiling. Thank you for sharing. It really helps me to know I can change direction after suffering such a huge health crisis.
That’s exactly how I thought it would be for me. It wouldn’t be the same, each day would be a struggle, and could I possibly remember everything? Hang in there, give it your best shot, and if it’s too much, at least you know you’ve tried, some of us don’t get that chance.
Best of luck