Good morning to all. My name is Raffaella and I am new to this support community. I am a 47 year old healthy single parent of two wonderful teenage boys 12 and 13 and up until a few weeks ago my life was moving along fairly smoothly - work, family, etc. until my brain aneurysm. Here is my story.
On December 29th I left work on my lunch hour for the gym - something that has always been part of my regular routine for years. While at the gym and lifting some weights (all typical things I do) I suffered an acute headache - the kind of pain that I have never experienced before. According to the gym I went into distress (difficulty talking, walking, balance, seeing, etc) and 911 was called. I was rushed to the hospital with what seemed like stroke like symptoms. They performed a CT scan, ruled out a stroke, gave me meds for the pain and said that it was likely a migraine. Considering my age and a history of migraines in my family this seemed to make sense.
Over the next week I was in and out of hospitals and walk in clinics because my head ache would not go away (heavy narcotics helped mask the severity but I was not getting better) and it was only when an die cast MRI was done on my neck on January 4th that they discovering a dissecting cerebral aneurysm. I was rushed to Toronto Western Hospital where they performed surgery to coil the aneurysm - the surgery went well and I am no home.
I am just over one week post op. and I am so thankful that the worst is over. I am still trying to settle into what has happened - I thought I wasn’t going to make it through this, so worried about my kids. So every morning I wake up I am thankful and grateful for another day. I mostly feel tired and headaches are constant. My vision feels weird and I am very easily over stimulated if there is too much going on around me.
Thank you for reading my story. I look forward to connecting with others in this community.
Good Day!
Need much to say but I am so proud of you.
“being a mother also”, which I was trully admire of your story,actually this gave me a more understanding why I’m still here in this community. To share everything (tips on home DIY’s for us Annie) patients and family. Your welcome and feel free asking us about anything were here for you.
Try to be a warrior and not a worrier. You see the more you worry the more you get your self into trouble. Perhaps you might think that it’s easy for me to say things because I’m not in the situation you are in right? but if there is a chance to be…
I might be optemistic since you’ve survived. I mean we survived this journey God has given us and now, we are on our way of giving more to life and less to things that to had brought us to our Annie. which is stress, relax and try to connect more from family and God. sometimes I do have headaches pretty much like your’s but when I felt it, I just pause and drink water as my PT (physical therapist) told to do.
and ofcouse stay calm.
we mothers are the thinkerbell as my daughter say, we can’t ignore them but we have to teach them the(how to), reality in their life. I never forget to tell how much I love them and feed them everything that they need to be thought. my kids age are 14,12 and 5. even my young ones know what to do.
Good Morning and thank you for your response. The part about being a warrier and not a worrier really hit me when I read what you wrote. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me - it meant alot to know that I am not alone and that there are so many survivors out there. I am a warrier - I survived and I am thankful everyday extra day I have to be part of my children’s lives.
No problem, Stay strong as your children look up to you as Wonder Woman…lol (thats what my kids tell’s though). Have Greatday ahead keep a smile on your face too.
hello raffaela, thank you so much for sharing your story. i am also new here and also a mother, though still a relatively new one and you’re the first i respond to because your story gives me hope. so thank you for sharing! how do you feel now? how is your recovery going? and what i didnt understand was: did your aneurysm rupture? i hope you are recovering well and i am sending strenghts to you and your family. @maes try to be a warrior and not a worrier! sounds so simple but that clicked for me right away and i’ll try! thank you.
olivia
Hi olivia,
Hope you’re in good mood today, welcome to our community were here to give some tips on how to recover or should i say i am giving some tips for recovering and some mind set on Annie. I think. but giving reality on Annie Patient.
At first fear comes to our mind when we are going to that battle,the (what if,how to and can I’s) are On. and it’s not just a battle we are going to face its a war that needs to end. If we are thinking more about this’we will end up in a ruptured case in our Annie. stop that. and think about the wellbeing of our children with us(mom). they still depend on our hands…loving touch,understanding mind and the cooking thing that they come everyday without.
I survive this with the help of my family and ofcourse, if i did survive, you too can do this also!
free your mind when your surgery comes and just let God guide you in every step of the way. DO NOT WORRY GOD LOVES HIS CHILDREN, he does not take lives but he improve’s it in anyway!
LOVE LOT’S
Maes