For 2 years prior to having the aneurysm I had been having what's called optical migraines in my right eye. These are black and white shapes that strobe. I never had serious headaches though. On the morning this happened, I got ready for work, then had a slight upset stomach and an optical migraine. I then decided not to go. I just felt funny all day.
I did my work around the house, followed my son to the mechanic, took him to work, ran to the store with my daughter and came back home. My daughter was still with me while I was sitting pulling weeds, I kept falling over, she wanted to know what was wrong with me, still not feeling dizzy or ill, I passed it off as (old age). Shortly after that she left, I went into the house, locked all doors and was going to go take a shower, when I got this burning tight feeling in the back of my neck. I felt like I was going to faint so I put my head between my legs, that's when I felt the blood rush through my head. I knew I was in serious trouble. I thought my head was going to explode!
My boyfriend was still at work so I called him, he said call 911. I managed that, but in the meantime I felt I was going to pass out (and I must have). I made it to the kitchen sink to splash water on my face when I saw the neighbors kids outside, I got out to get help so the ambulance could find my house. The EMS got there and I told them about the severe head pain and that my right hand and right foot were numb, they asked me if I was allergic to bees, I said no, and I would have known if I was stung by one. When I was in the kitchen I must have passed out and fell into what I think was my cupboard and then the counter, I had a big dent in my forehead and a scrape on my cheek that they determined was a bee sting. That's what they started to treat me for and transported me to a small hospital just down the road from my home. Which was a big mistake.
This all happened at 4:30pm. By this time my boyfriend and my 2 boys were there also. And they tell me that nothing was being done, I kept crying that my head was going to explode. They were getting ready to take me by car to a different hospital when a nurse named Suzie came into my room around 9:00pm and said that "this girl isn't suffering from a bee sting, has anyone run a CT on her"? They did, and they found the aneurysm was in the Carotid artery. They called my family DR and he had me transferred to Akron General Medical Center.
Fortunately, the bleed had clotted and surgery was put off until the next morning, when they could have a full surgical staff. The nurse came out to tell my family that it didn't look good, and that I probably wouldn't make it, that if I had other family who needed to see me, they better have them come. My daughter was notified and all my family from Indiana came, the waiting room was full of family and friends the next morning during my surgery. The surgery took 6 hours they were able to clip the bleed which was 2" behind my left eye. I spent the next 13 days in the SICU unit not really realizing what had happened . I was released 1 day before my 41st birthday! Was I ever proud to tell everyone that I was 41 years old.
It has been a long 10mths, but I'm glad to be alive. I try to find humor in all that I do and say because I mess up all the time. I now suffer bad headaches, my balance isn't good, I can't sleep, my short term memory is bad, I am on Prozac to control the depression, my mind races so fast that I can't concentrate, I tire very easily. I haven't gone back to work and at this rate I probably won't. But again I'm alive.
Many people have said, "You are so lucky to be alive," my response is, no I'm not lucky, I have been blessed! Blessed that I have such good family and friends that have stood by me and cared for me through it all!