September 9, 2021
Two months after turning 21 years old, I experienced a brain aneurysm rupture that changed my life forever. During my normal routine, I drove myself to the gym when I suddenly felt a sharp, intense pain in my head. I was naive to think it could be nothing serious because I was so young, healthy, and active. I waited nearly two hours, hoping it would go away, but even the light became unbearable and made the pain worse.
My parents drove me to the hospital, which was about 30 minutes away. We thought maybe it was a migraine. I had never experienced one before, so I had nothing to compare the pain to. When I arrived at the hospital, I was told I needed emergency surgery or I could die. I underwent a craniotomy with clipping and spent 17 days in the ICU. During recovery, I struggled to do simple things, even finishing a word search. It was devastating. I had to pause everything including school, work, friendships, and the life I knew.
Over time, I began to realize this experience gave me a different perspective on life. It taught me not to take my health or my time for granted. Despite the fear of it happening again, I returned to the gym. I went back to school to continue pursuing my dream of working in healthcare. Now, I am graduating at the end of May and will soon become a registered nurse so I can provide others with the same support and compassion I received while I was in the hospital. Every day I am alive, I feel grateful. I appreciate my health, my family, and the people in my life more than ever before.
Brain aneurysms are silent until they are not. Learn the symptoms, advocate for yourself, and spread awareness!
