On November 10th 2023, I didn’t realize my life would change. I was living my normal ordinary life working as a respiratory therapist, homeschooling my kids and taking my kids back and forth to their sports. You may sometimes think of things happening to you in future like cancer or car wreck or heart attack but you don’t think about having a ruptured brain aneurysm because you don’t hear about it often. Probably also because there’s not enough fundraising to spread the awareness.
That morning, I woke up did some chores and did probably one of the best workouts I’ve done in awhile, especially lifting the most in my chest press. 1 Hour later I took my daughter to her riding lessons. I got a weird headache that I’ve never had before. I was real dizzy and felt off. I remember feeling this warm sensation in the back of my neck and then it became so stiff that I could barely move, my whole neck and back and I could barely walk. I was able move to with someone walking with me. The lady working at the barn took me to the ER, the doctor thought I was just having a tension headache or migraine. I had to tell him I’ve never had those before. I passed all me neurological exams so he wasn’t going to do a ct scan because to him I passed all the signs.
I had to ADVOCATE for myself and by then I was vomiting. They finally did a ct scan and it revealed a subarachnoid hemorrhage. I knew what it was but still was in shock because this can’t happen to me. They transferred me to the bigger hospital, actually where I work at as a therapist . I wasn’t even to thinking of a brain aneurysm.
Even as a healthcare worker unless you work in neuro your probably not to familiar with it. I know I post this the past 3 years but I’m not going to stop because I might just save that one person. Not only do we have to rehabilitate from it for months but the aftermath is another story of the anxiety and PTSD that we get from it. Months of counseling and coping skills. Majority of us probably don’t remember it but still have Trauma from it.
Then you have the long term effects like Short term memory loss and people do t think your listening or people also think you can’t blame it on that it’s been years. Basically a rupture aneurysm will always effects us one way or another. Please watch out for the headache signs and stiff neck and if you have that weird feeling mention to someone or go to the doctor.
I hope I will save someone’s life one day not that I want anyone to go through what I did but by sharing my story and just hoping someone listens. I had no clue and work in medical field.
