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| The Reason |
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Joe Niekro was part of the fabric of major league baseball for a very long time. He pitched from 1967 to 1988, 22 seasons, notching 221 wins. He was also one of the most successful knuckleball pitchers of his era. Niekro was born Nov. 7, 1944, in Martins Ferry, Ohio. He was drafted in the third round by the Chicago Cubs in 1966 and was in the majors by 1967, going 10-7 as a 22-year-old rookie. Niekro used a fastball and slider in his first few years in the majors, going 24-17 with the Cubs in 1967-68. Niekro spent 1969-74 with the Cubs, Padres, Tigers and Braves. It was in Atlanta he started working seriously on the knuckleball which his father had taught him and his older brother, Phil, was using with great success. Mastering the pitch would lead to the most successful seasons of his career. Joe Niekro is mostly remembered for his days with the Houston Astros, which he joined at the age of 30 at the beginning of the 1975 season after being purchased from the Braves. Over half his career innings and wins came with the Astros. He notched 20+ victories two times during that span, when he was 34 and 35 years old in 1979 and 1980. In 1979, Niekro led the National League in Wins and Shutouts and was largely responsible for leading the Astros to the NLCS playoffs. In 1979, when the Astros contended until the final week of the season for the National League West Division title, Niekro was 21-11, tying for the National League lead in victories with his brother, Phil. The next year, Niekro was 20-12, becoming the first Houston pitcher to win 20 games in a season twice. Niekro retired in 1988 with a lifetime record of 221-204. Post retirement, Niekro spent his time devoted to helping his son Lance pursue his baseball career, never missing one of Lance’s practices or games. Joe’s effort paid off; in 2000 Lance was drafted in the 2nd round by the San Francisco Giants where he played for seven years, followed by The Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves. Joe, along with his brother Phil, hold the record for the most wins by two brothers, with 539, in the history of baseball and Joe holds the record of the winningest pitcher in Houston Astros history. In 2005, Niekro was inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame. On October 26th, 2006, Niekro suffered a brain aneurysm and lost his life the following day. Today his legacy lives on through The Joe Niekro Foundation, founded and run by his daughter Natalie. Patient & Survivor StoriesChris - Fountain Hills, AZHi. My name is Chris and I’m writing to tell my story of how my life was interrupted by something I had really never heard of.
It was the early morning of April 12, 2003 and my family had left for Las Vegas the day before to spend the weekend with friends. I heard the newspaper hit the front porch around sunrise that Saturday morning and I was anxious to get an early start to the day because it was Game 1 of the hockey playoffs.
Being from Detroit, I was very anxious to see the Wings beat the Anaheim Ducks. Well, I proceeded to open the front door to retrieve my paper. As I did this, I noticed my friend Ryan going to his place. He and his family lived straight across from us. I reminded him that the hockey was coming on at 10:00 a.m. and invited him over for some breakfast. As we were discussing who was going to win the game, (he being from California and my being from Detroit), I finished cooking breakfast, handed him a plate and asked if he wanted a vitamin with his breakfast? I opened the cupboard to get a vitamin and that’s when I collapsed.
I guess I opened my eyes once I collapsed and as I looked up saw my friend who asked “Chris, are you alright?” I wondered why he was saying this and that’s when I first realized I was on my back on our kitchen floor with an awful pain in my head. It was as if someone was hitting me in the head with a sledge hammer. I started to verbalize how bad the pain was and somehow managed to rise to my feet. I got so nauseated and staggered to the kitchen sink where I stood slumped over, screaming because of the pain.
Then I instantly began to sweat, as if someone turned on a faucet. Needless to say, I was in very bad shape. I just staggered through the kitchen to the front room fell on the couch as Ryan was calling 911.
I was rushed to Kaiser Permanente ER. There, they somehow communicated to me that I needed to sign authorization for a spinal tap! They didn’t tell me why, but very scared I refused and told them to find my family. After my family told them to do the procedure, I was taken into a room where they did the spinal tap and found that my brain was bleeding. I was told I had to go straight to surgery. I replied, “not without my Bible and my family.” They knew I was serious so they obviously put me out and monitored me closely until my family arrived, with my Bible (true story).
They did a procedure called coiling, entering through the main artery in my groin and traveling up my side, finding the ruptured artery and repairing it with coils.
I spent the next several days in intensive care, which is where I learned what I had experienced was a brain aneurysm. They explained the vein that burst in my head was the biggest vein in the head. It was the right giant communicating aneurysm.
When I left ICU and returned home, it took me some months to return close to myself. I have to say that the Lord is great, praise God. I know he had me in the palm of his hands the entire time; including sending (who I believe was my angel, my friend Ryan, who just happened to be walking outside my door at 5:00 a.m. that morning). In 12 years, I had never seen Ryan that early coming home after being out all night.
I also have the best mom and sister a son and brother could ask for. They’ve always been there to help, support and love me, even in the days when I probably didn’t deserve it.
I love my family and my life and I do hope people really know without the Lord, nothing is possible, but with him, everything is possible. This event was major and I’m living proof of his love and grace.
Forever grateful for this second chance,
Chris – Fountain Hills, AZ
Alma - Glendale, AZI had a brain aneurysm clipping in 1977. Fortunately I survived with no serious complications but when this happens it is always on your mind. I have been looking for a support group for a long time and one morning I happened to be watching channel 12 and here was Natalie talking about the Joe Niekro Foundation. I got so excited that she was starting to hold meetings in the Phoenix area I immediately joined. It is so wonderful talking to people who have gone through a similar situation and we have just begun!!! This means so much to me because of late I have had some things happening to me after all this time and it has been a concern to me. I have also discovered things that I have experienced over the years are symptoms that other people have had that I thought it was just me but no it is a result of my surgery. I feel very blessed to be a part of this group and look forward to it growing.
Robin - Phoenix, AZMy name is Robin Beck. On December 15, 2007, I was at a Christmas party and while visiting with friends, I fell down or so I thought. Fortunately two nurses were attending the same party and knew something was not right. They called 911 and the fire engine and ambulance were there almost immediately. For the next month, I was in a coma and spent a total of two months in Barrow’s Hospital. The doctors, nurses, and therapists were great and gave me wonderful care. The day before my release from the hospital, I was given a 3-hour test to measure my mental ability. After 30 minutes, they told me to go back to my room. I told them to wait because I needed more time but they told me I was finished. They had made me feel like an idiot. In the wheelchair on the way back to my room, I cried for the first time. While I was recuperating at home, I began thinking about my customers and was excited to get back to the job I had for the last seven years. After about a month, I was told I had been fired. This is the second time I cried. After about a year, things started clicking. I then realized I won’t drive for a long time, I realized I won’t have a job for a long time, and I am content. I have been working with several friends and family members to recover the skills I have lost and am making tremendous progress. I am now retired and have new purpose in my life. I volunteer, I walk places (and as I walk I exercise my brain as well), I socialize regularly with my friends and family. With the help of God, my friends and family, especially my boyfriend, Rex, I am able to live a happy and productive life.I am so happy to be a part of theJoe Niekro Foundation Support Group. I have met many quality people there. It is reassuring to know that I am not the only one who has experienced a brain aneurysm. If you or someone you love has been affected by an aneurysm, I invite you to join us as we come together to support one another and share our stories. Watch Robin's testimonial video Linda - Savannah, GA57-year-old Linda Inglett was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm in December 2006. She went to an ENT in Savannah because she was having trouble with her vocal cords. After running tests, Dr. Fred Daniel told Linda that she needed to get to the hospital because she had a possible brain aneurysm. Turns out Dr. Daniel was right and it’s amazing that he caught the BA by accident. Dr. Jay Howington of St. Joseph’s/Candler performed a procedure called Edovascular Embolization (platinum coils and stents were inserted in Linda’s brain). She survived the ordeal. If the aneurysm had ruptured, she may have been debilitated and left in a nursing home for the rest of her life, or worse - she could have died. There was a bigger risk that Linda could not see. "When I was sitting in there he told me I had a possible brain aneurysm. And I thought he got me mixed up with someone else", Linda says. MRI and MRA results proved positive. Linda's aneurysm in the middle of her brain had been caught by accident. When I got diagnosed it was like I'm gonna die." Dr. Fred Daniel suspected she had an aneurysm while reviewing her test results. Larry - St. Cloud, FLDuring the three months of this ‘adventure’, I do not remember much. I have learned a lot of the details from talking to friends and family after I got out of the hospital and recovered.
Thursday, May 14th, 2009 – at 8:30am, I called a friend of mine that lived an hour away and he said my speech was slurred and I was not making sense. I finally said, “I think I am dying” and he told me to call 911. At 9:30am, I called 911. I got this information from my phone records.
I remember being loaded into the ambulance, but remember nothing after that. During the next two weeks when I was in intensive care, I was not an easy patient, as I was constantly ripping the IVs out of my arms. The medication that I was taking was affecting the way that I was thinking.
The procedure was done on the 17th, a Saturday and this was a couple of days before my mom arrived. They said once my mother had arrived, I started to be on the road to recovery much faster. This taught me how important it is to support friends and loved ones that are sick and in the hospital. During the 10 days, I was monitored and given drugs to help me recover. I had wonderful doctors and nurses that did a fabulous job in saving my life. I am of course very thankful for this. After two weeks, I was moved to another room, where the recovery started. One of the nurses estimated that this leak was probably going on in my brain for a year. After the fact, I can now see the symptoms that I had. Before the leak was fixed, I had been suffering short term memory loss and in general my memory was fading fast. I use to pride myself on how good of a memory I had, being able to remember details about customer’s computers that I had worked on six months earlier. It was never a big concern, as I thought it was part of the getting old process. I have done a lot of research on this after I recovered and in the past year, there have been some remarkable discoveries that make it easier for the doctors to detect that you are having a brain aneurysm and also new ways to solve the problems. Of course, the earlier the detection of the leak, the better chances of correcting the problem. Knowing that you are suffering from an aneurysm is the hardest part, as the symptoms are often mistaken for other things, such as getting older. Groups such as The Joe Niekro Foundation are spreading the word to let the public know of this medical problem. It happens in 1 out of 15 Americans and a lot of people have not survived because of aneurysms. I now have a better awareness of it, but I was told that each year, the chances of having another one increase by 1 percent. So in 10 years, there is a 10 percent chance that it could happen again. Let's pray that doesn't happen!
Lisa - Mission Viejo, CAI am just an average middle class woman and had no symptoms of even a headache prior to losing consciousness. There is also no family history that I am aware of. I was at the gym doing my workout, getting in better shape and the blood pressure and heart rate was just too much with the exercise that I was doing that morning. The artery ruptured and I immediately collapsed complaining of my head hurting very much (I don’t remember anything about collapsing or the pain involved). It comes back to me now as a weird dream-like memory rather than an actual memory of what happened. It is mixed with some things that my mind just fabricated as I tried to make sense of what had happened to me. Five weeks later I started waking up from the coma and then proceeded to three weeks of Acute Rehab at the hospital. By that point, I had completely lost all of my muscles and was so weak, it was frightening. My first attempt at walking, I was only strong enough to walk 10 floor tiles with a walker and then I had to sit down to rest. I was able to walk, just too weak to do so. Holding my own head up was now a real struggle too; an unbelievable experience now looking back. This literally could happen to most anyone and you need to know what to do if it does. Your life could depend on it.
Now my life is more than full with helping others. I spend a good portion of my week over at the hospital helping other families with their health crisis. I also have come to know that ruptured aneurysms are quite common, much more than one would think. The statistics are twice that for women as men. It is important for hospitals to follow a more aggressive protocol for this type of illness and some hospitals just don’t have the capability to do the right treatment. If the right medical treatment happens right at the beginning, it is possible to survive this and survive very well. This used to be 100% fatal…….now it is about 60% fatal and the percentages go down if you get the right kind of help. I live today with literally no deficits. My life has pretty much resumed to what it once was with the added benefit of volunteering at our hospital. I am very grateful for what has been done for me. My life was spared and I believe it is because God wanted it to be. I must still have work to do before my time is finished on Earth. God has a plan for each one of our lives and he knew that mine would turn out this way. It is because of Him that I am alive. Thousands of people prayed for me to live so now I tell this story to anyone who will listen. Thank you for listening!
Click here to read a special article written by The Orange County Register that features Lisa’s story and pictures of her in the hospital
Click here to watch a special video created by my church about my story
Read my journal including comments from supporters throughout this journey
Lisa & John Foto, Mission Viejo, CA
Barbara - Scottsdale, AZWanna Get Lucky? I sure did! There it was, the week after Thanksgiving, and I suddenly had double vision. I went to an ophthalmologist who said that I probably should wait six weeks and then go to my primary care doctor. Well, I had already waited six weeks to get in to see him, during which time I had done eye exercises which had done no good. Then he said that it might be a tumor but probably not. Well, I had already had a tumor in my head and I didn’t want to go through that again! I called my boss’s brother, who is a radiologist, and asked him if he could get me in to get an MRI. He did and called me to say that he had “good news and bad news”. The good news was that it wasn’t a tumor; the bad news was that they saw something that they wanted to do another scan on. I said something about not being able to afford it right now and could it wait? He said he’d call me back—which he did in less than five minutes! He’d paid for it himself, although he didn’t say so. After that scan he told me to get with someone from Barrow’s Neurological Hospital as soon as possible because I had an aneurysm on my left internal carotid artery right before it enters the brain.
I was stunned! I am lucky enough to have friends, who I work with in The Flying Samaritans, who work at the hospital. Reina called me and got me in for an appointment in 5 days. (I should have known how bad it was because it usually takes three months to get in there.) Dr. McDougall saw me—and my films—and said that they would get me in for surgery as soon as possible. He did a stent and told me that I would have to come back in six weeks for another operation to put the coils in. [This isn’t the usual way of doing it; I was very involved and they had a little bit of trouble. It usually takes one operation.] The coiling went very well and I had no problems.
Six months or so later, I went back for another check-up and they had to put an additional stent and coil in. That also went beautifully. I thought that I was all done with the aneurysm and that I’d come out on top!
On June 1st or 2nd, 2008, I went downstairs to get some coffee. I leaned over my dishwasher to get my cup out….and that’s all I remember. Thirty-one hours later, my daughter found me. She had been called by the receptionist in my office because I was 10 minutes later for work and I had told her that if I was ever late and hadn’t called that she should call my daughter or my brother. Holly came to my house, saw me lying there, and couldn’t get in. She called 911 and they got me out and took me to the nearest hospital. Holly insisted that I be taken to Barrow’s (and it took a lot of insisting to get the hospital to send me to a different hospital).
When I got to Barrow’s, I’m not sure what went on but they called Dr. Nakaji in for surgery. In the middle of the night he and others took a vein from my left arm and placed it in my neck and up to the area where the left internal carotid artery enters the brain, thereby passing the problem area. (I later learned that Dr Nakaji is the only one in the state who can do this. Boy, am I LUCKY!)
After two to three weeks of being kept in a semi-coma, I began to come around. I had rehab and then was allowed to go to my brother’s house, with my step-sister to care for me. Unfortunately, she didn’t. I threw up and got much worse but she didn’t care. My brother said that we’d have to leave.
Eventually, I wound up at my daughter’s house. She hired a friend to watch over me and to call her if anything went wrong. She called. Holly rushed home and took me to the closest hospital, which happened to be Mayo. They told her that I only had 5% of my working brain left and two weeks to live, and she should put me in Hospice. She did.
When the doctor saw me at Hospice, he asked Holly how much of the medicines she wanted me to stay on. I was by that time conscious enough to say, “Nothing that I haven’t been on for twenty years.” He reduced my meds from 18 to 7, counting calcium and aspirin. I got better and, after they saw me pushing my granddaughters down the hall in my wheelchair, they kicked me out! Hurray! It turns out that I had developed an allergy to one of the medicines and when it was stopped, I got better.
That was 2008, three years ago. Since that time I have twice been to see my parents in North Carolina, got married, and went to Costa Rica. I also joined The Joe Niekro Foundation to learn about aneurysms, make friends with others who have had them, talk to those afraid of the surgery, and to fund research. I can tell you, “Wanna Get Lucky?” “Get Scanned” I have had all sorts of problems with this aneurysm and I can tell you, everything that I have gone through has been worth the life that I have been given. I have had wonderful doctors, nurses, and office managers at Barrow’s. I have had the opportunity to be with my two granddaughters. I have a new, very nice husband. The people at my Unitarian Universalist church have come up to me and said that they kept me in their thoughts and “Boy! You look terrific!” And my daughter and my son love me. I got lucky. What more could I ask for?
I want you to get scanned. I want you to check your arteries for aneurysms. And I want you to know that most aneurysms are not as difficult as mine was. If you get yours early and know what is going on, you will live like I do and people will say, “Boy! You look TERRIFIC!”
Karen - Mission Viejo, CAOn July 28, 2008 at 7:15 am, our lives changed forever. Karen was vomiting and had the worse headache of her life. Her arms were tingling as well. I knew the signs. Karen was having a brain aneurysm. Because two other women I knew had suffered brain aneurysms months before Karen did, I went into action and raced Karen to the hospital. I passed three hospitals on the way, and arrived at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, California.
Within minutes Karen was having brain scans and undergoing surgery. I wouldn’t see her for another 11 hours. I wouldn’t see her beautiful brown eyes or hear her sweet voice for 6 more weeks. Karen had a ruptured brain aneurysm and was not expected to live. She also suffered issues to her heart known as Tako Tsubo syndrome. The heart was in distress due to the brain aneurysm.
With the best doctors and nurses possible, Karen survived. Mission Hospital employees saved Karen’s life and she was then transferred to Care Meridian sub-acute rehab. She was away from home for five months.
Karen is doing well. She still requires someone to be with her 24 hours a day, but she has gone to Hawaii, eats, dances, sings, reads and makes her new IPAD rock!
Because of my quick thinking and the doctors and nurses at Mission Hospital, Karen is alive and well today.
Let’s pray that all of us can have early scans so brain aneurysms can be detected early in life.
Thank you Natalie for your love and support.
Paula - Phoenix, AZIt was May 28, 2008 and my husband and I were heading towards Flagstaff for Memorial Day. We left on a Thurs to get their early, but car problems kept us roadside. I know believe, this was a sign from God. While stranded on the side of the road I received a phone call from Columbus, Ohio that my brother, Erik was life flighted to the hospital and he may not make it. Still not sure what happened, but had I made it into the woods of Flagstaff I would not have been able to receive this call. Our friends immediately pulled their money together & my husband drove me back to the Phoenix airport to get on a plane for Ohio. It was the loneliest plane ride of my life! When I reached Ohio I headed straight to Grant hospital to see my brother. He had tubes draining from his head and I was told he has 3 brain aneurysms and 2 of them ruptured. The doctors said that if he lives it will be beyond a miracle and he will never walk or talk again. Erik was in the hospital for 8 months. Today, he’s walking and talking but he’s not the same. On a good day you can almost understand what he’s saying. Erik struggles daily and is on an ungodly amount of pain meds daily but he’s here with us. Thank you God for this miracle.
In early October 2010, tragedy struck again. I was working in New Mexico and got a call that my mother was being rushed into emergency surgery. I took the first plane to Ohio I could get on and as soon as I arrived at the hospital discovered she too had an aneurysm. She was released after three weeks and her doctors encouraged me to get an MRI, stating this can be hereditary. I returned home to Phoenix and the next day I had an appointment for my regular check up. I mentioned to my doctor what had happened to my brother and mother and was scheduled for an MRI the next day. A few days later, I received a call from my doctor saying he was scheduling and appointment for me with a neurologist. In the meantime, I found Natalie, what a miracle. Natalie dove in with both feet and got me an appt with the best doctor there is. Two days later, I went to see Dr. Spetzler and he said "you know kid I got bad news." Dr. Spetzler advised me that I had two aneurysms and was going into surgery on Tuesday. One aneurysm was coiled and the other was not. I feel like a ticking time bomb and always have headaches and severe neck pain. I truly believe my mom saved my life!
The biggest point I want to come from my story is that aneurysms can be hereditary. That risk alone is almost worse than the aneurysm itself.
I thank God for Natalie! She stepped in with both feet, no questions asked and made things happen overnight. I learned so much from her and The Joe Niekro Foundation website. THANK YOU NATALIE!
Aneurysms are what I call the silent killer. If this story helps even one person, then the pain and suffering was worth it.
Teri Smith – Scottsdale, AZMy name is Teri Smith and I am the daughter of Natalie Smith, a survivor of a ruptured brain aneurysm. On February 19th, 2011, my father called me in a panic asking for me to immediately leave for my parents’ home. He thought at the time that my mom was suffering from a stroke. I hung up immediately, and drove over, arriving at the same time as the ambulance. She could not move on her own, could not see, and could not really comprehend what was going on around her. We had requested that she be taken to the nearest hospital which happened to be Arizona Regional in Mesa. The doctor in the emergency room told us that he believed she was experiencing some burst blood vessels in the front of her forehead. This particular hospital was not equipped to deal with a patient suffering from this type of trauma. Instead, the nurses told us that they were going to “snow” her by administering all kinds of drugs until other arrangements could be made. We waited for three to four hours while the doctor tried to find a hospital that would treat her. Finally, he succeeded and we were on our way to the neurology ICU at St. Joseph’s where she would be treated by Dr. Peter Nakaji. My father and I had no idea of what to expect from this situation. We had no knowledge of brain aneurysms, much less the severity of one that had ruptured! The following day, Sunday, my mom entered surgery and came out with three titanium clips, cutting off the two deadly aneurysms and saving her life. One clip was used for the ruptured aneurysm and two were placed on the aneurysm that had not ruptured. I have never known anyone who has undergone surgery of this magnitude and I did not understand how all of this would ultimately affect my mom or our family. That Sunday night, I had stayed in her room, and woke up to hear her calling out for me or my father. A sense of relief washed over me. She had a vague sense of where she was and knew that one of us would be behind her bed on the couch. I was so happy I was in the room at this time so that I could be there for her. My mom does not remember that moment or many of the other moments that followed in the next two weeks, but I take comfort in knowing that she called out for me and I was there.
The next two weeks were a whirlwind. The nurses had warned us that the time following the surgery, especially the next 14 to 21 days, would be critical. The ruptured aneurysm had allowed excess blood to gather at the base of her brain, threatening to cause vasospasms. She also had a drain coming out of the top of her head which was draining fluid from her brain. That was a most bizarre sight; especially when the nurses tied her down to keep her from pulling it out in her sleep! We were also told to expect a rollercoaster ride of emotions, and they couldn’t have been more right. My mom experienced ups and downs every day. The first few days after the surgery, my mom seemed almost back to normal. She was in a good amount of pain, very sensitive to light and sound but other than that, she seemed to be doing quite well. Her boss came to visit one of these days and my mom was able to tell her about every project sitting on her desk, locations of files, passwords to folders, and on and on. Her boss and I were amazed! I thought for sure that we were in the clear but then I remembered the nurses warning and I had to brace myself for the bad times to come. About a week after her surgery she started exhibiting signs of what the nurses called “ICU psychosis”. She was very confused and said things that made no sense to any of us. I was scared that everything up until this point was too good to be true. However, they were able to remove the drain as well as the staples from her incision.
Day after day, my mom completed the majority of her neuro-checks correctly and things were looking good. I was kind of blown away when they mentioned they had to do a speech therapy evaluation. I was terrified of the idea that there could be differences in her cognitive ability. Would this change the mom that I grew up with; the person that I counted on? I knew that our roles would be reversed this time around and that she would be counting on me. I couldn’t be terrified of the outcome and no matter what, my family and I would do everything in our power to support my mom in whatever ways necessary. Thankfully, she did relatively well on her cognitive evaluation.
Two weeks after her surgery, my mom was moved to “the floor” and out of ICU. I thought that this had to be moving too fast! We thought she was going to be there for at least another week (another thing I learned during this time was how to trust her doctors and nurses…a hard thing to do when so much is at stake). But sure enough, the next day, they released her. We were told that she was “a miracle”. I was so elated to hear that! How amazing. I was in awe of my mother’s strength. She went home that day, refused to use her walker, and continued to get stronger. Within eight weeks, she was back to driving short distances and working part time. After ten weeks, she added in a little more. She doesn’t seem to have changed much either. She’s a little more fidgety and easily distracted. She still has headaches and tires easily. However, considering what she has been through, I would say that we are so grateful to have the outcome that we have.
It has only been a little over three months since her aneurysm ruptured. I still feel like it hasn’t really happened. I was there for it all and I experienced it but I feel as if it hasn’t truly hit me. I guess maybe it’s because of how quickly she has recovered. Speech therapy didn’t last too long for her and she’s back to driving and work. However, it is always in the back of my head that she could have been in the other half of those victims who have passed away. I am constantly reminding myself and her that things can’t go back to the way they were with all of the work and worry. She has to be reminded to step back and relax…or this could possibly happen again. One thing that frustrates me the most about all of this is that if these were pre-existing aneurysms, then it should have been caught so that preventative measures could have been taken. She used to have horrible headaches and always assumed they were due to sinus infections. All that needed to be done was a CT scan and maybe she would not have had to experience so much trauma! But, I have to tell myself not to think of it that way. My mom, my family and I are so incredibly blessed. All I can do is continue to support my mom, get lucky myself by getting a CT scan, and hopefully help to educate others about aneurysms and their deadly effects.
Denise - Paradise Valley, AZOn a fine, lovely Arizona day, I was running around town buying food, chocolate martini mixes and other stuff because I was hosting the Brophy football dinner the next night. I decided to go to bed a bit early so I would be rested for the next day. I no sooner put my head on the pillow when I felt a "pop" inside my head. I got immediate heart palpitations and a sound like an engine in my head. I knew this must be the end .
My husband and my son came in the bedroom and immediately called 911. I won't go into the spiritual things I was going through because that is very personal but I will say I was not afraid to die and I was filled with love. The ambulance came and I was rushed to Scottsdale Osborn Hospital. I have no memory of most of this but I am told the physician almost sent me home but then last minute decided to do a C-scan.
My husband told me the Doctor came in the room completely white and said I had a burst aneurysm and I was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital where they did more tests and discovered that I had three aneurysms. My husband and son wanted me in Barrow. With some phone calls and hours later, I was sent by ambulance to Barrow. My husband met Dr. Nakaji and he immediately felt hopeful. I had the brain surgery and with the healing hands of Dr, Nakaji I survived.
I spent nearly 3 weeks in ICU and he fixed two ruptured aneurysms. To say I love Dr, Nakaji is an under statement for he is the kindest soul. He was put on this earth to save lives and that is what he does every day. It was a rough road when I got home but I did improve every week.
They had found a third aneurysm and I was told I would have to have surgery again. I suffered a pulmonary embolism in February and shortly they diagnosed I had Leiden Factor 5 blood disorder. It was an aid for Dr. Nakaji during my first surgery but a bit of a problem for my upcoming surgery on the third aneurysm. Dr. Nakaji together with Dr. Allen Lipscultz, a pulmonary surgeon, worked out a plan to go on with the surgery.
A year later I prepared for my second surgery. Needless to say I was a little nervous but not as much as you might think because I had so much confidence In Dr. Nakaji and felt safe in his hands. Dr. Nakaji teased me because I came out of the surgery wiggling around and talking. I never felt so relieved in my entire life. I was given a chance to live again and I love life so much.
I am blessed to be here today but the fight is not over. There are times I don't have much energy and times I hurt particularly from the first surgery. Dr. Nakaji tells me when there is a rupture it can be more difficult to fix and there is some scar tissue that causes discomfort.
Even after 4 years I am still getting stronger. I try to focus on the days I feel the best and take it easier on the days I don't feel quite myself. I thank God, Dr. Nakaji and my great family for being there for me. Some days I just cannot believe that I went through all that and I am still here. I watched my son graduate from high school, then college and now he is going on the law school and can't imagine if I hadn't been here for those wonderful times.
It is May 27, 2011 and I am alive and well and very, very grateful.
Heather Young - Columbus, MSA Recollection of Time
It was October 1, 2010 and I was getting ready to go to my 35th Birthday party here in Columbus, MS. I was getting in my car when my cell phone rang; it was my sister Jennifer – who I thought was calling to wish me a Happy Birthday, but by the middle of the conversation, I realized that was not the only reason she had needed to talk to me. She proceeded to tell me she was having surgery. I’m thinking something outpatient and then she says brain surgery – or more accurately a brain aneurysm clipping. I completely passed my exit, realizing that I was not paying any attention to my surroundings. I pulled the car over and parked. Jennifer continued to explain everything to me about the surgery, including the risks and recovery time, etc. Even though I was listening, it’s like I went numb all over – I couldn’t feel or focus on anything. We lost our father 11 years ago and all I could think about was that I could not lose another family member. I eventually got to my 35th Birthday party, but I wasn’t completely there in spirit. I had way too much on my mind and didn’t want to say anything to anyone about it because I still hadn’t processed the impact of the news entirely myself. That was on a Friday. That following Monday I had decided I was going to see what time my job would give me so that I could be with Jennifer when she had this procedure done. I knew I wanted to see her before, but I also knew I wanted to be there after to help her, Robert and the kids as much as possible. I prayed a lot from October 1st until Jennifer’s surgery on December 2nd, 2010. I was able to get off of work for 2 weeks – my boss even bought my plane ticket for the trip. I flew out on November 26th, 6 days before Jennifer’s surgery and stayed until December 9th (1 week after Jennifer’s surgery). The time in-between was a whirlwind. I am very active in my church – they are my family here in Mississippi. I had Jennifer’s name put on our prayer list and brought her situation up every Tuesday night in prayer group. Right before I came to Arizona an Evangelist named Jason Page came to our church in Columbus. He prayed for me and my sister and anointed a prayer cloth for me to take to Arizona and give her on the day of the surgery. He told me that “she would recover and be healed from the surgery in a timely manner and suffer minimal pain.”
I knew in my heart that Jennifer’s time was not up and prayed constantly for peace about it. My heart was broken that she had to go through all of this. I cried a lot during these 2 months and my friends prayed with me and listened when I needed to talk about my fears and doubts – I did not talk about any of this with Jennifer because I did not want to make things even more stressful for her. Ultimately, I was scared that she was going to leave me just the way our father had – unexpectedly, and that was enough to keep me in a state of anxiety. The morning of December 2nd I gave that prayer cloth to my sister as she left for the hospital. I sat in the waiting room for what seemed like forever, and somewhere around mid-afternoon we were told that Jennifer was in recovery and the procedure had gone very well. I wasn’t able to see her until after she was put in her room, but finally somewhere around 3:00 that afternoon, I was able to see her. The sight of her was somewhat disturbing – but she was alive and breathing – she may have been broken, but she was still alive and that was a lifted burden from my shoulders. Dr. Robert Spetzler from Barrow Neurological did an amazing and thorough procedure on Jennifer at St. Joseph’s Hospital on Dec 2nd 2010, and I was very thankful for his guided hand.
Jennifer got out of the hospital on the evening of December 4th. I stayed and helped, but that was nothing compared to what was happening right in front of our eyes. Jennifer was making leaps and bounds in every area throughout her whole recovery process. I was amazed not only by her attitude, but her determination. I certainly would have never given up on her before, during, or after her surgery – but what’s most important is that she didn’t give up on herself. It’s easy to get down and feel lost during times such as this and her hope never waivered. God definitely had His hand over her from day 1 – nothing other than success was an option. I am so thankful that The Lord allowed us more time – more time for Jennifer with Robert and the kids and more time for us; she is my only sister and I love her to pieces!!!!
Afterthoughts and Thanks
I am truly glad that Jennifer has a support group to lean on after what she has gone through and experienced because even though we were there through it all, we can’t possibly understand everything she’s gone through or is going to go through. This experience completely threw us out of our comfort zone and forced all of us to face this challenge head on. We were able to come together and strengthen our family ties in a way that were not as strong before. Something Positive always comes out of what we think is only negative – we just don’t realize it as we are headed into the storm. It’s only as we are coming out do we reflect enough to realize what’s not only been taken away, but what has also been given in exchange.
*****Thank you for your time and for reading this and listening to my view on Jennifer Young-Donnelly’s story.
(Jennifer’s little sister)
Julie Egan – Houston, TXOn the morning of August 24, 2010 I woke up early to use the restroom. When I tried to sit up I felt like my neck was Velcro-attached to my pillow. When I did get up and walked to the restroom I hurt so bad and collapsed to the floor. My left foot was curled up and I couldn't walk so I crawled to the living room where I laid for 14 hours. My family kept trying to get me to the hospital but I refused saying we had awful insurance and it was probably a migraine. Finally, they called an ambulance and I was taken to the local hospital where they did a cat scan and found that I had a brain hemorrhage. I was quickly sent to the Medical Center where I spent the next 3 1/2 weeks in ICU.
My stay in the hospital was very scary with lots of things taking place every day. I had a coiling that didn't work, followed by a few more angiograms. I then had a craniotomy, a drain tube put in, and finally a shunt. Most of the hospital stay is a blur and I wasn't myself at all. Some of the stories I hear now are quite embarrassing! I had wonderful nurses that were very patient and took great care of me. I went home from the hospital doing well without many limitations and continue to recover daily. I am so blessed to still be alive and taking care of my two kids. I have learned to never wait on going to the hospital again! It is a miracle I lived through those 14 hours on my floor. I hope to spread the word on brain aneurysm awareness. Kelly Hall - Wichita, KSI think in my situation, I am one of the most fortunate and unusual survivors I know. I have looked at the statics that suggest most people with aneurysms are female by a small margin. I have also noticed that most ruptures end up with people that either have debilitating disabilities or headaches that occur frequently. My aneurysm was considered very large, it ruptured without any pre-curser and I immediately was in a coma and life flighted to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, KS.
The day mine ruptured happened to be a day that I had taken off from work to be with my father who was having heart surgery. My family was told that I would likely not survive and the only option was to do the coiling procedure. They stated that if they opened my skull to perform clipping, the swelling and bleeding was so profuse that I would die immediately. Thankfully, the coiling worked fine. Three months later, I returned to work and have continued to live my life almost the same as I always have. I recently (Oct. 6, 2011) had my one year angiogram to make sure the coiling had not moved and no other bleeding had occurred. I received a full bill of health and was told I no longer needed any further follow up!!! As far as how it has affected my life? I have more validity on the value of life itself and take nothing for granted. I recently became a grandfather for the first time and my grandson has affected my life more than the aneurysm ever did. I do hope my message has made Natalie's day better. I can't comprehend the loss of a close family member and I think what she is doing to honor her father is amazing. Adriann Navarro - Phoenix, AZI remember October 22nd, 2005 as if it were yesterday. It was the day after my 15th birthday. I woke up earlier than I usually would on a Saturday and helped myself to a microwaveable pizza. During this time, I heard my grandmother calling for my grandfather. I told him about her calling and he immediately went to her. He yelled for my name next. I ran into their room to find my grandma lying on the bathroom floor, not moving. I quickly helped him carry her onto the bed. He told me to call 911. While I was on the phone, I could hear him telling her to "be strong" and "don't give up on me." Ambulances and fire trucks rushed to our house and quickly went to her.
I had to call my mom, aunt and uncle to notify them of the situation. Those might have been the hardest phone calls I have ever made. They took my grandma out on a stretcher, and told us what hospital she was going to. We waited in this small room, praying and pleading with GOD not to take her from us. The doctor told us she had a brain aneurysm and that she needed to be transported to another hospital. We said our goodbyes and told her how much we loved her. I don't think I've ever cried that much in one day. As the days transferred to weeks and the weeks to months, we waited for her to wake up after she had her surgery. Finally, after countless nights at her side, she awoke. That same day, we all were able to breathe a little better. Our grandma, mom, aunt, sister, cousin and wife came back into our family. I'm glad to say, after the years, she's great. She did the impossible, she became a miracle, and she survived something that could have killed her. My grandmother is one of the strongest women I know and a blessing into my life.
Betsy Klopp - Phoenix, AZI thank God every day for my life , I know that every breath, I take is because You. I have been blessed with a wonderful family, friends, doctors and therapists. The support is unbelievable. My life was very active. I'm a mother of three wonderful children, I worked full time, I was involved in church, hiked, exercised and many other activities. And then something I couldn't explain started to happen ....I didn't feel like myself anymore. I didn't have energy, my appetite changed, I had headaches. I believed it would pass it was just stress. Knowing what I do now, I should have seen a doctor. I just didn't want to face it.
Here is a brief summary of what happened - The moment that would change my life forever.
I was over at my sisters when I started to feel like something going on with my body. We were decorating the Christmas tree. I didn’t feel good, kept dropping the ornaments, had a headache, something was terribly wrong. I could barely move. My sisters were there, thank God! I had suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm and a stroke. I would have died if I had been at home.It was a struggle. I slowly began to get stronger, although my frustration grew at how much couldn't do!. I couldn't walk, talk, sing (I love music), I didn't have use of my hand and arm. I couldn't do even the simple things, hug my children, tie my shoes, clap my hands, hold my nephews and nieces, cut my food the list goes on. I wanted to be myself again! I cried, I sometimes got agitated, I got depressed, at times I just wanted to give up.
Reality is I wanted to go on living. I wanted to get better, but it takes perseverance. (a lot of it.) I wanted to go on and help people, help them enjoy life, help them realize God’s gifts to each of us.
Thank you to my family, my friends, the doctors, the therapist and the support group that are helping with my recovery.
Thank you to all and to GOD!
Kathy Geisler -Ft. Dodge, IowaIn August of 2002 I visited my doctor wanting to begin hormone replacement therapy. I had severe menopausal symptoms and wanted something that would help. He would not prescribe any hormone medications but put me on Zoloft instead. He also noticed that I had a tremor in my right hand and wanted me to see a Neurologist.
The neurologist determined that I had essential tremors and gave me a prescription for Inderol. Within two weeks of being on these medications my body began moving on its' own. Kind of a slow writhing motion that I could not control. I went off both medications but the movement did not stop and continued to get worse. My doctor decided to send me to a different neurologist.
When I arrived at this appointment I found my records had been sent elsewhere so the doctor had to start from scratch. He ran many tests and scans, tried several medications over approximately three months and still could not pinpoint what was causing the movement. The end of November I quit my job as head cook at a school because the stress of the job and the movement disorder were overwhelming. My next choice was to go to Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, where he would schedule an appointment with a movement specialist.
I called the neurologist in January and asked for copies of my records so I would have them when I arrived at Mayo. Curious I looked them and noticed that on the MRI report it noted that I had an 8mm aneurysm. The neurologist had NOT told me about it. I called my GP and he told me that when I arrived at Mayo to show them the report and they would check it out. I had no idea where the aneurysm was located. My appointment was scheduled for the end of March.
Upon arrival at Mayo the aneurysm became priority and scans were done and it was determined that I see a surgeon. I was given the option between clipping and coiling. The surgeon was leaning more toward a clipping because of the location of the aneurysm, behind my right eye involving the right carotid and ophthalmic arteries and embedded into the right optic nerve. Both procedures were fully explained to me. The decision was made to have it clipped and a surgery date of May 30, 2003 was set. The following day I had a cerebral angiogram showing that I had no additional aneurysms and that the aneurysm was 1 cm in size.
People ask if I had symptoms prior to finding out about the aneurysm. I had migraines for most of my life but I did have eye pain 3-4 months prior to finding the aneurysm. I made an appointment with my eye doctor and no problems were found. These symptoms would not necessarily indicate that I had an aneurysm.
So I now had two months to prepare for major surgery. During that time I went on a two week bus trip to Washington, D.C., planted my garden, mowed lawn, and helped with planting corn and soybeans. The surgery was something that had to be done and I knew that my faith in God would get me through.
The surgery was conducted at St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester, MN, and after approximately 8 hours of surgery my family was allowed to see me. The doctors were amazed that I had sight in my right eye. I spent that night in intensive care and was then transferred to a private room. I was released from the hospital two days later.
Recovery was slow. After nine years I still have some balance problems and have several prisms in the right lens of my glasses. The flashing lights still continue and I even hear my head pop and crack once in awhile. Symptoms are worse when I'm tired. I'm retired and sub occasionally at a congregate meal site. I am happy to be alive. Faith in God, and great support from family and friends helped tremendously. It's amazing to know that an obstacle put in your path (movement disorder) was meant to diagnose the aneurysm, otherwise, I probably would not be here. God works in mysterious ways. A year of acupuncture and a fantastic doctor helped slow down my movement so it's only noticeable when I'm stressed.
Oh, by the way.....remember the cerebral angiogram that I had before surgery?
Guess what? On that report it was noted that I had Fibromuscular Dysplasia in my carotid and vertebral arteries. (See a full explaination of FMD here) Eight years after surgery (March of 2011) a friend, Barb, asked if I wanted to belong to a vascular group that was helping people with brain aneurysms and specifically FMD. She told me her story about Fibromuscular Dysplasia and I explained that I have FMD. In April I made trip back to Mayo Clinic to see both a Neurologist and Vascular doctor. Tests were run to make sure I had no further aneurysms and to confirm that in addition to my carotid and vertebral arteries I have FMD in my illiac arteries as well. Symptoms I have are neck pain, tinnitus and I hear my heartbeat in my ears. I have not had confirmation that the aneurysm was caused because of my FMD but it's a possibility that it was. Right now, I'm fine. I have days where I'm totally exhausted and need to rest but most of the time I'm feeling good. I'll have further testing in two years. I need to watch my blood pressure, exercise, and watch my diet. Staying active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important.
That is why it is SO important to be your own advocate. Keep track of your symptoms. Get copies of ALL your records and read them, ask questions, get second opinions, bring someone knowledgeable about the medical field to appointments. Get involved with a support group to know that you are not alone and that many others suffer from the same disorders.
Thank you for everything you have done for me and my recovery!
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