Sick And Tired Of Being Sick And Tired

On June 17, 2002, while at work, I had a sudden headache behind my right eye and started vomiting. My boss asked me what was wrong and if I wanted him to take me to my doctor. I told him that my doctor was 20 miles away and that the hospital emergency room was only 4 miles. He then took me to the hospital emergency room.

While there, I experienced a sudden extreme headache that I can only describe as flashes of pain similar to a lightning storm inside my head. They did a CAT scan and told me that I had a simple headache and sent me home.

On June 19, I went to my family doctor who then sent me to an Ophthalmologist because my right eyelid would not open and my pupil was unresponsive. The Ophthalmologist examined my eyes and consulted with a neurologist. He then told me that they both agreed that my symptoms indicated an aneurysm that was pressing against the 3rd cranial nerve and they sent me to the hospital emergency room where they did an MRI and told me to set up an appointment to see the neurologist as soon as possible. The next day when I tried to set up an appointment with the neurologist, I was told that he had looked at my CT and MRI and that since it did not appear to be an emergency, he could not see me until July 3rd.

The following Sunday, my daughter-in-law took me to the emergency room in Peach County where they gave me IV's for dehydration and IV meds for vomiting and sent me home. My daughter-in-law got on the phone with my physician who had a neurosurgeon meet us at the emergency room in Macon. My son drove me there while my daughter-in-law went by the emergency room in Warner Robins and picked up my CT and MRI. When the neurosurgeon looked at them, he admitted me to the hospital and told us that there was bleeding inside my brain that showed up on the CT done on June 17th.

On July 1st, he performed surgery to clip an aneurysm. I was in surgery for about 4 hours and spent 9 days afterwards in the neuro intensive care unit. From there, I was transferred to a rehab hospital where I stayed until July 17th when I was sent home with instructions to go for physical therapy twice a week. Through all of this, my employer has paid me my full wages each week. As I have used all of my leave, he has given me a termination slip so that I can apply for unemployment and have some income until I am able to come back to work.

So, I am currently with no income and am the sole support of my eleven year old granddaughter who lives with me. I have to pay $70.00 per week in co-payments each week for therapy and $25.00 for each of my ten prescriptions each time they are filled. I have a problem with my balance and with computing math problems when I have to carry numbers. I walk each morning and have set up a small gym with equipment that belonged to various relatives and friends so that I can do all of my exercises at home as well as at therapy. I am now sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Update: 2 Aug 2002
I had some really good news today (August 1). I have been going for physical therapy every Tuesday and Thursday. Well, today, they told me that I was being cut lose and would not have to come back again as I have improved so much.

Update: 12 Aug 2002
I went to visit my neurologist today and he gave me good news and bad news. He said that I can go back to work 1/2 days for a week and if it doesn't tire me out too much that after that week, I can resume full time. As for driving, he said that Georgia law says you can not drive for one year after a seizure so, I can't go back to driving until July 17th, 2003. Isn't that a bummer. Other than that, I am doing great. And, Oh yes, I have a loose screw, literally. He said if it gets to bothering me, he can go back in and tighten it up.

Update: 12 Sep 2002
I had a new CT done today and a visit to my neurosurgeon. The first thing he said when he came in to the examining room was: "Have you fallen or hit your head since surgery?" I told him that I had fallen flat on my behind but that I did not hit my head. He then told my Mother and me that the jar from the fall had caused a subdural hematoma on the right front side of my brain that shows up in the CT (he showed it to us). He also showed us on the film where my clip is and my plates.

I also complained to him about being tired all of the time and he prescribed a "Medrol Dose Pack". I have taken this steroid in the past for poison ivy and man did it give me energy then. Hope it works as well this go round. Otherwise, everything is going great. I am back at work about six hours a day now. Maybe when I get on the Medrol, I won't be too tired to go to work full time.

Update: 10 Nov 2002
Well, things are still progressing. My vision does seem to be improving. Good or bad? I don't know. It depends on whether you are looking at it from the doctors point of view or the lawyers point of view. My attorney tells me that a lawsuit for medical malpractice should net upwards of ten million dollars but, that in order to file a malpractice suit, I must have a permanent disability...namely my vision problem. The doctors seem to think that it can be fixed. The lawyer says I don't have to have the additional surgery, that it is my choice. So, do I become a multi-millionaire who can't see or do I see and remain in the middle income status. Tough decision, I don't think so.

I have been having some really bad headaches over the last few weeeks that last for days. My neuro says that it could possibly be from my subdural hematoma or from fluid at the surgery site. I am scheduled for a CT on the 18th. If all is well there, I can begin coming off of the Dilantin. If things aren't okay and his suspicions are correct, he says that he can re-enter at the surgery site and put in a drainage shunt. Lots of fun. But, all in all and in spite of everything, I would love to have just one day where I feel good and am my old energetic self.

Update: 22 Nov 2002
Well, not much has been going on since my last update. Had a new CT done 11/18/02 and my neuro has started weaning me off of the dilantin. I will take none in the mornings and 300 mg at night for a week and then go to 200 mg for a week and then 100 mg for a week and then I am off of it. He says that the first month after I completely stop taking it will be the most dangerous time for seizures. And, I actually worked six hours yesterday, came home and then went to church for a couple of hours for a dinner. God and life are good. Things will get better. Thank you to everyone here for your support and prayers.
Hugs and smiles, phyllis

Update: 1 Dec 2002
I am so happy. I am now down to 200mg of Dilantin at night and none in the morning. Friday, I got up at 3:15 a.m., went to work at 7:00 a.m. and worked a full eight hours without getting really tired . Then, I came home and stayed awake and active until 11:00 p.m. I am so proud of this accomplishment.
See, things do get better for us. Hang in there all of you. Your day is coming.
Hugs and smiles...

Update: 3 Dec 2002
Well, I made it through the trip. Dr. newman says that what has happened to my eye is that when the nerves were rejuvenating themselves after the pressure from the aneurysm, they went in the wrong direction and attached themselves to the wrong nerves. She also said that, in her opinion, my eye would never be 100% back to what it was.

I have an appointment with another doctor at Emory on Februaray 7, 2003 when they will try working with prisms to alleviate the double vision and possibly surgery. This new surgeon is a pediatric neurologist. My way of thinking is that if a surgeon can work on the tiny brains of children, then he should have no problems at all working on a larger adult brain. Now, enough of my ramblings. They dilated my eyes and my vision is still really bad from that.