I had three aneurysms ready to rupture

By Janelle Evans

In January 2017 I was in the middle of a busy nursing shift at a regional hospital when, without warning, I became a patient myself. I suffered a bleed in my brain, which caused a stroke.

I experienced a sudden thunderclap headache, with the pain tracking down my neck and between my shoulder blades. I had heavy arms and my speech was affected. I was ready to collapse. 

My co-workers came to my aid quickly. They checked my blood pressure and it was an astounding 185/135. I was taken to the emergency department for a CT scan, vomiting all the way. The scan confirmed I'd had a stroke and I was airlifted to hospital in Melbourne. 

The specialists found two more aneurysms the next day, with the largest needing immediate treatment. I had surgery on my brain within the hour.  It all happened so quickly I didn't even have time to call my husband and tell him what was happening. The surgery lasted about four hours, and I spent 10 days in the hospital afterwards. 

But my journey was far from over. Four months later, I had the third aneurysm treated. While this treatment was less invasive, I was admitted to hospital for four days because I had a fever. I think my brain had had enough.  

It’s been 15 months since the surgery now and I still suffer chronic headaches daily along with fatigue and back ache. I also experience slow recall of words and vertigo, while I have gained weight because I am not as active as I was before the stroke. 

In my extensive nursing career, I’ve cared for many patients with brain-related issues. A lot of them have had a far more challenging and difficult recovery process than me, but my experience has given me a better understanding of what they have been through. 

I thought I would be well enough to return to work within a couple of months of my stroke, but it has now been more than a year. I have realised I need to be patient. While I have no obvious deficits, no-one can see inside my brain to know how muddled and in pain it’s really been. 

My stroke really did come without warning. There were no signs or symptoms. I was 51 years old with no family history of stroke, I didn’t have high blood pressure, I drank very little alcohol and I’ve never smoked. 

This has made the mental challenge after stroke quite difficult. There have been moments of reason and moments of utter frustration.

I had to rely on other people driving me around for six months. It felt like my independence had been taken away.  When I finally got clearance to drive I felt as free as a teenager who had just earnt their P-Plates!  

I just wanted to do normal things again - things that had seemed so simple in the past like vacuuming the house, doing the washing or meeting a friend for coffee. But if I spent more than an hour or two upright, my headaches, fatigue and back pain increased. 

For a time, it was like taking two steps forward and then one step back. 

About a month ago, I finally vacuumed the whole house by myself with only a small break. I can finally see that a normal life is possible. I’m hoping to go back to work on reduced hours soon. 

I wouldn't have made it through this experience without my loved ones – my amazing husband Ben and children for a start. Ben and the kids have been my rock.

They’ve helped with setting up the shower with a shower chair, daily hygiene, medication, meals, shopping and giving me foot-rubs and cold packs when my head and neck were over-heating. They’ve listened to my worries and anxieties every day. 

My extended family, friends and co-workers have also been a source of strength. 

My advice to other stroke survivors is to take one day at a time. If you look too far ahead, it can become overwhelming and doesn’t help your recovery. Any improvement is a moment to celebrate, no matter how small. 

Accept your life may never the same. That’s OK, it’s just a different version of you.  If someone offers you help, don’t be too proud to accept it. Above all else give yourself the credit and encouragement that you are a survivor of a near death experience and you are still on this earth for a reason.