Glad to be alive

[rolyat63]

I’d like to start of by saying a huge thanks for all you serving your communities in LE. Healthcare and fire and rescue. I often see many thank those for their military service and I agree and I have supported directly or indirectly served in the military for nearly 30 years.

Last Monday 20 July at 0440 hrs my day was starting like any other. At approximately 0445 hrs I was in the shower getting ready for work. By 0730 my local hospital was making a choice to life flight for me to Tampa’s “Stroke” Center. The weather was too bad for the chopper. Almost before they said the weather was too bad the local Fire Department sent Phil and Nate from their Rescue Paramedics. They loaded me on the bus and downtown we headed. Phil reassured me and asked me questions. Nate, the kid was braving the traffic. He had to blow the horn several times to push our way down the interstate in the pouring summer rains.

In short order we were pulling in to St Joseph’s Emergency bay. We were met by Chip, who turned out to be the chief and founder of their stroke intervention unit. By the time we arrived to the Interventional Radiology (IR) section he had performed a near full stroke assessment. We met Maureen there. All of my neurological’s look good. I was prepared for and had a angiogram of the Cricle of Willis or the four artery cluster of veins supplying the brain. No problems. No aneurysm, AVM, etc… Good bifurcation…

This is good news everyone seems to be relieved but me…I’m getting worse. I began to vomit, 3 rounds of morphine have not touched the headache. MRI reveals swelling of the brain but argues against meningitis for a bleed. So, now we have conflicting reports. After much pain and discussion the doctor decided that the blood in the lumbar punch was from the lumbar punch (LP) and not an aneurism. In fact he begin to believe the worsening was due to a leakage caused by the first LP and recommended an Epidural Blood Patch (EBP). So Wednesday they did another LP and performed a EBP. The pressure was measured on entry and exit. That pressure normally was considered fatal. Due to my size (5’11” 315#) I had more fluid to lose.

I was released on Sunday and will return to work tomorrow. The initial rapid onset headache was from viral meningitis complicated by a near fatal lumbar puncture. There are so many people along the way that serve daily in this chain of life saving to thank individually but we have the best tiered triage care in the world.

Thanks to all of you who serve your country, your communities and all in between. Although, I did not directly receive your prayers during this time the spirit embodied here on this forum and the good group of people are what helped me and my family through this trying times.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Trumpetchuck]

I am very happy to hear you have recovered.

Will pray for your ongoing recovery and for good health.

And THANK YOU for YOUR sevice to our country!

[retsupt99]

I am very glad that you are OK.

When it comes to 'life' no one gets out alive, we just don't know the 'schedule'...your name wasn't on the day's list...that's very good.

It is times like this that set all of life's other difficulties on the back burner, and we become more appreciative of the important things in life...family, health, and those who serve to heal us.

I have been is a similar, situation two times in 30 years...the last time was in 2005. I do understand your thoughts and feelings, and appreciative attitude...quite personally.

Take care my friend,

ret

[TX-JB]

Glad to hear you are doing well... Take it easy for awhile and count your blessings...

[Arko]

I'm glad your doing reasonably well after all that. It sounds like you had good care, and it made a difference.
Best wishes for continued recovery and good health.
Keep us updated.

[dukalmighty]

Thank god It turned out OK

[rolyat63]

Thanks guys. I got through the first day of work. A little harder than I thought it would be but I survived. Gonna get some rest.

[miklcolt45]

roly,

Great to hear you made it through. Welcome back.

[BikerRN]

I'm glad you're doing better and I hope your recovery is eventless now that you have made it this far.

Take care and stay safe.

Biker

[DAtrigger]

Good to have you back.
God bless you!

[rottkeeper]

Glad you are OK and pray for your recovery to go well. It is truly amazing what they can do today when not too many years ago there would be little hope for someone in the same circumstances.

God Bless and be well
rk

[rolyat63]

Thanks again for the well wishes and prayers. I went for my follow-up doctor visit on Friday and all seems to be good. He said the headache will continue to diminish. It has mostly gone away now.

It is amazing what they can do these days. What I want to know is what makes people think..hey we can shoot some blood into his spine and it will patch the hole...then someone had to be convinced to be the guinea pig. Actually, that part is easy to understand. I was actually praying for it to be an aneurysm. When the pain is that bad almost any alternative is better. In fact, when I described the pain from the initial headache (which only got worse from the LP) I said that is the kind of pain that would make you let of the steering wheel so a little (okay well big[18-16 Gauge]) needle in the back is nothing.