Sometimes I need a reminder of the miracles that I have experienced during this journey.
This whole thing came about because on Memorial Day of this year my in laws were in town and we planned a trip to Living Planet Aquarium in Salt Lake. I woke that morning feeling sick and I had a horrible headache (great, because I want to deal with the flu.) I refused to cancel and commented to my husband when it was suggested that "I won't have that many opportunities for things like this as the kids get older."
At the aquarium I took it easy. Walked slow, brought up the rear, you know went with the flow. We were home pretty early in the day and I went to rest.
The next day I had work but woke up with a horrible headache. At this point I knew something was really wrong. The pain was in constant flux; it would ebb and flow. I took a sick day from work and called to get in with my primary care provider, a wonderful internist who has been my doctor for years. During my appointment he diagnosed/suggested that it was encephalitis, swelling on the brain. He and an associate poked and prodded, tested reflexes, looked in my eyes, all that doctory stuff.
I was sent home with two prescriptions; if I had another driver with me they would have given me a shot and sent me home to sleep. I was also sent to have blood drawn, this showed an elevated white blood cell count indicating an infection. My mother in law came down from where she was staying in Salt Lake to stay with the boys. My husband worked to get two elders from our church to give me a blessing (thank you Janson and Scott.)
The blessing charged me to have faith, to be healed, and to be prepared to see the miracles that would occur as I faced the challenge ahead of me and my family. I commented to one of them as they were leaving that it was a pretty intense blessing for a simple infection but thank you for coming over.
Mom got here and I then went to bed and slept for 5 hours. I didn't stir, I didn't budge. My husband was home by then and told me not to worry, I looked like I needed it. He wanted to know the update from the doctor, they had given me a printout and instructions on what to watch for to ensure that meningitis did not develop.
The evening proceeded normally and we retired for the night. Around 2 AM my husband reports he woke up to find me lying in the bathtub, clothed. According to him I had fallen and was talking weird. For the next 30 minutes he asked me questions such as my name and the date. He then asked me why I fell in the tub. When I reported I did not remember falling into the tub he went into action. two of the three signs to watch for if meningitis was developing were blackouts and talking nonsense.
He called my cousin, who lives in the next town, to come and stay with our kids. He was rushing me to the ER. Less than 30 minutes later we were on our way.
By 6:30 that morning after many tests I was on my way to an MRI.
By 8:30 am we were rushing to UVMC for emergency surgery.
I had a craniotomy at 6:30 AM Thursday morning.
Many miracles led to saving my life as my tumor had just begun to cut off blood flow and CSF fluid to my brain. It had shifted and was sitting near the top of my brain stem on my primitive brain. The tumor was the size of a lemon and was interfering obviously with my life functions. Conversations post surgery with my surgeon he believes that, if not identified when it was, I would have died within a matter of weeks.
The concerns of meningitis and the medical visit the previous day caused the ER doctor to take more seriously our concerns and order a CT scan, that showed pressure and a large shady area in the brain.
Conferencing with the doctor who would be my brain surgeon, one of the best, occurred as he had just that day returned from vacation and was preparing for his week of surgeries. My surgeon met and admitted me through the second ER when we were transferred. It was also his recommendation to skip a spinal tap (thank you very much) because he was pretty certain an MRI would show a tumor.
Surgery occurred just 24 hours from the MRI that identified my lemon-sized meningioma. I was blessed with incredible and proficient medical care; my nurses were the best and my surgeon kept coming by to visit. He said he rarely gets to talk to patients with tumors the size of mine; they are usually unconscious by the time the tumor is found.
My elevated white blood cells worked to protect me in the hospital and helped my body and brain to recover post surgery, enabling me to return home in a timely manner.
More miracles have occurred since then and the support from my family, friends, and community have been heart warming. I can never express thanks enough for those caring for my loved ones, when I could not. These blessings continue to flow.
May God bless you on your journey.
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