My story...

Last year I made the decision that 2014 was going to be my year!! I was going to start training for my first triathlon in June. My husband Chris and I joined the new gym close to our home that had a pool - HackensackUMC Fitness & Wellness - Powered by the Giants. We did this in January..new year new goals! This was it... let the training begin! I was running roughly 1-2 miles every other day...my plan was to get myself swimming in the pool March 1st. I figured that would give me plenty of time to be ready by June. On February 20th my husband and I went to the gym together. Usually I would go on my own in the morning but for whatever reason I couldn’t make it in the morning so I went at night with him. I had finished my run and remember saying to him " I wasn’t feeling that run". The next few minutes is when the rest of my life will be forever changed. Since he was still running I went over to do some weights. I still wasn’t feeling "right" but I just chalked it up to maybe not eating enough. I laid my stuff down on the bench and the next thing I knew I was holding my head and experiencing a pain like I had never ever felt before...I described it as "thunder in my head". That was the last thing I remember. I crashed to the floor. My next memory is waking up in Hackensack University Medical Center and I am in the ICU. My husband kept a diary on who visited me because sadly I just don’t remember everyone that came to see me during my stay there...which happened to be for 25 days.  When I realized what the heck was going on you can imagine how scared I was.  “I what…what do you mean I had a stroke…a brain aneurysm??” Luckily, I had no aftermath from the stroke…meaning my speech wasn’t slurred, I had no paralysis…I had dodged a major bullet.

My first steps in the hospital a few days right before I got to go home

 

My last days in the hospital were deciding whether or not I was going to need a shunt in my head. This was the “miracle” my doctor referred to earlier on…me leaving the hospital with a shunt was my best case scenario (I will explain what a shunt is on a future blog post) Unfortunately, it was decided that I would need one.  More hair shaved and one crazy hairdo later I get to finally go home to our girls and my doggies! 

This was my very last day in the hospital...it also happened to be St. Patty's day :o

My mother in law Val would need to stay with us to help take care of me once I got out.  I was still a little shaky walking and I was not allowed to drive…so Val was getting me to all my doctor’s appointments and I started Psychical Therapy at Maven Sports Medicine right when I got home.  I needed psychical therapy because my muscles were so weak. God Bless Val!!!!

Months of PT and rest and relaxation I basically begged to go back to work.  I couldn’t be home any longer!!  I went back to work in July…2 months earlier than what I was originally told would be my back to work date. I wanted a piece of normalcy and whatever it meant I was going to have it.

This is me going back to work...I felt like a little kid on the first day of school : )

I joined a Brain Aneurysm Survivor Group on Facebook pretty early on and this was/is key in my recovery. I have learned so much from reading peoples posts who are almost exactly like myself.  It’s a pretty incredible feeling knowing there is someone just like you.  It really has helped me beyond words. It also has shown me again how lucky I am to be here and how well I am recovering. 

My husband Chris, my daughter Shay and stepdaughter Camryn have truly been my motivation to get out of bed every single day.  I can’t imagine not living this life with them. I said whatever happens to me…these girls will know what being a fighter means.  They will know what being strong is. 

This was all I wanted..to be home with all of them!

As I begin my training for the triathlon I am anxious excited scared…am I crazy should I do this? why am I doing this?  I am also signed up for the Spartan Race on June 6^th.  We have already begun training for that as well.  Yes I will be the one wearing the helmet!

I hope to be able to share with you what keeps me going and why and with whom.  I belong to an incredible fitness family - Maven Sports Medicine which you will all get to meet.  We are all striving for the same outcome. I hope I can inspire others who may feel a little “tired” to get up off the couch.  Those who have had a BA will understand when I say…I never feel like me..there is always a little haze.  I compare it to the flu but the flu on the day you start to feel good.  This is how I feel all the time.  Exercise has been the only thing that makes me feel good.  I never wake up feeling energized…but once I get moving and exercise I want to bottle that energy as long as I can. I am just different from who I was.  I think that’s still hard for me to accept.  But my goal is to push thru it and not let it defeat me.  I hope you will follow my journey with me.  I am not perfect.  I have my pity parties. I get sad…real sad.  But I hope to help those who are down understand that its normal.  Your brain can get you thru just about anything…I am proof of that.

I really have appreciated the support I have received this past few months.  It truly has been amazing.  Thank you again! xo