Recuperating at home after the month from Hell. Dad died February 14th. A week later I was hospitalized with pulmonary embolisms in both lungs. They couldn't treat them with blood thinners because of my lovely AVM, so they put a filter over the vena cava sol that the blood clots would not enter my heart and kill me. While doing that procedure, they found a bunch more clots in my abdomen!
I was in the hospital with that for a week. Three days after I was discharged...what I'm about to say is embarasing, but had serious results. It was around 2:30 a.m. on Friday morning and I fell asleep on the toilet. I awoke upside down on the floor screaming in pain. What a sight for my poor family to find me in! Anyway, the result was a cut head, a broken neck (I had fractured the c-1 and c-2 bones in my spine), and the fractures had disected the main artery to my brain!
In the hospital,I was immediately put in a stiff neck brace and admitted. They kept trying to give me blood thinners and I was brought to tears fighting them continually, thinking that they were going to kill me via AVM. Here I had survived the fall that could have knocked one of my anuerysms loose or had a major bleed from it, and I was totally paranoid about taking an aspirin! LOL
The neurologist explained to me that I was in immediate danger of a blood clot to my brain from the disected artery and to please take the daily dose of baby aspirin for at least three months. I was in the ICU for a week and then admitted to a rehabilitation center for two weeks.
While there, they lowered my Avinza from 180mg per day to 60 mg and lowered to other medication dosages. I am happy to report that I am more alert than I have been in at least four years! I had no idea that I was being so over medicated ( which probably had a lot to do with my falling in the first place!)! Couple that with the physical and occupational therapy, my family saw a whole new me (really the old me)!
After two weeks in rehab, I am back home and I can honestly say that breaking my neck was the best thing that has happened to me in years! Thank you, Lord!
I still have a long recovery with my neck, but I have fired my old neurologist and am getting a new one. I will no longer accept a new prescription ( or an increased dosage) without a thorough explanation for it. I feel as though I've awakened from a drug-induced fog and didn't even know that I as in one! For years I was so worried about becoming addicted to my medications.I feel so bad for what my family has gone through with me. Well, I can't change the past, but I can and will change our future. Connie is back!