Insight- Since the age of 13 I had been suffering aggressive migraines in which I was hospitalised for each time. Tablets wouldn’t work, changing diet didn’t work and even injections didn’t work. In 2018 we decided to investigate what was going on in my head by having an MRI scan at Benson radiology. They said to us “We found nothing in your head, your migraine causes could be genetic” as my mum had also suffered migraines before she had me. On July the 15th of 2021 was the date my unknown AVM in my brain burst (haemorrhaged) But we didn’t find out until I got rushed into hospital and they put me through an instant CT scan. At first, we just thought it was another migraine but to me it was a different type of pain, it felt like somebody was bashing me with a baseball bat repeatedly. I was also vomiting up dark brown blood this time. As I finished the CT scan the doctors came rushing into the room where the radiologists were, and my family noticed and thought something is wrong. The doctors also mentioned that I was Born with this AVM, but we didn’t know because when I had my first MRI, the radiologist people said I had nothing in my brain.
As the doctors were still accessing the scans, I got sent into emergency to be having a close eye on because I was still vomiting out blood. Another scary situation the doctors said was only 30% of people with AVMs survive and the doctors also said that if it wasn’t for my fitness, I would have died on the surgery table. They were so surprised that I still lived and recovered from this event.
AVM explained; An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels connecting arteries and veins, which disrupts normal blood flow and oxygen circulation. When an AVM disrupts this critical process, the surrounding tissues may not get enough oxygen. Also, because the tangled blood vessels that form the AVM are abnormal, they can weaken and rupture. If the AVM is in the brain and ruptures, it can cause bleeding in the brain (haemorrhage), stroke or brain damage. The cause of AVMs is not clear. They’re rarely passed down among families. Once diagnosed, a brain AVM can often be treated successfully to prevent or reduce the risk of complications.
After an hour, a senior nurse and doctor came up to my family and asked “Has Liana ever fallen over? Or has there ever been a history of brain bleeds in your family?” My family instantly looked at me and that was when I knew something is wrong. The nurse then explained that I had an AVM in my brain which burst causing that bad sensation of pain I was feeling. The doctor then said I would have surgery in about another 6 weeks which scared my family and myself. Thankfully, covid came in and I was the first on the list to get the surgery. On the 23rd of July 2021, I had major brain surgery. Pre-surgery, they removed some of my hair, they put fusers over the spots on my head for the doctors so they know how to manoeuvre in my brain to get to the AVM, and they limited my food and liquid intake. When it came to the surgery process, they took the AVM out and drained my blood that was pooling in my brain. They also removed a chunk of my skull out from the right side of my temple and replaced it with a titanium plate. After 8 ½ hours I was in ICU for 5 days then transferred to a ward and was there for the remaining 2 ½ weeks. I was checked on very closely, making sure my blood pressure was low, checking to see If I could talk and checking on everything in my brain after the surgery. I found out that at one point after surgery my blood pressure was out of the roof high and the doctors had to give me a drug that is not yet approved from the government so my parents had to sign saying that I am able to have the drugs, after I took the drugs my blood pressure came back down. I had to learn how to walk again as I lost my balance, I had to learn how to eat again, and I also had to learn how to think properly again. And for a while, my left side of my body went into a bit of paralysis.
I also lost my Vision and had problems with my left eye. I couldn’t drive until my vision and peripheral vision came back. While in hospital, as I was on heavy drugs, I was experiencing hallucination for several weeks. I couldn’t concentrate for longer than 5 minutes and had to go through a month of full rehabilitation. In Rehabilitation, I had to rebuild confidence and had to learn how to go back out into the world. I was doing rehab with a speech pathologist, Occupational therapist, Physio, Recovery doctors, Neuro phycologist, eye doctors and Dietitian.
Their roles in helping me with rehabilitation was- Dietitian: Helping me learn to eat again as I didn’t eat for 3 weeks straight in hospital as I was awfully sick, Neuro Psychologist: Helping me to re gain memory and learn how to concentrate again. Eye doctors; Testing my eyes to see if My vision is healing, Recovery doctors checked on my pain in my head and did heaps of scans too ensure everything in my head is healing properly, Physio taught me how to walk again and how to get back into my fitness routines, Occupational therapists taught me life skills and getting back into my routines such as catching the bus, navigation where I am and how to get back, how to catch the bus again and how to multi-task and the speech pathologist taught me ways on how to learn new ways of thinking and how to control my anxiety, and how to cope with thinking patterns and return to school.
I also suffer terrible anxiety since surgery. When I came out of hospital in August the 5th, I could not enter my room or sleep in my room because of the traumatic events that had happened. I didn’t sleep in my room for nearly 2 months but then regained confidence to sleep in my room alone. Catching the bus was also another challenge because I felt scared being alone. I still cannot be alone because I start shaking and panicking. Also, for a while I could not enter a hospital or even look at one without crying or shaking because of the trauma within me.
I have become more emotional and anxious since surgery. another problem that I experience is people don’t understand what I have been through, and it is hard when they pressure me or talk about head injuries because I start crying and shaking. When people don’t understand what has happened, they try make it better, but they make it worse instead. And nobody can understand my anxiety and the impact this event caused on me, so it is hard for me when people see me physically okay but not mentally.
AVM remove it and cauterize it.