Beating The Odds...

...And kicking their ass!!

- Ruptured brain aneurysms are fatal in about 40% of cases. Of those who survive, about 66% suffer some permanent neurological deficit.

- Approximately 15% of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) die before reaching the hospital. (that's what I had!) Most of the deaths from subarachnoid hemorrhage are due to rapid and massive brain injury from the initial bleeding which is not correctable by medical and surgical interventions.

- 4 out of 7 people who recover from a ruptured brain aneurysm will have disabilities.

- Brain aneurysms are most prevalent in people ages 35 - 60 and there are typically no warning signs. Most aneurysms develop after the age of 40.

- Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is one of the most feared causes of acute headache upon presentation to the emergency department. Headache accounts for 1 – 2% of the emergency room visits and up to 4% of visits to the primary care offices. Among all the patients who present to the emergency room with headaches, approximately 1% has subarachnoid hemorrhage. (Oooooh, that must be why InstaCare gave me meds and sent me home!!)

- There are almost 500,000 deaths worldwide each year caused by brain aneurysms and half the victims are younger than 50.

I am so grateful to be one month out and doing so well. Walking, talking, no permanent damage, and I even have my weird, sick sense of humor back. (GREAT!) I feel so grateful to be alive and to be recovering and to be happy. I wake up every morning in pain, but with knowledge that today will be better than yesterday and tomorrow will be better still. I have my family and I'm still here -- and that's all I need.