Debbie's Story

15th November 2008. It was a day like any other really; running around after the kids, taking them here and there. I decided to clean up the garage with Melissa, my daughter who is 10 years old.

My husband had just left to take his disabled Father to the football match when I picked up a carrier bag up and felt a pop in the back of my neck. I felt a bit dizzy and sat down. Melissa realised something was wrong and rang her nan. She didn't answer so she went and got a neighbour who came running. She rang the doctor who advised her to ring for an ambulance. They came and kept asking me questions. They took me to the ambulance and I passed out. I don't remember much after that, but nan had turned up by then and came with me whilst Melissa stayed with my neighbour.

My husband Gerry met us at the hospital where they scanned me and told Gerry that I had had a SAH. They rushed me to Oxford and an aneurysm coiled the next day. For the first week I don't remember much, but a week later, I was allowed home but was told to completely rest, as I had a big one that needed to be operated on. I was like a time bomb, I guess, watching what I was doing and not overdoing things.

In March 2009 I had to go for another scan and a check up. To my horror, I discovered I had three more aneurysms, not one as I had thought. The big one was 11 mm, the second was 2.5 mm and the third was 1 mm but he would operate on the first one and take a look at the second, so on 23rd June 2009, I went back to Oxford for my operation. There were risks of a stroke or my life, so to us there was no choice. I came round and the surgeon said it was messy, but he had clipped 2 of them as the 3rd one was very weak. I was lucky it didn't bleed again, so I am doing well waiting for a check up to see how things are doing. All I have is short term memory loss.

I still find it very hard to come to terms with what happened to me, as I am very independent and still think I can do things and find that I can't. I still get headaches and tiredness and am not back to work yet, but I have learnt to slow down and ask for help if I need it. Life is short and you don't know what's around the corner. I will keep you updated on my progress.

Debbie