My Story by donnamarie

I manage a small cafe in a busy shopping centre which seats about 60 people I had just returned on Monday 3rd may 2010 after taking a week’s holiday.

I went into work at 7am to start getting all the cupcakes ready, knowing that it was a bank holiday and we would be flat out all day... I was feeling grand and at 10.45am took my break. I had everything set up and ready to go - got hold of my cigs and a cup of tea and was chatting to the cook outside.

When i came back in I was standing talking to the manager of our other restaurant in the centre, as they had a few problems. When I turned around, felt like I had been hit on the head. I started blacking out but didn’t pass out, so I sat on the ground - After a few minutes I got myself up and went to get some fresh air - the pain in my head was so sore and I was really dizzy, but I just kept pacing because i couldn’t stay still with the pain. I took 2 paracetamol and about 5 minutes after this, I started being sick. I started trying to get cover (the things that go through your head!) so I could go home at about 11.30 as nothing was getting any better.

My dad came to pick me up about 11.45am (my husband was golfing and i couldn’t get through to him) and he asked me to ring the Doctor on call because I didn’t look well at all and my doctors was closed for the bank holiday. They couldn’t see me until 3.30 so I said that was grand and I went home to bed. Dad said he would pick me up at 3 again and to try and sleep it off ... not that I could anyway, because the pain was so sore and he kept ringing to see that i was ok lol. The doctor saw me at 3.30 and told me it was a tension headache, he gave me voltarol (injection) and anti sickness tablets. He said that if I wasn’t feeling any better, I should go to A&E in an hour and I was sent home.

My husband came home about 5 and asked how I was feeling... told him I was still in pain, but I would wait it out a bit longer, as I didn’t want to look stupid going to the hospital with a sore head.

8.30pm decided I couldn’t cope with the pain any longer and needed to get some strong painkillers so off we headed to the hospital (I didn’t even pack a bag thinking they would give me some tablets and send me home) Arrived at the hospital at 9.15pm and after about 15 minutes they took me through and did bloods etc ... the doctor that saw me, wanted a second opinion so they sent for another doctor... he wasn’t sure and asked me would I stay overnight for observation, but he said I didn’t have too. I decided since I was still in so much pain, that I would stay (my choice) so my husband went and got me an overnight bag.

A doctor came round to see me in the morning and when I said i was still in pain he ordered CT scans, one with the dye and one without, which showed nothing. At about 6pm Tuesday, they did a lumbar puncture and told me I could go home when the results came back clear. They came back with blood and within an hour, I was blue lighted to the Royal Victoria hospital about 45 miles away.

Wednesday 5th, I was sent for an angiogram to see if they could see anything and they found 2 aneurysms (one ruptured )....they let me ring home about 12.30 to tell them they were taking me in straight away, they didn’t even close the hole in my leg they just wheeled me round. About 6.30pm i was wheeled back to the ward and that’s my story i will write about the follow up soon.

Donna