Staples

Once I was home....and getting used to my "new to me" surroundings.  I struggled everyday with the little things like....dressing myself, showers, walking, talking, trying to make sense of everything that was going on with me?    Greta(my lifeline) put her own life on the back burner, and for that I know I can never repay her for what she has done for me and my Family.  I LOVE you my Sissy!   About a week after being released from the hospital, I had a Doctor appointment/check-up with my Neurosurgeon, Dr. Gustalvo.  At this appointment before seeing the Doctor his assistant Donna entered the room with some-sort of contraption in her hand.  Pulled up a stool right in front of me(face to face pretty much) and started removing the staples from my head(if you remember the picture posted in my last blog....the staples went down the right side of my hairline).  What I remember of this is.....NOTHING!  but, I'm told I sat there & took it like a champ!  It was not until Dr. Gustalvo was examining me, talking with me that he informed me...."Heidi, your doing great!  but, your battle is not over"!  Fore he told me AGAIN(short-term memory, I completely forgot)!  that there are 3 more possible aneurysms in my head and he wanted to send me to John Hopkins to a Neuro Specialist.  This news like I said....was like hearing it for the first time again...and I remember being scared to death of death still lingering around me, & how I just could not make any sense out of it...at all.  Soooooo I think I cried?  & to comfort myself...I got DRUNK &.mind you I was still smoking(like an idiot).  This sort of idiotness went on until I met my new Neurologist Doctor Huang from John Hopkins.  Where she would take my case, only if.....I QUIT smoking.. NOW!  because if I would of continued....most likely I would've been dead before the next procedure.  You see they wanted to wait 6 months after the first surgery to give my brain time to heal.
THIS WAS ALL IT TOOK.........for me to begin  my "new battle with beer & cigarettes.  Doctor  Huang told us..."there is a chemical in the nicotine that wears on the veins, thins them which in turn allows them to burst".  WOW!!!!  super scary shit????  right?
Anywhoo, let the battle begin!  First just let me say.....I have the BEST Family in the whole entire world, because they dealt with me at my UGLIEST, and I don't mean looking?  I mean....I was strait up HORRIBLE, manipulative, evil, sneaky.  (FUNNY STORY!!...I was w/Greta at LGH waiting in the car for her to return a walker or something, and I.....escaped to Smiley's on Duke, by foot w/the assistance of my walker to purchase myself some cigarettes.  Now let's think about this....my head was still bandaged up, hair a wreck, HEAVILY medicated, what a sight to see?  For the record...I only remember bits & pieces of this and  eventually I'm escorted back to my Ever Loving Sissy by one of LCP's finest).  YEAH, this is what they were dealing with.

6 MONTHS LATER....
I did it, I QUIT!!!!  both of them, YAY ME!

Now, I am cleared and good to go for the next procedure.  Which was a piece of cake compared to the first one!  This one they went up through my groin and clipped those 2 suckers before they decided to hurt me. I made it, I beat it, I rock.

Thank you for reading, and for letting me get my story out!

Much Love, Heidi