Tag Archives: cerebral shunt

Markers and Spring

May is stroke awareness month. This week it’s been lots of dizziness, shunt pain and the occasional pain behind my eyes. The eye pain is mostly behind my right eye, where I had double vision for a year and twelve days after my brain injuries. I had surgery to correct my eyesight in 2015. 

Group photo of volunteers Spring Day of Caring
Earlier this month was my local United Way’s Spring Day of Caring. As usual, it was a good way to get out and distance myself from chronic pain issues. I received a free shirt and two sandwiches… I saved one sandwich for the following day. 
Additionally, the coloring group at my local library this week helped me distance myself from pain issues. 

Diez años

Cupcake celebrating surviving
botched brain
surgery.

Earlier this month, I celebrated ten years ( diez años ) since surviving my shunt being moved during a revision surgery in April 2009.  I didn’t know at the time my shunt had been moved. At the hospital, I wasn’t properly intubated as the tube used was too large for my throat. I stopped breathing after the surgery around 2am while in a hospital room.  When I opened my eyes, my lungs were burning and I couldn’t get air down my throat.  I could still feel the sensation of the tube inside even though it had been removed. I was given oxygen and barely started breathing again after what seemed like a very long time.

A month later, I graduated with my first Master’s degree.

Then the shunt drama continued….

I’m noticing a pattern when I enter into higher education, I end up having brain surgery. When I was enrolled in my second Master’s program, I had brain surgery then too.

I’m not planning on returning to school anytime soon….

Cupcakes are always a joy during survival anniversaries such as this one. Still here and raising awareness….