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Laurie Deptula
After reading some of the stories posted on the website, I'd like to share mine.
I'll be 43 in the fall and I'm sooo grateful to be here to share my story.
On Nov 1, 2004, I woke up with my head feeling "wierd". In my attempt to walk to the bathroom, I fell to the left twice. Thinking I had just
gotten up too fast, I just continued getting ready for the day. When I got to the top of the stairs to go down to the kitchen, my head felt like a bolder!
I thought I was going to go down head over heals! I managed to make it downstairs and proceeded with my day. This meant driving 1 1/2 hours to Nashua for
a sales meeting. The whole time driving I kept moving my head side to side thinking "this feels really odd". I arrived at the office and sat
through the sales meeting, which ended earlier than usual and my head continued to feel odd. I decided I'd call my PCP and see if I couldn't get an appointment.
The receptionist informed me that they didn't have any openings and suggested that I have someone drive me to the nearest hospital. (They had been making
this suggestion for every request for an appointment for that past 3 mos.) This time I decided I'd go.
A co-worker & friend drove me to the Southern NH Medical Center. I arrived at 11:00 a.m. and waited about 15 minutes before I was brought into an exam
room. Initially the doctor tested me for vertigo, gave me a little pill and had me stay in the exam room til the pill took effect. She returned in what
seem like hours later & asked how I felt...."No different", I said with a grin. She sent me to have a CT scan of my head. When that was done,
they had me return to the ER area. The results came back negative. She ordered an MRI. By now it's getting close to 2:00 and I'm worried about my kids
getting out of school & I'm still an hour and a half away. I tell the doctor that I need to get back to the seacoast, she advises that I should sit
tight. The MRI cannot be done until 4:00 p.m. My friend has been with me all day. We're sitting in the hallway, I'm in a wheelchair and we're just talking.
(Later he advised me that he could clearly see that something was seriously wrong as I was going in & out of consciousness - I thought I was completely
with it the whole time! He is also a former EMT)
When the Dr came by to check on me I told her I really had to get home to my kids and asked if I could just schedule the MRI some where closer to home.
She took a stern position & told me that I wasn't going any where. I finally got in for the MRI and was brought back to the ER to wait for the results.
While I was in the MRI my friend left and my boyfriend had arrived. The Dr. came over and told me that results had come back and that there were two abnormalties
found. She had arranged for an emergency transport to take me to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. The neurologic dept had informed her that
BIDMC had the best Neuro team in the area.
O.k. reality hit, this is serious and I'm scared. I call my mom to tell her I'm going to Boston. (She didn't even know I was at the Nashua hospital!)
I arrived at BIDMC in Boston at 8:30 p.m. and they rush me through the registration and put me in an exam room in the ER area. As I lay there waiting for
the Dr I'm getting more and more scared wondering what's going to happen to me and, of course, I'm wicked hungry! :) I hadn't eaten all day.
Dr. Malek's team (5) come in and introduce themselves. (BIDMC is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School) Dr. Malek advised me that I was going to
go for another MRI and then he'd be back to go over the results. From here I do not remember alot of details. I remember waiting, being nervous when George
told me that Dr Malek was waiting for my family to arrive before proceeding.
As I later learned, the 2 clots were in the main artery in the brain. The blood was "detouring" around the clots going into the smaller vessels,
called "feeders". These smaller vessels are not strong enough for the arterior pressure. My family was called in because of the high risk, the
survival rate was low and if all went well, there was a chance I wouldn't be able to take care of myself. Had I not gone to the hospital and continued
to ignore the symptoms, Dr Malek advised that I would not have survived another year. I would have had a brain hemorrhage.
Well, the MRI showed the clots and an Arteriovenous Fistula (A/V Fistula; a break or whole between an artery & vein). I spent the month of November
at BIDMC and under went 2 non-invasive surgeries, the method where they enter through the groin & go up through the artery. The 2nd surgery was necessary
because one of the clots started to come back.
They put some titanium coils in to prevent clotting. I went home in early December and was able to spend the holidays with my family.
In Jan 05 I was admitted again and under went another surgery, this time a LOT of coils were put in. All shapes and sizes. The location of the A/V fistula
was in an area that fed a critical part of the brain.
Dr. Malek held off surgery for the A/V fistula in the hopes that the blood disorder would heal it and surgery wouldn't be necessary. If surgery was necessary,
it would mean cutting through the skull, and much higher risk.
I had to go back to Boston a few times due to incidental symptoms. However, I returned to work in May 05 and am really fortunate to say that I lead a very
so-called "normal" life. I am able to take care of myself and my family, as I did prior to November 2004. Occasionally I exprience symptoms because
the brain doesn't "heal" it "compensates". However, given the uniqueness of my experience, I haven't found a neurologist that really
understands enough to advise or educate me.
I had one diagnois my symptoms as "migranes" and perscribe migrane meds! Dr Malek cannot explain the residual symptoms because it is really outside
of his expertise. I am continuing to search for a neurologist that will be able to help me so that I know what symptoms are an indication that I need to
seek help vs those that are letting me know I need to slow down.
Prior to the surgeries Dr Malek had blood test ordered and they came back positive for Factor V Leiden. He advised that I should have a full blood work
up when I got better. No one in the family was aware of this genetic disorder until this happened to me. My siblings have been tested, my mom and my grandparents
on my mom's side. Everyone tested negative except one half brother, indicating that the genetic disorder is on my father's side. Dad has yet to be tested.
In Aug of 05 I had a follow up angiogram and the A/V fistula is healed!
When I was able to sit at the computer and research Factor V Leiden and A/V Fistula on the internet, I was really surprised at how common this is, yet
no one knows about it! I'm glad I found your website.
Laurie