Aneurysm

I visited a friend at the hospital the other night. She’s been diagnosed with Aneurysm.

I’ve never heard of this illness before but upon investigations, I found out that it is actually a small bubble in the artery of the brain caused by, most likely, stress. And it is quite fatal because if the bubble bursts, it could lead to brain hemorrhage, which could be deadly.

It all started with a tooth ache (yes, just like my husband’s). But it got infected and spread to her eyes, causing one of it to swell. She started to lose her vision and experienced bad headaches, and was admitted to Assunta for further tests.

Through MRI and MRA scans, the neurologist detected something else, that she has this tiny bubble inside one of the arteries in her brain. They were hoping that the bubble is located right at the back of her head so that surgery could be done easily. Unfortunately, it is located right deep inside her brain, just behind her left eyeball.

I was shocked to learn about her condition. I rushed to the hospital to see her before they could do anything to her. “I had to see her!”, I told myself.

She is actually not my friend; she's my husband’s colleague in Iskandar. I knew her through my husband because they work together closely. She’s a lawyer with the company. She follows my husband to JB sometimes when she needs a ride and we always meet during company functions or other social events.

She’s a very nice lady, her husband too. They make a swell couple, very friendly. They have a daughter, aged 4. They’re trying for another one but her work commitment is not making it easy for her.

She is a workaholic, as observed by my husband. It’s all work for her coz she loves her job so much. Either that, or she has no choice.

The last time we met was right after that Sunway Lagoon thingy when her husband invited a few of us for a surprise birthday party for her. We went, and she was very happy to see us. We had a good time that night, chatting and laughing away. She looked so happy that night. I gave her a birthday present which she said she would keep until Christmas.

She invited us to her house on Christmas Day but we couldn’t go because my husband was not well that day. “I’ve made something for you, you know..”, she told my husband when she saw him again after that. She was supposed to give it to us on that day she was admitted to the hospital, but I guess, it was not meant to be.

Back to her condition. When I saw her that night, she could still recognize me, although blurry. Yesterday morning, I was told, she had lost all vision. She was rushed to Pantai as her neurosurgeon wanted to work on her immediately. The surgery was conducted last night. They did a cardinal surgery which involved opening up her skull to remove/clip the bubble (not sure which one).

She went in at 9pm and came out at 5am this morning. A 7-hour procedure! Her husband said she is still in the ICU now, with stable condition. But her mental state has yet to be ascertained.

I’m praying very hard that she’ll get through this operation successfully. That night when I saw her, she said to me, “I’m scared…”. I could still remember her face and her strong hand gripping mine. She had her eyes closed most of the time because she couldn’t stand the pain in her head.

I spoke to her mother at length that night. I’ve never met her before but she’s a very sweet lady and very engaging. She told me she has 3 children, but one has passed away.

I didn’t sense any tense or worry in her eyes that night because she was very calm throughout, but just as I was about to leave, she took my hand and said, “Please pray for her. I’ve already lost one daughter, I don’t want to lose another one..”

Tears streamed my eyes as I hugged her at the door. “Don’t say that, aunty, she’ll be ok. We’ll all pray for her…”

Please pray for her too.



Joanne and her daughter, Tamara

(photo taken from her FB)



Comments

Kak Teh said…
Mrs N, Insyaallah she will pull through. What her mother said brought tears to my eyes as well. I suddenly remembered my friend's mother who looked after her ailing daughter.
take care and I am praying that she recovers.
MrsNordin said…
Thank you, K.Teh. I'm most grateful.
wanshana said…
Will pray for her full recovery, insya Allah.

My prayers are also for her family to be strong through this challenging time.
MA said…
I have heard of this condition, and the actress Sharon Stones also ad it and managed to pull through. http://trib.com/news/local/article_cc6e25c9-ae62-5a25-9339-d91cc5197c52.html

And yes, Insya Allah she will pull through. My doa for her.
Mama Huptihup said…
mrsN, all our prayers for her recovery...insyallah, Allah will help her and make it easy for her...
She is such a beauty. Hope she pulls through and recovers well after the surgery. Prayers for Joanna.
KG said…
Life is so unfair sometimes kan...I know someone whose wife had this and she is now paralysed because that thingy burst, I doakan your friend cepat sembuh...adalah hikmahnya tu wahtever it is......
ICook4Fun said…
Mrs N, we will pray for her speedy recovery and everything will be alright.
Takutnya!Hope it goes well...

I hope God lets her stay around for a bit longer...

note to self. Get that toothache sorted out.
Naz in Norway said…
I'm praying for her. Keep us update ok.
Kesian...
Anonymous said…
hhmmm bj..sorry to hear that ..I used to work with her and she did couple of jobs for us..probably, she needs to slow down a little bit after this....I had a friend who was diagnosed with the same thing during my school days..the doctor said its a "einstein" disease.My friend managed to survive the disease and jadi housewife jer after that.I hope she will make a swift recovery and will pray for her health and family . please send my regards to her..

fk
MamaEta said…
BJ, speechless....but as many mum wd do, including us...it is not easy in many ways..but we cd pray for the patience and strength..Mudah2an dipermudahkannya....Keep us updated eh!

p/s:She has beautiful smile and bet she is as wonderful to many...
Spices of Life said…
my prayers are for her.
MrsNordin said…
Hi Azieda!!

Glad to see you here again. She's been transfered to a normal ward as of yesterday. I think she'll be ok.

Thanks again!
shashank said…
Here is a link to more information about the genetics of Aneurysm that was prepared by our genetic counselor and which has links to some useful resources for those dealing with this condition: http://www.accessdna.com/condition/Aneurysm/39. There is also a phone number listed if you need to speak to a genetic counselor by phone. I hope it helps. Thanks, AccessDNA

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