«Life Changing Experience-"My Mom's Brain Aneurysm"» - Great Essay Sample

For a period of five years, it was not unusual for my mother to complain of frequent headaches and neck pains. This happened mostly whenever there was bright light in the room and sometimes she could complain of having difficulties with her vision. I did not understand the cause of such unstable health conditions for my mother until the symptoms became worse one evening. We had hardly finished our dinner when my mother started experiencing seizures. This experience accompanied a sudden and severe headache that she explained was different from the usual past headaches. She felt nausea and began vomiting profusely. I did not realize any change in her condition until my mother began fainting and lost her consciousness.

That evening seemed the worst day of my life because I could not help breaking down into tears. I could not figure out the course of action to take. I cried out uncontrollably while shaking my mother fiercely with the hope that she would respond to me and come to. I believe that day it was God’s good intension that my father and elder brother be at home. If I were alone, probably mom could have passed on. Dad pushed me aside and carried my mother outside the room in an open field. He believed this was a better move to give mom first aid so she could gain her consciousness. My brother and he rushed my mother to hospital so she could receive medical attention.

I was instructed to get a few clothing for mom and follow them to hospital where she had been admitted. Since my mother’s condition indicated very few symptoms, it was difficult for the doctors to diagnose the actual problem. A few test had to be conducted by the doctor in charge to reach an ultimate decision on what could have been the cause of fainting and seizures. Because the doctor had had such experience with patients before and believed this could be a possible indication of brain aneurysm, the first test was a Computed Tomography Scan (CTS). This was a precautionary test not to expose my mother to treatments meant for other conditions. This scan was meant to establish if there were incidences of bleeding in the brain.

According to the doctor, he decided to use a lumbar puncture on my mother since he suspected that her condition showed a high likelihood of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm with a subarachnoid hemorrhage. This made me cry even the more because I knew two implications for one having a brain aneurysm condition: if not detected in good time, death was eminent and a high possibility of brain surgery in case results turned out to be true for the condition. I had a bad feeling about all this operation and feared losing my mother. I loved her so much and this would kill me. My brother encouraged me to be strong and believe that everything was going to be fine.

The CTS test did not give precise results and therefore, the doctor decided to run another test. He carried out a Computed Tomography Angiogram Scan (CTAS). According to the doctor, this was a more precise technique for assessing blood vessels in the brain as compared to a standard CT. He said that the technique combined a number of techniques: the Ct scanning, special computer methods, and a contrast dye injected into the blood to produce images of blood vessels. When the results came out, it was clear that my mother had brain aneurysm and needed immediate medical attention. The condition had become chronic and any delays in treatment could endanger her life. I literally begged the doctor to do his best to save my mother. I did not want to lose her.

The doctor indicated that my mother needed treatment geared towards restoring her deteriorating respiration and alleviating intracranial pressure that had increased as a result of a ruptured vessel in the brain. In the first place, my mother had to undergo surgical clipping. This included a performance of a craniotomy so that the aneurysm could be exposed. After the exposure, the aneurysm could be closed using a clip chosen particularly for the position of the aneurysm. Failure of this method meant that mom had to undergo an endovascular coiling that consists passing a catheter into the femoral artery in the groin. This goes through the aorta into the brain arteries, and ultimately into the aneurysm itself.

The worst part of this experience is that they indicate adverse health risks. After undergoing the process, my mother suffered stroke. The only consolation is that she survived death. However, I find it difficult to cope up with the fact that my mother can no longer walk. She remains stuck in the wheelchair which adds to my devastation. She was our bread winner and this disorder has transformed the rest of our family life. I was particularly affected since I changed my school to enroll in a nearby school that my father could manage with his meager income.