Aneurysms
While in the my seventh grade P.E. class, I was pulled aside and told that my mother, Frances, was in the hospital. When I arrived at the hospital, I learned that my mother was diagnosed with five cerebral aneurysms. That morning while she was at work, three of the aneurysms burst. At that time in my life I didn't know what they were, but I knew that my mother was in a bad condition. My mother was life-flighted to Herman Hospital in Houston, Texas. There she endured hours of extensive, tedious surgery, and a swift recovery. This recovery time was passed quickly by prayer, and family togetherness. I have reason to believe that among all of the family, I was hurt the most with this misfortune. My mother and I had never before shared a close relationship. This incident brought about the prospect of losing her. It not only worried me, but also it improved our relationship. Seeing the tubes and IVs in my mother was very traumatizing. I thought that this was a one time only occurrence; I was extremely wrong. In November 2001, my Aunt Mavies died of what is believed to be an aortic aneurysm. In an instant my best friend was taken from me. The only discrepancy between the two cases was the fact that my aunt'
Typically, symptoms of aneurysms don't occur until an aneurysm ruptures, and even then the cause remains a mystery. The most obvious indicators of a rupture may be: These symptoms can not only be detected by the patients but also by people around them. In the experience I had with my mother, I could notice small amounts of the poor temper control, the sleepiness, and headaches with nausea. Aneurysms are found to be rare in people under twenty, and with people over 65 they are getting more common. As the blood vessel stretches, the muscle layer around it begins to thin. This creates an aneurysm and the symptoms follow. Smoking can increase the risk of cerebral aneurysms, and have also been found to speed up the muscle thinning (Pile-Spellman 1). It is believed that aneurysms can not be "'inherited'"; "[h]owever, some studies suggest that seven to twenty percent of the patients [...] have a first or second degree relative with a confirmed cerebral aneurysm"( Mayo 2). This runs the patients probability of rupture to be "four times higher" than other people. Also, the risk runs more in people who smoke, suffer from frequent high blood pressure, and alcoholism. The estimated risk of non smokers to smokers is three to ten times higher, and patients who continue to smoke after a rupture can lead themselves to developing a new aneurysm ( Mayo 3). When we know the risk factors and symptoms of aneurysms, why don't the doctors take the necessary safety measures? Because I was still unsure of what aneurysms can really do to a person, I decided to focus my inquires with my mom, Frances, and Dr. J.D. Humphrey. Frances' interview shed light on what an aneurysm patient feels. Her poignant story about having the worst headache in her life was very emotional. "I couldn't imagine what was wrong with me...I prayed to God...also I hoped that my children were ok. After it was over the comic relief came when [Keesha] asked how my first helicopter ride felt" (Nelson). The doctor gave me much needed info on why doctors don't screen for things of this nature. Humphrey told me about the "lack of knowledge" doctors have on aneurysms. Even though the subject isn't at all recent most doctors don't real
Some common words found in the essay are:
Aunt Mavies, Humphrey Frances', Associated Press, Houston Texas, Cause Cure, STOP Grayson, Mind/Body Medicine, blood vessel, aneurysm mayo, poor temper control, symptoms aneurysms don't, pile-spellman 2, poor temper, detect aneurysm, aneurysms don't, cerebral aneurysms, grayson 2, symptoms aneurysms, temper control,
Approximate Word count = 1479
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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