In my last post I told you I wanted to tell you how my entire journey began. This is good for me to write about. Sometimes it is easier to write about than it is to talk about.
The Progression of my Migraines
Let me make this clear- I have never been a person who gets many headaches and/or migraines. While I was teaching in Lima, I didn't get headaches very often; maybe unless I had a stressful day. Once Summer hit, I decided to move home with my parents in Woodville and just relax and organize my life! I worked my butt off during my first year of teaching, so I felt I had every excuse to be a little lazy! However, during mid to end July 2013 I realized I was feeling increasingly lazy and tired. What I mean by this is I was napping all-the-time! I would wake up at 6am, eat breakfast, go back to bed, wake up at 11:30-noon, and sometimes lounge around longer. I'm a goal oriented person and I like to complete daily tasks, so this was a little off for me. HOWEVER, in my mind I thought, "Oh, Erica... You worked so hard at Perry... soak it up, because you will be starting your new job in Columbus soon."
Simultaneously, at the end of July I started having pretty painful headaches. They weren't all day headaches, but short blasts of pain that involved leg numbness and sometimes arm numbness. Some may ask, "Why in the world weren't you more concerned?" My answer to that is I just didn't take it seriously at first. They were short blasts of pain and I figured they were migraines. In early August, my sister, Tarah and I went to the Venetian Spa in Levis Commons and I had two episodes of these migraine/numbness blasts. That is when I began to get concerned. Another red flag occurred when my fiancé and I couldn't make it through a long shopping trip at Westfield Shopping mall and I almost vomited on the way home. I spent the rest of that weekend in a dark room with the curtains closed and LOTS of sleep. That is when I called my family doctor and had a doctor's appointment scheduled for August 5th. My doctor examined me and said they were probably migraines, but just to make sure he scheduled me for a CT Scan at St. Charles on Friday August 9th. I never made it to that CT Scan appointment.
The Day I Found Out
I was not expecting to find out on August 7th that my life would forever be changed. Today was a big day for me though. It was the day I would get the keys to my apartment in the Hilliard, Ohio area and I had to turn in my tax papers for my new teaching job at Galloway Ridge Intermediate. All morning I was feeling really tired and unmotivated to get moving. After running a bit late, I got my butt out of the house and said good bye to my mom and Rebecca (her friend). The first 45 minutes to an hour were alright. See, I don't like driving that much anyways... but it was manageable. Then, at some point I started feeling really nauseous, tired, and I had an ongoing headache. To be honest, I am lucky to be alive, because the rest of the drive was a mix between a haze and a panic. At three different points, I pulled off the rode with a bucket ready to throw up in. Too much information? Sorry. The last stop I made was at a McDonald's in Delaware, Ohio. I took two Excedrin Migraine, ate a banana, and bought two of those small apple packets at McDonald's. Then, I bought an orange pop to maybe help calm my stomach. I was also really struggling with the sunlight. I kept squinting my eyes and I didn't want to wear sunglasses, because they pinched my face too much. I decided to put a blanket over my head in McDonald's parking lot and take a nap. I napped for about 25 to 30 minutes and decided to continue my drive. I really wanted to get to my new school's administration building, because they needed my tax papers and I had to get fingerprinted. However, I realized I wasn't going to make it and I wasn't going to make it to my new apartment. That is when I made the decision to stop in Gahanna at my fiancé's apartment and just get safe and under the covers. I wanted to HIDE from the sun and I wanted a place to just throw up if I needed to. Throughout this entire car ride nightmare, I was on the phone with my mom. She was talking me through it and was worried sick. Poor mom... I'm sorry for doing that to you.
Thank the Lord I made it to Andrew's apartment. I made sure to tell Andrew about my car ride and that I was now at his apartment. I remember getting out of my car, leaving my GPS plugged in and all my luggage in "Oldsie (My nickname for my saturn station wagon)." Then, I shakily walked up to his door and unlocked it. When I got in I locked the door (I wish I hadn't after I did). Now, something you must know about Andrew's apartment is there are lots 'o steps! Take a look at this picture.
So, yes... in my condition I was a little worried about making it up the steps. Sure enough, as I was making my way up the steps, my entire body collapsed. I couldn't move my arms or legs and I just slid back down to the last step. (Ignore this if you get grossed out easily) Because... I started throwing up on Andrew's last step. Why couldn't I have done it on the linoleum? I'm not sure, but my body didn't have a lot of say in it. My body was like a slug just helpless and BLAH! Thankfully again, I had my cell phone and called Andrew. I told him I was laying in his door way (had puked), and I needed him to call 911, because something was REALLY wrong. Immediately, he left work and called my dad, who then called 911. In the meantime, Andrew called his mom and she jumped in her car and drove from Dayton to Columbus!
While I was waiting for the EMS, I decided to climb the ruthless steps. I made it up and crawled into Andrew's bed and covered my face up with his blankets. That is when I realized the door was locked and the paramedics wouldn't be able to get into his apartment. I called Andrew and told him to call his apartment complex to explain the situation and unlock the door. He did, but the man who worked at the complex knocked on the door instead of unlocking the door. Miraculously and in quite a daze, I walked down the stairs and unlocked it for him. He asked if I was alright and if I wanted him to wait with me for the EMS. I told him no and said thanks anyways. I'm telling you this was such a weird portion of my day. I don't even know what I was doing! Better yet, I went BACK upstairs and crawled in bed. Next thing I knew it, the EMS knocked on the door. I remember thinking, "You've got to be kidding me!" So, I grabbed my purse and answered the door. Yes, I Erica Jacobs, who had just collapsed and threw up had to answer the door to the paramedics. As soon as I climbed in the EMS, Andrew arrived and decided to follow behind to Mount Carmel East Hospital. As the paramedic was taking my vitals, he told me it just seemed like I was having an anxiety attack. He asked me if I was going through anything stressful or anything new. I replied, "Well yes, I just got a new job in Columbus, I'm recently engaged, and I am supposed to move into my new apartment today." He gave me this look and said, "Are you sure you want to go to the hospital? All they are going to do is give you a CT Scan." That is when I made the decision of just going to Mount Carmel East. I figured I was supposed to get a CT Scan on Friday... why not a few days earlier.
When I got to the Emergency Room, it was really nerve racking and uncomfortable. I was shaking out of coldness and nervousness. Andrew and Laura (Andrew's mom) sat with me and tried to calm me down. I don't remember a whole lot, but I do remember getting a CT Scan and an MRI. Not sure how much time had passed me by, I was sitting in a small curtained room with Andrew, Laura, nurses, and Dr. Mullin, a neurosurgeon. I just remember him saying that the scans did not come back normal and that I had tennis ball sized mass in my right frontal lobe. Did I react? No. I just remember looking at Laura and Andrew. Andrew had no expression and Laura had tears rolling down her face. Me... nothing. I could have said something, but I honestly don't remember. Dr. Mullin continued to tell me that the mass looks smooth and it is in the best location possible. Basically he said if he had to put a tumor in my brain, this would be the best location. I remember looking at Andrew, my fiancé, my best friend, and the person who loves me so much. I asked him, "Am I going to die?" I will never forget the look on his face... he shook his head no, but I knew he didn't know.
My next concern were my parents. How were they going to handle finding out their daughter had a brain tumor!?!?! If anyone knows my parents, they are my foundation and love me with all their hearts. My parents were already driving down to Columbus when I was in the ER. It is a two hour drive, so they were in a mad scramble. My dad said they found out I had a tumor when they were in Fostoria and they prayed the entire rest of the way. When my parents got to the ER, that is when we started talking about brain surgery. With Dr. Mullin's 25 years of experience and excellent reviews, we decided to have him go through with the craniotomy the next day. My dad made sure to tell him that I am "precious cargo." It was a running joke for him to tell EVERYONE that I was. Oh dad...
I spent the rest of the night soaking in what was happening to me. Was this real? Was I going to die? However, that is where I found God. I prayed, prayed, prayed and prayed some more. I was blessed with an amazing night nurse, Ericka, whom I consider a friend now. She comforted me and made me feel better. My parents slept in the hospital chairs and Andrew slept on this little couch. Laura went to sleep at Andrew's, so that she could come back refreshed the next day.
God was with me the entire time. God gave me a positive attitude. God gave me strength to handle everything that I had learned that day. God had just opened up a new door to our relationship. God has given me plenty of blessings since August 7th.
With all my Trust in the Lord,
Erica Jacobs
Thank the Lord I made it to Andrew's apartment. I made sure to tell Andrew about my car ride and that I was now at his apartment. I remember getting out of my car, leaving my GPS plugged in and all my luggage in "Oldsie (My nickname for my saturn station wagon)." Then, I shakily walked up to his door and unlocked it. When I got in I locked the door (I wish I hadn't after I did). Now, something you must know about Andrew's apartment is there are lots 'o steps! Take a look at this picture.
So, yes... in my condition I was a little worried about making it up the steps. Sure enough, as I was making my way up the steps, my entire body collapsed. I couldn't move my arms or legs and I just slid back down to the last step. (Ignore this if you get grossed out easily) Because... I started throwing up on Andrew's last step. Why couldn't I have done it on the linoleum? I'm not sure, but my body didn't have a lot of say in it. My body was like a slug just helpless and BLAH! Thankfully again, I had my cell phone and called Andrew. I told him I was laying in his door way (had puked), and I needed him to call 911, because something was REALLY wrong. Immediately, he left work and called my dad, who then called 911. In the meantime, Andrew called his mom and she jumped in her car and drove from Dayton to Columbus!
While I was waiting for the EMS, I decided to climb the ruthless steps. I made it up and crawled into Andrew's bed and covered my face up with his blankets. That is when I realized the door was locked and the paramedics wouldn't be able to get into his apartment. I called Andrew and told him to call his apartment complex to explain the situation and unlock the door. He did, but the man who worked at the complex knocked on the door instead of unlocking the door. Miraculously and in quite a daze, I walked down the stairs and unlocked it for him. He asked if I was alright and if I wanted him to wait with me for the EMS. I told him no and said thanks anyways. I'm telling you this was such a weird portion of my day. I don't even know what I was doing! Better yet, I went BACK upstairs and crawled in bed. Next thing I knew it, the EMS knocked on the door. I remember thinking, "You've got to be kidding me!" So, I grabbed my purse and answered the door. Yes, I Erica Jacobs, who had just collapsed and threw up had to answer the door to the paramedics. As soon as I climbed in the EMS, Andrew arrived and decided to follow behind to Mount Carmel East Hospital. As the paramedic was taking my vitals, he told me it just seemed like I was having an anxiety attack. He asked me if I was going through anything stressful or anything new. I replied, "Well yes, I just got a new job in Columbus, I'm recently engaged, and I am supposed to move into my new apartment today." He gave me this look and said, "Are you sure you want to go to the hospital? All they are going to do is give you a CT Scan." That is when I made the decision of just going to Mount Carmel East. I figured I was supposed to get a CT Scan on Friday... why not a few days earlier.
When I got to the Emergency Room, it was really nerve racking and uncomfortable. I was shaking out of coldness and nervousness. Andrew and Laura (Andrew's mom) sat with me and tried to calm me down. I don't remember a whole lot, but I do remember getting a CT Scan and an MRI. Not sure how much time had passed me by, I was sitting in a small curtained room with Andrew, Laura, nurses, and Dr. Mullin, a neurosurgeon. I just remember him saying that the scans did not come back normal and that I had tennis ball sized mass in my right frontal lobe. Did I react? No. I just remember looking at Laura and Andrew. Andrew had no expression and Laura had tears rolling down her face. Me... nothing. I could have said something, but I honestly don't remember. Dr. Mullin continued to tell me that the mass looks smooth and it is in the best location possible. Basically he said if he had to put a tumor in my brain, this would be the best location. I remember looking at Andrew, my fiancé, my best friend, and the person who loves me so much. I asked him, "Am I going to die?" I will never forget the look on his face... he shook his head no, but I knew he didn't know.
My next concern were my parents. How were they going to handle finding out their daughter had a brain tumor!?!?! If anyone knows my parents, they are my foundation and love me with all their hearts. My parents were already driving down to Columbus when I was in the ER. It is a two hour drive, so they were in a mad scramble. My dad said they found out I had a tumor when they were in Fostoria and they prayed the entire rest of the way. When my parents got to the ER, that is when we started talking about brain surgery. With Dr. Mullin's 25 years of experience and excellent reviews, we decided to have him go through with the craniotomy the next day. My dad made sure to tell him that I am "precious cargo." It was a running joke for him to tell EVERYONE that I was. Oh dad...
I spent the rest of the night soaking in what was happening to me. Was this real? Was I going to die? However, that is where I found God. I prayed, prayed, prayed and prayed some more. I was blessed with an amazing night nurse, Ericka, whom I consider a friend now. She comforted me and made me feel better. My parents slept in the hospital chairs and Andrew slept on this little couch. Laura went to sleep at Andrew's, so that she could come back refreshed the next day.
God was with me the entire time. God gave me a positive attitude. God gave me strength to handle everything that I had learned that day. God had just opened up a new door to our relationship. God has given me plenty of blessings since August 7th.
With all my Trust in the Lord,
Erica Jacobs
Erica, What a beautifully written account of your harrowing experience.
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful you made the trip to Andrew's apartment and got help quickly. Keep writing. Your readers are here and await your next blog. Say hi to your wonderful mom Connie. She worked with me at Pills and Packages some years ago and I love her dearly. Donna
Dearest Erica,
ReplyDeleteI think writing helps so much! I still keep Christi's blog going. You're in my prayers. I'm stunned and speechless and so terribly sorry! Life is not fair! Please know you are loved!!
Angela