A note from Elizabeth:
Dear Friends,
On June 13, 2010 I went to the Emergency Room with an excruciating headache. I was admitted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul Minnesota and diagnosed with a carotid artery dissection with a pseudoaneurysm. This is basically a tear in the wall of the artery and causes a clot to form in the interior of the artery. The change of blood flow and clot usually leads to a stroke. My dissection was deemed inoperable due to its location inside my head at the base of my brain. I was treated with blood thinners and released from the hospital after two days in the ICU.
On June 23, 2010, I returned to the emergency room and a second arterial dissection was discovered in my vertebral artery. This one was also deemed inoperable due to its location at the base of my neck near my spinal column and is believed to be a result of the change in blood flow and stress from the first dissection.
Having one dissection is uncommon; having two is very rare (2.5 per 100,000).
I spent two nights at Regions Hospital where I underwent a neurological exam every four hours to watch for signs of a stroke. Due to my age, medical history and rareness of this situation I was transferred to Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota on June 26.
After consulting with a team of specialists from various fields, multiple MRA and CT scans, vile after vile of blood tests and two nights at Mayo, I’m home! The doctors have found no underlying condition to date (although I will follow up with a Geneticist on an out patient basis). I will be treated with blood thinners and have a follow up MRA scan in three months. They believe that without further injury the clot will dissolve and the dissection may heal. Once this set of dissections heals completely there is only a 1% chance each year that I will have any follow up dissections.
These next four weeks are very important to my recovery. I have a lot of restrictions to prevent any further tearing in my arteries. Among other things I am not to push, pull or lift anything over 5lbs - which will be hard to do with a two small children!
We have seen the hand of God throughout this process and believe that the prayers of many have made a difference. I was already on blood thinners at the onset of this event due to my difficult pregnancy, a fact that Dr’s believe likely prevented a stroke. The Doctors actual words were “...you dodged a bullet”. Every nurse that treated me assumed that I had suffered a stroke, because it’s almost unheard of not to with this condition. I do still have a persistent migraine headache triggered by the upset blood flow, but no lasting physical impairment. Praise be to Jesus who shed his blood for me!
We have experienced the very presence of God, which has sustained us despite the gravity of the situation. When we have been troubled, He has comforted us. When we have had to make difficult decisions, He as granted us wisdom. When we were presented with physical unknowns, He has given us eyes of faith. We are moving forward one day at a time believing for complete healing and days free of fear. I’ve never been more convinced that my life has a purpose and I intend to live every day pursuing my full potential in Jesus Christ.
Thank you to the countless individuals who have prayed for me all over the world; to High Point Church for surrounding me with love; to the many friends who have visited me in the hospital and helped care for our kids; to my family who has dropped everything and made me their priority; to my fantastic husband who has not left my side.
My heart is endeared to you loved ones!
Elizabeth Farina
Recent Comments