Second Chance at Life

You have all learned many things about my injury in the first few posts. I will just hit some of the main points of my journey since there are many. One, in May, I had a severe brain bleed caused by an AVM rupture. Two, many involved said that I would have little to no chance of recovering, but I proved them wrong. Lastly, we have learned that if you came to visit before August, I was not aware of it because I finally woke up from my dream in August. For this post I would like to take a quick minute to give a big thank you to those involved. I would not be where I am today without you guys and the miracles that have kept me alive. In this post I want to tell you guys some of the miracles that I have seen through my experience and the gifts that many of you have given to me to help me with my journey.

Miracles I experienced:

* I got the opportunity to spend time with my cousins before I went to the hospital.

* Out of the blue, I went to see my mom and siblings at her work the day everything happened.

* I got a ride home from my mom’s friend after visiting my mom and siblings. This was a life saver because who knows what would’ve happened if I walked home.

* When the ambulance came to pick me up and take me to the hospital, my dad suggested they take me to Legacy. The ambulance crew didn’t want to waste any time and told my dad that Legacy would just turn me away and send me to Randell’s. Later we found out that this time was crucial be as the aneurysm had already started bleeding.

* This isn’t really a miracle but it’s just a fact, 65 percent of patients with brain bleeding never make it to the hospital.

* The fact that my parents tried to move me from their bed to mine saved me from dying because if they hadn’t, they wouldn’t have known something was wrong.

* As I arrived at the hospital and had already gone through a lot of tests, the doctors knew I needed surgery ASAP otherwise I could die. It is a miracle that the on-call neurosurgeon happened to be at the hospital that night.

* The neurosurgeon was successful in inserting the tube that relieved pressure off of my brain.

* After surgery, one of the neurosurgeons stopped by to see me before she headed home, and she realized I needed emergency surgery. If she had not done this, the pressure in my brain would have kept increasing and I would not be here today.

* I made it out of surgery.

* The night I was taken to the hospital, the ER was completely empty. This was a miracle given the fact I needed all the help I could get.

* In August, I finally woke up and was aware of my surroundings.

* While I was in Providence, my left leg started moving as a sign I was recovering. This was a miracle because it happened at just the right moment, when my parents and nurses were beginning to lose hope that I would ever be able to recover.

* While on the fourth floor of Randell’s I began breathing on own. This was another time that the timing of the miracle was essential to providing hope to my family and doctors.

* After I woke up, it took me awhile, but eventually I was able to start communicating with others. If my therapist had not tried to introduce me to the “yes” or “no” cards, I might not have been able to tell my family that I was awake.

* Eventually, my right leg started gaining movement even though it was my weak side. This was a miracle because my stroke had affected mostly that side of my body, and this movement meant that there was still recovering left to do, but I would regain strength on that side of my body.

* Through the help of many therapists and my parents, I have been able to start making sounds. My first word was “dad” and my second was “hi”. It is still a process that I am trying to retrain my brain to do, but eventually I will be able to speak again.

* I have learned a lot from my physical therapists, they have really helped me regain a lot of the strength and movement that I had lost. Recently, I have been able to stand for two minutes straight and am able to walk with someone supporting me.

* While I was at Randell’s I met a very special girl named Kylie. She had seen my Go Fund Me Page and the second we met, we became good friends. Meeting her was a miracle because she has helped me understand this journey.

Gifts I have received:

* Donated van: This has been so helpful to me and my family. It was the first van we ever had that had a ramp on it for me.

* Donated chair for the stairs: I cannot stress enough how helpful this chair has been. It allows me to go upstairs into my bedroom and back downstairs to be with my family.

* Someone donated a recliner to me that has an awesome remote on it and ability to push me up out of it. This has helped a ton with transfers and is literally my favorite spot in the house.

* This year, for Christmas, a family got all of my family Christmas presents. This was such a great blessing to not only me but also my parents.

* My Dad’s sister, Rachel, came up with an awesome idea for my extended family and friends to do for me. They made me a crane chandelier, which is a Chinese tradition that represents good health, and longevity.

* While I was at Providence, a piano player and singer came to visit me. It was great because I had been missing listening to music.

* A huge gift that I have been greatly appreciative of is the Go Fund Me page donations. My uncle Sid started this up for me and I am so happy he did. The money a lot of you have donated, will go towards all of my therapy sessions, medical bills, and other things that will help with my recovery.

* Two days after I was admitted into the hospital, it was my parent’s anniversary. My nurses were amazing and helped me make a gift for them.

* One of my therapists literally had connections to everyone. She found out that I loved makeup and had one of her friends come and give me a professional makeover. This happened more than one time and I was also given a lot of makeup as well.

* My cousin’s wife, after I had gotten out of the hospital, sent an email to Lindsey Sterling for me. Lindsey made a huge contribution to my Go Fund Me page.

* While I was in the hospital, my parents were constantly going back and forth from the hospital to my house. There were a lot of people who sent meals to my family which helped us out a ton.

* Out of all the gifts I was given, I got the most blankets out of everything and I use every single one of them

* I had a ton of girls come and give me mani/pedis while I was at the hospital. If you know me, my nails are always painted.

* The day I was leaving the hospital, I was given a massive iPad Pro that has helped me with everything and everyone I want to stay in contact with. It is big enough for me to see things on, so I use it every second I can.

* I did not mention everything that I was given because if I did this blog post would’ve been too long to read. There were many of you who put my name in the temple and have continuously prayed for me and my family, as well. I am grateful for all of the gifts I have received throughout this journey from friends and family. Every single one of you are very special to me.

xoxo

Syd