ON 29th July, 2013, whilst brushing my teeth, I felt an excruciating pain in the left side of my head, and seconds later the pain had radiated to the back of my neck.
All of a sudden, my neck became stiff and I felt dizzy. I was rushed to a health facility and while receiving treatment in the emergency room, I vomited profusely only for the headache and stiffness in the neck to get worse. I had a neck X-ray and head CT scan on the following day. My condition stabilised and I was discharged three days later.
I felt unwell a day after my discharge. A physician who suspected brain aneurysm referred me to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra where I was admitted. I had series of tests including heamatology and blood chemistry. I also had a head CT scan and received treatment for severe neck, head and ocular pains. My condition again stabilised and on 16th August, 2013, I was discharged home to continue treatment. I started feeling unwell and was re-admitted at the hospital on 28th August, 2013 with severe headache, nausea, numbness in the legs and blurred vision. I was put on medication and had Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) of the head taken. However, the symptoms continued. On 2nd September, 2013, I was transferred to the neurology ward under the care of Dr. Victor Smart-Abbey, a Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon, for further treatment and had a head CT Angiogram done on the same day. However, since the interpretations from the previous scans were inconclusive, the neurosurgeon extracted the appropriate information digitally from a second head CT Angiogram on 11th September, 2013. The diagnosis of my condition was a sub-arachnoid hemorrhage due to ruptured-leakage of intracranial aneurysm.
In view of the high morbidity and mortality associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage and the lack of necessary facilities for local treatment, the neurosurgeon recommended an urgent out-of-country treatment. On 9 February, 2014, I successfully had a balloon assisted coiling of the aneurysm at the Columbia Asia Referral Hospital in Bangalore, India, under the care of Dr. K.M. Avinash, an interventional neurosurgeon. The process involved guiding a platinum coil through my groin into the femoral artery and into the aneurysm in the brain to prevent a rupture by re-directing the blood flow.
Though my condition was physically, emotionally and financially devastating, I was fortunate to be surrounded and supported by my family and friends who provided my needs and visited me regularly during my admission at the hospitals. Together with a number of priests and pastors, they prayed unceasingly for my recovery. Although I partially lost my memory prior to the treatment, I was able to obtain a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) six years after my treatment by the grace of God.
I am grateful to the nurses and doctors who attended to me and in particular Dr. Akoto and Dr. Mensah of 37 Military Hospital and their team of doctors, Dr. Smart-Abbey, who diagnosed and stabilised my condition and Dr. K.M. Avinash for the intervention. I am also grateful to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Environment, Ghana Health Service and Government of Ghana who played significant roles that enabled me to access treatment in India.
I owe a debt of gratitude to Ms. Caroline Donkor, formerly of Animal Research Institute, who accompanied me to India for the treatment, Dr. Godwin Oyediji, Registrar of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science, who sent an urgently required medicine unavailable in Accra to me, Mr. Stephen Nuatro of the Ghana Ambulance Service for his prompt and professional service rendered during my trips to various diagnostic facilities and Mr. Theophilus Ntiri of Akai House Clinic who linked me to the Indian Hospital. I am also grateful to the patron of the foundation, H.E. Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor, and the board of trustees for making my dream of establishing the foundation a reality. Above all I give thanks to the Almighty God, the Supreme Healer for making me a brain aneurysm survivor.
The writer is a Senior Research Scientist with the Animal Research Institute, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Ghana and a Brain Aneurysm Survivor.
BY Dr. Doris Yaa Osei