madjack wrote:she still tires very easily and has some problems with numbers and typing...all of which is getting better with some usage of those faculties...she has had some bad moments(mentally) as she comes to grips with the idea, she will not be able...after 18yrs...to go back to being a floor nurse for 9+mos if ever and we are looking at the best ways to cut 3-400 bucks out of our budget...
Madjack, the emotional/mental aftereffects of brain traumas like aneurysms and brain surgery (and intracerebral hemorrhage - my particular happiness and what happens when an aneurysm blows...) can be some of the toughest adjustments. Marlene may not be able work as a floor nurse for awhile, or ever - but if she gives herself time to recover and develop some coping skills, she may still be able to work in healthcare, use her skills to teach other nurses or work a less intense schedule.
After my ICH, I wasn't sure I'd be able to run and write up pharma research studies again...and to some extent I was right. Running them and being on call 24/7 was way too much stress. But I could still write up the studies, review them. I *could* still train other techs to manage studies the way I had. I became a senior trainer and tech writer for my department, and I did that job (at more pay) for a decade after my ICH. I finally ended up being laid off when they closed my department at the end of 2010, and officially retired after collecting 13 months of severance. Now I'm freelancing as a writer.
Probably the biggest help getting me through both the immediate period of time right after my brain episode was that the neurosurgeon insisted that I get and stay in counseling while I tried to go back to work. My counselor and I worked out coping skills, and I could safely tell him anything. That was life-saving. She might ask if her doctors can refer her to a counselor who specializes in patients who've experienced brain surgery or other brain traumas.
When life throws you curves, you learn to swerve.
Good luck with your own surgery, MJ. Be well, both of you.
by Mrs Sonetpro » Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:09 am 
