Hello everyone, my name is Lauren. Ten years ago was one of the most tragic things that has happened to me. Today is has been 10 years since I had my brain surgery.... and life has a new it was going to be one of the most hardest obstacles that I’ve had to deal with. I got one of the best brain surgeons in the country. I remember my good friend Terra came with me to shaved all my hair off the night before the surgery. I was getting surgery for epilepsy, and I had about 15 seizures a month. The next day at 6:30 in the morning and I was getting ready to go to Harborview Medical Center. I was already and the first surgery went really well. A week later I had the big surgery. I woke up and I started crying. My mom walked into the room and asked me what’s wrong. I didn’t want to say but I knew something was going to go wrong. I said my goodbyes. 9 1/2 hours later my surgeon came out and said ( I GOT IT ALL .... if she has a seizure in 6 months i’ll be really disappointed ). 45 minutes later he came back out and told my mom and sister he wanted talk privately. It looks like Lauren had a stroke in the middle surgery said ( Dr. Hebb) and that brought my family to the edge. Life as I knew it was going to change drastically. I was completely paralyzed on my right side of my body. The doctors told my family that I wasn’t going to be able to walk, talk, very limited speech, 40% of eye is gone and I was going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life or with a cane. My sister called my ex an told him what happen. I was in a long distance relationship after 5 1/2 years. After my stroke I didn’t remember anything about him. I went into the ICU for the first few days. My friends and family had brought over sixty Bouquets of flowers but I wasn’t able got bring them into the ICU. So the nurses had them all over their desk. I got I I moved up into the rehab center. My best friend Nikki spent the night at the Hospital for days. And she was amazing. I remember when I couldn’t talk and she was nice to get the nurses to leave Me alone... they were waking me up every 45 minutes, by 5 am she asked the nurses to leave me alone ...lol ... and she was trying to get breakfast see what I wanted, thank you for that. So It was Mother’s Day and everyone came to see me at the hospital. I was improving every day but I didn’t feel like it.
We went outside for a picnic... and I want to surprise my mom. I raising my right arm and my mom started crying. Later that day it was Dr. Hebb’s day off but he went to see me that day and he saw all the progress I made. My good friend Jon and Sabrina made me homemade spaghetti and meat balls and flowers. I was supposed to be in the rehab center for 3 to 4 months... but that’s not the case. I define it. I was going to be able to walk again and talk. I’m a fighter! I didn’t give up even when I wanted to. And if any of you guys think that I can’t do it ... I always prove everyone wrong. I was in rehab for 2 1/2 weeks before I got out. I was using sign language and because of that I was released Early. I left the hospital after month, 3 days before my birthday. A week later I wasn’t feeling good. I was seeing double, I started vomiting in my sisters car on the way to Northwest hospital. My sister called my mom and said (Lauren is not doing good at all.) my mom A sister went to Harborview to go see the neurologist. And yet he said( I was fine. ) Then Dr. Hebb comes into the room on his day off and told us that I had fluid in my brain. So I went to emergency surgery the next day. Otherwise I would I had another stroke. They got it all. But in the long run (I am who I am today.) A two-time stroke Survivor, paralyze twice, Epilepsy, 3 brain surgery’s, aphasia all at 22 years old. I am seizure free!!! 5 years later I met this sweet man I call my husband. The man that teared up when I told him my story. Now I overcame all obstacles in life and now I’m married my best friend! (I said I was going to and I DID!!!! ) Thanks to all my OT, PT, speech therapist at harborview and Northwest. I couldn’t do any of this without you guys and my family and friends. I thought that is was so sweet that my speech therapist from harborview medical center came to my wedding. My life is full of a story of what could’ve brought me down. But that’s not the case. My ashes turned into beauty.
