Three Successive AVM Bleeds

Three Successive AVM Bleeds

22 October 2004

I had an aneurysm burst on the right side of my brain on December 07, 2002 , then another one burst on December 10, 2002. After the second one I had the most unbearable headache. My girlfriend, Teri, took me into the emergency room at the nearest hospital here in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They did a cat scan and discovered I had bleeding in my brain. They could not do anything for me at this hospital and transferred me to another hospital in Winnipeg that has a complete neurosurgery ward.

Neurosurgeon Dr. Fewer Performed the first two operations. Post the first operation I threw up as they were attempting to insert some tube down my throat but it filled my left lung causing pnemonia to set in. And upon completing the second surgery remarked to all present, I do not believe there is anything more I could do for Keith Surgically. He then had to leave the Hospital to leave Winnipeg fpr an out of the City Meeting.

Over the next couple days they say I was having extreme reactions to some kind of infection, which after many tests was diagnosed as an E-Coli infection.

On the fourth night in the Hospital, They had to call in Dr. Williams as I had another bleed which caused my entire brain to swell not just the areas of my brain where the bleeding occurred. My Mom was extremely happy that dr. Fewer was gone as He did not think he could do any more and Dr Williams took the chance of removing the top right quarter of my skull to allow room for my brain to swell. She is sure Dr. Fewer would not have done this. And even doing this dr. Williams didn't believe I would survive. But I did Thank God!

I wish I had known what the symptons of a stroke were well before this as I think back now and do know I did have warning signs. At one point probably about 6 months earlier I had this distorted circle in my vision, as though I was looking through some kind of prism. It only lasted for a couple seconds though. I rarely had headaches, and very rarely took anything for the pain, however if I ever did take aspirin the headache would be gone in 20 minutes.

I was in peak physical condition before the aneurysms burst. The first one burst after I was finished playing a hockey game. I had a slight headache but thought I was dehydrated, I didn't take anything and the headache went away fairly quickly. Then on the next afternoon I was supposed to play another hockey game the next night. In the afternoon I called the team organizor to tell him I wouldn't be able to play as my left knee kept buckling when I tried to walk. This was the first hockey game I have missed playing in since I started playing when I was 5 years old.

I was 39 when the aneurysms burst, the neurosurgeon who did the operation, said I probably had the aneurysms all my life from an AVM before I was born. None of the neurosurgeons or nurses at the hospital I was operated on thought I would survive, Thank GOD I did.

I had a number of complications on top of the massive stroke I had. After the first operation to remove the blood clot from the first burst aneurysm I got sick to my stomach but it did not exit my mouth due to the weakened left side and filled up my left lung, causing pneumonia to set in. Then over the next few days they said I was having extreme reactions to some kind of infection, fevers and such that they finally determined was an E. coli infection.

They did a second operation to fix a number of other aneurysms, the neurosurgeon said there were too many to count, it looked like 2 bunches of grapes hanging in my head, then 4 days after I went into the hospital they had to perform a third emergency operation at 3:30-4:00 in the morning as my entire brain had started to swell from the trauma it had undergone and they could not control it with drugs.

The neurosurgeon told my kids and girlfriend that he had no idea what he could do but if he did nothing I was dead for sure. He ended up cutting the top right quarter of my skull off to allow room for my brain to swell, He said it was within seconds of my brain collapsing into the top of my spinal column killing me instantly.

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