Laura Pinon: A Mom’s Story of Perserverance
Survival: A Mom’s Story of Continued Existence and Endurance
by: Laura Pinon
We are all caught up in the “Survivor” shows and what humans will do to win the ‘jackpot’. I would like to tell you my story, and what it takes for me to survive one day at a time.
On April 28th, 1999, I was on Cloud 9, having given birth to a beautiful baby boy. I felt like I had just won a million dollars in the lottery.
But on May 3, 1999 disaster struck! I had suffered a severe intercranial hemorrhage as a direct result of Eclampsia, aka Toxemia, a catastrophic illness many pregnant women know little or nothing about.
I woke up on that fateful day, when suddenly my headache, which I had since delivering my son just five days earlier, became blinding. I asked my mom to watch my newborn and my 4-year old while I lay down.
Shortly thereafter, my mom sent my daughter up to check on me. I can still remember my daughter trying to talk to me. First, asking me what I was doing on the floor. Then when I didn’t answer, because I couldn’t, she began to get nervous. She asked me: “Mommy, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you talking to me?”
I could hear the fear in her voice, and it was killing me that I could not explain to her what was wrong, because I myself could not understand what was happening to me. All I remember now is trying my best to get to the phone to call for help, and that is the last time I was able to stand or walk in the past three years.
My daughter, thought I was having trouble hearing her so she kept repeating: “Mommy, please answer me, what’s wrong?” She than ran downstairs crying frantically and said to my mom: “Nanny, I don’t know how to tell you this, but my Mommy’s dead!” She is lying on the floor with her eyes open. I tried talking to her, but she won’t answer me.”
My mom rushed upstairs to see for herself what Allyson was trying to tell her. She found out Allyson was telling the truth about her 35-year old mother.
My mom called 911, and the paramedics rushed me to a local Hospital Trauma Unit. A tracheotomy was performed, tubes were inserted in my head to relieve the pressure of the bleed on my brain, and after two days of life support, my husband was advised it would be best if he “pulled the plug” since I would probably be a ‘vegetable’ if in fact I did survive.
Another opinion was sought, and I was transferred to The Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. I am told that the surgeons who met the ambulance immediately started to change the tubes inserted into my brain, because they were too small and were clogged. They said there was not a minute to waste in order to save my life: a craniotomy had to be performed immediately. After this, I suffered several strokes, seizures, and lay in a coma for 54 days, with tubes in almost every crevice of my body, oblivious to life around me.
Although I remain paralyzed except for the use of my right arm, (I used to be left handed) I am cognitive, I can speak, and my beautiful baby boy is healthy, which makes me realize I am luckier than most people who have been afflicted with this tragedy.
No one has been able to answer my question, “Why did this happen to me?” I had always been a ‘fitness nut’ carefully watching my diet, working out, going for annual physicals, etc. I’ve worked all my life, and can count on one hand how many sick days I have ever taken. My life before this was ideal. I finally found the perfect job. I was a subcontracts manager for an Aerospace company a job I thoroughly enjoyed. I had the most loving, supportive husband anyone could ask for. We had a beautiful 4-year-old daughter who took ice-skating and gymnastic lessons and was very happy. And to complete our perfect family I was now having a son.
I think I did ‘survive’ so that I may make others more aware of the condition, which begins as toxemia or pre-eclampsia in pregnancy. Like me, I think many women whose feet swell, or who have rapid gain weight, or suffer from stomachaches put it off as part of the ‘normal’ symptoms of pregnancy. The first time that we became aware of the word Eclampsia was in the New York hospital, when the medical staff asked about the type of treatment I had received for my pre-eclampsia. Every test imaginable was done to see what other diagnosis could be made, but everything pointed to Eclampsia.
My family was informed that my headache, which I had immediately after delivery on Wednesday, which continued to get more severe until Monday when the incident occurred, was all a part of the hemorrhage, which could have and should have been prevented. If only a MRI had been performed in the hospital before discharging me after delivery, if only more attention was paid to my rapid weight gain and protein in the urine, stomach pains, and borderline hypertension during my pregnancy, If Only I Could Walk Now and Take Care of my Children! I Want My Life Back!
Why isn’t the medical profession more aware or alert of the dangers of this horrendous life threatening, life-changing catastrophic illness? I think the very worst part is that It can be prevented!!!!
My OB/GYN had put me on a medical leave of absence from my employment when I was 7 months pregnant due to ‘hypertension’. I also had protein in the urine, pain in my abdomen, very swollen hands and feet, would gain 2 pounds overnight, — all signs of pre-eclampsia. But of course, having complete faith in my doctor, I placed my life and safety, and that of my unborn child – in her hands. Now that I am able to find out more and more information about this condition, I wonder why she did not take my baby earlier rather than letting me go through a normal delivery, since early delivery by c-section is a certain prevention of this condition.
For now, I look to my ‘earth angels’ who have helped me with donations for those expenses Medicaid does not pay for.
Our whole life has been turned upside down: as far as my daughter who was traumatized, she now sees a therapist. I missed her dance recitals and graduations and she no longer ice skates or does gymnastics. As far as my son is concerned, he did not even live with his mother until he was 19 months old; I missed his first tooth, the first time he sat up and his first steps. My aunt lived in our home for almost 1 year to help my husband so he could hold onto his job. My parents, who I can never thank enough, basically raised my kids for2 years, gave up their first floor apartment for me and have stood by me never giving up. My wonderful husband has never wavered. Although his family is in Georgia, he stuck with me as not many men do. Whenever I got depressed he would tell me “It may slow us down but it will never stop us.”
I must continue to fight, struggle, and survive and attempt to come back as far as I can to take care of myself and my children with some type of normalcy. I am trying to adjust to my life as a disabled wife and mom, but it is with extreme emotional and physical difficulties. If not for the TBI WAIVER PROGRAM, I would be devastated both physically financially and emotionally. The TBI WAIVER has paid for my therapies, prescription medication and has helped me with doctor bills when my medical insurance denied me. The waiver also helped with the purchase of a van to use for my transport. I am so happy to know the budget for the TBI FUND has been approved and I want to thank all those responsible from me and all the others being helped by this fund. It has truly changed my life so that I am able to carry on as a wife and mother.
If I look at the positive effects of this tragedy and brain injury, they are numerous. I have learned how to have hope and never give up. I have also grown closer with my family. It has brought me very good friends; fellow survivors and people from organizations like the Brain Injury Association. I have learned to have patience and to take life “one day at a time” and be happy about life’s little pleasures. It has been rough but once I accepted and dealt with my condition I was able to start healing mentally. As far as physical healing, I go out for therapy every day and I am doing thins that are amazing my doctors. If it can be done I will do it! I am not giving up, I have a family to take care of!
Once again, I am also a S U R V I V O R, but unfortunately I can’t compete for that million purse which would get me the therapies and equipment I so desperately need. I truly believe the only reason I survived was to tell my story. And while going to an island and vying for the top prize, is hard work and great entertainment for many of us, the real game of surviving is a lot more difficult to those of us who must endure one day at a time, without knowing if walking, or getting dressed ourselves, or changing our baby’s diapers, or just holding our toddler on our laps, will ever be attainable.