Member of The Week 12: RTH

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by CRUDS, Aug 8, 2014.

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  1. 520

    520 2020 GOAT CHAMP from 3-7 to champ

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    What events of 2004. Sound interestin
     
  2. JCBRAVE

    JCBRAVE goTitans 2019 Survivor Champion

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    What was 2004?
     
  3. RTH

    RTH Meh...

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    At the gym... will go into detail when I get home.

    I'll just start by saying... Arteriovenous malformation.
     
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  4. 520

    520 2020 GOAT CHAMP from 3-7 to champ

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    I win sucka
     
  5. JCBRAVE

    JCBRAVE goTitans 2019 Survivor Champion

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    Not sure what that is but sounds serious? Did you almost die?
     
  6. RTH

    RTH Meh...

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    Yes.
     
  7. JCBRAVE

    JCBRAVE goTitans 2019 Survivor Champion

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    I actually have a time machine, care to see a picture?
     
  8. RTH

    RTH Meh...

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    Sure!

    Eating a late lunch with daughter... have to put off my story of 2004 a few hours.
     
  9. JCBRAVE

    JCBRAVE goTitans 2019 Survivor Champion

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    [​IMG]
     
  10. RTH

    RTH Meh...

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    Anyway... back in 2004 I had a Brain AVM - Arteriovenous Malformation. Well, to be accurate, mine ruptured. It's something you have from birth, typically. In fact, chances are decent some on here have it, as well. It's when arteries and veins form together. Imagine taping to separate water hoses together, then turning them both on... the problem comes when these are found on either the spine or brain.

    Mine was in my brain, next to my cerebellum. It ruptured one week when I was doing my normal routine at News2 for the morning show. Nothing extreme, my balance was a little out of whack - but it was 3:30 in the morning and I have a bad knee... who knew? Well, my balance got worse and I was in the control room one day and called my mom to get her opinion - actually, my parents' neighbor is a good doctor. She said she would ask him and happened to ask how my writing is, which I thought was weird. I hung up, took out a piece of paper and made a STARTLING discovery... I couldn't write my name. I mean, at all.

    I called her back and her neighbor managed to get me an appointment the next morning in Nashville - I didn't have a primary care physician yet. I went in... got an MRI... they informed me they thought it was a tumor since there was a dark spot right on my cerebellum and I was immediately rushed into the NICU and pumped full of steroids to "thicken" that area of my brain to try to prevent more damage. Pretty intense.

    Shortly after, they were going to operate... go through the back of my head, split the back of my brain apart and take a sample of the tumor to see what they were up against - the Neurologist told me they would remove it once they got in there if it was possible. Upon exploring, they discovered it wasn't a tumor - luckily - but a pooling of blood due to the AVM. The doctor removed the Malformation and they cleaned up the blood. I recovered enough to leave the hospital a few days later.

    Unfortunately... having your brain split apart and "set" back together has its price. It took me about a month to walk. Took several months after that to be able to walk well - my balance is still iffy. It took me almost a year to learn how to talk again. Don't get me wrong, I could talk... but prior to this, I was very well spoken and had solid alliteration. This went down in March and I still sounded like a drunk in November at times. Severe slurred speak. I still slur words every now and then.

    All in all... I'd say I've managed about 85-90% recovery.

    Unfortunately, I lose my job... I lost all my savings - due to no insurance company wanted to insure me, so I had to keep making payments to Cobra, which drained my account - and I am now unqualified for most jobs due to my having such a big hole in during that time on my resume. Only place that I could get a job at was Sears... and they SUCKED.

    Now my support of Obama Care makes sense to some... had it existed during this time, I would have been able to get insurance coverage. I was not able to get insurance, outside of being through work, until 10 years had passed after this event. 10 years. **** our old insurance system.


    So... back in 1995, I could have insisted on being MRI'd and this being discovered... removed... and I could use my 20s to get back on my feet. Unfortunately, this happened later. All the education I received prior to working at News2 is, pretty much, for naught. I have a significantly difficult time reading and retaining knowledge from books - the usual necessity for schooling - so going back to school has been a failure for me, so far. Re-education for a decent job doesn't work for me.

    Luckily, my wife has a good job at the EPA, so we have good insurance and I was able to quit that crappy job and become a stay-at-home dad for my daughter.


    Didn't mean for this to be so long... but I have a lot on my mind regarding this. I mean, it's a significant part of who I am, currently.
     
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