"It’s been a long two weeks, but I am now coming out of a relaxed phase of recovery from hospitalization. I had surgery to correct two brain aneurysms.
And — no pun intended — there are two things that stand out in my mind from that experience: the wonder of modern medicine and how dangerous and harmful cigarette smoke is to your body and particularly your vascular system.
First, it’s phenomenal how far healing methods has come over the years. The procedure done for brain aneurysms wouldn’t have been possible 40 years ago. Rather than cutting into the skull, the surgery today is done through the aorta, making it a two-day procedure rather than major surgery.
The danger, of course, is you are dealing with the aorta, a main artery, which must be managed carefully or you could easily bleed to death.
I should add from my conversation with Dr. David Tubman, interventional neuroradiologist at Abbott Northwestern Vascular Center in Minneapolis, that some aneurysms cannot be managed with this kind of procedure.
Those lifesaving things provided for us in this country reminded me that there is a Tubman and an Abbott Northwestern Hospital. I also realized the importance of family when I woke up after the procedure."
Get the Story:Family does so much to ease hospital stay (The Grand Forks Herald 4/16)
pwpwd More Dorreen Yellow Bird:
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Yellow Bird: Excitement in North Dakota's weather (3/26)
Yellow Bird: Thoughts on Sen. Obama and race (3/24)
Yellow Bird: Pray for rain in western North Dakota (3/19)
Yellow Bird: Grandchildren are the greatest gift (3/17)
Yellow Bird: UND powwow survives budget woes (3/10)
Yellow Bird: Stereotypes and Hillary Clinton (3/5)
Yellow Bird: Celebrating 125 years of UND history (3/3)
Yellow Bird: High hopes for Indian health bill (2/28)
Yellow Bird: More Plains foods that are good for you (2/25)
Yellow Bird: Chokecherries, the wonder fruit (2/20)
Yellow Bird: Sadness on a trip to Standing Rock (2/18)
Yellow Bird: It's time for a change in music (2/11)
Yellow Bird: 'Sioux' drives Indian students away (2/7)
Yellow Bird: Another cold January in North Dakota (1/30)
Yellow Bird: Tribal casinos should be alcohol free (1/28)
Yellow Bird: Race and gender in presidential race (1/23)
Yellow Bird: Barack Obama is my choice for 2008 (1/16)
Yellow Bird: Artman right on off-reservation gaming (1/9)
Yellow Bird: Barack Obama's big win in Iowa (1/7)
