Carrie Minagh

Hey guys, I'm sorry I haven't been as active for a while, I haven't been the best but here's Carrie Minagh's inspiring story that needs to be shared, she has come such a long way, she has been through so much and some how still manages to stay positive and have hope for the future. So strong and Proud Carrie. You are amazing.


Hey everyone I’m Carrie Minagh and I had a bleed in my head (herromagic stroke) on the 28th of May 2014.


Before it happened I did normal stuff.
I went out for dinner with the girls on Saturday night. I got up the next morning, I went for a walk I came home had a shower and done a few things about the house. I went out to my Mam’s for dinner we where all there, we had dinner and at about half seven I came home to meet Joan for a walk. 
On Monday morning I got up for cross fit, I came home had some breakfast. I brought Sooty the dog for a walk. I went out to Mam's again and I stayed there until nearly four o’clock, I told them I was going to cycle in to town. I met Joan again for another walk.
On Tuesday I didn’t get up for cross fit so I just brought the dog for a walk. I had some breakfast and had a shower. I went up town, called into the girls when I was finished up town and I got ready to cycle out home, I had dinner but that was it I came home again then me and Joan went for a walk. Joan was in my house for a while but she went at about ten o' clock.

Wednesday the 28th of May 2014
A day I will never forget. I was out sick from work and I was so stressed with stuff going on in my own life that I wasn’t sleeping great for probably 3 years. I had about 3 and a half hours sleep the night it happened to me. I got up at six in the morning, got ready for cross fit and went to the class. When the class was over I came home it was a gorgeous day out, So I brought my dog Sooty for a walk it must have been nearly nine when I came back.
I made myself some breakfast and then I cleaned the house. I got into the shower after that. At around half eleven I was lying on my bed dressed reading a magazine, when Keith rang and asked me to go to Portlick, I said I would be up in two minutes as Keith only lives around the corner from me. I just grabbed the dog from down stairs and I picked keith up,we stopped off at shop for Keith to get a sandwich. We were out in Portlick by twelve o'clock. We walked around it, we sat by the river watching the dog come in and out of the water, it was nearly three when we got back. 

 I was wrecked when we came in I dropped Keith off saying I would see him later, I was going to bed, so I put the dog outside and got in to bed. When Keith rang me saying he had left his jacket in the car, I said I would be up straight away with it as I had to go to Lisa’s anyway. He came out for his jacket and I told him I would see him later and went out to Lisa but she wasn’t at home. I was going to go back home but I knew I would fall asleep so I went to Mam’s.
While I was there Dad asked me to cut the grass, I was tired but I did it anyway. I finished the grass, me and Dad were doing the weeding around the patio, when he asked me for a lift I said I couldn’t as I had to go in to Lisa’s. I got up to check my phone, I had a message on it from Lisa saying that she didn’t want the skirt. I was ragging and so tried, I went out and said it to Dad I would bring him when we were  finished. 

At around half 6  I had a shower because I was manky and tired but I felt okay then. When I was ready to bring Dad to Ballinasloe we were laughing and carrying on in the car, I dropped him off I said I would see him later. I went in to  Supermac's to get Aaron a bag of chips, that’s when I got the worst headache of my life but little did I know that was the start of it.
I went home, Mam had made me dinner. When we were finished we went in to sitting room I told her I was so tired. She said why didn’t I go to bed but I said I was meeting Joan later but she rang said saying that she was in the attic and would be about twenty minutes. I said that was grand. Mam got up and went in to kitchen l said l must go. That’s when I got the worst pain ever I just needed to lie down but when Mam looked at me, she thought I needed to go to Balinasloe hospital. I only remember getting in to the car and driving up the road. I asked Mam she said I was getting the gawks on the way to hospital. She had pulled in at the door and this woman who was going out of A&E stood with me while Mam went in. The door was open to A&E and she met a doctor in A&E and he came out with her.
He knew to look at me that I had a bleed in my brain. He took me for a CT scan and he was right a bleed in the brain it was. I was put to sleep in Ballinasloe , Mam went home to get my stuff, she had phoned dad he was coming up to the hospital, Dad was in shock he had only seen me a few hours ago. I was getting ready for Beaumont hospital. Dad went home to get the family together along with Mam they got a phone call from Beaumont to get their consent for the operation. They were on their way there. I was wake in the early hours of the morning.

Coming around in Beaumont
I was sitting out in a chair after the operation. My parents were delighted and so were my brothers and sister. The next few days my speech was very slow but by the Sunday the drain thing was moved to my right side and there was nothing out of me, no movement and no speech. I spent over five weeks there and I don’t remember meeting any of my family or the doctors. I do  have flash backs of going for an MRI and a nurses aid giving me something to eat but that’s all until the day I left.
I woke up inside the ambulance they were getting ready to go and I was scared where was I going? I didn’t know were I was?

I was leaving Beaumont on my way to Ballinasloe I know that now.

Going to Ballinasloe
I woke up later that night only way I knew was my bed was the opposite way around and my bed was away from the window. I thought I was awake for ages but my sister told me later they were there that night and that a nurse took out the stitches I could feel them left in my head.
The next memory I had I was awake out in a wheelchair what had happened to me? was I in a car crash?... I didn’t know.
The next memory I have was been pushed in to the shower room. I remember most of it but I don’t remember being in Beaumont but I slept the majority of the time. They came and took the catheter out about a week after and about two days later, the head doctor was going on holidays and was letting me go home. Emily my sister in law is a nurse and she was working at the time, she went crazy how could they let me go home, I was in wheelchair and I didn’t speak but I managed to stay. They said I could go home for a day the following week. A nurse aid was coming towards me with a walking frame, I shook my head but she didn’t let it go she came back with a man and they helped me up and slightly kicked my legs so I could walk.
The week after Lisa the physical therapist would let me walk back with the frame. She told me I got a lot quicker if I just have the stick and she was right. I got home for a few hours with out having to bring the wheelchair with me, go me!
On Monday the head doctor was back from holidays, he was impressed. The following week  Lisa told me I didn't need a walking stick and she was right. I got moved out of the stroke Ward and put back on blood pressure tablets and I got out of there on the Tuesday night after the August bank holiday. I was free! I was in hospital for ages I’m out now for awhile, I had an appointment in Galway to get my eyes checked but on Friday morning I got a phone call to go to Dunloaighe by the Sunday I thought it was over the road but boy I was wrong. It took us two and a half hours to get there. 

I cried when I saw the place. All I want to do was go home but Mam said I had to get  better. So I stayed.

Being in Dunloaighe
The first week was the hardest. I saw some one every day but they said I needed to be up there which was hard to do by myself which I done. It was like being away at college I only got home at the weekends.  It was so hard but I got through it. I had pretty much a routine up there it didn’t take long.

I got up at half six had a shower and got dressed for breakfast, went down stairs with the girls had breakfast at eight then we had to be in the gym at half eight. We were there until half nine. I then had an hour off so I normally would sleep before I went to the pool it used to take me an hour to do it, over and back the pool doing different exercises, thank God I didn’t fall. But after the eight weeks of doing it I was able to do it in twenty minutes not bad going! 

I had an hour with my OT I found this class very confusing, at the time everything she said went right over my head, it wouldn’t stay in my head for long enough. I found this very hard they would bring me to the shop and give me the money to buy something for dinner and I would have to decide there what I wanted to cook in twenty minutes my head was gone in to overdrive. Then it was time to go upstairs and rest before lunch I normally sleep for a half an hour before we had lunch. We normally went upstairs after lunch I would sleep or go for a walk around the hospital. I then had speech and language which I found very difficult it was very confusing. I could not get it in my head it was so bad but in time it got better, but it took a lot of work.

Then I had physically therapy where she worked on my legs and arms for the next eight weeks. We were finished for dinner so we would normally watch a bit of telly and then down stairs for the activity that was on then we were back in bed by nine o’clock. My time there went really quick I didn’t notice how quick it went but it was really good but I had a lot of work to do to get better. I only had each active three times a week and I had P.E everyday. Monday was when we got seen by the doctor and Friday I finished after P.E.
I got released from Dunloaighe on the 10th of October 2014

Getting home from hospital but that was just the start of it.
That’s when the real work started. I had seen a speech and language therapist for nearly eight months she used to give me loads of work. I had done a lot of it in Dunloaighe she would give me words for e.g. like t_n t_n t_n and I would have to find the missing word, it would be ton, ten, tin and a whole lot more. She gave me word searches and then she would give me cross words it all helped me. It still gets me but I know it when I think of it.
I seen the physical therapist only once, all the work paid off I was in the pool three or four times a week and it really paid off. I didn’t know what happened to me I was just told stroke but when I went and got MRI done he told me I had a bleed in my head or a brain aneurysm. I found out later there all the same here but effect you differently. I also had the two from the acquired brain injury call to me every week they would of done stuff with me. I started writing small bits at the time it all helps. I then had an appointment with the National Rehabilitation hospital in Dunloaighe I had got a place and I didn’t what to go back but I had to.

Starting in the rehabilitation training centre.
The first three weeks where terrible but I met Johnny again but he didn’t recognise me until later that day he was in the hospital with me he was going through something similar but different. He became my best friend and he still is now. He made me stay in the Rehabilitation training unit and I owe him for that. The next couple of months flew I couldn’t believe it. The time off was  great to have, it puts things into perspective. I started my work experience in the shop after Christmas which was great and I could do it. When I was working in the shop you meet everyone it made me realise that it happens to anyone I thank God for everything that has happened but I just didn’t sit around doing nothing I always did something every day if I was tired I would just sleep. 

We always had a day out on a Wednesday it was fun it kind of broke the week up and we never done the same thing twice. We went to art galleries, museums, croke park and zoo’s it was all fun and great days out and we wrote about it. I put my friends on hold if they were meant to be in my life they would be. I did everything I could, it is possible I got my license back with a lot of work and had driving lessons in Dublin it was scary but I did it. 

Every week I would ask Matt  my case worker in the rehabilitation training centre for something else to do and it worked out even though it was hard. After Easter it was time for Johnny to go I was so up set he was leaving. I had started work experience in the communication office and I loved it, Rosemary was lovely all the time on the computer I really felt like I belonged. Those eight weeks flew I didn’t even know I was there. It was now time for me to go but I had tears in my eyes. We had a going away dinner in the lodge and the next day we had a tea. As much as I hated it the whole experience was life changing I met some amazing people that will stay in my life forever and I am ever grateful for that.

Going home from the rehabilitation training unit
I had just passed my two years since I had the bleed I am very grateful to be alive, no what I’m saying and to be walking. I went home and with in two weeks I was at home on my own, life was good so I quit my job, life is worth living when you  have been in dunloaighe it really opens your eyes that it could happen to anyone. When I went to Beaumont Mam and Dad met a couple that lived up the road their son had an AVM on the brain he was only eight years of age. It made them open their eyes. It really makes you think how lucky I was because I would be dead.

Starting in National Learning Centre
I had to a year in national learning centre which I was okay, there was only 20 people in the class of all ages they were all sorts of people, they had depression, cancer survivors, difficulty breathing, autism but I was the only one that had a brain aneurysm. I think a lot of people didn’t know what to expect from me, I didn’t know. I got on grand the work was pretty easy I thought it would have been harder and I was on work experience on a Tuesday from October till March it was great but I had very little to do there.

 I got Friday off to go to acquire brain injury group meeting it was that  group that makes you realise you aren’t on your own and I really appreciate that. Once every couple of months I go to group meeting for all the stroke survivors that is anybody you has ischemic or a bleed can be called a hemorrhage stroke and I find it very helpful.

Thursday I took a half day. I was already at college I have a degree in business studies and management accounting. It didn’t matter I was a new me. But the year flew as much as I hated it was ok. I had an appointment in Trinity college on the brain it was very worthwhile but if I had done it two years ago I would have known nothing. It took a few hours but it was ok. I was glad I did it. When I was leaving the national learning centre I was glad because I was going on to do something with my life and I’m glad I did it.

Applying for Moate
I had applied for college I started by applying for Moate Business College and but on it I had a stroke but I heard nothing back. But I applied again and didn’t put it on that I had a stroke and I got it. A little white lie doesn’t hurt! 😉 When it was time to go I got nervous I didn’t think they would let me in but they were lovely they couldn’t help me enough  I got disability service which I took. I was ok with taking down the notes and I was doing health services and the year went so quickly they would of let me do it  in half the year but I did the whole thing. I passed my exams that was the first real proper exams I had done. So this year I was thinking what to do, to start looking for work but I got accepted to do the level 6 course community development so it looks like I will be doing it. Every thing you do it just takes patience,  practise and more practise till you get it right and it was so worthwhile to do it.  On to level six so wish me luck!

Life is for living that one in five people have stroke could be a bleed in the head or as its called a hemorrhage stroke or a ischemic stroke you just have to believe in yourself that everything is going to get better because I did and I never gave up because if you don’t get it the first couple of times but you will I believe in that. If you don’t believe in yourself you never will. 💕💕💕

I would like to thank the staff in Beaumont, Balinasloe and Dunlaoighe without them I would be nothing.

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