Three months ago I blogged about my first health challenge ever; migraine attacks and how I started seeing a neurologist for it. My last major attack was on the 8th of August where I fainted from the intensity and started my treatment with a neurologist the next day. I was asked to do an MRI scan and follow up in 2 weeks.
On the 22nd of August, my neurologist saw me and the scan results and said all was fine, though I was put on a lot of medication. The next day, I went out for a picnic with my friends and had an amazing time. On the 24th of August, I went to bed and didn’t wake up. I live alone but I was not alone that night.
God raised an alarm for me. My sister who is based in London had sent a Whatsapp message and when she didn’t hear from me, she called but got no response either. She asked my brother in Abuja if he had heard from me and he called too but got no response. He then told my mother who called and got no response. But something didn’t sit right in her spirit so she asked a friend to come check on me. On getting to my house and getting no response still, my mum asked them to break down the door. And I was found unconscious in bed.
I was rushed to the hospital on the 25th of August where the doctors began to run all sorts of tests and made assumptions from meningitis to fluids in my spine etc. Eventually an MRA showed I had had an aneurysm in my brain. A brain surgery was done on the 29th of August, four days after I was admitted. Meaning I had bled for four days. The doctors had warned my family that I may not be able to walk, talk, remember anything/anyone or have my personality.
Joke’s on them, one of the first things I asked my friends when I woke up was “are my edges looking laid?” Talk about vanity upon vanity. I didn’t even know then that half my head had been shaved.
I keep thinking of how fleeting life is. One day, I was having the time of my life with my friends and posting on Instagram as per usual (ask my friends. They will confirm I’m a noisemaker on there) and the next day, the only thing standing between me and death was God’s mercy. Had I not made it, many would have made comments like “omg but she was just posting yesterday” or “oh wow!! I was just with her yesterday”
I wish I could tell you I saw a white light and Jesus telling me to go back but really it just felt like I was sleeping.
I’ve recovered amazingly fast and well. Defied the doctors’ predictions and warnings and I’m back to work too. And that’s only because God has been involved all the way through it. My blessing was going through the fire and not smelling like smoke.
Nonetheless, one thing i can’t help but wonder about is if my life has had any impact here. Have I lived in purpose and loved people? Have I lived a life that mattered? Would Jesus say to me “well done, good and faithful servant”? If I died, would I have died empty, having poured my all out in the world?
Soliloquy aside, remember when I chose the theme of my 28th year as intentionality? Well the picture above was exactly 2 weeks after the surgery. Since I had spent my birthday in the ICU, I was determined to go celebrate with my friends when I was discharged. I’ve been intentional about my joy and my response to the hardest battle and experience I’ve ever had. I am more determined to live life to my fullest, to love and to go to where the love is. More importantly to let go and let God. Many have commented on how happy and full of life I’ve been despite the surgery and it wasn’t till one day it occurred to me that I had been intentional in my response to what has been the hardest battle I’ve ever fought. In November, I chose to share something I was grateful for everyday on my instastory. Though I’m back to work, I’ve chosen not to wear a wig but rock my new hairstyle and surprisingly I’m getting more compliments on the way I look. And in another post, I would share how I walked out of the hardest battle I’ve fought in my life to the sweetest season ever.
