I have been getting migraines on and off for a few years. I was someone who also cracked my neck myself all the time. In addition, I was a competitive powerlifter. I had seen a chiropractor on and off for a back issue, and the chiropractor cracked my neck a few times as well. I had stopped seeing a chiropractor for months before my dissection.
So I deadlifted well below my max on October 26, 2021. The next morning I woke up and I noticed that my neck was hurting me. I thought I had slept on my neck funny. I went to work and everything seemed normal except for a little headache and my neck hurting. I went and did a very heavy upper body workout on the 28th. The next morning my neck hurt and I started to develop a migraine type headache. That Friday, I had trouble concentrating, felt nauseous, couldn’t keep my eyes open at work. I left work early thinking my pulled muscle was triggering a headache. Over that weekend I also got some sort of stomach virus(not sure if related), one of my pets was also sick so we were traveling back and forth to vet offices. I was extremely nauseous, spiked a fever, and my head was killing me. On Sunday I felt a tiny bit better but my head hurt. I stayed home from work that Monday because I could not walk in a straight line. I saw a physical therapist that day and did not feel any better with my neck. In fact, I felt worse. So now it’s November 2nd, I tried to go to work, my head was in excruciating pain. People were asking me simple questions and I could not answer them coherently. I couldn’t type at my computer. I left work and go to urgent care who prescribed me a muscle relaxer and steroid. I ran errands all over town. I even sent a Snapchat that said something like “I can’t wait to go home and sleep-My head hurts”. I got home around 6 and staggered inside the house, I took the pills and tried to get into bed. My head was killing me. Normally my migraines fade over 5 days and this one felt so much worse. I called a friend of mine who coincidentally was able to take me to the ER where they took my vitals and did a head CT which came back normal. Over the course of 4.5 hours, my condition worsened and I needed a wheel chair as every time I stood up my head hurt. When it’s my turn, they take me back for a neck CT which revealed a right VAD with 3mm pseudo aneurysm. At 4:30 am I’m woken up, told this and told that I will never be able to powerlift again which has been the most difficult part of all this. I was told had I continued to go to the gym I could have died. I was admitted to the hospital for pain management and they decided to not place a stent. My current meds to prevent stroke are Plavix and Aspirin. I’m being tested for Ehlers Danlos, and have seen so many neurologists and vascular doctors. Even though I still have stiffness, pain and difficulty sleeping, the hardest part of healing is the mental and emotional strain this has put on me. Powerlifting was everything to me and I will never be able to participate in it again. It’s unclear what caused this, I think I was a perfect storm for VAD.
~Rachel E. – 28 years old
I was at university and I was on the way back from a rugby match when our car had a tiny bump into another car. The next morning I went to A&E and they diagnosed me with concussion from neck pain and slurred speech(no scans). Later that evening I was walking across the city with friends and twisted my neck, I had a ringing in my ears and I collapsed. Brain stem stroke, no speech, right side paralysis and no swallow. Luckily everything is coming back and I’m home from hospital 3 months down the line.
~Anna S.- 20 years old
Pre VAD I had a plan of competing in powerlifting competitions and a bunch of other things. Post VAD I haven’t been able to do the workouts that I loved to do and am not able to obtain all the physical goals I had set out for myself.
I am lucky and blessed to not have a stroke or an aneurysm. It could have been waaay worst. After the six month mark, I had a check up where the doctors figured out that my artery is now occluded thanks to how it healed, so my dissection healed, but the scar tissue is causing a chronic occlusion, making overly physical jobs a little harder.
I still have neck pains and headaches as everyone else does. But I’m able to get back to the gym, figure out the other physical goals to work towards, and also focus on my other goals!
So it really sucks I haven’t been able to work towards my old goals, but I’m happy to be alive and still be able to move and focus on the positives of my life!
Alex T. – 28 years old
