Yesterday, february 7th, it was exacly 2 years ago since this happend to me… So I figuerd I wanted to tell everybody hear about my story! ITS A LONGE STORY, so prepare for reading for a while if you want too.
I can start from the beginning:
At that time I was an exchange student in a little town called Alexandria, in Indiana. Things were great, and just starting to get better and better. I was making many new friends, I was going to play on the tennis team at school, and in february I was supposed to go for a trip to Hawaii with other exhange students. I was supposed to go there february 6th, but I got into a group that would leave the 14th instead. (If I had left the 6th, I would probably died, since I got sick the 7th!!)
Well, the weekend before it happend I remember I was just feeling tired, my body didn’t have that much strengt… It was also the Super Bowl, with Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears. Of course did COLTS win! My team! 
The monday after I was going to tennis practis, but I didn’t feel good, so I went home instead. On tuesday I stayed home from school, feeling tired and my head was hurting a bit.
Then 6 am, on feb. 7th 2007, i woke up with intense pain in my head. I had never felt headace like that before! I came crying into my host-mom, telling her it hurted. She gave me some medisin, and I went back to bed. After that I’m not sure if I can remember more. But she told me she came back 10 min later to check on me, then I was sitting in my bed, and talking to her. But nothing made sence, she couldn’t understand me. Maybe I was speeking norwegian… She then went to get my host-brother so he could help me get some more clothes on (because it was freezing and a lot of snow outside) to drive me to the hospital. When they came back, I had passed out, into coma, and my body was just laying there shaking, og my eyes had dissapeared. They then called the ambluance, and huried me to the hospital. They scanned my brain, to find out what happend. And it torund out to be, i guess, a massive brain bleed. Then they immediatly had to take me by a helicopter to another hospital, Metodisth Hospital in Indianapolis.
By the first day I came there 3 ministors had been to my room and praying for me. Everybody was praying for me. There was a minimal change that I would survive. They also called my parents, I can’t imagine how it felt to get a phone from the other side of the world saying “your daughter is sent to the hospital, and we don’t know if she’ll survive”! They were sent over immediatly, and came after 2-3 days. My host-mom stayed at the hospital to be with me the whole time before my parents came. 30 min after mom and dad came I was sent in a hurry to the operationbench, to do my first operation.
They had to keep me in coma for 2 weeks. Many times I tried to wake up, fighting to wake up, so they had to tighten me to the bed and don’t letting people touch me because then i would start reacting. I can’t remember the first week after I woke up either, but they told me I had a lot of energy and jsut talked, but most of it didn’t make any sense. I couldn’t sleep either, so they gave me morfin to relax, but it tourn out I couldn’t handel it and went crazy of the morfin, thinking they were killing me.
I remember I slowly started remembering things, a blur at the beginning, with just some blinches. But the day before my birthday (which is feb. 26 ;)) I started remembering. I was like a little kid again, saying things no one could understand. Funny things too, lots of people where laughing, and happy since I hd woken up again. On my birthday they came with cake and were singing for me. But later that day I couldn’t remember they had been there, so I thought everybody had forgotten my b-day. So they did the exact things over again, just packed the same presents again. lol! At least I can remember one of them, I guess the last one.
Later that day I started getting really bad, with really high fever. It turned out I had gotten on fungus infection in my bread, which was extremly dangerus. Also that could have killed me. But also this time I tricked death again. They had to put some sort of medicin in my head everyday to get it away, and had to hold my second operation till it was good. I remember my head was hurting so much, and they had to let me sleep.
Another pain was my feet, I had gotten somesorth of nerve damage there. I have never felt pain like that, it was constantly there. Feeling like a knife went in and out 50 times in 1 second. This aslo made it really hard sleeping, and of course walking.
Finaly they got to do my 2nd operation, and it went very well. A week or two and had to go back home to Norway. Thats the 2nd worst day of my whole life, I have never been so sad. I really didn’t wanna leave, but I’m happy for everyone that came to tell me good bye, my wonderfull host-family and friends. There also was a norwegian nurse at the hospital that went home with me and mom (dad had went home some weeks before) at least I got to sit in first class, but thats the most unpleasant flight I’ve ever taken :S
First when I came to Norway I was put into a isolated room, incase I had infections since I came from a different country. I think I layed there for 4 days. Many friends came visitning, they did not seem happy at all when they saw me. I looked really bad, I had problems talking and I had lost a lot of weight, on the worst I weight 42 kilos (I think it’s about 90 pounds?) Family also came visit, but most of the lives in Trondheim, and not Oslo were I live and where.
After the 4 days in the isolated room, they sent me to my region hospital. That was the worst hospital ever! Most of the people in my posse where 70 ++. The first night there I had to share a room with another woman, and she was snorring all night! I couldn’t sleep and my feet where hurting like hell. I was crying that whole night. The next day they understood they had to give me a room by myself. At that posse they started infectimg me with both upchuck and diaré. I stayed there for a month, just getting worst and worst. I didn’t gain any weight, and they had to forse me to eat. I could have died again for the 3rd time because I started faiting away in that room, at that terrible posse…
Then they applyed me into a rehabilitation hospital. They got the answer that I might get a room there in july (and this was in april) I had cryed and cryed, and said I didn’t want to stay there. Then my mom called them again, telling them I would die if they didn’t take me away from there. They said they were gonna have a meeting and would tell us what they could do later. The day after they called and told us I would get a place by next week. It was like turning a light on when they said that, and I already started doing better.
This last hospital I stayed at for 2 and a half month, and improved increadably in such a short time. I learnd to walk again, and could throw my wealshare away (I never want to sit in one again) When I was finnished there in july, a week later I went all by myself back to Indiana to visit my family! That was great, and I felt that I got to say good bye for real this time. This time I wanted to go home. I also got to thanks the people that drove the ambulance, which is a big reason I survuved! In august again I started school, but only with 50%. First I was doing good, but then I didn’t do any good, it was hard to walk alot, and I still were having languages problems with writing and reading. eventhough I spoke almoust perfect, just having trouble remembering some words. I also was depressed a lot, but around easter in 2008 I started going up again, and finnished school with pretty good grades.
I will apply for getting into nursery school. The reason why I want to become a nurse is becauser my host-mom was a nurse, and she saved my life, and also since I stayed at the hospital for 6 months and know how they work and also know how it’s too be the patient!
Its almoust unbelivable how good I’m doing now, just after 2 years after having a brain bleed that made me have to restart my life all over again! I have been through a lot, like many people here have. But I have been one of the luckiest one! My feet is barly hurting anymore (just if they get to warm, they feel like burning up) and my language is very good, and now I’m also learning french! I’m doing very good at school, and will be able to graduate just a year after I was supposed to!
Its been two hard years, but with both ups and downs! The down that something like this had to happend to me, I have always looked at myself as a careing person, and dont understand why something like that had to happend to me. But the ups are that I’m not that shy anymore (I used to be very shy before) and I found out what i wanted to study after high school!
I want to thanks everyone that has been here for me! My family and friends, and Laura - my host-mom who saved my life, the amblance, my mom and dad that I have a lot better realationship with now, Mette - the norwegian nurse at methodist and of course all the nurses, doctors and hospitals that took care of me!!
Great pictures! You look like Alicia Sliverstone, an american actress. I noticed the Indiana tee shirt. We live in Indiana in a small town called Newburgh, it’s next to Evansville. My oldest son went to IU. My youngest son Andrew has an AVM. He had a brain bleed and some of his treatments where done at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. His crainiotomy was done in Phoenix, AZ and we will return in March for another surgery (they didn’t get it all the first time). Andrew has been very fortunate that through the bleed, the embolization and surgery he suffered no deficits. All I can hope for is the same with this surgery. It sounds like you are progressing beautifully and that you are a very strong and motivated young women. My only advice is watch out for those american boys. They’re nothing but trouble I know because I’ve been around them my whole life.lol Keep us updated on your progress.
P.S. I loved the pictures because I took pictures of my son and thought others might think it
was strange. I’m glad to see others did the same thing.
I lived in Alexandria, its right next to Anderson. Maybe you know where that is?
I hope your son will do better, how old is he? You guys probably have to pay a lot for the hospital bills. I had insurance that payed everything, and in Norway we have free healt care so I didn’t need to pay anything. And I’ve been going a lot to the physical terapaust, which is also free for persons like me that need a lot of treathment.
But well, I know American boys are trouble 
But aren’t all boys that? But my boyfriend is not American, he is French. We were exchange students in America at the same time 
ur boyfriend is luckin to have a girl like you!! I LOVE YOU BABY!! You didnt tell me all the story! but now that i read it i’m sad and happy at the same time!! And I LOVE You so much and i ll love you for the rest of my life(l)
I GUESS MATHIEU … BELONGS TO YOU !!! Nice guy
wow…you have come along way good on you…you are an inspiration…i wish you and mathieu all the best and may your lives toghter be filled with love happieness and health
Hello Ingrid!
I am so impressed by your detailed story of what happened to you. As you know, but others won’t, is you and my son were neighbors at Methodist’s NICU (Neuro ICU) unit. In fact, we attended your birthday party you talked about. We introduced you and Denny on your birthday by pulling back the curtains from the glass and allowing you both to wave at each other. You were much more outgoing than Denny at the time. He still wasn’t quite with it yet and he doesn’t remember anything about the 2 months in ICU. Denny’s dad and I met your parents and became fast friends, leaning on each other for encouragement almost daily. Your mom emailed me the problems you were having when you got back home. How scary all that was for them and you!
You were also so sweet to allow us some time together in July 2007, when you came back to give a proper good bye to your host family and classmates. I was amazed by your progress. You said you used to be shy, but Denny was extremely shy before as well and now is a lot more outgoing. In fact, we have to contain him at times. Too funny at times! He thinks you are beautiful and is sorry you have a boyfriend. Guess we know where that comes from… I am thrilled you are doing so well, but I know your family must still worry about you. We have kept Denny in high school to allow more time to heal, but this will be his last year, May 2009. He wanted to go to college, but that doesn’t seem likely. We are working with services to help find him a job he will enjoy going to. That will be so hard to find, I know.
By the way, how is your mom’s health? I think about her, but haven’t taken the time to email her. How is the rest of your family? Thinking of you often.
Love,
Shelly Allman
I hate it when girls I have crushes on have boyfriends. But my current love doesn’t have a boyfriend, but she won’t go out with me because I’m white!