It’s been almost 5 years since I had a ruptured brain aneurysm and subarachnoid hemorrhage a week after I turned 40 years old. The fact I’m alive and able to function as well as I can is miraculous, though it’s still taking time to adjust emotionally. I’ve written about my experience before and titled one of the pieces “Playing with House Money” as that’s how I like to think of the life I have now. Pictured are four people who have had ruptured brain aneurysms, subarachnoid hemorrhages, or both. At the time of his rupture, Danny Farquhar, then 31, had been a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox. He had just finished pitching in the sixth inning of a game against the Houston Astros when he collapsed in the dugout. Though he would return to baseball, signing a minor league contract with the New York Yankees in January 2019, he would officially retire six months later. Currently, he’s a pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox. Bill Berry, had been the drummer for the rock band R.E.M. He had a ruptured brain aneurysm in 1995, at the age of 37, while on stage in the middle of a performance in Lausanne, Switzerland. He was able to recover enough to subsequently rejoin them, but he would quit the band two years later saying he didn’t have the same drive or desire to travel he once had. Recently, I learned he’s begun to record music with a new group, The Bad Ends. Their debut album, The Power and The Glory, came out in 2023. Emilia Clarke had a ruptured brain aneurysm in 2011. The first of two aneurysms she would experience. At the time, she was 25 years old, and had just been cast as one of the lead roles in the television show “Game of Thrones.” While the recovery process was arduous, she was able to resume her acting career. Tom Sizemore had a ruptured brain aneurysm at the age of 61. Unfortunately, he was unable to recover, and after some deliberation, he was removed from life support. Rest in peace, Mr. Sizemore. There are others who have suffered from brain aneurysms: Bret Michaels, Sharon Stone, Quincy Jones, Joni Mitchell, Dr. Dre, Joe Niekro, and countless more.

Please check out the following for more information: The Lisa Foundation, https://lisafoundation.org/, The Bee Foundation, https://www.thebeefoundation.org/, The Brain Aneurysm Foundation, https://www.bafound.org/, The Joe Niekro Foundation https://www.joeniekrofoundation.com/. There are other great places like Brain Injury Services for all types of brain injuries. https://braininjurysvcs.org/ .

There are days when it’s difficult to sit with uncertainty especially when there are more questions than answers. I wanted to write this post to let you know I’m grateful to be here, and I’m thankful for all of your support.