Junghans\u2019 career spanned over 50 years of active nursing. In addition to the ICU, she worked as a nurse in the fields of radiology, internal medicine, insurance, and endoscopy. \u201cMy favorite was ICU,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a nurse, and I choose UConn for my care. I\u2019m very happy to be cared for at UConn Health. The infusion center is fabulous, and so are the nurses.\u201d<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s not all Junghans is grateful for at UConn Health.<\/p>\n
While at the infusion center one day receiving care for her multiple myeloma, she and the staff she loves noticed a swelling on the side of her neck.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt like a swollen lymph node, but it was pulsating like a heartbeat,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
After an ultrasound of her neck, she got the call from UConn Health to head straight to the emergency department on March 27, where she was put on a blood-thinner medication intravenously.<\/p>\n
A large aneurysm had formed in her left carotid artery and needed immediate surgical intervention. The on-call vascular surgeon who came to Junghans\u2019 rescue at the Emergency Department at UConn Health was Dr. Tina Kariya,<\/a> who admitted her until surgery.<\/p>\n But that\u2019s not all.<\/p>\n \u201cMy aneurysm blew during surgery,\u201d Junghans recounts. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing that I am still here. It\u2019s a miracle.\u201d<\/p>\n While UConn Health vascular surgeon Kariya was performing a minimally invasive aneurysm resection at UConn John Dempsey Hospital to remove it and reduce Junghans\u2019 risk of a future bleed or potential stroke, her carotid artery suddenly burst.<\/p>\n \u201cLuckily, our surgical team were already using the TCAR system to reverse her blood flow and it prevented her from immediately bleeding out in the OR,\u201d says the vascular surgeon, who quickly created a large incision solution instead to perform an extensive open surgery to repair the burst carotid artery and save Junghans life. The open procedure took 7 hours to complete, and Junghans received blood transfusions during and after surgery.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, past radiation treatment side-effects for her multiple myeloma caused an aneurysm to develop in the wall of the major artery in her neck that goes to the brain. An intervention was needed because a major risk of aneurysm if left untreated is that it can cause the ballooning artery wall to burst, causing major and life-threatening bleeding, or even a clot can form in the artery, causing a large debilitating stroke in the brain,\u201d says Kariya, assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery<\/a> at UConn Health.<\/p>\n \u201cAlicia is alive and very happy, and it\u2019s very rewarding to see her great success and it\u2019s a privilege to care for her,\u201d Kariya says.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m still amazed that I\u2019m still here. Dr. Kariya is young and phenomenal. Her skill is unbelievable. She did everything right to ensure I came out of surgery alive. She saved me!\u201d says Junghans. \u201cMy surgery scar from my ear to my clavicle isn\u2019t even visible.\u201d<\/p>\n As a special thank you, Alicia made a teddy bear named Benji for her vascular surgeon, who performed the lifesaving procedure just a few months after having a baby. The memorable toy is now a favorite of her now 10-month-old son.<\/p>\n Beating the odds of survival once again, Junghans after all these years is now looking forward to this Christmas and being home for the holiday in Connecticut with her daughter visiting from Germany.<\/p>\n \u201cI never thought cancer or an aneurysm would ever happen to me as a nurse,\u201d Junghans says. \u201cBut I keep doing what needs to be done for my health. I\u2019m so happy to be at UConn Health for my care and to be where I am. Everyone at UConn Health is great!\u201d<\/p>\n Her message to others battling cancer or experiencing another type of health setback: \u201cJust keep fighting! Also, it is very important that every patient be their own advocate. Know your disease. Be informed. Ask questions.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Dr](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/kariya-christine-20241112-8047-1024x683.jpg\")
![\"Dr](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/kariya-christine-20241112-8042-1024x683.jpg\")