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Showing results for tags 'angiogram'.
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Hi, I'm not sure if I should post here or in the avm section but here we are.... Three years ago I had a large avm removed and suffered an SAH during the 14 hour op. Because of the SAH I completely lost use of my left side and had to spend six months in a rehab hospital learning to use my left arm/hand/leg/foot etc again. A horrific time and one which still terrifies me today. Three years on I'm still suffering the after effects of such a huge ordeal. I can walk unaided (albeit a bit clumsily) but have v little use of my left hand and only some small use of my arm. I have many other problems due to the avm/SAH but I'm just detailing the physical problems here for purpose of this post. After the craniotomy the hospital did a follow up angio which they were surprised was clear (the prof thought there'd be some residual avm left). Then two years later, I had an MRI with contrast dye as another check to put my mind at rest. They told me the MRI doesn't show up small parts but they were 95% sure it was gone. He slso was satisfied an angio wasnt needed. I was happy enough with that and was discharged. However, when I saw my rehab consultant (6-9 monthly check up) I told her I had been having headaches lately and had noticed again a slight noise in my right ear. The avm was originally found because of a v audible and loud whooshing noise in that ear. Because of this she referred me back to the professor who discharged me last year just to be sure. I saw him today as a re-referral. As expected he said they would do an angio purely to put my mind at rest and also obviously to check there was no avm left. I explained I was literally terrified of an angio because of the risk of stroke but he just kind of said well its the only way you'll be satisfied. He's right in a way; obviously I'd like to know 100% but I absolutely don't want to have another angio and risk another stroke. I am so frightened that it'll cause a stroke. I know the risk is roughly 1 in 1000 but I also know my luck and that if one persons going to have one it'll be me. The thought of going back to square one - that terrible, dark place of losing mobility and working working working constantly to get tiny parts back is too much to bare. I just can't face even a slight chance of it happening again. The flip side is what if an angio does show up residual avm and basically it gets caught before it gets massive like the last one? Or, i don't have one and end up cap in hand back there again in ANOTHER years time? I have trouble making decisions as it is but this is even worse than usual. I feel like its a toss up between a rock and a hard place. Does anyone have any experience and/or advice on what the best route to take is? Or helpful stats? anything! Any help would be truly appreciated.
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Hello everyone I've just had a phone call from a radiographer at Southampton General Hospital to say that he has a request card to do a cerebral angiogram and that it seems to have slipped through the net and is therefore overdue! I've been booked in for Friday at 1030. I also have to go to Southampton tomorrow (Tuesday) for pre-assessment, whatever that is. It's all a bit short notice really, but I guess it has to be done. I understood that the first follow up angiogram would be performed at between 1 and 3 months post SAH, and as I'm only 7 weeks post SAH, I was not unduly concerned that I had not heard anything. Does anyone know what the pre-assessment is all about? How long will I be at the hospital on Friday? I've been told to be there by 0800. Anyway, 7 weeks on... I'm having a bad week. After a week of quite rapid recovery, I seem to have gone back about 3 weeks. The headaches are worse and I am more tired than I was last week. Perhaps my brain is telling me to slow down. I hope you are all OK. Best regards Keith
