Un treated aneurysm

[paula m brown]

Hi there

I had an SAH (4.5) last may and had it coiled. Six months to the day I had another bleed and was told it was the same aneurysm so I had it re coiled.

I recovered remarkably well, apart from a few leftover niggles.

I went for a check up scan two months ago and the received a letter telling me that my aneurysms (I have 3 others} had remained stable so there was no need to operate.

I wanted more answers so I made an appointment to see my consultant at Oxford J.R. .

Yesterday I got to see him and he basically told me that he wanted to coil my 4.5 aneurysm but it was up to me, he explained the dangers and percentages.

I feel lost as I cant decide what I want to do, I'm struggling living with the un treated aneurysms and wonder every day if this will be the day that it bursts.

My consultant wont advise me either way but he did hint that having the op would be better, I get the feeling that my initial results where viewed by a group and some wanted to op and others didnt.

Any advice would be greatly received.

Paula

[Winb143]

Hi Paula,

I have no medical knowledge, but do listen to Surgeon and Family and then decide.

Whatever you decide I wish you all the Best.

Had an SAH and it's scary, sorry I cannot help but here to listen xx

Good Luck

WinB143 xx

Edited May 21, 2013 by Winb143

[MaryB]

Paula, I did /do not have annies but others will follow up soon with you. I cannot imagine the stress this causes. I would feel the same way. There are many on here with ANNIES that just are watching. I suppose its is a pro and con list that would be made. I personally do not understand why not fix them all but I understand that many folks are walking around with them all their life and never know it.

I have a small brain tumor we are watching and I go back and forth all the time about it. I know it may never grow or cause problems or are the problems I had before SAH & stroke due to this little tumor's location. Seems no one ever has the easy answers we are looking for.

Good luck, Mary

[Daffodil]

Hi there. Can't advise what's best here. I think if surgery is recommended then i probably would have it. I had to go back and have a shunt placed after my SAH, didn't really want to face that I needed it but I did and it was the right thing to do despite the risks.

I also have another uncoiled Annie which they don't think is worth operating on ..hmm and then there is the neck on my coiled rather larger one that burst originally. I have been told that due to where it is it would have to be stented if the neck enlarge....and so we go on.

I guess I try not to think about it all too much. That's the only way I cope. Not much help. Sorry.

[goldfish.girl]

Hi Paula,

I had a 3rd annie coiled three months after my SAH. The surgeon was very careful to say that they couldn't advise me what to do & it had to be my choice if I had the op or not. I changed the question to 'what would you do if it was in your head' - he said he would have it coiled. It was a 3mm annie, much smaller & less likely to burst than the other 2 which had been coiled after the bleed.

The specialist nurse had also discussed with me how anxious I felt about the untreated annie. I was very, very scared at that point as I was still trying to recover from the bleed. Her advice was that, if I was that worried about it having it treated was undoubtedly the best decision to make.

Obviously, it's a very individual choice but I think a few other members have also found that the operation to treat an unruptured annie is absolutely nothing like the traumatic event of recovering from one which has already burst & caused a bleed. For me, I was allowed home the following day after the unruptured one was coiled. I hope this helps.

Michelle x

[paula m brown]

Hi there.

Thank you very much Michelle and everyone else who has replied. Your advice is greatly accepted. I wish you all good luck in your future.

Thank you

Paula

[jess]

Hi Paula I was in hospital about a month with the one that ruptured with the second I went in in a Thursday had op Friday was in my own bed the following Thursday and I had clipping its usually quicker with coils. Jess.xxx

Ps whatever you decide hope tour well.

[Gillian Deal]

hi there,

had 1st ruptured aneur jan 09 (in night with paralysis of left side), then 2nd aug 10 - both coiled and in hosp for 2 weeks. 3rd time started to rupture but had option of elective coiling & only 2 days hosp. and was far less stressful than 1st 2 occasions

by this time I'd realised that alcohol was def trigger plus stress from argeuments with partner/ London rush rush/ anger rising inside me.

Now feel that all a waiting game, but in 09/10 was not listening to body's warning signs.

Do hope you get best treatment; found coils quicker & overall less stress (altho fem artery wound sometimes aches); was told could have clipping but declined as it seems such major surgery.

Like many others, feel it is a waiting game ... but you could say that about so many things in life so best to keep a level of reality about anything major like this. Just listen to what your body tells you as a warning, don't let others tell you who/what you are or what you should feel.

Wish you all the very best of luck