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Unruptured but Coiled Anni - A positive Story


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Hi everyone

I have copied and pasted my original intro story in here, along with a little update at 7 weeks post op. I hope it helps someone xx

 

I'm Gemma. I'm 34 and live near southend in essex with my husband and our three year old son. I work full time as a HR manager and have never had any serious medical conditions. In October 2013 I was diagnosed, by chance, with a brain aneurysm. I'm underwent coil embolisation in early December 2013 and recovered well.

 

I was so surprised to have found an active forum like this one, i felt quite isolated, but there seems to be a great spirit of community, support, help, advice and lots of hope. I feel humbled by reading the (so far only few) posts of lots of incredibly serious and frightening stories and I admire each of you who's stories I've managed to read so far.

 

And to be honest, I feel that mine has been so straight forward and relatively low impact compared to many others. But in any case, I would still like to share my experience and hope that I'm able to join the community as i still have lots of unanswered questions (like most!) and offer any support I can.

 

In late August 2013, I was at work as normal, and well, feeling normal! Having just had a conversation with one of my staff, I suddenly felt like I was having a head rush. Seconds later this was followed by a sharpe pain in my head just above my right eye, with the pain 'exiting' behind my right ear. I then felt dizzy and disorientated, and my eyes began to 'sparkle'.

 

Fortunately I remained upright and didn't pass out (I was on our manufacturing shop floor near machinery so that could have been quite a messy accident). I was taken outside and escorted back to my office. The sharpe pain subsided after about 20minutes, but the sparkling in my sight remained and another, band like, headache formed.

 

I came home and slept for a while. The next day the band headache was still persisting and my sight still not right so I went to see my GP. Migraine, she said! So sent me off with a script for sumatriptan. I refused to take them as I suspected I might be pregnant (turns out fortunately I wasn't) and suffered the headache for a further three days. I felt like I'd been kicked repeatedly in the head, but after the few days it eased. However, my sight in my right eye didn't recover so well.

 

After about two weeks of blurred vision I went back to my GP, who promptly told me off for not returning sooner! In any case, I was referred that same day to an eye specialist who performed numerous tests and checks on my sight. My vision was excellent so he suggested further neurological investigations, though it took him two weeks to inform my gp and a further week for my gp to act on this information!

 

Being on the good will of the NHS at this point, and finding myself now in October, I decided to utilise my medical insurance and went private. So I guess this is where my story may differ to a lot of other people's.

 

A referral was made to a headache specialist, who saw me on a Thursday. And after performing, again, numerous tests, decided that it was likely just a migraine and that it was just 'one of those things' that my sight still wasn't normal. However, and this was my godsend, he said he'd like to have an MRI done just to rule out anything else, which he suspected there wasn't! This was done the following Thursday morning with my results scheduled to be discussed the following week.

 

That evening I received a phone call to return to see my specialist 'as a matter of urgency'! Well I guess you can imagine what was going through my mind, as I'm sure many of you have thought or been told the same. So off we go to see him and there he tells me about the aneurysm. He says they quite common and easily treated, so at the time I didn't really realise, or appreciate, the seriousness of the condition. I decided at the time not to google or research it too much in case I found something too scary, so just went with the flow in terms of my next referral.

 

I was put in touch with an excellent consultant in a private hospital in London (st johns wood) called the wellington. The consultant is amazing. He also practices out of London and the barts hospitals and if anyone wants his name please pm me (not sure if I would be allowed to name and praise on the main forum?). He requested a slicing MRI which was squeezed in on the day of my first consultation (31 oct). My case was reviewed on 4 nov. on 5 nov I was back to see him with their views on my case and surgery etc.

 

It was there that he explained that my aneurysm was unusual, and quite rare. It was a daughter aneurysm. My berry shape had further stretched and formed a bubble, so instead of looking like a berry, it was more like a Russian doll /hour glass.

 

Whilst the width was only 6.7mm, the overall length was well over 10mm. It appears my initial headache was no migraine, it was my aneurysm expanding and stretching! i was so lucky it hadn't ruptured. So coiling was recommended. I met my neuroradiologist on 7 nov and was scheduled for my op on 4 dec. Again he's a fantastic specialist, and lead consultant at barts.

 

.... Apologies here, I didn't realise I was writing war and peace, sorry its become such a long post! I will try to shorten the rest ....

One week prior to surgery, went on a course of asprin, and will remain on that for three months post op.

 

Ok. So op day, and recovery....

My op was at midday. I was able to walk to the theatre where I was presented a heck of a lot of advance medical equipment! 4 tv screens, a ct scanner, the actual robotic arms he'd be using (instead of actually physically feeding in the lines, coils, etc) and lots of other typical stuff, I would assume! Anyway, I digress...

 

I woke at 4.30pm in IC as planned. I had to remaine lying flat for six hours, as planned. I was able to sit up, albeit groggily and with nausea, at 10pm. I slept from midnight until 7.30am, which my IC nurse joked was unusually good! At 1pm I was taken to my ward/room and was up on my feet by 2pm, and showered shortly afterwards!

 

I spent a further two night in, again as planned, and was discharged.

I have mild occasional head pain, right where I think the aneurysm might be. It's a bit like something in there is twisting,, but I've been told to expect this. I've also had a couple of minor side effects of being operated on, but nothing severe or linked to the Anni. I will have MRIs at three and six months post op, just to be sure the coils have settled etc. form there we will be able to relax a bit I should think ... And hope!

 

I'm now looking forward to being able to pick up my little boy again, and have his on my lap for cuddles (something I took for granted before) and to getting back to what I hope will be normal family life for us. As I said above, my experience has been extremely mild compared to so many others, and whilst I'm grateful for that, I'm also in awe of how strong you must all be to still be here today, sharing your experiences and giving so much advice to others like myself.

 

Oh, I'm not sure where to add this, but I will have to have further surgery in a couple of years time. Unfortunately for me, the neck of the aneurysm is quite wide and requires a stent. However, because of my age (childbearing) and our desire for more children, my surgeon suggested not doing that time time around. I am lucky in that I am not in any of the risk factors so he was content to leave me be for now.

 

[/u]I'm now at 7 weeks post op:[/u]

In the weeks after my intro post above, I continued to recover well.

I was able to start driving again at two weeks post-op without problem (although I am under investigation with the DVLA which I understand is procedural).

 

I began lifting my little boy at around 4/5 weeks post op and whilst my leg was sore to start, it has healed about 90%, and I just get the occasional twinge or ache when I've stood/walked too long.

I've not had many headaches, and those that have come have been righted with paracetamol.

I returned back to work (a desk job) on my normal full time (35) hours last week (so just under 6 weeks post op).

 

I have a little tiredness and have found my immune system is being tested with a recent dose of toncilitis and a head cold, but other than that I've been fine. And to be honest, January isn't normally a great month for me with lots of germs floating around!

 

I am looking at getting back to the gym for some light excercise early Feb. I will make sure I start with low impact sessions (& probably only go once a week to begin with anyway) before steadily increasing the sessions, in line with my strength.

 

I've got to say that this experience and condition does shed new light on life. I've found that I'm a tad more selfish, but no longer sweat the small stuff. It also gives me the drive for more happiness with the little things that I found my self to be too busy for.

 

Anyway, I've probably rambled on far too long again. But hope, as I said at the very begining, that my story helps someone out there

xx

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Hi Gemma :)

Thank you so much for sharing! It's really good to read how well you are doing.

Your story and experiences will help many on here :-D

I wish you all the happiness you are looking for and more!

Take care Gemma and keep in touch xx

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Well done Gemma,

 

Thanks and welcome to BTG.

When I came around I was so happy to be alive.

My Family treated me like Royalty then I got a little better and now we are back to our usual selves.

Snappy!! lol

 

So I must be improving, but the weight I have gained !! oh well another diet this week !!

Walking is my next priority.

Thanks for your story.

WinB143 xx xx

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