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Hi Maya Welcome to BTG. I'm sorry to hear you have been diagnosed with an aneurysm. I think it is a natural reaction to be worried when you are suddenly thrown into the world of aneurysms - with probably little knowledge of what's what at this stage. Whilst aneurysms do vary in size and some are more of a threat than others, I hope I can give you some reassurance by telling you that I too have an unruptured aneurysm close to my opthalmic artery. I'm not sure how long it's been there, but it was discovered 8 years ago and it has not had to be operated on during that time. I do however have regular scans to check it, but have managed to live with the knowledge of it since then. You will find out more, I'm sure, when you've had your appointment in January - try not to worry in the meantime - there are some very skilled neurosurgeons within the NHS in this country, so I personally wouldn't be looking round for one who might be better than another. I've been a member of this site for about 7 years and I've never come across anyone who has complained about their neuro team/consultant/surgeon. I wish you all the best, Sarah

Luke, I'm sorry to read you are going through so much with your parents' health at the moment. Im glad yesterdays coiling is now done and I'm sure her neurosurgeon reaching out to others in this field will help. There are some amazingly knowledgeable and skillful neurosurgeons out there, so I'm sure they will be able help in this situation and give their best advice. Likewise, for your Dad, the heart specialists are brilliant too. I'm still in awe of what they did with my husband's heart last year - I wish him well with his angiogram on 23rd. Best wishes, Sarah

Congratulations Colleen on your eighth anniversary - I didn't realise you had your sah exactly a week before I had mine. There we were, starting this recovery journey together, over 4500 miles apart - so who would have thought we'd meet up on here. So glad we did as I've enjoyed your posts, support and friendship along the way Take care, Sarah

Congratulations Louise - it's lovely that you still come on here and support others having gone through so much yourself - well done. Sarah

Hi Ann, welcome to BTG. I just typed up a response to you, then my computer went funny and I lost it! I was saying I think it's a good idea to have a word with your gp, if only to give you peace of mind. Mine too was a basilar tip aneurysm which do appear to be a challenging area of the brain - you don't actually say if yours was coiled following a rupture or as a preventative measure. I had head pain following my rupture for quite some time, but it was constant rather than sudden. I had so many different weird sensations in my head at the time, It's so hard to work out what's normal and what's not. I remember ringing NHS direct two years later for advice because I suddenly got double vision - they sent me to hospital to have a ct scan - all was clear, but once they know your history, they do listen and act appropriately - so no harm in contacting your doctor this afternoon. I wish you well, Sarah

Hi Luke, Glad to hear your Mum is doing well. I hope your meal with family is enjoyable - a good idea to protect Mum in the corner as these gatherings can be a bit overwhelming. I've had my aneurysm re-coiled - about a year after the bleed - it was filling up again and likewise I was told that they had deliberately not put too many coils in for fear of them coming back out and causing me to have a stroke. Mine has a wide neck and earlier this year after an MRI, I was told it had grown slightly (very slightly in 7 years) and was offered the choice whether to have an angiogram and find out whether a stent was required to hold more coils, or leave it for the time being and have a scan next April to see if it has changed further. I opted for the latter. I can fully understand your concerns with Mum having had a second bleed - so I hope all works out for you all. Best wishes, Sarah

Hi Jackie, Welcome to BTG. So sorry your brother is in so much pain and that the painkillers are not being effective. It's the blood from the bleed that is irritating the brain and therefore causing the pain and this takes time to disperse - several weeks unfortunately. Hopefully your brother's pain will lessen over this time. My pain was controlled, more or less by the medication, but I did take them regularly for a couple of months at least. I know some people continue with pain for many months after the event, but not as bad as those first few weeks. I'm sure you've probably read on this site that drinking plenty of water also helps with the head pain, so make sure your brother is doing this. Sorry I can't offer any other advice, but I do hope it improves soon as it's not nice being in so much pain and not being able to sleep. I wish you both all the best, Sarah

Hi Brian, Welcome to BTG. Having been a member on here for several years, I cannot recall anyone posting from their hospital bed - that's quite amazing! I wish you well in your recovery, but do take it easy, you have had a big trauma to your brain and that takes time to heal. I'm sure you will find this site useful in the weeks and months ahead if you have any concerns. Best wishes, Sarah

Hi Jan, I don't like being faced with decisions - any decisions I find difficult to make these days, but quite recently I was faced with a similar dilemma - whether to go ahead and have coiling straight away or continue to be monitored. My sah was in November 2008 and another unruptured 3mm one was discovered at that time. The one that ruptured has a wide neck and is 8mm. After the first 3 month check, it was decided it needed more coils put in - I think it must have been suggested it was necessary as I don't recall having to do any decision making. After a few cancellations I finally had more coils put in 11 months after the bleed. I was then monitored annually until 2012 when they said neither aneurysm had changed, so they were happy for my next scan to be in 3 years time. That scan was Aug 2015 and when I was called in for the results in October they told me the one with the wide neck had changed slightly and I could either proceed with even more coiling now or be scanned again in 6 months. That decision was actually easy to make because the day they told me, my husband was a few miles away in another hospital, in intensive care having had, two days earlier, part of his aorta replaced and a new aortic value. Thinking about brain surgery as well as heart surgery was just too much, so I opted for another scan in 6 months. Following that scan earlier this year, I saw my consultant who, partly because he was about to leave that hospital, suggested I had an appointment with the bloke who had done my two previous coilings. It was after that meeting that I was left with the decision to either go ahead and have an angiogram to see if I would need a stent put in to hold more coils or be scanned again in a years time. Like you, I was given statistics about the chance of a stroke during the procedure and for me, that was what I based my decision on to not go ahead, but be scanned again in 12 months. Even though I turn statistics round from say 5% of possibly having a stoke to 95% of possibly not having one, I felt easier not putting myself at any risk whilst being physically able and leading a very busy life. I did also take account of him saying he was happy whichever choice I made. He appeared quite laid back, saying it was up to me - he'd done hundreds of the procedures and it wasn't as if he needed the practice!! The down side is that I may be faced with similar decisions either next year or in future years - I just have to hope and pray that it doesn't change any more. Thankfully the 3mm one has not changed in nearly 8 years although I have been told in the past that if that needed treating, it would have to be a craniotomy and if I had to make a decision on that I would find it very difficult indeed as for me it would be completely unknown territory. It's not easy making such serious decisions, but I hope you can reach a decision that you are comfortable with. Sarah

Happy Anniversary Rob - hopefully each year will continue to become better than the last. Best wishes, Sarah

Hi Julie, I'm so sorry you are having to deal with all this - as if the operation wasn't enough to think about without all this extra stress. I thought my experience of having further coiling was bad enough, when the procedure was cancelled on two occasions on the day I was supposed to go in. I remember all too well how worked- up I felt having got myself in a state for the operation - it's not nice. Surely, on the law of averages, they can't possibly cancel it again - I hope not, you've been through enough. Wishing you all the best, Sarah

What better way to spend your anniversary Claudette! Amazing how far you've come in a year - be proud of what you have achieved during that time and enjoy your time in Portugal Sarah

Subhem63 I had my first check up at about 3 months, I think by that period of time they can determine how well the coils are doing their job, how well they've packed the aneurysm and stopped the blood from entering it. In some cases there may not be enough coils or they've become compacted, so more coils are needed. Apparently that's happens in about 1 in 10 cases (I just happened to be the 1!) I'm not sure if there's a standard 'servicing schedule' after that initial check up, or whether it's based on individual circumstances. Whilst some are discharged at some point, others have to be monitored for longer. I've had annual MRI scans since 2008 - apart from a 3 year break 2012/15, but now I'm back to scans every 12 months. As your 3 month mark is approaching and if you've not heard anything in the next week or so, I'd be inclined to give the hospital a ring to find out when your check up will be. Sarah

Happy Anniversary Andrea - I hope the next 12 months see further improvements for you (piano playing included of course!) Take care, Sarah

Welcome to BTG. Quite a day on the golfing range - not a good one, but good that those two lads came by and helped. Now you will be able to concentrate on your recovery which may have it's ups and downs, good days and not so good - it all takes time, so take it as easy as you can as your brain adjusts after the trauma. I wish you all the best, Sarah

Hi RIchard, Welcome to BTG. As you have discovered, it has a lot of valuable information on here - something that you wouldn't get elsewhere and the support by other fellow sahers is outstanding! I hope you continue to improve and life gets to near normal as possible for you. I have every respect for surgeons and the fantastic work they do, what with having had 2 coiling procedures myself and my hubby having a new aorta and valve in last year - I'm glad you have been able to return to your work to help others. I wish you all the best, Sarah

Hi Nicola, A warm welcome to the BTG community - glad you found this site so early on - it's always nice to have contact with others who have been through the same thing. It was very fortunate that you were working in an A&E department when it happened! Prompt attention is vital yet many, including myself, were delayed in getting to hospital for one reason or another. It's all a shock, but hopefully you will continue to make good progress over the coming weeks and months. Take care, Sarah

Hi Clare, I'm looking forward to your updates - very intrigued about this subject and often thought I'd like to be tested as I'm convinced I have some cognitive deficits - having it in a report would surely help me convince others I'm not just stupid! I often feel inadequate at work, for example, when having to learn new things or remember what I've read - all embarrassing when I've worked there far longer than anyone else in the office. It all sounds pretty exhausting though - glad they understood the impact it was having. Good luck and look forward to hearing more, Sarah

Hi Sherry, Apologies for my late post in welcoming you aboard. I'm sure you will find some posts on this site which will help you as you try and come to terms with what has happened. It can all become a little overwhelming at times as we start the recovery process and have all the questions going round and round in our minds. If we don't get the answers, fear starts to creep in. That is where sites such as this one help enormously as you are amongst a friendly group of people who have had first hand experience of suffering a bleed on the brain. It is very early days in terms of recovery for you and from what you describe is very familiar to what I and many others have experienced, so it's normal in that respect. It can take some time, but things will improve. Where possible, avoid the crowds - take up any offers of help with the kids - it can be hard going having to care for children whilst recovering (speaking from experience!) - Rest and relaxation are not things you get much of when bringing up kids, but any opportunity at all, grab it! Wishing you all the best, Sarah

Congratulations on reaching the 1 year mark and further congratulations for all you have achieved during that year! Your recovery (excluding the desire to do extreme sports!) is pretty typical in regards to the fact that we are not able to do things quite the same as we did before the sah, but I can see from your determination that you will not sit back and let this prevent you from doing the things you enjoy. Next time you fly over the Peak District, I'll give you a wave! Take care, Sarah

What a relief for you Gail, I'm so pleased it all went well. It is of great encouragement and comfort to me when I hear such good news, especially as I am supposed to be ringing up to make an appointment to discuss further coiling myself. Best wishes for your continued recovery, Sarah

Hi Gail, I hope it goes ahead for you today - will be thinking of you. Sarah

Hi Gail and welcome to Behind the Gray You did have a time of it - no wonder your family were scared - I hope your children are ok now - I know it took my youngest (8 at the time) a long time until he felt reassured that nothing was going to happen like that again. You have done amazingly well to have just completed your phased return to work - that in itself can be exhausting, so take as many breaks as you can! Wishing you all the best as you continue on your road of recovery, Sarah

Happy anniversary for yesterday Jan - a shame it involved scans - I hope your hospital is quicker at getting results out than mine is - I've had a 6 week and a 9 week wait before now. I'll keep my fingers crossed that your results are good, I'm sorry to hear your partner lost his Mum at such a young age - it makes me realise how lucky I am to have survived as my son was only 8 when I had mine. It's great that you feel that you can now move on and make some plans - I wish you and John all the best in whatever those plans may be. Take care, Sarah

Hi Michelle Many congratulations on your 2nd anniversary. I hope you have a relaxing day and can reflect on how far you have come - you have had so many other things to contend with during those 2 years, yet you have still given so much support to others on here - you have done exceptionally well in my book! - hoping the next 2 years are a little easier for you. And... a special thank you for all the help, support and friendship you have given me Sending a big bouquet of cyber flowers and a big hug to go with it Enjoy your special day Michelle, With much love, Sarah