I am celebrating my 3 year “anniversary” today - survived a ruptured aneurysm on 5/5/13 and then survived: a botched clipping surgery, another clipping surgery to fix it, a pulmonary embolism, etc. I’m grateful to still be here for my sons, now age 13 and 16, and my husband and other family members. Working full time and everything! 
Good for you Jennifer! Congratulations on having a life that you are living well! I’m doing a happy dance for you:)
Thanks!!
Jennifer...congratulations...you really have been blessed...
Thanks. I’m feeling very lucky/grateful at this moment, after lots of challenges.
Congratulations from Italy . I’m celebrating 7 years from my rupture fixed with the PED stent.
All the best life as survivor is fantastic.
Giovanni
Thanks Giovanni and sending best wishes to you!!
Thank you Hopkins!
Congratulations!!!
Wow, Jen! I haven’t been on here for a while, but I’m happy to see that you’re doing great after three years. You helped me so much last summer when I was trying to figure out what to do. I still owe you an email which I’m still planning to write. Just trying to catch up on life again and enjoy this summer! Don’t have to go up and see our doctor until January 2016, so far so good. Happy anniversary !!! Fondly, Patty
Congratulations!! So glad to hear that it's all on an upswing!
Congrats to you and your family!!!
Your strength and story are amazingly inspirational. I sometimes wonder how long I have left, having gotten a clipping on an unruptured aneurysm. Stories like yours do keep me optimistic! Thank you!
Thanks everyone. Michele - do stay optimistic. It’s a big surgery. If I can get through a rupture and two clippings, you can do it too :). Take it easy, let the time pass, and you’ll realize one morning that you feel so much better
Oh My Jennifer! How exciting for you! It has not been quit a year since my Ruptured Brain Anuerysm! Everyday is such a struggle and I wish I was at 3 years to be somewhat normal again. I need to ask did u lose ur taste buds? If so did u get them back? I just joined with the encouragement of my Therapist! I am in a dark place and I am praying that speaking with others that have gone through the same will help me! I am truly happy for your success!
Jennifer, you give me and my mom something so good to look forward to. She is "celebrating" her 1-month annie-versary. 77 years old and spends lots of her time sleeping unless she is either eating or in therapy. Remembers lots of things from the past, but like they are the present. Her short-term memory is shot, if something happens one day, I have to remind her that it happened every day in the future. If the time changes that I am going to be there, I have to remind her every day for about a week, and there is still a chance that she won't remember. I have to feed her most of her meals or else she won't eat like she should. Sometimes I have to step out of the room so she won't see me cry because this is NOT the mom I knew.
Sorry for hijacking the discussion, it just came pouring out.
Hi Shorty and Too Sweet-
Yes, I did lose some of my taste and almost ALL of my ability to smell. I only smell some things and not accurately. I also lost vision in my right eye because my first surgeon totally screwed up the surgery and made some big mistakes, and I had to find a second surgeon to fix everything. It was a very scary time and I owe the second surgeon my life.
My short- term memory is not so great but my job requires a great memory - so many clients! - so I write every single thing down and that helps. Not sure if your mom can try to write things down but when you see something in your own handwriting it helps to jog the memory. Being 77 makes it harder for your mom - I was 42 when it happened. But it’s only been a month for her so she may have lots of improvement coming in the next year.
Have patience! Things usually do improve with time. For 18 months at least I went to bed at 7pm every night, way before my kids! I think it’s from being tired but also depression and being scared makes you sleep…to tune it out. Your mom is lucky to have you helping.
I was never able to find a local support group so I come to this online group sometimes. I’m also going to head in to NYC next month to check out a group that meets there.
Best wishes to both of you!!
Shorty - I just went back and read your profile. Omg - you had a very dramatic experience. I guess we all did but yours was extra dramatic. It’s no wonder you’re in a dark place - you had a huge scare and difficult recovery. Stick with the therapy and maybe there is something that you can do to keep busy and distract yourself. That’s why I went back to work, in baby steps, because being home was depressing. Couple of hours a day and worked up to more. Maybe you can do some volunteer stuff?
Thanks for the encouragement, Jennifer. I truly needed it.
Hi Jennifer
Yes my next step is volunteer work I have always wanted to rock and sing to babies! I have been deemed disabled so the real work world is no longer in reach. I hit a brick wall literally but I am truly trying to find my way around it. I am looking forward to my 3 year anniversary and what it is going to bring. I keep saying if I can get my taste back it would help me feel 50% better. It is hard to even want to eat but I have to, to feed my brain for healing of redirecting the brain to start recovery. Everyday is a struggle and I write down every night before bed things to do the next day to have a reason to get out of bed. I pray this thing called my new life gets better because this can’t be it.
Thank u Shorty
Jennifer said:
Shorty - I just went back and read your profile. Omg - you had a very dramatic experience. I guess we all did but yours was extra dramatic. It’s no wonder you’re in a dark place - you had a huge scare and difficult recovery. Stick with the therapy and maybe there is something that you can do to keep busy and distract yourself. That’s why I went back to work, in baby steps, because being home was depressing. Couple of hours a day and worked up to more. Maybe you can do some volunteer stuff?