Good rainy morning to all y’all! Yes rain! We needed it and the best part is it has moved the heat dome out. We have had bout 2 ½” bu our rain gauge, the airport has an official one but it’s a good bit different than the plastic easy read we have. I need to go online and see if the government know how deep the water table is that our well feeds from, definitely a project for another day. Sorry for not doing the welcomes on Sunday, lots of excuses and a really good reason or two. It just boils down to a bad brain day. I really did get lost in my brain, too much thinking and didn’t take a break. Then we had to get stuff together because we went to friends to play cards. Since we’ve all gotten older, we play earlier. One of our friends decided on helping me count how many points I had but I was doing it just not as fast. This is how it went R says “90l I reply “I do it” three minutes later, “R right, 90”. Those were negative numbers 
. I try to feed my BF cards because we rarely win, the other 3 are much more competitive. But being the BBD (Bad Brain Day, yes I just made it up) I wasn’t concentrating on anything much. But BF won! It was a calendar day! Lexi, their miniature dachshund mix got her a carrot. It’s her favorite treat. BF said I could giver her as many as I wanted so she received 2 more. She even wanted to sit in my lap while we were playing. It did my heart good. She’s getting very old and has a lot of health issues. Ohana used to play with her a lot as she stayed with them whenever I had to stay overnight for another repair attempt. Ohana used to love carrots too. But Nina didn’t, so Ohana decided she wasn’t going to eat them anymore, go figure. Then Ohana began to grow and Lexi became afraid of her. In Ohana’s defense, she hadn’t changed the way she played, she had just put on 10 pounds. But when you weigh 7-8 pounds and have a 30+pond dog zooming, I can see why it scared her.
I think I know one of the reasons for the BBD, we had watched a couple of shows we like and they all had some lines about brain aneurysms. One of the shows had the gf of the main character being diagnosed, determined that she needed emergency surgery which she got during a takeover by something happening at the hospital and everyone was being evacuated. Her berry aneurysm was 3-4mm, they never mentioned where it was so I’m suggesting you do not believe this is how it will be for you. Rarely do we get diagnosis and a completed endovascular surgery in 2 hours. In another show, the detective decided the murdered victim had died of an aneurysm without the autopsy. Again not how real life works. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could get a diagnosis and a surgery within two weeks and not have ruptured!
Why does the media not differentiate between having a cerebral aneurysm and a rupture? Is it just ignorance, or are we as a group who do experience both not using the correct terminology? If we don’t use the correct terminology, how can we expect Joe Public to know the difference? When I had my SAH (SubArachnoid Hemorrhage) it was emergency surgery. Like many others the larger hospital had to stabilize us and we did get the surgery the next day. Some of us get it the same day and a handful had to wait because the ER did not do a CT scan. Then there’s those of us who have a diagnosis of an aneurysm and most get put on the Watch and Wait list which can be emotionally devastating due to the unknown. The positive is that it had not ruptured so always keep that in mind. There is always a positive in everything.
If we get a diagnosis without a rupture, it gives us some time to get everything straightened out in our lives. We get to choose if we get our wills updated or have one made, to get our important papers in one location and let someone else know where they’re located. We have time to decide what we want to happen should we not make it. We can write letters to loved ones, make audio or video recordings, things that will mean a lot to them. We can work on our finances. Focus on organizing our homes and a plethora of other things. If we rupture, it’s really good to have those done but ruptures rarely give us any time to do them.
Let’s get to the new members! My favorite part!
@Lavondabasurvivor is here in North Carolina! Lavonda shares she had a headache like a train rushing through her head, ending up in the hospital in January 2025. When she woke up, she’d already had her endovascular surgery (coiling), stayed in ICU for 3 weeks. Lavonda remembers having a hard time walking and it was hard for her as she’d been a very active person.
Lavonda shares she lost her parents a couple of years prior to her rupture and their loss was quite a shock to her system. She suffers from high blood pressure, sleep issues, trauma and stress issues. Yet she feels she is a miracle because she has no physical issues. She is able to walk 20 minutes! She uses a What’sApp and says she’s different. She has a different perspective on life being grateful and positive. Lavonda shares she has had to isolate herself which is difficult because she doesn’t look sick so others think she’s okay. She has joined to give and receive support. She also enjoys gardening, lives at the beach, loves to be creative. Is still able to run a community development corporation she founded 10 years ago and works with Shellfish Farmer so enjoys a lot of local seafood. She’s also able to still travel and meet people.
@anamaris is up in Vermont. Anna’s husband has had an incidental find of a 6 mm AComm aneurysm and underwent an endovascular procedure about 3 weeks ago now I think. Anna shares they love to travel and scuba dive. She also shares this whole thing is scary!
@JennEnd is up in Wisconsin. Jennifer had emergency surgery due to a rupture on October 8, 2025. She spent 4 week in NSICU and then 2 weeks in inpatient rehab where she received all the therapies - Physical, Occupational and Speech. She was able to return to work part time in January and then full time in March. Jennifer shares that she has made tremendous progress she’s still struggling with short term memory issues and has definitely lost her filter at times. Life isn’t exactly the same as it was before but she’s learned to embrace her new life. Jennifer shares she is grateful for how far she’s come and is looking forward to connecting with others who understand the journey. Jennifer is a yoga instructor and enjoys helping others find balance, strength and mindfulness. She’s been married 31 years to her amazing husband, Steve. Together they share their home with four dogs who keep life fun, busy and full of love.
@Tina777 is out West in Arizona. Tina shares she’s just starting her journey, has most likely already seen her neurosurgeon. She would like support and hope for her 5MM aneurysm found behind her left eye.
@Diegomarin is up in New York. Diego is currently on plavix and aspirin. He went to the ER for neck pain and headaches resulting in an incidental find of an aneurysm that has been fixed.
Ending this week is @Annabelle over in Tennessee. Kathy shares her surgery is upcoming. She almost passed out at work (a hospital) Was taken to the ED for stroke symptoms. CT found an aneurysm and the size is beyond monitoring. Her surgery is scheduled to happen in 3 weeks. Kathy shares she is a surgery RN and loves her job and her patients. She’s on the other side of the table and is grateful for the insight we’ve all shared.
Y’all don’t know this but I didn’t respond individually to each new members story. I am trying to rein myself in and oh my was this week difficult. We would love to read more, love to support y’all but you’ll have to start a new topic under the General or Support tabs. Just click on the +Add New Topic, give it a title, pick one of the two (General or Support) and type away! If you need help with the site, reach out to myself (@Moltroub) or the kind folks who make up @ModSupport and one of us will help.
Of course for all those who have helped other members, Big Hugs to all y’all! Please keep up the good work! If you’re one of the ones who’ve read but not replied, take a few minutes to offer your experience or support, even if its something as simple as keeping a member in your thoughts helps a lot. We are not in this alone, we have each other, a family of sorts that encompasses the World. Pretty impressive, right?!!!
Don’t forget the daily homework of practicing your breathing exercises, take a walk about, hydrate, eat protein and rest as needed. Because I feel positive thinking begets positive actions, you’re getting an addition to your homework! Try to find a positive every hour starting when you wake up. Here, I’ll help you out with the first hour - getting out of bed and making the bed are two positives! Having your first cuppa is definitely a positive, especially if you watch something outside in nature. Positives don’t have to be complicated, it’s the simple things we see that can propel us to being more positive! Have a great week y’all! See you in the topics!