Good Morning Everyone! What a wonderful day it is just to be here! We’ve been getting a bit of rain which we desperately needed, not sure if it’s even enough to put a dent in the water table our well feeds from but at least it’s something! Nina’s medication has sure been helping her odd shedding, turns out she had a UTI. The old gal has decided she doesn’t want me to use either brush the last couple of days, just my fingers. Whatever makes her happy, is okay up to a point. She had been going up to the bonus room before we woke up and she’d bark her full head off when she wanted to come down. They do well when the lights are on over the stairs and in the little hallway, not so good if the lights are off. But earlier this week I think it was, could have been over the weekend. I woke up first since it was my day to get up and get the girls fed, turn the coffee pot and tea kettle on, then feed the girls. Of course Nina goes out before they get fed, the meds have stopped her wanting to go out a couple times during the night. Ohana has taken to wanting warm water on her morning meal every morning.
So I’m doing the morning routine and Nina has gone upstairs. I hear this godawful sound that I think she has done a somersault down them. Get around the corner and she’s lost her footing on the last three steps. Poor thing, she was pretty shook up. A few months ago when the barking started at the top, our beloved Veterinarian had recommended getting the stairs carpeted. We didn’t because I don’t want to vacuum carpet on stairs. Call me lazy but my gosh it would be multiple times a day! Nina sheds all year round, she’s a heavy shedder and when her coat blows out for the seasonal changes it’s hard to keep up with. I’m not a fan of vacuums because of the sound. Since I ruptured, they seem painfully loud to me and yes I did start wearing ear plugs when I have to run the vacuum. It helped tremendously. I’ll get to that in a minute.
Since I was a bit scared and thought she’d broken her leg or her fool neck and fully expected to see her body in an odd position when I turned the corner, BH and I had a talk even before BH had the first cup of coffee. We decided a child gate had to be bought and we’d do it after we had dinner with friends that afternoon. Dinner was cancelled at the last minute so we went and filled up the car, and was headed to the Walmart. Dang it, the rain was coming down in torrents and a good bit of lightening so Wally World was cancelled and BH dropped me off at the front door of the pharmacy. Went the next day and picked up two, BH said our old one needed replaced. Guess who didn’t measure the width at the stairs? Yep, that would be me. So after much thinking over the course of a day or two and coming up with different things I could use that obviously involved wood, settled on taking the old one that’s almost 30 years old and putting a new one to stop them from getting to the carpeted area.
The new one said it was friction fit and it has a gate so we don’t have to take it out every time we go to that side of the house. It is and it isn’t. I had to screw these cups into the frame and that required a list of tools to be made. Yes, they had a list but was it complete? Heck no, they forgot the drill bit that goes into the drill they pictured. The screws needed to have a pilot hole or I’d have messed up the head big time. Fortunately, I keep a small box of various bit sizes in the garage so I didn’t have to go down to the shop where I have a bigger box. After determining the right size, making sure I could see the threads and getting everything measured out using my 2’ level as a height guide (floor isn’t exactly level), cups were installed. I couldn’t get the dang thing in. BH got called and together we looked over the picture instructions and couldn’t get it in. Why don’t they write the instructions? They’ve got seven different languages on the instructions, so of course the print is too small for any reasonable person in their twilight years to read. I’m old enough to remember when the USA market just had English, then they started with instructions for the America market - French, English and Spanish covering Canada, USA, Mexico and South America except of course Brazil. BH told me to leave it until the next day as I was a bit upset. Before rupture, these tasks were easy, smeasy, now not so much. We came outside since the rain had stopped and being outside settles my soul. Drank my water and turned to YouTube. YouTube has been wonderful for me, even if all the information isn’t exactly what I would do, it sure helps me to remember how I would do it. After a couple of videos, got it right in and it works! We were turning a cap in the wrong direction ROFLOL. Obviously we have two upset old dogs who can no longer run upstairs to look out the window and see whomever has come up the driveway. They pouted for a couple of days, Ohana was the worse but it allowed Nina to cuddle on the couch with us. Dogs are very forgiving usually and Ohana can’t stand Nina getting attention and not her. All is right in their world now!
Getting to the hearing thing now…We have a lot of members who suffer from tinnitus, I was one for a couple of years after my rupture. Had my hearing checked and it had improved a year after my rupture. That audiologist just went by her first name and not Dr. although she had her PhD. Times change. Then the ENT told me there wasn’t anything that could be done for tinnitus. If I want to see an audiologist, I have to see the ENT as well. Not sure if it’s an insurance thing or just the way the place I go has set it up.
Anyhow I see the audiologist, she can’t test me until I get a little wax out of one ear and across the hall I go to the ENT’s room. He is much nicer than the Audiologist at first impressions. Back to the waiting room and wait for the Audiologist who is at least happy I know to call her Dr., as they have to get their PhD now. She has asked a bunch of questions prior to the wee little bit of wax in my ear. She calls me back and we talk about the tinnitus which apparently I have been mispronouncing all these years. It’s actually tin-nit-us, who knew? She is an expert in tinnitus and hyperacusis! Hyperacusis: Hearing Sensitivity Causes & Treatment She has asked me to work with her and fixing the hyperacusis. She smiled and shook her head when I told her the tinnitus was resolved with the old fan at night and only comes up on rare occasions now. I just use my neti pot during allergy seasons. Doesn’t bother me since it’s no longer 24/7. She is going to fit me with hearing aids to help my brain’s neurotransmitters out. How amazing is that?! She actually understood when I told her high pitched noises stop my brain from processing and that I had been working on reconditioning my brain since I ruptured! The only thing I had to correct her on was calling it an aneurysm. I explained it ruptured and the correct term for me would be an SAH Fisher Level III. She smiled and changed her notes LOL Unfortunately I cannot turn the hearing aides off and use them to block noise from thing like the tractor, saws, grass trimmer, I will still have to use my hearing protection. I’ve got no clue what they’re going to cost or what battery replacements will cost, my guess is a lot.
I’ve found this https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/acn3.714 and Hyperacusis / Invisible consequences of brain injury / Consequences | Braininjury-explanation.com which is probably a good start on researching if you’re interested. Seems to be more common than neurosurgeons are aware of, but there has been a lot of research in the area of hyperacusis than when I first ruptured, so maybe they do. If you’re experiencing either, do a bit of research for yourself and see if you can’t get the proper tests. I probably need to tell the Audiologist that I was diagnosed with Lyme’s disease and have an autoimmune disorder. I always forget about the Lyme’s, there are other more important issues to deal with since I ruptured. Now on to the welcomes!
@Ak31th422 starts us off this week! Angie is up in Pennsylvania and her husband was in ICU the day she became a member. He ruptured and was on life support. She is looking for support with after care for someone that cannot get surgery because of the location of his aneurysm. Angie we wish you and your husband the best, please come talk to us anytime, our thoughts are with you.
@Pixel is up in Ontario Canada. Pixel experienced a SAH in 2020 and it was coiled. There was a recurrence in 2025 and she’s had 3 endovascular procedures where 2 stents and more coils were placed. Her aneurysm is in the Anterior Communicating Artery (ACom) Her rupture caused a massive stroke creating temporary lower right paralysis, days of vasospasms whilst in NSICU. In 2023 she started having headaches her procedures were in August 2025, January 2026 and this month. Pixel has a bit of humor I think sharing they have lots to say, been through a lot and apparently learns the hard way. Pixel shares that making mistakes with a ruptured aneurysm seems normal, but doesn’t know anyone else who’s gone through this. You’ve found us! There’s many members who have had a SAH and have learned a few things traveling the road we’re all on. I hope the fires have not caused you to evacuate and you’re able to get some easier breathing soon!
@Lvyoung is also up in Pennsylvania and experienced a rupture Lisa was also treated with coils and stent. She shares that it started with a headache that she thought was a migraine. Went several days with a minor headache and neck pain. She warns us that ignoring those symptoms led to her being rushed to the hospital where they found a brain bleed. Thank you so much for the warning!
@Sjms in over in Timaru, New Zealand. Sharon shares she lives in a lovely seaside town and works full time teaching primary school children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. She also has two adult children and two delightful grandchildren. Sharon has been experiencing blurred vision and went to see the Optometrist, who found a cotton ball spot in her eye. She’s was referred to radiology at her local hospital and underwent a CT scan. The scan showed a 6.5 mm aneurysm on her Anterior Communicating Artery and is now waiting for her first appointment. Her doctor was reluctant to say too much as it’s not his field, Since her diagnosis, she’s sought out as much information as she can regarding unruptured aneurysms, which led her here! Some of her favorite things to do is taking long walks with her dog, Pixie Caramel (Labrador Retriever), art, yoga, reading, spending time with family and friends! So glad you’ve found us and you have had the aneurysm found, well done!
@Lysa is in California and has a lot of experience with aneurysms. She had two aneurysms that were coiled twenty years ago. Since then they have found 3 more. One is considered inoperable but it is very small December of this past year, she had her annual scan which showed the coiled aneurysms now have blood flow and another was discovered. She’ll be having surgery on all three at one time on July 31, 2026 She’s also expecting her first grandchild in August! Yia-Yia Lysa shares she is definitely scared but has a strong religious conviction She shares she had endovascular surgery on one in February and has been waiting since then for her surgery date. Her surgeon, Dr. Duong in Sacramento had to work on a woman’s grapefruit sized tumor for 20 hours! Dr. Duong was able to remove the entire tumor and the woman is doing fine. She has complete confidence in Dr. Duong whom she describes as a Rock Star! She shares that she is pretty sure she’s the most excited grandma in the world waiting for her first grandchild to be born! Sounds to me like you’ve got a fantastic month ahead of you with Dr. Duong and your first grandchild coming into the world!
@Elaine2 is down in South Carolina. Elaine shares she’s had two brain aneurysms repaired and has 2 more that’s being watched. She had gone for a check up having unusual headaches back in 2002. Her doctor sent her to Vanderbilt Medical Center and her Neurologist repaired one at a time and then put her on the watch and wait group for the others. Elaine shares she is now 76 years old, has a wonderful husband, 2 daughters, 2 stepsons, 15 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren! I bet the holidays are fun with the large family, I couldn’t imagine having to make enough pimento cheese for so many, bar-b-que definitely, maybe even shrimp and cheesy grits!
@Maggie2 ends our week. Maggie is up in New York. Her mother died of a brain aneurysm rupture a few years ago and she joining because she’s looking for support where she can interact with those who have experienced something similar. You’ve found the right place, Maggie, as we know a thing or two about aneurysms!
For all the new members, please start a new topic under either the General or Support tabs, click on the +Add New Topic box and fill in the parameters. If you have difficulty with the site, please reach out to myself @Moltroub or the very kind folks who make up @ModSupport and someone will help you out. I’m usually only on in the mornings and Mod Support covers a few different time zones so be patient, we are all volunteers.
Oh my gosh y’all! You’ve been wonderful responding to the member who’s got an upcoming craniotomy! I am so very, very proud of your support! Big Hugs! I’ve also learned a bit more about craniotomies this week, no they don’t use a dremel ROFLOL.
Please remember to practice your type of relaxation breathing, hydrate, protein and rest as needed. Thoughts go out to those around the world who’ve had to deal with fires and floods. Hopefully everyone is safe! See you in the topics!
Have a wonderful, safe week!