Hi - new member / user here. I am relatively healthy 43yo active female and mom of five. I have been having dizzy spells where my vision is blurry, my head feels as though its on pins and needles (like when your foot falls asleep) and I will have trouble walking a straight line. This happens about 2x a week and can last up to 30 seconds. My PCP sent me to the ER at Mass General where I had an MRI and they found a 2mm aneurysm in my left carotid artery. The doctors were not ‘concerned’ about it rupturing bc of the size and I meet with a neurologist and a neurosurgeon next week. So about a month from the MRI to the f/u appointments. Of course the waiting game is the worst and I have been afraid to run and lift weights since it was detected.
Is there anything I should be acting the doctors next week about the size or location of the aneurysm? Any life / diet / exercise changes people have made? I am trying not to get too worked up until I have my follow up meetings but of course terrified of anything happening / rupturing. Thanks 
Hi @Beach100,
Welcome, and it is so good to have you here with us - despite the circumstances that brought us both here!
My aneurysm was not found until after it ruptured, so I have not had to go through the anxiety of the waiting game that you are having to do. I am so sorry you have to do this, but clearly being a mom of five shows what a strong and fierce person you are, so I know you have got this!
Not surprisingly, since I did rupture, I have made some life changes that I wanted to share, should it be of any help.
One lifestyle change was that I was encouraged to take up mindfulness/meditation to help with managing stress and anxiety, which also includes breathing techniques. I will say that it definitely helps to calm me down, so I have definitely become an advocate, despite my imperfect practice. 
Of course, there are a number of options out there but one of my favorites is less well known, but it is a free app called Healthy Minds. I like it because it is am East meets West kind of program, so it intermixes the science of the brain along with the practice of mindfulness. Of course, if it doesn’t work for you, there are tons others out there to try!
Another lifestyle change I made was a slight tweak in eating. I was already embracing the Mediterranean Diet so it wasn’t too much of a leap to switch to the MIND Diet instead.. Not surprisingly, the MIND Diet’s focus is on brain health, but it also incorporates aspects of the DASH diet, which is used to treat hypertension, so IMHO (which is absolutely NOT medical), the MIND diet is perfect for us since it it focuses on brains and arteries!
In terms of exercise, I haven’t really changed that much, excluding during the recovery days (it’s a long story as to why!). I actually probably exercise more now (6 days/week v. 4-5).
As you are processing - or just need to vent - please continue to reach out. We are here for you!
Fin Whale Fan 
Thank you so much for the note and the support. Hopefully I will have more clarity next week. I will loook into Healthy Minds as well as the MIND diet. I am hoping that some ‘easy’ changes will help me out in the long run !
Very happy I found this community
My 4 mm annie was found in December 2022 from a scan trying to find the reason for pulsatile tinnitus. I’ve had 3 more scans since and no real change.
I’m 68 and taking a watch & wait position. It’s about 50/50 between getting it fixed and having it rupture. I wear a medical ID bracelet with my diagnosis, and have done research on warning signs from reputable medical sources like Mayo/Cleveland clinics, Johns Hopkins, etc. I pretty much avoid things that get my heart rate up. Day to day I don’t give it much thought, but then I don’t have young children
I would ask the neuro if your dizzy symptoms are related to the annie. There may be something else going on (like my tinnitus) and the annie finding was a happy “accident” but didn’t answer your symptoms.
This is a great forum; I have learned a lot and I hope that you visit often.
Hi I had a 4mm unruptured right internal carotid artery aneurysm found when i had an MRI for something unrelated 3 years ago. I went to a neurosurgeon for consultation and first they sent in the PA and she was like I had to get something done immediately or I could die. I said I wanted to see the neurosurgeon and his story was the same. He said aneurysms 3mm or larger are dangerous and only 5% survive if it ruptures. Total fear but my gut said to get a second opinion and i did. The second surgeon was the exact opposite. Told me they are concerned if it’s 5mm or larger and reassured me smaller aneurysms rarely rupture so he could monitor it for 6 months and see if it changed. It did get bigger by then so i had a WEB embolization procedure done. He was going to do coiling but then i would also need a stent put in and be on blood thinners forever. With the WEB device there’s no stent and blood thinners only the first year. Just passed my one year anniversary of having it done and no problems. Get a second opinion and don’t be anxious (easier said than done) but research different options. All the best to you 
Do you have any family history? My aneurysm was 2mm. My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother al died from ruptured brain aneurysms. My doctor told me that there was a 50/50 chance of mine rupturing vs not and he left the decision up to me. I decided to get it fixed because I could not deal with worrying about it every day for the rest of my life. He was my second neurosurgeon because I lived in a different state when I was initially diagnosed, and at that time (2001) they could not fix it because there wasn’t a catheter available that was small enough to get to it. I finally had it repaired in 2009 with coils and then again in 2018 with a pipeline stent because my coils became compressed. They didn’t have the stent available in 2009.
Anyway, I was a nurse on a neurosurgery unit in 2009 and I had a patient who was a very healthy woman in her mid forties that was exercising on her treadmill and her 2mm aneurysm ruptured. She was never going to wake up and was taken off life support. I’m not trying to scare you, but a 2mm aneurysm can definitely rupture. My mom’s ruptured right after she was threw up, so it doesn’t have to be exercise.
I don’t know if you have insurance, but I live in Wisconsin and when I was diagnosed with cancer in 2023 (I’m now cancer-free), I was able to go out of state for treatment. Just something to consider if it’s an option for you. With something this serious, I would hope a doctor would let you have a say.
All the best.
Hi Beech 100
A new find and the waiting is awful - I remember well. You will find that no 2 stories are the same. The general rule (and I’m not a doctor just based on what I’ve read since my Annie find in July of 2023) that I have found is that unless there is a family history most doctors take the watch and wait approach under 5mm. It seems that the smaller ones have a very small % chance of rupture. Doesn’t mean theycan’t rupture and you’ll read many stories where they have but you’ll also read numerous stories where people have been in watch and wait for numerous years with no issue. Once you see the neurosurgeon they will likely recommend a angiogram - seems to be standard practice which can also be another days/weeks wait to have done - then after that the discussion a neurosurgeon Whether to wait more or fix. While waiting is awful - I took comfort in knowing that the percentage of rupture was low. I went from July of 23 to Feb of 24 - 3 opinions from different doctors before I had mine repaired. Mine was 3.8mm in the basilar. I ended up choosing a neurosurgeon in another state from where I lived. The repair was my choice as the percentage of wait or repair was very low either way. In hindsight, the best advice I was given was to get more than one opinion and live your life. You’ll find many people have recommended Dr Nelson at NYU (he invented the current stent procedure), Dr Lanzino at Mayo in Rochester, and there is another doctor at Barrows in Phoenix (can’t recall his name at the moment). Doesn’t mean that the doctor you have been assigned to isn’t excellent - I have just heard the names above numerous times. You’ll find others recommend other doctors as well. Research your doctors experience. With a new diagnosis to say live your life seems impossible - but again - in hindsight - that was good advice - the worry and stress while you wait doesn’t help. Enjoy your daily life with your children. In addition to this site (where I got a ton of help) There are also a couple Facebook pages dedicated to people with aneurysms Brain Aneurysm Positive Support Group and Unruptured cerebral Anuerym Support that helped a lot too - again many different stories so you have to learn to discern the comments - but I did find some help / comfort there as well and you may find many with an aneurysm in the same location as yours. I truly wish you the best! Hope you keep the group updated - we do care as we have been there and are there!
Hello and Welcome, Always consult with your MD, always. Other people can give great advice but the end line should be talk to you MD about your annie and options.
My annie ruptured in 1998, they couldn’t classify how big it was they just said it was a huge Annyrism in my communicating artery. Luck me, I recovered slowly, but I did it and after my return home I returned to work, filed for divorce (my hubby wasn’t very supportive through all of this) then I joined a rock band. Since then I have visited Europe, with my second visit planned for September in Greece. I’ve skied, para sailed and traveled until my hearts content, but I always asked my MD. So have fun, and talk to your docs about it. 
Get your annie fixed and Have fun!
I’m late coming, but wanted you to know I’ve moved this thread to our “General” category. How did the appointment go?
Hi Constance I was reading other stories and I found your reply and one part struck me. You said you divorced because your husband wasn’t very supportive I am a widow no kids and I currently am staying with my brother and sister in law it seems like since all this has started it feels like my brother who was always there for me growing up now seemed angry with me like somehow it was my fault he hardly speaks to me and when he does it’s just mean I don’t think he realizes how much he is hurting me I know he loves me it just seems like he can’t handle this but needless to say how the heck does he think I can I feel like he just wants to wish it away and bury his head in the sand we used to be soooo close and now if we watch a show together it feels like a good day I know he’s depressed since this started I see it and he has had anxiety over this I see that too but I miss our old relationship I know everyone handles these things differently he was never and good with these things part of the reason the responsibility of caring for two elderly parents alone was left on me. It’s quite sad. I gess out of sight out of mind . It just seems like he doesn’t care. I know he does he talks to my sister about how worried he is about me but doesn’t talk to me it makes me sad my sister is the same was she hasn’t come to see me since my brain surgery and she lives two min away like I’m not even exaggerating I don’t wanna be angry anymore and I am learning to expect nothing at all from people or the bare minimum even if it’s family that is quite sad too I just haven’t read enough stories on here but I saw your comment and I thought u would be able to relate to me. Because honestly at first I thought I was going crazy complete 360 on me. I’d really love to hear from u because I feel so alone alot of people on here seem to have a great support system and lil old me is just lil old me…I hope your doing well….g
Hi,
I would suggest family therapy, and if your siblings don’t want to join in on that, then see a therapist
yourself. If it were me, I’d move to your own place. Talk to a social worker, or your therapist to guide you on how
to become more independent. There are places out there that will help financially, I’d seek them out in your community.
Even your MD might be able to point you in the right direction.
Hope that helps, best of luck to you.
Constance
You were right! Yesterday everything came out! How he really felt! How he thinks I’m lazy and I’m playing the victim and I should be cleaning the house for him. I was so determined to have a good day yesterday and it shattered I am trying to make it till Wednesday hopefully I have good news and then I will work on getting out! I am heart Brocken—-g
Never accept the title of victim! You aren’t the victim, you can do this. Let the beast go and be happy.
I agree with Constance – never let yourself be placed in the “victim” category. You have proven yourself strong to survive the Annie – now you may need to find another strength to find a way to rely on yourself for care. Counseling for you, and for your and your brother would be great. From the small bit you shared with your family history, I see many stresses you have both lived through and that may have dulled the communication. A sibling relationship is worth work hard to maintain, and counseling to help that can be powerful. I wish you a lot of strength and luck in this challenge.
Personally, I totally agree with both @constance and @KrysG
Some people’s understanding of ‘brain issues’ is minimal. Often they think of it like a broken bone. Rest, recover, back to normal. Only that’s often not the way things turn out sometimes. We don’t choose to be in ‘this’ position, but none-the-less, here we are. Now, we have to learn to manage for ourselves and sometimes that’s not easy. Often others don’t understand and sometimes we need assistance.
Now, I’m in Australia, so I know the services available here and how to access them. But I’m unsure of the services available to you in the U.S.. My first suggestion is that your treating hospital may have a social work dept. They would have a network of services in the area that they utilize. Often linking in with such a network can open other avenues for services.
I want to premise my next statement with a caution: Prior to my own health going sideways I worked in community services and I’ve had to deal with some fairly confronting situations. Through that experience I learnt what I would call pre-cursors or warning signs of behaviours. Some signs very subtle, some a little more obvious. It is my suggestion that although he is your brother, you are residing with him and his treatment of you is very close to a form of domestic violence. Some say ‘Ohh, there’s no physical violence, so that doesn’t qualify…’ but those ‘pre-cursor’ signs are there. Family domestic violence is much more recognised now than in years gone by, some DV services have access to emergency housing to keep clients safe. Even if you don’t need immediate services now, it maybe worth investigating your options via domestic violence services too. The more information you have now, the better-informed decision you can make if/when the need arises.
But as a first step, get in contact with a social worker.
Hope it helps
Merl from the Modsupport Team
Hi Krys,My family members think he may have early onset dementia because of how he has been acting not only to me to everyone. My mother got early onset dementia so I’m wondering if that might be the case the best day he acted like nothing happened he did apologize but I don’t think I can forget his words. I am very religious so I forgive him but I have put a plan together to get out as soon as I am better the whole reason I came here because I was fighting cancer and I am now considered cancer free. That being said Wednesday I will get more info from nuroradiologist and I will begin that fight what ever it holds with God by my side. My first priority is healing from my csf leak and meningocele repair and then I’ll do what I have to. I am sorry you lost your parents I did too quite young so if u ever wanna chat just reach out I’m here! It’s snowing here!!! Wishing you the best…..G
You are fighting two health fights! My prayers of great strength are with you.