I have a 5mm annie and if the surgeons agree I was hoping to have one of the procedures. I am a nervous wreck and have only known about it for 5 days. I have 2 young children and cannot imagine not being here for them. What did you take into account when making your decision? I know surgery carries the risk but living with the time bomb in your head is a risk you carry for the rest of your life.
Hey Fiona,
The fact that you're able to make the choice, IF they give you such an option instead of the 'watch and wait' scenario, well for me the choice was clear in that I wanted the aneurysm taken care of and put behind me forever. When I was given a choice last time around, I jumped at the chance of a clipping verses the coils...so far so good! Granted, :Invasive" it is. I'd do it again if I ever have to though, just hope I don't have to! Take care, Janet
I called my aneurysm a ticking time bomb also. And it pretty much stopped me on my tracks when it was found...I was scared to do so many things. And I lost so much sleep trying to decide between one procedure or another. They both have their risk factors which doesn't make either one or the other easier to pick. I pretty much made the choice by how long the recovery process was going to be for one or the other so I picked coiling since its only a couple of days stay in the hospital verses about 2 weeks if I went with clipping. And also cause my mother had an aneurysm rupture and almost died from 8mths before & hers got coiled....So I knew more about coiling at that point than clipping. But they told me that through the procedure both neurologist were going to be present & if one wasn't able to go in the right angle to do the coiling or if something went wrong the other neurologist was going to jump in and do the clipping. And well Im happy to say that coiling the aneurysm was a success. Its very hard to make a choice...choose what feels right for you. May God bless you & watch over you through this hard process....Stay strong.
Hi Fiona: I am in the same boat as you. I have a coiling surgery scheduled for June 7th (my choice so my daughter is out of school). Additionally, i felt like i needed some time to do my research before allowing brain surgery. My Annie is a 9mm caratoid arterty behind my eye basically. My neurosurgeon didn’t even suggest a clipping due to the location. I am still going back and forth trying to definitively decide whether to treat my Annie or not. This is a horrible decision to have to make. I think I will ultimately go through with the coiling in June as I just don’t see being able to function in this much fear the rest of my life- this is no way to live. I just wish I knew that I could wait 7 years to get my almost 11 year old to adulthood. I have known since early January about mine and am suffering with some crippling depression right now. I am okay for a day or two and then it hits me head on. I am not sleeping well constantly waking up and wondering if I will wake up in the morning. One of the biggest factors in my decision process is the fact that I am a single parent and I work from home. If something bad happened to me, my little girl would most certainly be the one to find me. I am sorry we all have to go through this. I wish you strength and clarity to make the right decision for you and your family.
So scary for us both Cindy, wishing you and your daughter well and hoping surgery goes well.
So glad it all worked out for you and that is exactly right it does stop you in your tracks. So so hard to deal with.
I am scared I will get the watch and wait. So hoping for options.
Hi Fiona,
Unfortunately, no one knows what tomorrow will bring. While many people have successful “preventative” treatment with few problems. Others are not so fortunate and have complications.
Personally, my decision has been to forego treatment of my 5mm and 2mm annies. I had a rupture of a much larger annie many years ago. It was successfully clipped with few side effects. I have lived with three others since then. My path is not for everyone but I share my story to provide another perspective.
May God guide you to make the decision that is right for you.
Take care.
Carole
I know how you feel as I have 2 daughters as well(9 and 12).
My strong advice to you is to make appts. with at least 3 surgeons(that are interventional neuroradiologist
and surgeons, some are both). You will be surprised on the difference of opinions. I am seeing a fourth one in Houston.
One thing you must do is to try to stay calm because if your blood pressure goes up, it is lethal for anuerysms
to rupture. Keep in mind that a 5mm annie has an extremely low rate of rupturing. You are at the borderline
to have or not to consider surgery. Do not jump in to making quick decisions and take your time with research
and top doctors. Hang in there for your kids!!!. I have 3 aniies myself(unruptured and diagnosed 5 months ago and in the process of making a decision as to when and where should treat one of them).
Hi Fiona - I understand how you are feeling. I was diagnosed with an aneurysm in December 2011 and had it clipped May 2012. I am approaching one year since the surgery and I have been blessed with a successful surgery, a great recovery and am feeling great. I have a 2 year old and a 4 year old so I understand the emotions surrounding family and being there for them. I think it was that very thought that gave me the strength to move forward with the surgery. I couldn't stand the thought of knowing about this ticking time bomb in my head, I was scared to be alone with my kids and the worry was so overwhelming. My aneurysm was small but there were a lot of factors that went in to my personal choice to have it clipped. It is such a personal journey but if you ever want to chat, feel free to send me a message.
Take care and I wish you the best in finding a path that works for you and your family. Gather strength from the people here. There is so much support and understanding.