I haven’t posted in some time…. My little history started 01/05/2024 and includes a ruptured 18mm x 14mm x 11mm annie on my left and a smaller non-ruptured 5.8mm x 3.6mm bilobed guy on my right – all diagnosed/discovered 2+ days post-rupture after an intercontinental flight. I had my last stent procedure one year ago on Oct 31, 2024, and specifically scheduled 1-yr out for a diagnostic angiogram this Thursday Oct 30 to check in on my little titanium friends. I am noticing on here that not everyone gets a diagnostic angio after stenting… have others had the diagnostic angio as a “check” once treated? I feel like I am seeing more MRAs? My neurosurgeon had also “banned” me from travelling internationally (he knows both my hubby and myself are from abroad), until he gives me the “all clear” from this upcoming angio. I see folks travelling to Greece, etc. (happy for you!)…
So between the latter “ban” and the fact that the non-ruptured one was coiled/stented April ‘24 when he notified me of a crimp situation/catheter ensnaring the coil , and ultimately, that stent was rendered as not completely covering the neck as it was supposed to… and so that July ‘24, we went back in and re-stented – so now wondering (worried) if there is something he had not highlighted as a real concern, so as to not worry us.
Other than my question about angiogram or MRA follow up, I’m just here for some BAF love
Had my diagnostic angiogram six months after stent installed. Cannot have anymore unless it’s to save my life as I went into severe anaphylaxis. I’m allergic to the dye and always have had a reaction but never as bad as I did. They just got worse with each angiogram and MR with contrast. Now I only get MRI/As
Remember to breathe and hydrate! Sending lots of love and hugs too, you got this! Please don’t forget to come back on and let us know how it went. Before you know it, you’ll be back in the friendly skies!
Yup, been there done that. I think that we all get a diagnostic angiogram after the stent was inserted. Mine was one year after the stent if I remember correctly, my stent had moved a little but it was still doing its job. After that angiogram my neurosurgeon told me tat I could travel abroad, I am also from a different country and he knew that I wanted to attend my son’s wedding. I didn’t have to take any more Plavix, but I was still on a high dose of Aspirin, so the neurosurgeon told me just to be extra cautious so I didn’t hurt myself. My husband and I made the 20 hours trip without any problems. I have been lucky to survive to see two new grandchildren in our family. After this angiogram I have had MRA and MRI’s so I think this is how they do the follow ups.
Thanks @Moltroub— I do feel that every angio I had last year was “worse” recovery than the previous one. After the first and maybe second, I eventually managed to skip napping in the afternoon, then came the third and I still need my afternoon snooze.
Thanks @oct20 — good to know that you got a similar timeline for an angio, as well as the travel “ban.” It’s somewhat reassuring…. I mean, I trust my neurosurgeon, it’s just that my mind goes a fluttering in many different directions!
Hi Karla, I had a stent placed July 3, and will have a follow-up angiogram on December 16. I’m interested to read about your travel instructions. On Sunday, I am flying domestically for the first time since the stent placement. My neurosurgeon and I both agree we want to see the angiogram results before I travel internationally again (work in Africa, fly a lot domestically and internationally). If my angiogram shows the stent is holding and no growth in my other two unruptured aneurysms, it’s just periodic MRAs after that.
I hope all goes well for you. Angiograms are no fun, but feel like a luxury considering the detail they give.
You know @Karla that you are always going to get some BAF love from me!
I am thinking of you and sending good thoughts for today’s angiogram. You’ve got this!!!
I had my stent placed on October 17, 2024, and then my follow-up angiogram in March 2025. I could have had it sooner, but one family member in particular wanted to be my driver so I was beholdened to that driver. Of course, the main diffference between us was that my residual was much smaller, ~3 mm, hence why so soon!
I felt so fantastic once I learned it was occluded, I had no appreciation for how much it was weighing on me. I am optimistic you will feel that way soon too!
Thanks for the BAF love… I need it. I have two more long hours to lay flat before they let me go home.
So… not the good news I was looking for today. Doc says my unruptured guy on the right has some filling — the second stent didn’t do its job either! @Moltroub maybe they were trying to join yours on Holiday! Doc gave me the quick hallway “after-angio” synopsis, briefed hubby in the waiting room and we will schedule a clinic visit to review all my imaging and OPTIONS for treatment. My hubby said Doc floated going back the endovascular route with more coils from the top (since there is a stent traffic jam on the lower access) or more long-term…. clipping. Nothing decided at this point, but I don’t get to Pass Go for now. Sigh…
@darlysaar Nope, today’s angiogram was no fun at all! I think I had a sedative last time, because the local numbing this time was very minimal and I felt a LOT! Indeed, it is incredible what they can decipher from the angio.
As for the international travel, he just said “I don’t want you travelling internationally.” I didn’t question it for more details, ‘cause, well, like you, I agreed. My understanding is that we tend to get dehydrated when travelling and just general stress on the body… and thus your brain. Incidentally, I had flown back from Europe to the US post-rupture (not yet diagnosed) and he said the plane is pressurized, so that is not a factor in his opinion.
Given my news today, better to be safe than sorry.
Jimminy Christmas @Karla, I am so so sorry that that was the news from the angiogram. No, certainly, not ideal at all!!
However, I am grateful that you did have the angiogram done, so this way YOU get to fix those little buggers, instead of them surprising you again! Grab your best camoflauge because they have no idea how fierce a warrior you are!!
Sending you way more BAF love than before!! Let us know how you are doing!!
Well heck and dang it all! I can think of many places for our stents to take a holiday, but I’m rather glad they’re still in our own brains. I’m coming to the conclusion that mine is a part time employee.
Do you think how we feel during angiograms is based on the RNA/Anesthesiology doc and the cocktail they give us more than on our surgeons? Just something I’ve often wondered, because each of mine have been a bit different and the only correlation I can come up with is the person who stands up at the left side of my head and watches me along with the machines or is supposed to anyways. If I ever have another angiogram, I’m going to ask that person.
Indeed @FinWhaleFan the bright side is that we now know the hardware in place is not doing its job (slacker!) and we can move forward with one treatment that best fits the job. I have the Clinic visit/follow up this Monday at 9am with my neuro, so will have a direction – whatever it may be. Given that this guy already was stented twice, I am prepping myself for what he may advise. Having said that, while recently reading this post Recovery following Clipping Unruptured Aneurysm , I thought to myself, well, I have nothing to contribute here, I now find myself staring down this option as a reality and really appreciate this platform to manage all our expectations/fears/anxiety, while acknowledging that everyone will still have their own unique journey.
@Moltroub yes, I do agree, it depends on the RNA/Anesthesiology team – I do believe that I did not get sedation this time, even if I had an IV. Also, my neurosurgeon had the resident “do” everything, which is to be expected in a teaching hospital. The nurse in recovery advised me to make sure and ask for “all of it” - referring to sedatives/fentanyl/whatever to be sure. I certainly do not recall wincing when they “threaded” in the catheter. So yeah, if there is a bit of advice for anyone going in for a diagnostic angio, ask for “all of it” when it comes to sedation and pain management.
If I could I’d always ask for John, the RNA who said he’d put me in my happy place when I had the stent installed. He didn’t lie. I used to tell Dr.Q-W I didn’t want Dr.X anywhere near me. She had another Resident by the same last name who she couldn’t use. It was after that angiogram I had told her why I didn’t want Dr. X. He was the one who said no one was allergic to gadolinium as I was having an allergy attack and the one who didn’t put enough pressure on the plug resulting in Dr. doing a handstand on my femoral artery to stop the bleeding She finally understood why and said I never had to worry about him again. She did have a Resident that got to start the catheter in my last diagnostic angiogram who I quite liked and encouraged her to keep going, alas, she stopped because there was a bend in my radial artery and preferred Dr. Q-W to do it. I asked her what she was going to do when Dr.Q-W wasn’t there and she needed to learn to deal with torturous arteries, I didn’t mind. She still refused. But she was great when I went into severe anaphylaxis. I’d be her patient even though I’m awful squiggly. Unfortunately I’ve forgotten her name and it wasn’t on my records that I could find.
So my neuro had asked the team to prep my left groin for access since I had “so many” angiograms on the right last year and he already had trouble going through the right radial artery. I want to say this is the first time they did the left and like I mentioned, I found it particularly teeth-grinding painful at certain points when they were going in. I had been feeling tenderness in my lower back throughout yesterday and last night, I got up to use the bathroom and got a sharp, shooting/stabbing pain in my left lower back - the kind that makes your whole body writhe in pain. It subsided as I wobbled to a position where it didn’t hurt and continues to be triggered depending on my position… so sleep last night was not great. I of course immediately searched on here for “back pain” and there seems to be a number of posts from both coiling and clipping that result in fairly long-term back pain… Anyone else experienced this post-angiogram?
Also, I have been trying to get myself ready for my clinic visit tomorrow morning to determine “next steps.” My husband suspects that the doctor floated the two options, re-coil from the “other” side OR clip, so that we will be less surprised if we go with the latter. I have seen you post about the Circle of Willis
before @Moltroub and it kind of went over my head TBH, and finally understand that both my aneurysms are hanging with Willis. My right aneurysm is on my right posterior communicating artery and doc suggested that it would be “easy” to access from the back of the skull for clipping. Of course, this would be the better long-term solution for this guy, but then I see posts about healing nerve pain from the “cut” and very much terrifies me! The left one that ruptured is on the Left Internal Carotid Artery and doc says he’s looking good – so that is great news/silver lining! I will update again after tomorrow…
Hopefully you are so exhausted from last night’s sleep that it will be super easy for you to rest tonight.
Whatever happens tomorrow I know that you are in EXCELLENT hands, and that is fantastic news about the LICA aneurysm doing so well! It probably won’t surprise you if I recommend a little bit of relaxation breathing, will it? [Honestly, I can use some myself about now so time for me to take a dose of my own medicine. ]
I am very much thinking of you and holding you close to heart. I have every confidence that you will decide on the best course of treatment for you!
Thanks @FinWhaleFan – I forgot to tell you that when that goddamned local anesthesia needle went in, I thought of you saying Box breathe, Box breathe! In 1-2-3-4, hold 1-2-3-4…. I was really trying to not hyperventilate!
Indeed, I am very confident that my neuro will advise the best direction for me… it’s just that interstitial space of time between the diagnostic and the clinic visit that you don’t know what to do with yourself. Well, tomorrow will come soon enough and I will be well rested!
for treatment. My hubby said Doc floated going back the endovascular route with more coils from the top (since there is a stent traffic jam on the lower access) or more long-term…. clipping. Nothing decided at this point, but I don’t get to Pass Go for now. Sigh…
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