So I’ve always had headaches all my life. Growing up, in the Army, & working two jobs and living off fast food. Well 3 years ago(12-5-10) I had my first Migraine that lasted 2 weeks before I went to the VA. After a CTA they found the Aneurym, sent me home with Pain meds(the migraine lasted for 3 more weeks), and told me I needed to find a Neurologist(she gave me the first of many nerve blocks & pain killers).
The Neurologist at the time told me to lose weight, lower my blood pressure, and de stress or think about filling a hole sooner than later(and the migraines got better, but I take a lot of meds to manage my blood pressure). At that point the Aneurym wasn’t ‘that bad,’ but I was assured that would change(So I totally changed my life style, lost weight, & I eat healthy)
Well, a few months ago I started having balance issues, along with seeing double, which I thought was Vertego(IDK), but then I lost feeling on the my right of my face and arm. Oh, and blinking my left eye, yeah that stopped working… So I decided to find the best Radiologist I could find in my area & state my issue.
Well my previous Neurologist was pretty slack compared to this guy. He wanted a CTA, a MRI, and a Angiogram(really looking forward to paying that bill off). After all of that the Dr advised me that my issue had grown a lot(a lot), I had 3 aneurysms, & I had a blood clot pushing on my brain stem & action needed to happen. He also recommended I get a second opinion from a Dr in NYU, an expert on PED’s. So I did(road trip to NYC, yeah!).
The picture the two Dr’s painted was/is awful. I need to have the PED or worse a Bypass if I wait(it would appear my fusiform Aneurysm is a big one & it may become too big to have the PED).
So I have come here to seeking guidance, support, & information on Fusiform Aneurysms & PED’s(this craziness that is… Awful & life stealing…)
I had a fusiform giant aneurysm in the carotid. It was considered, at 3 cm, too large for a PED. I had a balloon occlusion test on the artery to test if I needed a bypass, but there was enough blood getting round from the other arteries so bypass was not required. I then went on and had coils placed into the aneurysm then the artery blocked off. As a consequence, although I didn't have a 'stroke', I definitely have problems with cognition mainly memory and attention problems which mean I have been unable to get back to work. My vision has improved, though, and my quality of life is good. And I'm alive!
As I have no experience of a PED I can't really advise. My suspicion is that I would have less cognitive difficulty if the arterial supply to right brain had been preserved and if it had been technically feasible a PED might have been better. However at least I've had something definite done, some people on here seem to have repeated angios or interventions after their first PED and the long term is still not know as it is relatively new.
Fusiform aneurysms are not very common, so I'll be interested to see what other feedback you get.
Hi Erich...so glad you found our main forum at BAF...but also, click below and ask to join...it is the PED group here at BAF...and this will be even more helpful to you...also, if you look below the right hand corner you can chat with others at BAF... Hope this helps you out...
Judith thank you do much for sharing your information with me… I know(so they tell me) the PED was not an option to me until recently & soon it will no longer be an option… So I have to plan on the PED or look at other options… The other options the Dr had stated are for patients worse than me & carry higher risk of stork & worse. So… Good times
Once again Colleen you rock, I just ask to join the the PED group and look forward to tooling around with then… I’ll check your link out when I can get on a PC… Thanks again!
I am no expert, but I do have a PED. I don't however have a fusiform giant, just a regular giant wide-necked annie. If they are advising that the PED is feasible, with low risk, DO IT. Don't wait. It is my understanding that fusiforms are the hardest to treat, and if you wait, it may become completely untreatable and inevitably fatal. I'm not trying to scare you, but you should take action right away - any annie is capable of rupturing at any given moment, and there is no rhyme and reason to them. I seem to think I've heard that fusiforms are not generally compatible with PED, so a second opinion would certainly be warranted I think. Please keep up on your blood pressure meds - it is critical to maintain your pressure in this circumstance. Please don't do anything else on the "don't do this" list for annies - smoking being #1. Bypass surgery isn't the worse that could happen, but it is certainly the most invasive and probably the riskiest. PED is a cinch when it works, despite some side effects like headaches (but I think other treatments have those too). It is truly a great treatment, but alas long term data isn't available since it's so new (but I'm alive because of it, and that's good enough for me). It is done the same way an angiogram is done, through the groin into the femoral artery, except that you are fully anesthetized like a normal surgery. No scarring, no major surgery recovery issues, just the reaction your body has to the device and the new blood flow and all the readjustment therein. I would love to hear how your story goes - and might I recommend some prayers (He is always listening, whether you've ever even considered Him or not - it doesn't take a ceremony, years of Bible study, or even a church, just ask and ye shall receive, that simple). I will pray for you Erich, and I hope you find answers soon!