Healing for my mum

Hi Mel, you don't mention how old your Mum is, but I suffered a severe aneurysm rupture on the basal artery on New Year's Eve 2010, when I was 62. I was in a coma for a couple of months, suffered a minor stroke and three bouts of bacterial meningitis. When I came round from the coma, I had retrograde amnesia - I thought it was 15 years ago and kept calling my husband by my first husband's name, whoops! Luckily he realised I was not myself. I thought my grown children were still little, and could not understand where they were. I was wheelchair-bound because my muscles had wasted - months of physiotherapy put this right. I was near enough blind because the haemorrhage had forced blood into the backs of my eyes. Both eyes were eventually operated on to remove the blood, but the effect is toxic and it had damaged the lenses in my eyes, After a long wait, I had two further operations to replace the damaged lenses with plastic prescription ones - like contact lenses inserted inside my eyes. This was done under local anaesthetic and was not painful and did not take long. Now my distance sight is good, I just need glasses for reading and the computer. I still suffer from urinary incontinence and have to wear horrid, expensive incontinence pants. I hope in time I can see a urologist and something can be done about this. I cannot straighten the fingers of my right hand, apparently both my fists were tightly clenched all the time i was in a coma, and it seems the joints have calcified. Luckily I am left-handed! But I cannot touch-type any more. I suffered badly from fatigue and daily headaches and swimmy vision in the first stages of my recovery, but these slowly went away. I started going daily to the gym, both to build my muscles up again, and because I had heard that exercise is a good antidote for depression. The emotional issues are worse, they say I have post-traumatic stress disorder, a lot of anxiety and depression.I tried meditation and all sorts. I used to weep unconsolably for hours every day, feeling my life had been stolen away, as I could not drive or go out to work, and a lot of "friends" deserted me. I was put on medication for this, an antidepressant and a strong tranquiliser because I was so agitated. This latter, I have finally, just a week ago, managed to wean myself off - not funny. I have recently gone back to earning a little money by proofreading and copy editing, and it's good to know I still have enough brain left to do this! You have to be very patient and just aim for slow, small, daily improvements. Tell your Mum it DOES get better! It annoys me, though, when well-meaning people say, "Nobody would guess anything had happened to you!" I think, "You have no idea what it feels like inside!" I still get disorientated, and for a long time I had a weird feeling like I was watching myself on TV or walking next to myself - not in my own body at all. My sister, who is a horsey person, said, "You're bound to feel a bit weird, it's like you've been kicked in the head by a horse!" I just want my old, confident, upbeat self back. Slowly, slowly, I will get there. Feel free to PM me, or get your Mum to, if you want to talk about anything. Bless you both.

Bless you for being there for your mum. I'm 45 plus years post surgery for a ruptured aneurysm. Outcomes depend largely on where the rupture was. Mine was in the speech center. For months I slurred words and, at times, had to search for the word I wanted. But eventually everything returned to the point where it was like nothing happened (except for the grotesque Burr holes. But they are hidden by hair.)

You really should discuss your and your mother's concerns with the neurosurgeon. The surgeon knows exactly where the rupture was and what part of the brain was most affected. Your mum may need physical/occupational therapy. The surgeon will know if this will help.

I’m 57 two yrs ago I had ruptured anyurisums three have been coiled. I lost vision in my left eye. It took almost 2 yrs for my eye to get to a blurrie point. My short term memory is not as I use to be. I go back into hospital

Next week to coil the last of four anyurisums . Your mom is feeling the way all of us do. We wonder why god has given us second chances. I feel I was saved for a reason god just needs to give me a hint as to why. Just keep your love flowing and god bless your mom.

Hi Melanie. I suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm 15 months ago. In my case the Dr decided to operate and clip the aneurysm as opposed to coiling. After the surgery I had no vision out of my right eye, but it slowly came back in three months. I still have memory issues but they are improving. I understand what your mother says, as it can be scary, frustrating, etc.....but please let her know that it does get better and although hard to do at times she needs to be patient and kind to herself. She has survived! Sending thoughts and positive energy that her recovery continue. She is very lucky to have her family around her, and I think you will all find this site very helpful and inspiring.

Hi Melanie , I had a rupture aneurysm in my left side on the main communicating artery and they had to clip it. They had to do a craniotomy its a very slow process.. what help me a lot is that "Recovery is not an event is a JOURNEY"

I had problems with my vision and memory problems as well. After 37 years working I was unable to go back to work because of my memory problems..... Listen they tell me all the time we (all) of us that have survived a rupture aneurysm we are a MIRACLE.. My family loves me and this was a lesson for all of us. Love your mom and be supportive. I used to get upset cause I wanted to be Kay again.... What counts is that we still here for each other.

The Lord has the last word and HE left us here and we have a purpose and a meaning.

I pray for strength and wisdom to continue the journey. This site has help me a lot

Hope is all well

Love Kayliene

Hi Mel,

I am sure you will here it over, and over again, but unfortunately, there are no easy answers. Every aneurysm is different, and many factors can play a role in your mom's recovery. Depending on what area of the brain the rupture occurred and how far the damage extended to plays a role, as well as her health previously, age, and may other factors.

My aneurysm occurred over 8 years ago at the age of 16. The rupture caused an acquired brain injury that was diffuse, so it affected many areas of the brain. It extended into the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobe. It affected my speech and language, reading and writing, receptive and expressive language, processing speed, memory and many other things as well, so I feel I may understand the frustration and confusion your mom is going through. Imagine living your life the way you did all your life, and then all of a sudden, you lose all these abilities you didn't even know you could lose! I feel like 8 years later, I have been able to make great progress that I couldn't recognize before, but there are things that are still difficult. I have started to live well with the changes in my brain, and I am really happy with where I am, though I now believe this may well be a lifelong journey. I also lost peripheral vision in both eyes in the bottom right quadrants (homonymous hemianopsia) and that has not returned, however, I have learned to compensate for my vision loss, and I don't even notice I have it really. They suspended my drivers licence even before I even could get one so I couldn't attempt to drive before being assessed. But After many years, I have obtained my a driver's licence. I was told that the vision loss may or may not return early on, but after about a year or so after the aneurysm, they will have a better idea of if the vision will remain stable or return to any degree.

My advice to her is to never give up. Initially, my prognosis was quite grim. My family was told that if I survived, that I would be in long term care, and that I wouldn't be able to do a lot of things. I have been able to regain many of the abilities I lost, or learned how to compensate for the skills I have lost. There will be many tough days ahead, but with the support of health care professionals, friends and family, you can move forward and make progress towards your goals! Reach out to people, and accept their help and support from everyone. Also, it took me a while to find a balance between pushing myself to reach my goals of "pre-injury life" and accepting that things may be different, but that doesn't mean it is the end, and you can still have a really meaningful life! After my brain injury, my life plan changed, my career path changed and many other things changed.

Also, although I don't have personal experience as a family member of a person with an aneurysm, I do understand that brain injury affects the entire family, not just the injured person. Please seek support if you ever need it. Reach out to other families who may be going through similar things, seek support from medical professionals if needed etc. You can only care for your loved ones if you take care of yourself.

On my profile, I posted articles written about part of my journey if you are interested in reading it. But again, everyone experiences things differently.

http://hollandbloorview.ca/article/the-journey-from-whatchamacallit
http://issuu.com/hollandbloorview/docs/bloom_winter_2014_-_web/25?e...


I truly wish you and your family all the best!

Take care,
Irene


Hi Mel,
My mom had 2 brain aneurisms on June 4th. The first one she thought something was wrong and managed to call 911 and get to the hospital. The 2nd happened during the CT scan at the hospital. That was the the one that brought her down. The dr. said 50/50 she would make it thru surgery and 50/50 if she would recover. She had a severe brain bleed that pooled in the front right lobe. He had to remove a small portion of the lobe. He said we would know how she will be in a week and a half. She was still in a coma after that and so he said 2 weeks we would know. She had woken from the coma, but she was not alert or aware and would only withdraw from pain and spontaneously open her eyes. Then the dr. said 4 months. I was terrified and I thought she would not recover. She is in a rehab now and is more aware, saying some words and awake much more. She finally said " I love you" back to me a couple of weeks ago. I thought I would never hear that again. She can now move her hands and arms very slowly and has the tremoring when she uses her limbs. She could only move her legs slightly a month ago. She is not the same and I don’t think she ever will be, but for the grace of God, she is still here and she wants to get better! I have to remind her daily what happened. She starts to tear up, but I quickly remind her how far she has come and that she is getting better. I also tell her that the traich and the hospital bed are temporary. She soon realizes this is true :slight_smile: She wants to see her 3 year old granddaughter again and I always show her pics and video. I can’t bring my daughter to visit quite yet. I want my mom to be a little more lucid for my daughter’s sake. So my advice to you is to remind your mom about the love in her life and that a lot of her symptoms are temporary. No one knows how much or in what area anyone will recover, BUT it is happening. Life will forever be different for all of us, but it’s worth every minute! I would have never wished this for my mom, but I told her the other day that I think she’s supposed to be here and she repeatedly and strongly nodded YES!
Good luck and my fondest wishes are with you and all of the survivors on this site!!!
Love, Stacy

Hi Melanie - I had a ruptured aneurysm this past February and although I didn’t have significant vision issues I definitely still have short term memory issues. At 8 weeks I don’t think I remembered a whole lot and still have trouble but as time has passed I’ve gotten so much better. It can be discouraging in the beginning but with help from the speech therapist who worked with me on cognitive issues I’ve made headway and I can say time is your friend in the healing process. Physical and occupational therapy is very helpful and whatever all the therapists have your mum do it can only help even if she doesn’t feel like it’s helping. It can be overwhelming at times and with your support and love your mum will be on her way back to her old self. She needs to try to have patience and allow herself to heal. She is in good company and is not alone. We are here for her and you so post anytime with your thoughts and concerns. We all will be thinking of you and wish you the best with her recovery journey!

Hi!! yes I believe she will improve judging from my recovery from level 5 sah. I had to relearn to walk talk and eat. Both my eyes blind on left side, they all said might come back but it has not yet in 5 yrs but thank God I can see straight ahead and to the right, also thankful I can walk a little- it took 3 therapists to get me up walking with a harness . Don't worry what she cant do , believe, pray and believe some more!! Hopefully she will be able to join us real soon, in the meantime please tell her about me and the others and remind her daily- repetition is key at this early stage. Please have patience, let us know any changes= it helps to write, You can blog the new developments in her recovery then it will be on your page and chronologically listed for your review and hers- I would pay good money for details of the early stuff I don't recall. Any questions please feel free to ask, I will send you a friend request and you can write me direct or just write in forum to get a hodgepodge!-lol, tc you all are in my thoughts and prayers, my heart goes out to you all, hang in there it is darkest right before the dawn!!

Hi Mel

My aneurysm also ruptured. My walking, thinking and balance was terrible. The left eye could not see until the eye doctor put a clear sticker with lines on the left eye. Slowly I learned to walk, think, eat and see! There are things I don't remember, but does not bother me cause I don't know it. lol My mind set "This is only temporary." I needed to write notes to help me remember what needed to be done. Discouragement comes when we focus on circumstances instead of the Lord. What is your mom's name for prayer.

Sheady

Prayers are sent to you and your mom. Each case is differnt but I can say with time things change . After my rupture 15 years ago I could not talk or walk. Lots of therapy I am able to walk and talk again. Someone said to keep the memory sharp this is very important I found a great neuro therapist and I still see her she has help me adapt to things I can’t change and we have done so much together trying to keep my brain sharp. I was like your mom at first I wanted the old me back after I learn to adapt it really help the way I felt inside.

Hi there, somebody said to me patience and time are an aneurysm survivors best friend. I had giant anuersym that I fly to Sydney for to ad it operated on. When I woke up I couldnt talk, eat, walk, move my left hand/arm and couldn’t see the outter vision on the left side After about 6 months of 5 days a week from 9-3pm speech, occupational health and physio therapy I can walk, talk eat and drive now as my sight came back. I have come back to work full time. You just need to think positively and work around the now you. Hope this helps your mums in her recovery.

Hi Melanie,

From what you write, your mother has already made some good progress during the time you indicate. The support of her family is very important and will help her immensely.

My wife had a ruptured aneurysm almost 3 years ago, was given up as a lost cause, and yet today is doing very well. We were told she could wake up and walk out of the hospital just fine, wake up and not know anyone, or somewhere in between. In the mercy of God, the outcome was very good. The medical professionals can fix something, but they cannot predict outcomes.

My wife, too, wanted sometimes to return to the way life used to be. That is impossible. There will be a new normal. She experienced symptoms much like your mother, but today the only remnants of the aneurysm are a left leg that lacks some strength and balance, some lack of emotional control, and some uncertainty in memory. Otherwise she is doing everything she used to do, even if a bit more slowly.

God has given your mother life and wants her alive somewhat longer. Each day she can praise Him for that. And that is important.

Blessings on you all.

Greetingz Mel! As most have said, each journey is different, but we all share similar experiences. I will say, patience, and much love is the best support for your Mum. Also coming to this site is a big help. Recovery is different for each one of us. We all suuport everyone here. My Prayers are with you, and sending pozytive energy your way.
Blessingz to your Mum and family~

I love this response because although mine did not rupture I still had a difficult time with many issues including some lingering memory issues. As a counselor this area is now my specialty because initially I was so angry that I could not have the "old me" back. Now I embrace the new me and remain forever grateful that I made it through with two aneurysms. Like everyone else is saying time is the most important thing. Yes, it gets so very frustrating and allow yourself a short pity party and then forge forward. :) God Bless and best of luck!!

Liz

Hi Mel…your mother is still in the early stage of recovery. It does take time. I think all of us have experienced the loss of memory. I’m told I have short term memory loss…I do have to make lots of notes…like what I want to do the next day. Have her try reading aloud. Do simple games…like work on sudokus…she will see how it gets easier. Hopefully she can get back to her regular activities slowly. Tell her to smile… It will make her feel better as well those around her… Good luck to her.

My girlfriend Mary was found to have an aneurysm detected by an MRI for an ear test. It was given almost immediate treatment and coiled. She experienced some headaches, her memory and possibly her vision was affected. A year later the headaches appear to have ended. Her memory I think is still affected somewhat however she can remember important things and uses her phone to remind her to remember simple things she knows she would forget. Mary drives to work and has a full time job. Although your mum had a ruptured aneurysm I think her memory can improve, its natural to be disorientated by the great shock of what she has experienced. Encourage your mum and family to accept that it will take time for her to recover. Take it one day at a time. Shay

Hi Mel,

I had coil after SAH I was in cuckoo land for an age but I had Ventriculitis,Sepsis and many other illness while in hospital.

Once I came around I have taken giant steps for me. OT said to put me in a home as I'd never walk.

I can walk a little now and thank my hubby for not giving up on me.

It's a long haul but she/Mum will get there. Sing to her and talk as we might fall asleep a lot but we are in here. Get your rest also as you will need to be strong for her when she comes home.

Good luck to you and Mum xx show her photos etc. music helps xx

You need rest but Mum needs you and she is scared. Water is good for Mum

Good luck Again xx

Hi my Mom had a ruptured aneurysm in dec 2010.She also had a coil put in.She was in rehab for 2 two weeks she had several problems that in time went away.The only problem she still has is the headaches.My mom is 87.Good luck with your mom our prayers are with you and her.