Would love to hear from others who have had aneurysms that have not grown over many years if you are out there. I have small multiple rt ICA aneurysms the largest of which was 3mm 2 years ago when I had my scan. The reassurance would be really helpful tonight Thanks Kelly
Kelly,
If you have taken proactive lifestyle changes to help prevent future growth of aneruysms I believe you will be in good shape. Make sure that you keep following up with your Doctor to make sure they are within the range below that which requires surgical intervention. The following are proactive steps you can take so they don't become a problem:
• not smoking
• exercising regularly
• eating a balanced, low-fat diet
• getting help for alcohol and/or drug abuse
• controlling high blood pressure
Thankyou for your response. I have a feeling my aneurysms are not very operatable because of things the neurosurgeon said like, "if i operate on you you would have a stroke and not like me very much " Also he gave me 2-4 years before the next scan which seems long to wait. I have a good lifestyle as you suggested, on blood pressure medicine, but it does jump around. My question is I do have wine at night with dinner (no abuse) but is drinking contraindicated ? Kelly
hi Kelly,
Sorry to say, Im not able to give you advice, but thank you for posting the question as I am looking for the same answers myself. I too am on babysitting watch for a 4mm L ICA, I had an 8mm unruptured anne coiled in April 2011 and am all bettered up now, or at least thats my opinion, got to wait for the 12 month angio to confirm this, and also check on the one to watch. I'm already getting impatient and its only been 3months since discovery, so feel for you having them so much longer and having to wait a longer sentence...oops I mean time!!!!! to have them checked.
Hope many more experienced "anne Sitters" give positive answers and thoughts to this post, as I am sure this must be one of the more common question bobbing about our bungled brains. :)
Best Wishes
Gaynor
Jim - when did you pass the 8yr mark? I think I remember you back in the “7yr” days! (and now you’re another year younger, right? Isn’t that how your personal math works???!!!)
I remember my wife’s neurosurgeon commenting on wine after her surgery and it wasn’t contraindicated. In fact he recommended it in moderation of course.
Hi, Kelly. I am new here - I have a basilar tip annie which I also recently found out about. My question to you, I live in Westhampton and am seeing Dr Shirmer at Baystate and wonder who your neurosurgeon is (I'm wondering if I should go to Boston).
Thanks,
Sherri
Hi Kelly,
I had a right 9mm ICA annie @ the ophthalmic artery which was just stented with the PED (pipeline stent) in June. I also have a 2mm left side ICA annie also at the ophthalmic artery which is on the wait and see list. My annies were just discovery this past May, 2011 and I am hoping that when I go for my follow up angio in December that the 2mm has not grown and that the 9mm has occluded. My doctor advised me that since I quit smoking (which I did immediately upon my annies being discovered) that I greatly would reduce the chance of the 2mm annie growing. Other than that, I have no other restrictions. I do take blood pressure meds, but that also has been jsut since my annies were discovered and I'm hoping to go off all meds come this December.
Best wishes to you and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers,
Linda
I would definitely get a second opinion in another major center... my surgeon is Dr. olgilvy at Mass general Best of luck Kelly
Thanks for the reply linda, Did you have any vision problems from the 9mm? How was it found? I am planning on having these checked at some point in the next year .Curious about this pipeline Who did your surgery? Best wishes to you as well ! Kelly
Hi Kelly,
No I had no problems whatsoever, my annies were discovered incidentially when I was having pain down my left arm and thought I was having a heart attack, that's what made me go to the hospital. My pipeline was done at Thomas Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience by Dr. Pascal Jabbour. Dr. Jabbour and the docs at TJH are proctering other docs on how to do the pipeline surgery, so I felt very comfortable. TJH is also one of the leading annie hospitals in the country.
Best wishes!
Linda
Hi Kelly -
I have 3 aneurysms. The largest was coiled w/ stent nearly a year ago. At my 6mos f/u angio, that one had healed beautifully, and the other 2 had not grown. They tried and couldn't coil one of the other two when I had the original surgery....it was actually the priority given the location, but at 3mm was too small to hold coils. I will get annual MRA's now - so the first MRA will be in 6 more mos. I'm already getting anxious about it. I know there's no predicting growth rates, and I had no risk factors whatsoever to begin with, so I don't have a lifestyle that I can "clean-up" to cut my risk. It really hits sometimes - and is so scary. Other times I manage okay. Hitting the year mark is stirring things up though.
Hope you're doing okay.
Hi Kelly…I have a 9mm coiled basilar tip aneurysm…it was done November 2010…and I have a 2mm aneurysm behind my left eye…Doc’s told me too small to operate, so it is being watched…after my coiling I had 6mos angio and they told me coils were working and my other annie hadn’t grown…I will be rechecked in June, 2012…all I can do is live life and know I have good Doctors watching me…and my other special Doctors watch all my other systems so to avoid any rupture…and try to live a good and healthy life…Colleen
I totally get the stress around check ups! Probably why I am going on three years without a scan…but it lingers in the back of my mind…because of my age and location of my aneurysms I often think i am better off with natural history…not easy stuff …I hope the year mark is not too tough, but I certainly get it! Best Kelly
Thanks for your reply! It sounds like right now things are looking good for you. How was the coiling for you? Any problems after? It certainly helps to have others on watch and wait to talk with and follow!! I hope none of these ever grow for any of us!!! Best Kelly