How I found out!

Hello All,

I left work early on October 1, 2021, to head to a doctor’s appointment. As I was on the highway, I was driving downhill in the left lane and looked at my radio for a quick second. I started to drift toward the guardrails and turned my wheel to correct the car. I turned the wheel too quickly and swerved across the right lane into the side of a mountain, where I flipped my car three times. I should not have walked away from this accident, but thankfully I did with minor injuries! This was when my headaches began. I saw a neurologist, concussion Dr., memory Dr., and Physical Therapy. I went two weeks before I was diagnosed with a concussion and started to get treatments for that.

In November 2021, I saw a neurologist and a headache specialist in the same neurology department. The neurologist sent me to get the full MRI/MRA workup. While in Washington State, I received a voicemail from a Nurse (Neurologist’s nurse) that I needed to go to Westchester ASAP to see a Neurosurgeon for what appears to be an aneurysm. I reached out to my other Dr, and she told me this was handled poorly, and when I got back from Washington, I would get a Catscan with contrast and see the head Neurologist in their department. I did this, and they told me they saw nothing, but we would continue to monitor it. 2/1/22 I had a check-up MRA, and again they saw nothing; we will continue to monitor this. On 9/22/22, I had another MRA, and on 10/3/22, I had my follow-up. I received the news that he saw an outpounching and was referring me to a neurosurgeon in Westchester.

On 10/11/22, I went to Westchester and brought all my discs from my previous test, and Dr. notes. Dr. S reviewed my original MRI/MRAs and my most recent ones. He informed me that I indeed have an outpouching, which could be an aneurysm on the left carotid artery in my brain, and that nothing has changed since my original tests. My heart sank at that moment. I am an otherwise healthy 30-year-old female. I couldn’t wrap my head around everything. He scheduled me for an angiogram to confirm that it was an aneurysm and its location. He had discussed that depending on where an aneurysm is in your brain depends on how you would treat it. He mentioned some type of line (I believe he called it a dura line?). If it was below this line, it was safe to monitor it, and no problems would result, but if it was above the line, that is when we would discuss options.

On 10/17/22, I went in for my angiogram, and once it was finished, Dr. S came into the room and told me that it was above the line and irregular. He said that he usually would tell his patients to treat this, but due to my age, he didn’t know if I would want to treat it or just monitor it. After thinking things over and understanding being on medication for a while, I decided to proceed with surgery.

On 12/12/22, I will be undergoing a pipeline embolization (stent). I am really nervous about this procedure but also happy to get it done so I won’t have to worry about my aneurysm any longer. I am currently on Plavix and Asprin.

Has anyone had this procedure?

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@AngelaM
Welcome to our group that no one would like to be a member of. You have come to the right venue to ask those questions. Many of us have “been there done that “
You can read about my own story in the profile. I have a stent and coils in my previously ruptured aneurysm, in my right internal carotid artery. The stent was implanted six months after my rupture and the procedure was a mild breeze compared to the rupture and the following weeks and months.
I was also very anxious before the procedure, but the neurosurgeon assured me that it will be fine. I went home the day after the procedure and as of today, I am almost back to my normal life. The aneurysm is now occluded from the main artery. It will take a while before they let you stop the Plavix, Aspirin will be for the rest of our lives, but now I’m only taking 81mg which is far better than what I started with.
You can search “pipeline embolization” or stent on our page and you will find many different posts that might help you.
Good luck with everything.

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Welcome! What a way to find out, my goodness! But you did find it with the help of your doctors and that’s great news.

I too have a stent, just not the PED as it wouldn’t work where my aneurysm was (left internal carotid artery bifurcation). My stent was put in on my fourth repair attempt. I will find out next year how it’s doing but it has improved a lot of my issues. I ruptured several years before medical science caught up with me and developed a stent that could be used. Like @oct20, I did the Plavix and now on 81 mg of aspirin.

You can do a search on PED specifically. Please realize people have different reactions to treatments a Neurosurgeon uses. I’ve learned here that folks who are able to stay positive have a better time of it.

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