All good. Even kept power mostly. Some trees down and some minor damage. There is something disconcerting about listening to the wind/rain whip around for hours.
Got back just in time to hope you inherited those Plavix genes too. Agree with @Judi on the bruises although mine are worse on aspirin.
Good luck, God Bless and positive thoughts and prayers!
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Oh my goodness, you guys are all just SO incredible. Thank you for all the emotional support; it means a great deal!!
Made it through the pre-admission stuff with no hiccups. I did quote all of you when meeting with the nurse, but turns out that they will test my blood for coagulation tomorrow pre-surgery. So, that is still a goal to be accomplished, but I am optimistic that will go well. The nurse did wish me âgood luck,â and I mentioned your point @Judi - I am doing nothing, I need the doctors and nurses to have the good luck! 
Thanks for allowing me to type all this up. Only today did I start getting a little bit anxious, but feeling so much better after chatting with you all. Now I need to go off and do some meditation and stretching too before getting back to the âto-doâ list.
See you on the other side of the Coil & Stent Club!
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Glad you only suffered some minor damage, and that you kept power. Fantastic!! I used to live in more hurricane-prone areas, and completely agree that the hours of waiting is very disconcerting. Happy that you are doing o.k. though!!
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If it helps, I looked upon my 2 or 3 days in neuro ICU and neuro ward as an all-inclusive holiday: nothing to do but lie there and be waited on, read a book maybe. Itâs never cold in hospital, so just as good as a trip to the sun, though the food is at best average. Very rarely did I ever have two or three days to myself with no chores to do other than on a holiday, so I looked upon it like that.
Oh (and this has nothing to do with my holidays, at least) the drugs are great!!
We worry about all of this but they will simply lead you through the day and then look after you.
Have a good stay!
Richard
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Ha @DickD! I will have to go to your hospital next time!!
Mine traditionally is freezing cold. BUT, one of the very positive things about it is you can ask for warm blankets (straight from the dryer??). A warm blanket makes everything better!!
That reminds me, I was doing that at home for a short bit, hmmm, going to have to think about reinstituting that as winter approaches. 
This is outpatient surgery for me, but spending overnight to be sure. I am crossing my fingers we can stick to the plan this time, as last time ended up being a month away from home unexpectedly. Fur baby was NOT happy about that! 
Elmer (my Annie) sends along his regards - while he is still with us!!
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Yeah. Avoid the âWhatâs up doc?â punchline!
I think hospitals in the UK are always hot because itâs all nationalised, though there are clearly cost incentives and Iâm sure thereâs an incentive to manage the energy bill. As it happened, they left me by a (cold) open window on something like night 2 or night 3. I decided they thought I was too comfortable and enjoying it too much and needed moving on.
Have a good visit!
Richard
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Excellent point! I am so spoiled with privilege to be here at this moment: to actually be alive and to be so close (although not exactly) to how I was pre Elmerâs rupture.
Histoically I have been considered a fall risk, so I donât have the opportunity to interact with other patients, as I am stuck in bed 24/7. Will be interesting to see how I am classed today! 
Sending healing thoughts and prayers out there to those who are more in need than I!
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Hello all!
I am emailing you in the last few hours from my hospital room, as I wait for my ride.
The surgery held no surprises, so Stage 1 of Killing Elmer is now complete!
I did have some hiccups overnight that resulted in a few extra hours here, but so happy to be heading out the door, and grateful to my amaazing medical team!!
I am also so grateful to all of you for your advice, wisdom, prayers and positive energy. You definitely made a difference ⊠and as another positive, I am still on Plavix so those genes worked. 
Thank you for being the amazing friends that you all are!!!
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Happy dance for you and Elmerâ:dancer:
. Rest, hydrate, rest, eat protein, repeat. I left my phone at CLT airport and didnât get on my tablet the entire time we were gone. Avoid CLT at all costs, itâs a mess. They need a neuropsychologist to fix it.
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Ha!
Avoid CLT at all costs, itâs a mess. They need a neuropsychologist to fix it.
See, there is another positive post-rupture! I would not have understood that pre-rupture, but you just made me LOL - again!
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Hi all -
I just wanted to cycle back and express so much 
and gratitude to you all for your thoughts, prayers and healing energy at my recent pipeline flow diverter stent procedure (back in October, right before @Karlaâs).
Well, the preliminary results are in, and you guys did a GREAT job! My neuroradiologist was very happy with the results, and he believes that Elmer is dead!! I still need to schedule a CT Angiogram to confirm the hypothesis, but even if it shows Elmer is lingering a little bit, I am confident that weâll get him in the end, even if it takes a little bit more time to kill him off entirely.
Three cheers to all our medical teams for all the hard work that they do for us! I canât sing their praises enough.
Thanks also to ALL of you for being there for me - you are deeply appreciated far more than you realize!!!
Guess Iâll stick with ice cream to celebrate since champagne is off the table!
A VERY happy Fin Whale Fan 
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HAPPY DANCEâ:dancer: time! Hopefully you realize how much you support others here!
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Yayy!! So glad to hear all sounds good for you @FinWhaleFan⊠Somehow I missed this whole thread! 
I must have been in my âmental prepâ mode before my own procedure.
My neurosurgeon/radiologist pretty much said he didnât want to see me until a year from October for that angiogram (he didnât say âCTâ angiogram, but maybe he meant that?) to make sure all the coils and stents behaved themselves and stayed put. I am on a no-fly advisory internationally until then, though I am itching to see my parents and family who live abroad⊠In the meantime, I am scheduling a neuro-psych/cognitive evaluation done to see just how functional I am, since my rupture was on the LICA â aside from speech, which I luckily kept intact, high executive function may be impacted, which I kinda need if I go back to work⊠Definitely not ready right now, but Iâd be curious, any thoughts on work or is that off the table at the moment?
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A CT angiogram is laying on a table, having dye injected and pictures taken, whereas an angiogram has the catheter procedure. I used to call it the letâs look and see angiogram vs the letâs try to fix that little bugger again, but one of our members taught me it is called a diagnostic angiogram!
I went to see a Neuro psychologist early on, we had to wait 2-3 months after my second attempt. For me, the testing was long and exhausting even though Dr. Gary split it up. We paid out of pocket instead of using my health insurance per his suggestion.
Took the Wechsler AIS and the MMPI which had to be broken up to several days. Thereâs no right or wrong answer on the MMPI but it does have validity scales (I think five for each question was what I learned) which were quite frustrating for me and I studied the dang test in university.. He didnât send the MMPI to Minnesota so my cost was very reduced and the test wasnât logged and looked over by a computer. This was important for my field of work in case I could return. Itâs a legality thing, that wouldnât apply in your line of work.
He also did several other test and met with BH and I together a few times. Dr. Gary said if he hadnât known me previously to my rupture and the extent of work I did in my field, heâd have locked me up on the 7th floor (psych ward) and thrown away the keyâ:rofl: It was a joke, I think.
We had shared numerous clients over the course of about two decades I guess it was. He also diagnosed BH with PTSD and said interestingly I did not have it. Thatâs because of the work I did I imagine. BH works in corporate America, so different stressors, thus different coping mechanisms. In the end I had lost about 40 IQ points he believed but he also said I was in the high average so about 122.
I could not return to work as you probably know. My healing; although itâs been abundant, is still not enough for the work I did. Unfortunate as I loved my work. The positive and thereâs always a positive, I get to spend holidays with people I love and not out in the field!
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@Karla -
Ha!
When I typed that up, I started to write, âyouâre up next!â but then recalled your neuroradiologist wanted to wait a little while longer. So, I know you are not up next, but it will be here very soon, so start planning your trip - time will fly!!
@Moltroub, thank you for the explanation of the CT angiogram v. the angiogram. I am quite sure that my hydrocephalus played a lot into it because even though I (obviously) have been through both of these several times before, I still confuse them. My important questions are always: a) can I do drive after this procedure myself, or do I need a driver? and b) is this âtwilightâ anesthesia, or do I get the good stuff? Maybe your explanation will stick a little bit more in my brain this time around! 
Back to @Karla: Oh, thatâs tough! I am so sorry you are not able to see your family abroad - they must be SO anxious to see you after only hearing about all you have been through! Hopefully you can leave on November 1st!!! Will be sending good thoughts that will happen! You also remind me⊠I had one neuro-psych cognitive evaluation done about a year ago, but I need to schedule a refresher one because⊠well, ummmâŠ
Surprise! I actually am already back to work! I know, I know - I actually was planning on letting you all know! In my profession, it is pretty common to have your first 90 days as a âprobationaryâ period while everyone tests out the waters to see how things go, so I promise I was going to let you know when that time was up, I just wanted to be sure that everything was going smoothly first.
That being said, I took a job a few steps down, so instead of being one in the chain of bosses, I am now a worker bee. My neurologist wants me to have a lot less stress, so that is my new mantra. You know, itâs kind of nice to just work a normal average day, actually take a lunch (!!!), and not put in the extra hours, so definitely a blessing for sure! ⊠and, yes, I have an eagle-eye on my boss as I see him doing exactly what I used to do, so I drop a hint and then shut my mouth.
So, I havenât scheduled my new neuro-psych test just yet since I had to change insurance companies, and getting all that squared away first as well as waiting out my 90 days since I canât take days off since that is how we do it in the U.S. Thatâs why I am grateful you reminded me to put that back on the to-do list!
FWIW, every day I go to work, before I leave, on goes a burgundy bracelet*. I definitely wanted to have something with me to mark this journey. I know how fortunate I am, and I know that - in some small way - I am representing ALL of us⊠those who are still fighting, and those we have lost. Whatever stage of the journey you are, know that you are with me, and you inspire me to do the best I can to get the word out to those who do not know, and to fight for awareness. Thatâs the next battle I am gearing up for, once I conquer this next skirmish. You all are my inspiration!!
Fin Whale Fan
*Of the tons out there, I went with this one - mostly because it is both awareness for BAs and meningitis ⊠since I had both, it was an easy choice! I am trying to NOT get every other disease that evidently choose burgundy as its color thoughâŠ
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Back to work! Iâm excited for you. Youâre so smart to get a less stressful position
U
Angiograms always have to have a driver when they want to go up inside your brain with the catheter. I thought I hadnât had a CT with dye without having BH take me so I was going to write I didnât know. But I did remember that I had one back in the late 80âs and had an allergic reaction to the iodine. Didnât know it was an allergic reaction because I was young and dumb and just did what the radiologist said to do. I remember the tech was very concerned and ran to get him. I was beet red from head to toe. He wasnât concerned, sent me home telling me to just take Benadryl until I felt better. Took a whole bottle that day. It doesnât knock me out. Then when I went to the anesthesiologist as part of prepping for surgery he was very adamant that it was an allergic reaction and was going to call the hospital I had it done at. So I canât eat more than three shrimp, well I can, and sometimes I do, but usually only during the winter months when I can eat fiveđ. My best friend grew up on the NC coast where shrimping was the main source of employment, she said never eat shrimp in months that donât have ârâ in them.
For the CTA with dye that they do for brains, I have to have BH take me because Iâm allergic to those dyes as well. So allergic, I canât have them anymore. Yet the Radiologist will still recommend them on my findings. Guess they donât read my medical historyđ±
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Thanks for clarifying the difference @Moltroub â I did have a diagnostic angio three months after my first interventional one to determine what to do with the second annie. Yes, I was very much âsedatedâ and awake for that one where you get to see the fireworks!
The neurologist also said the good thing about doing the neuro psych testing now, would be to have a âbaselineâ from which to compare in the future, assuming I have another done to see if there is improvement at some point. Wow, you had a pretty high average IQ 
I have never had my IQ tested, so really donât know⊠Cognitively, I âfeelâ like I am doing fine, but the last thing my neurodoc said to me, was that a hemorrhage disrupts pathways in the brain, and given mine was on the LICA side, I very likely have high executive function deficits that just need rerouting, which takes time and active activities like puzzles, writing by hand, reading paper books, drawing and painting.
Glad you mentioned BH⊠I am pretty convinced that the hubby had/has PTSD from this whole thing⊠did the doc also evaluate BH or did he go on his own to a regular therapist?
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Cheers to you @FinWhaleFan! I know, I know, itâs a work in progress, but itâs still a step forward 
Sounds like you jumped right back into 40 hrs/wk kinda full-time? I know some jobs are either all in or not at all â I donât recall what you do. I have been thinking that if the neuropsych tells me Iâm good to go, that I would do 4-5 hours a day and see how it goes in the first few months as you say. To do that, similarly to you, I think I would have to step down a bit in my role or adjust somehow⊠Incidentally, I have two colleagues who had ischemic strokes - one had his a year before me and one a couple months after me. They both returned to work, and one is part-time/24 hrs and the other went back full-time, but stepped down in his role, as hard as he said it was to do, but still struggling to manage the 40-hr work week remotely. I will cross that bridge when it presents itself, I guessâŠ
I love that you have the bracelet to mark your/our journeys â you had me going down the Etsy rabbit hole which also made me wonder if I should get a medical bracelet⊠do you see how my mind takes me all over the place? I was saying to a friend that I think I now have ADHD â I suppose that neuropsych test should tell me⊠And yes to awareness! Iâve already had my brother get an MRI and a close friend is doing one this week, since her Mom had one.
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Spot on @Karla, I did go back full-time for a few reasons!
- In my niche profession, there are not as many PT opportunities.
- My medical team didnât express any concerns, and my neurologist basically said that we can do all sorts of testing, but in short, the only way to know is to try. So, I am trying, and as some other BA folks told me, just to be flexible and adjust as needed.
- Someone around here has to pay the bills, and the fur baby wasnât having much luck getting hired. (LTD was signalling they wanted to move me off the payroÄșl (fair enough), but I beat them to the punch by a few months. )
Ideally, if I had the option to return to my former job, I agree, part-time would have been my preference so I could more slowly adjust. But, I practiced at the suggestion of my speech therapist (e.g., going to the library and âworkingâ for a few hours), so that definitely helped.
Funny about the medical ID bracelet. My PCP told me to ask my neuro team about it. My neurologist deferred to my neuroradiologist, and his team said they donât suggest wearing them (what would I even say? ) Instead, I did build up the âmedical infoâ on my phone, leaving it unlocked so anyone can access it in an emergency.
How crazy is that about your colleagues! Sounds like it is a stressful industry. I am grateful you have the extra time to heal!! 
Thanks for the well-wishes!
Fin Whale Fan
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BH went to their own after my third repair or maybe the fourth. But it was Dr Gary who gave the diagnosis. We discussed it and felt it better to have separate ones. Trying times but I didnât have a clue 
. Dr. Gary was just estimating what my IQ was beforehand. He had seen me on the stand spout off about 20 meds a shared client was on, their milligrams and how many were left in the bottles. I just had to close my eyes and could see them. I canât do that anymore, I still have difficulty visualizing. If I had to pick one thing that bothered me the most it would be inability to visualize.
In one of my college courses, the professor had us all do the Stanford Binet and yes I scored pretty high on it. I was just an average student, I have really high test anxiety, like throwing up high anxiety the day before any exam.
. Yes, my executive functioning isnât what it once was. I went to Dr. Gary because I knew my brain wasnât right, I didnât know why and I like to know the whyâs and howâs of things, always have. We have another member who ruptured and described the resulting brain issues similar to me âblack brainâ. My brain was literally a black hole because I couldnât visualize. Asking for help has been a struggle but Iâm still learning.
My rupture was also in the LICA (bifurcation). The docs all said I have an incredible amount of brain damage and not to expect anything. When I woke up I knew where I was and who BH was as well as the promise we made on our first date - to dance in the streets when weâre 80. BH had to hear every day for 21 days of vasospasms I may not make it to the next day. That had to be incredibly difficult but I had no clue. They certainly werenât telling me. Once they were able to get them stopped there was more hope. Each procedure be it diagnostic or not, set me back months in recovery with each one until the stent taking longer and longer. Iâm really glad theyâve stopped as I feel my brain is more able to reroute the pathways now. I havenât gone back to get more testing.
Thank you for sharing what your neurologist recommended, I hadnât thought of handwriting and mine has certainly gotten worse. Iâm going to practice a few times a day now!
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