My basilar aneurysm ruptured on 6/29/09 and was coiled the next day. This is a screen shot of my 6-month angiography, which shows the coils, one of which is a bit wonky because the aneurysm started to bleed again during the procedure.
Also - I'm wondering who else here was given a dose of Naloxone (Narcan) as part of emergency treatment. I'd been rather upset to learn (much after the fact) that the paramedics who responded to the 911 call that day assumed that my symptoms were the result of a drug overdose, and in the ambulance as my condition deteriorated further, they administered Narcan to me (on doctor's orders, of course). Recently, though, I've been made aware of some studies done since the 1980s that show Narcan can contribute to positive outcome from SAH. So, now I consider the Narcan just one of many little miracles that happened that day. Has anyone else been wondering about Narcan in the context of aneurysm rupture?
Happy Anniversary Kathy! Don’t know anything about Narcan. And I’m confused - do you think the Narcan led to the rupture? Or did you rupture and then was given the Narcan because of your symptoms? Guess I’ll have to do some reading…and try to remember lol. I know one of the questions on my ever growing list to Dr. Quintero-Wolfe is what medicine was I given that delayed my surgery. Whatever it was from the local hospital, apparently they gave too much and we had to wait. I say we because although I was apparently responsive according to my records, I don’t remember but a couple of things none of which was at my local ER. I remember bits and pieces of the helicopter flight and the paramedic giving me a couple shots because I kept trying to sit up and talk to him and I remember trying to tell the doc at the other ER that I had given my partner all the powers of medical attorney and attorney as well as being a donator if something happened. He didn’t want to discuss it. Later I found out it was because they weren’t sure I was going to make it and didn’t want me or my partner to give up hope.
Thank you! Congrats on making it through yourself!
Apparently I was responsive enough to mumble something that sounded enough like "yes" to the paramedics' questions about whether I had "taken anything" (presumably either an illegal drug or intentional medication overdose). But I certainly had not done either of those things... in answer to your question, the aneurysm had ruptured (hadn't known I had it) and I then had that sense familiar to many of us here that I was dying or something and so my young son called 911. One of the last things I remember about that day was hearing the sirens coming down our road and being so grateful that someone had come to help... the next memory snippet after that (my last memory until post-op) is of trying to sit up on the gurney on the way out of the house because I wanted to walk to the ambulance because it was taking them so long to negotiate the several sets up stairs up to the driveway. I think that was the culmination of me being frustrated that the paramedics weren't treating the situation with a sense of urgency. (I'm guessing I had been mostly nonverbal during the time the paramedics spent with me and not able to relate to them "what happened.") Indeed, the report says that the ambulance drove most of the way to the hospital (about 15 minutes) without lights and sirens. Lights and sirens were finally turned on because apparently the situation worsened in the paramedics' perception and they then requested permission to administer the Narcan, which is given to reverse effects of opiates like heroin.
I had been wondering if Narcan is contraindicated for traumatic brain injury situations. Similar to your situation, my coiling procedure was delayed, and I had been wondering why. I think I asked the doctors years ago but didn't receive a satisfying answer. So recently I finally did enough internet research on it to find out that SAH patients who've been given Narcan have had a better outcome overall, although I didn't understand much about what I was reading. Perhaps there is enough of a downside to Narcan that it has not part become part of treatment protocol in these SAH situations. I myself have had a very good outcome from the hemorrhage, better than any of the doctors would have predicted. One of them wrote that I came out "remarkably intact" -- I so love that!
Moltroub said:
Happy Anniversary Kathy! Don't know anything about Narcan. And I'm confused - do you think the Narcan led to the rupture? Or did you rupture and then was given the Narcan because of your symptoms? Guess I'll have to do some reading....and try to remember lol. I know one of the questions on my ever growing list to Dr. Quintero-Wolfe is what medicine was I given that delayed my surgery. Whatever it was from the local hospital, apparently they gave too much and we had to wait. I say we because although I was apparently responsive according to my records, I don't remember but a couple of things none of which was at my local ER. I remember bits and pieces of the helicopter flight and the paramedic giving me a couple shots because I kept trying to sit up and talk to him and I remember trying to tell the doc at the other ER that I had given my partner all the powers of medical attorney and attorney as well as being a donator if something happened. He didn't want to discuss it. Later I found out it was because they weren't sure I was going to make it and didn't want me or my partner to give up hope.
Kathy...congratulations on your 6th anniversary...you are at my half-way mark...12 years...
NO, I know nothing about Narcan...
As for your "wonky" ...it reminds me somewhat of several of the coils detached in my one small PCOM aneurysm...In my 11th anniversary, my Tree of Life pendant displays the one "broken branch" ..
My 12th anniversary will display the completed 'pineapple'...
Again...congratulations and blessings for your continued success...
You have a Tree of Life pendant? I'd love to see that... could you post a photo? Congrats on all your anniversaries!
patioplans said:
Kathy...congratulations on your 6th anniversary...you are at my half-way mark...12 years...
NO, I know nothing about Narcan...
As for your "wonky" ...it reminds me somewhat of several of the coils detached in my one small PCOM aneurysm...In my 11th anniversary, my Tree of Life pendant displays the one "broken branch" ..
My 12th anniversary will display the completed 'pineapple'...
Again...congratulations and blessings for your continued success...
My 11th Anniversary displays it.under "Success Stories".....
:..
Kathy McManus said:
You have a Tree of Life pendant? I'd love to see that... could you post a photo? Congrats on all your anniversaries!
patioplans said:
Kathy...congratulations on your 6th anniversary...you are at my half-way mark...12 years...
NO, I know nothing about Narcan...
As for your "wonky" ...it reminds me somewhat of several of the coils detached in my one small PCOM aneurysm...In my 11th anniversary, my Tree of Life pendant displays the one "broken branch" ..
My 12th anniversary will display the completed 'pineapple'...
Again...congratulations and blessings for your continued success...
