I have a 2-3 mm annie discovered 2 yrs ago. I was never told what I could and could not do. I have taken it upon myself to NOT do things like ride coasters, lol, or heavy lifting. I was curious about flying. Is that possible or not? I actually dont want to fly and am looking for an excuse not to I suppose. I have been trying to control my diet, my stress (which is nearly impossible) and my BP (controlled by Toprol now). I would appreciate any advice. I am going to be a first time granny in November and I am even scared of being alone with the baby.
Hi Anna...
I think you are doing alot of great things to help avoid rupture of your aneurysm...You can fly ... I fly often and I still have one annie that isn't fixed...and one that ... well the coils moved ... anyways... those are major things you are doing...Bp, diet, keep working on stress...I know that one is hard...perhaps trying some "meditation tapes" and many here at BAF do "meditation yoga"...
I can't blame you about being alone with the baby...I think that has to be a personal decision...
Have a good day ~ Stay cool...~ Colleen
I have a large unruptured AVM and I have 2 unruptured annies that have been clipped. My surgeon told me it is ok to fly and to dance. I am not allowed to SCUBA. I don't like roller coasters anyway, so that isn't an issue for me.
An online buddy who had an aneurysm rupture (and then coiled) last summer was back at they gym not long afterwards. She competes as a body builder in the lightweight divisions. When she first went back to the gym, she was only allowed to do light cardio. I think she is back up to her regular workouts now.
My surgeon told me to do two things to avoid seizures (which I haven't had any of yet): don't get falling down drunk & avoid sleep deprivation.
Thank you all for your replies! I guess its just personal choice as to what I should do until I have more information from my doctor. I actually DO NOT want to fly. SO I will try to wiggle out of that one. I had my MRI yesterday and will hear later this week about results. Keep you posted!
Hi Anna,
I'm so glad you asked these questions. My annie was diagnosed in mid-March and I was told to keep my blood pressure down. I have an almost 4 year old granddaughter that I do not pick up anymore and almost 9 month old triplet grandchildren which I'm very careful when I pick them up and walk with them. I was wondering about rides at amusement parks as well, not that I like roller coasters. I am trying to lose weight to maybe be able to cut back on meds. Was anyone told a specific weight that they should not go over? Just curious. Thanks.
Enjoy your day!
Bonnie
Nice to meet you Bonnie. Its a very scary thing to think about, so I try to keep my mind occupied. When I am drving alone I think about it. If its just me, I can deal, but I am afraid I will harm the baby somehow. I am also a caregiver for my mother-in-law( she lives with me). I worry about what would happen to her if something happened to me. I guess I am just paranoid. I can not imagine being far from home if something were to happen. Thats why I dont want to fly on the trip thats planned. I do avoid lifting. The stress I have no choice over unless my job situation changes. I was told to lose weight, but that stresses me out too, lol.
Did they say what size your annie is? and where?
You enjoy your day as well!
Hello again, the annie is 4x2mm located in from my left ear. I'm not really sure exactly what vein it is on. I go to the neurosurgeon next week. I'll have to ask better questions this time. He wants to do an angiogram to see if there are more but wanted to wait until the effects from my stroke (March) were gone. I'm feeling pretty good right now and I don't think about it too much. This site has really given me some valuable information and I appreciate everyone on here.
Being a grandmother is the best thing in the world, you'll love it! Take care,
Bonnie
It is crazy to read so many different stories of what you can and can't do. Do the doctors really know? Probably not they are just being cautious. My daughter has two annies that are coiled and a baby that has nothing done to it. She is a very active girl, plays softball, basketball, volleyball, rock climbs, rides every ride you can think of, jumps on trampolines, you name it she does it. The only thing she was told not to do was to play soccer. Does this scare me to death? Yes it does but her outlook about her condition is that she has to live her life. If you don't live your life to the fullest than why live at all. That is a good question for your doctor. Don't be afraid to make a phone call and ask that important question. It is a good question espically for your peace of mind.
Hi Anna G,
As others have said, you can fly with an unruptured aneurysm. I have had at least unruptured aneurysm for more than 40 years and I’ve probably taken more than 50 flights including several flights of 6 hours or longer.
high blood pressure, smoking and stress to a lesser extent are risks, So, if you don’t want to fly, just say no. It will be healthier for you. But, please don’t say no if it means you won’t see your new grand baby. 
Please call your doctor’s office and ask for their advice as well.
Good luck to you and blessings on becoming a new granny.
Carole
Hi Anna. I'm an endovascular surgeon based in Australia. I see about 250 patients with aneurysms each year and treat about 150 of those. I have a lot of patients like you who have small aneurysms for which the risk of treatment is greater than the risk of bleeding.
One thing I try to explain to all my patients is that life itself carries risk - just being alive at 50 means you carry about a 1-2% annual risk of dying from stroke, heart attack, cancer, trauma etc, even if you didn't have an aneurysm. On top of that, as far as we can tell, about 1 in 20 to 1 in 40 people have aneurysms but most of these have no idea. And we also have good evidence that the risk of small aneurysms bleeding is low - 0-1.5% over 5 years, depending on size and location. Furthermore, studies like ISUIA (Wiebers, 2003) looked at a whole bunch of possible risk factors for bleeding, and ruled out commonly touted ones like high blood pressure, drinking alcohol etc. The only statistically significant risk factor for growing new aneurysms and bleeding from aneurysms was - you guessed it - smoking.
I advise my patients to live life as normal, but to behave sensibly and protect their blood vessels (i.e. manage their vascular risk factors) by keeping active (exercising), avoiding smoking, and keeping their blood pressure and cholesterol under control. I do advise them to take a high fibre diet and to avoid extra heavy lifting, but I confess I have no real evidence to support this.
I also enrol all these patients in an annual surveillance program (MRA every 12 months until 65 years old) and see them once a year in clinic.
Short version - I tell my patients to lead a healthy lifestyle but to live life as normal otherwise.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Jason
Thank you so much for the reply! That was very informative. It turns out after my last MRA they did not find what they originally thought was there. I count this as a miracle. Perhaps they weren't correct in the first place, but whatever, its a miracle to me. They gave me a clean bill of health. THis is a wonderful forum and I will continue to check in with you all and pray for you all. Anna.