I have just reached my first 6 month anniversary of my rupture and my first angio for a check-up is scheduled for Jan. 20th. I’m so nervous about the whole thing! I’m worried about the procedure, the results, and putting my family through something all over again.
Amy,
Wishing you a grand New Year... your family will be delighted to be there with you.
Prayers to you,
Pat
Hi Amy -
I'm only 10 weeks out of surgery (unruptured), but am already anticipating the 6mo angio with lots of anxiety. It's good that it's been 6 mos though! How have you been? Is your life fairly back to normal?
Take care,
Jennifer
Jennifer,
My life is almost completely back to normal. I still have some headaches, but I've seen a huge improvement! I think that's part of the reason why I feel so nervous about going back. I've move on and don't want to relive any of it!
Amy,
I feel your anxiety. I have my 6 month mra on Jan 19th, so lets say a prayer for each other that all is well. I had just found out about mine on July 1st so I have had nothing done. I am fortunate. Knowing is better than not. Good luck this week!!!
Kris
Thank you. Mine actually ruptured on July 3. I’m just so worried about having to face another surgery or procedure. I’m worried about my 4 young kids. My oldest (6) had a really hard time with all of it. The thought of something happening again scares me beyond belief!
You’ll be in my prayers tonight, Amy Bates.
Congratulations on your recovery! I’ll keep you and all other aneurysm survivors in my prayers. Let us know the GoOd NeWs when you hear it ; )
Hi Amy -
It's great that you feel like your life is mostly back to normal. Kids help with that, right?!?! You just have to be back in the moment when you have kids. I have 3, my oldest is 13.
It makes so much sense that the angio is kicking up all the fears - but it's a good sign that you've moved away from enough that it is renewed fear, not a constant continuation of fear from the time of rupture/ Does that make sense? I'm just impressed that your life feels mostly normal, that you've moved so far emotionally in a relatively short time. That's my goal - and it's great for me to hear when others do achieve that. So, when it's my 6mos, I know I'll be where you're at - it's just re-traumatizing, plain and simple. I was attacked a couple years ago, and it took forever to go to trial, and this feels similar....there's this pending follow-up that is scary and stressful, and it needs to happen even if we never want to look down that road again.
How are you today?
Jennifer
I don't know that my life is the same emotionally. It has improved since I first came home from the hospital. My kids are 1, 3, 3, and 6. I guess I choose to live life as normal as possible because of them and for them. I do all of the activities I used to do and I've been able to enjoy it! Anyway, I was doing much better emotionally and mentally until I got so close to my first 6 month check-up! I have the hardest time at night when I try to sleep. It comes and goes, but the fear is in full swing right now! I guess I'm afraid of having to go through another surgery again. I don't want to put my family through anything else!
Today I was doing okay. I cleaned a lot to keep my mind off of it. Then, all of my paper work came from the hospital. Enough said! :)
Did you have coiling done?
Yes - I have 3 aneurysms (only knew of 2 pre-surgery) and they coiled the biggest (8x11) and put in a 22mm stent that covers that one plus the "surprise" 1.5mm they found just above the big one - both on my right side. But I have a 2-3mm one on my left side, and that one was actually my doctor's priority to coil, but it just couldn't be done, and he thinks watching is safer than clipping, so I have 1coiled w stent, and 2 that aren't coiled and are being watched. My surgery was almost 11weeks ago. I too am trying to move back into normal - the kids help with that - simply by the fact of everything that needs to be done as a mom. Yours are all so young! My littlest is 7, oldest is 13. Do you have help w/ them? I'm so sorry you're going through this, but am glad to have found you, we have much in common. My sleep is AWFUL! And then I worry that being tired is bad for me, and there we go w anxiety!
I hope you have a good night and a good Thursday.
Jennifer
Wow! I’ll be keeping you in my prayers. I only had one ruptured that was 8 mm. When they did the coiling, they said that they found no other aneurysms. Thankfully! I think sometimes reading people’s stories on this web site scares me more than help me. I hear of people’s stories that have had many surgeries. I guess I’m afraid that will be me. Sometimes, I found that it’s not always good for me to read things on here! You have a good night too!
Hi Amy -
I have the same reaction to this site sometimes - it's mostly really helpful, and then sometimes I stumble across a story that really really scares me. I'm trying to stop going online late at night. But it is mostly so helpful, and certainly the only place where people get what I'm going through, and where I can relate to other's stories. I try to stay away from ones that seem like they'll clearly scare me. But, most stories have lots of hope, too. The whole situation is scary, and the reality is still sinking in. But I'm doing well and trust my doctors. It's a gorgeous day today and I intend to enjoy it!
Prayers for both of you survivors at your check-ups this month, sounds like you both are doing great.
I did not get good news at my appointment. 
I will be heading back for a 2nd coiling, most likely in February. I had known that this was a possibility, but it’s disappointing!
Why? What did they say? I’m so sorry - I know that’s the last thing on earth you want.
Part of it still has blood in it with a coil hanging down. The doctor thinks that it is best to try to fix it for my safety. He doesn’t want it to rupture again. Actually, he thinks the best route will be to block off the entire vessel it is on. This makes me a nervous wreck…killing a whole blood vessel in my BRAIN??? I guess he knows better than me, but I’m scared. I’m so blessed to have no physical impairments from the rupture. I’m afraid that may happen to me now with a second surgery. It’s hard to sleep at night…
Oh Amy I'm so sorry, and I know how scared that would make me. It's easy for me to sit here and say you'll be okay, and an entirely different thing to be you sitting there facing the surgery. But I do believe with all my heart that you will be okay, and tho I have no idea what blocking off a blood vessel entails, if it solves the problem then it's a good thing. I really feel for you - being a mom, already having gone through so much. You were in good hands before, and you're still in good hands. And you had luck and God and angels and good wishes on your side before, and you still do. I wish I could help - I hope that the fear will settle somewhat, or at least you'll get periodic relief. Be with your kids ---- that's always the best medicine and really anchors you into the present.
xo Jennifer
Thank you. From what I understand, putting more coils in it will block off the blood vessel because of where it is located. I don't know much about brains and blood flow, but it all sounds really scary to me. I'm so worried about having permanent side effects. I go to the Cleveland Clinic. I guess my care can't get much better than that, but still...
I never had a coiling done without the trauma of a rupture. It took me a really long time to get through everything and recover, but I think that was more because of the rupture than anything. I was wondering how long it took you to recover from your coiling without the rupture. Was is days, weeks, or months?
What did you hear about your angio? I hope it went better than mine!
I don't have my follow up angio until late April, I'm just anxious ahead of time :)
I'd say that I was pretty tired and needed lots of rest for days - I did go w/ my husband to pick my son up from school 1 week post surgery - he dropped me in the front of the school. It felt good to sit in the sun, but I felt kind of like a fish out of water - just "off," and weird talking to people who knew what had happened, I didn't really want to talk about it. Someone told me I looked stiff, and I think I was really cautious about moving my head, or it felt odd to move my head too much - or I was just still recovering from 3 1/2 hrs anasthesia. I felt like I was recovering for about 7 weeks, not in bed feeling bad, just not back to myself energetically and emotionally - but at 7 weeks something shifted and I started feeling more consistently like ME again, which felt great. I was also just so traumatized by the whole thing - it happened so fast and I was so scared - I think that that had lots to do with how depleted I was post surgery, so I'd think that would be way less if I needed more. I also had a cold when I had the surgery, and my blood level dropped and I became pretty anemic and needed blood (I have a genetic anemia), so those things too probably led to being more tired. But after a week I was eating dinner downstairs w my family every night - trying to get out *(w my husband) once a day - whether for a doc appt, picking a child up from school, small errand - and that was important, made me feel human!
It seems to vary so much - the speed of recovery. I expected to bounce right back, like the docs seem to think will happen, and I guess does happen for some (many?) people. But I'd say 7 weeks was a turning point. At a little less than 2 mos out I went to Mexico for a week....scared, still a bit of headaches at times, but I did feel well enough and safe enough to go. And now, 3 mos out (3 mos TODAY!) I really feel mostly great. Anything bad I feel now I think is just due to life....busy w kids, stress over my moms recent fall (thought it was a stroke) and hospitalization, etc. I think I'm really recovered from the surgery.
I imagine if I need more, I will have a faster recovery - going in with no cold, and not being in that absolutely traumatized state that I was in when everything happened so fast, and I hadnt' had any time to incorporate the fact of having an aneurysm.
How are you?
Please write back!