My mother's bursted aneurysm

General personal-stories
1

Hello. I have joined to this page, looking for some information about aneurysms.

My mother suffered from a ruptured aneurysm on December the 15th. One week earlier she was coplainig about a strong headache and she vomited. Now I suspect she already had a leakage then, we thougt it was stomach flu. She was feeling fine that day of the rupture, preparing lunch with my father. He went out for about an hour and when he got back, he found her on the bed, she was still conscious but could not speak and she vomited. He called for help immediately. After two hours she was admitted into a neurological clinic where they soon found out that she has a ruptured aneurysm and that she is bleeding heavily into the brain. They managed to coil her aneurysm and stop the bleeding. She was put into medically induced coma. Next three weeks were critical due to high pressure in the head and vasospasm. She was in a coma for three weeks. In the week she started waking up, she was very disorientated, I think she did not recognize us. Now it is almost three weeks that she in awake. The aneurysm was on the left side of the brain so she does not move her right leg in arm. She can not speak right, although she tries. She recognizes us and I think she understands, she nods her head if I ask her something. She will stay in the hospital until she gains some strength back and then they plan to send her into a rehabilitation center.

We have been through a lot this past month. One day she was healthy and the next day my dad called me that the ambulance is taking her to a hospital and she might not live. I thank god for an amazing team of neurosurgeons, doctors and nurses who saved her life. She is still quite young, in her fifties, very strong person, physically and mentally. I really hope for the best recovery. Reading survivor stories has helped me a lot to cope with this. Do you know anyone with bleeding in the left side of the brain and what were the outcomes?

2

So sorry to read about your Mom - it sounds like she is getting wonderful care. Please remember that brains take a long time to heal and many times recovery is a one step forward, three steps back kind of thing. I had a rupture on my left PICA in March 2012 and it has affected my right side - I was in a coma for 9 weeks and had to learn to walk, talk and feed myself again but today I am driving and working part time…Please keep up posted on your moms recovery and remember to take care of yourself too.

Mary

3

I'm sorry to hear about your Mom, that's a difficult thing to adjust to. Mine were right side and on brain stem and was very lucky that things turned out ok. I have two very small ones on the left side that we are watching. Rehab does wonders, don't lose faith. Prayers offered for a full recovery.

4

My husband rupture was on the right side. He was in a induced coma for two weeks. He has been in the care center now for 2 months. Hopefully in two weeks I start taking him home in the evenings and bringing him back during the day. As a caregiver, it's hard. I also am looking for help or someone t chat with. I wish your mom the very best

5

Hi,

Sorry to hear the distress your mom and family are going through. I had a ruptured brain aneurysm when I was 16 years old over 8 years ago. It was also on the left side of the brain and I had many physical and cognitive issues following the rupture. I had severe aphasia and had to relearn how to express myself, had difficulty understanding language, was paralyzed on the right side, lost the ability to read and write, and many other skills. You probably will hear over and over again that everyone recovers differently and the outcomes can vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to how quickly it was treated, the area of the brain affected, the extent of the damage, medical history, age, previous level of functioning, awareness and motivation and many other things. But improvement is certainly possible! At one point my family was told that if I survived, that I would be in long term care for a while. I don't remember the first few weeks post rupture, but began to become more aware near the end of my month long hospital stay and throughout my rehabilitation. Although it was a really long journey that continues today, I think that I still continue to improve and reach some of my goals. Please stay hopeful that things will get better over time. I truly wish you and your family all the best as you cope with this and that your mom continues to improve.

All the best,
Irene





6

I'm so sorry to hear about your Mom. My emergency and surgery was the hardest on my daughters who were grown at the time with husbands and families. They became my biggest support after recovery. My oldest daughter was skeptical and I over heard her in the ICU recovery room say "Mom will never be the same"! I remember thinking to myself.." But I'm still here! I have my heart, and that will NEVER change!" It's true, I'll never be the same, but better than ever~ :)

I wish you all the best, you'll too be your Mothers biggest support~ God Bless, and don't give up!

7

Hi. I had a ruptured SAH in the Basilar artery at the base of my brain. It affected the left side for me but I was able to recover all of my motor functions back pretty quick. Time will be your mothers greatest friend so be grateful that she is alive and give her the time she needs to recover, and see if her mobility comes back. She will also go through some physical therapy which should help her a lot too.

Peter

8

Hello

I joined over a year ago and have found this site a god send. I suffered a ruptured aneurysm too in September of 2011 which was subsequently coiled just like your mum. I would say I was also in a coma as I always say that I went into the hospital in the summer and I woke up in the winter. When I woke I was also very disorientated and did not know the names of my children (infact I didn't think I had any at the time and I have 4). It is hard for families to hear things like that and the brain is very delicate but please believe me when I say that the brain can heal and mine did. It just takes time.Today there are a lot of people who do not even know what happenened to me as I don't look like I have anthing wrong with me and I am also working now albeit on a lesser level but I don't want to have the stress which I had before. Like your mum I was sent to a rehabilitation clinic which will do her wonders. You will see improvement every day and if your mum is strong she will come through this too. You said that she is. Just give her a little time and don't despair. Your mum will not doubt lack confidence for a while which is understandable but will patience and understanding from others, she will fight back. Please message me privately if you want to chat more or need any help. Happy to help.

9

First of all, I'm very sorry about what you're going through. I just want to let you know that your mothers story is almost identical to my mothers and that there is DEFINITELY hope. Here are some of the tips that I found to be helpful in the immediate months to a year after the rupture.

Bring pictures! Pictures of your family, pictures of your moms favorite looking men, pictures of her favorite hobbies. Put them up around her room so she can look at them. Try to get her to mouth who/what she's looking at.

When she leaves the hospital and they put her in a rehabilitation place, always be EXTREMELY observant and vigilante and what they're doing for your mom. My mom was in like 4 different Skilled Nursing Facilities and the second one was an absolutely nightmare. It's kind of a tough situation for us because you don't want to be to abrasive with that staff that they take it out on your mother, who wouldn't be able to communicate the fact she's being mistreated. But definitely be pushy.

If people visit her in the hospital, start a diary and try to have every visitor write something to her or just what they did with her while they visit. It's a good way to see small progress daily and something that she'll be able to read later on to truly understand what she's been through.

Be patient. I don't know what your situation is like, you said you have your dad around so when your mom does finally get home, he'll be there. I had to take care of her myself when she got home and as selfish as this sounds, that was way harder to deal with then the first couple weeks after the rupture. Just be patient.

Don't let her become too codependent on you or your dad or a caregiver (down the line of course). My mom was very codependent on me, until I broke my arm and it kind of forced her into doing stuff herself and she's come on leaps and bounds since that.

Kind of the same as the be patient tip, but seriously be patient with everything! In the months after she did come home, she fell twice breaking her pelvis the first time and her hip the second. The first time, she was trying to walk with a cane way too soon (her PT thought she was ready but she was far from it). The second time she fell in her walker and had to have surgery on the hip. Both those falls have definitely prolonged her recovery time so definitely try to avoid situations like that.

As far as the movement of the limbs, my moms annie was on the right side. Her left leg was the last of her limbs to start moving but it did eventually come around. She does have drop foot still in that leg, but it doesn't affect her at all. She did have nerve problems in both her hands and feet (which I think had a lot to do with atrophy) and her neurologist has dealt with that and she's good now.

Hope any of this works. Stay strong!

10

I was 46 when my brain aneurysm ruptured. The location was on the left side at the back of my head. I spent three weeks in ICU and went home after just about one month. The doctors initially thought I would go to a rehabilitation center, but fortunately I got to go home and have rehab as an outpatient. I was extremely disoriented and barely spoke during my time in ICU. I also had three seizures and a small stroke while in ICU. It has been nearly 10 years since my rupture and I am doing well with very little deficit. The brain takes a long time to heal. So you really need to have a lot of patience. I also had some right side paralysis, but it too completely healed. I had double vision for about three months after being discharged. But it also healed completely. I hope this helps you. Take care.

Stacy

11

your story is very similar to my wife which happened three years ago. she spent a total of 5 month in three institutions and they all said she would improve over a 1 year period and stay at that level. They were dead wrong she improves ever so slightly but continuous. When she came home she needed a walker and someone 24 hours a day. Today she is quite healthy takes no medicine and can do most things herself. she suffers dizziness but she has learned how to cope with that. She cant drive and her short term memory is not good. She has lost some executive functioning but if you met her you would not be able to tell she has a problem unless you asked her what day it was. she was 65 when her burst occured and it happened in the middle of the night so i didnt find her until the morning and she was unconscious. Good luck and keep hope.

12

my story is the same as yours it does get better but it takes a long long time and I also have a brain tumor behind my right ear all of this was found by mistake.im still not 100% but i never will be i walk with a limp my whole right side is very weak i didnt drive for 8 months because i had lost some vision in my right eye,and toyally exhausted every day i have tremors at night time that wake me up out of a sound sleep and still do have mild headaches. Good luck and i hope your mom gets better. Not a fun thing to go thru <3

13

Hi,my wife suffered a ruptured aneurysm in 2008.she had to have emergency brain op to clip the bleeding. She was in coma for 3 weeks and came home in a wheel chair. Be strong and trust Jesus for his strength.
Your mother must have lots and lots of rest .don’t pressurise her but be supportive.
Slowly but surely she will grow and build her strength again.
She may forget stuff but don’t make it a big deal she will be able to relearn. God be with you.
Christy

14

I am so sorry for all you are going through. I can’t say much for how long it will take to be fully recovered. That also happened with my mother. She had a left side bleed. And I found her on the bed. But when I did it was to late she was passed on hours ago. But I asked the corinor if I have found her sooner would she live a normal life. Aw told me she probably wouldn’t be back to normal . As the bleed was massive. She was only 43 years old. She also said there is a miracle in cases and almost recover fully. But some end up in a wheel chair. I really hope all goes well. I can only know what your going through . And can’t imagine what your mom felt . Prayers go your way. It’s a normal process to search for answers in understanding this deadly killer. I did it for a long time always asking what if. Soak up everyday as much as you can .
God bless.

15

I know this can be a very tough time. My daughter suffered from two aneurysms and two strokes at the age of 21 in 2013. She was in ICU for 42 day and two weeks in rehab. She was completly paralzed on her right side and could not talk or walk at all for 30 days. Today she is walking, talking and working!!! I was not sure if this would happen for her but with our great faith in God (truly miracles) and the great team of doctors and nurses she is almost completely back to where she was. There is great hope, please keep the faith and have lots of patience as it is a long recovery time for this type of illness. God Bless!!

16

Hi,

Your letter sounded like my own son could have written it, as this happened to me almost 2 years ago, April 2013, I was in ICU for 19 days (did not remember anything) had only 10% chance to make it, 33 days total in the hospital. I was in my mid 50's, had left side of brain ruptured, got coiled, my right side got affected, but with therapies, to strangers looking at me or meeting me for the first time today, they think nothing like this happened to me. It will take time, but your mom will get better.

I know that you as a relative of annie survivors, really worry about this. My family, especially my husband is still traumatized and checks up on me every day.

Today, I was able to work, had to take short cat naps as needed, maintain my blood pressure, had been to angiogram last year and neurosurgeon said positive progress, and just have to do MRA in 3 months (second anniversary).

With your help and support and understanding, she will get better. The physical, speech, occupational therapies really helped. I was recommended and referred to a mental therapist, as I complained about light headedness- like I was making it up, I still can't deal w/ overcrowded places, and activities that will make me look down, look up, but I learned to cope and accepted that I will not be 100% of my old self and I can't be the old multi tasker, Energizer individual I used to be.

Keep supporting and helping your mom, and pray, Everyday is a gift.

17

Hello.I to had a bleed in my brain in the year 2000. My aneurysm was clipped .About 2 weeks later they had to put a shunt in as I had fluid build up on my brain. Please know that your Mom can hear you & I am sure with some rehabilitation she will be fine. Make sure you keep things around her that she was interested in, as I feel this helps with the brain to remember things.My bleed was on the right side & I am still recovering. May God be with your family & Mom.I did not lose any movement of body parts just can't remember short term things.

18

Hi Wacky, sorry to hear about your mothers troubles and I can understand your anxieties.

There is no right or wrong with these buggers, but one great thing is in your mothers favour and that is the fact that she is both strong mentally and physically.

She will need support from the family in the next few months, but she will get over this and recover, the key word is support.

It may take some time for her to get back to normal, BUT! she will get there with your support and assistance.

Trust me on this one, it will get better, just be there to support her in an invisible way and soon all will be good again.

Kind Regards

19

Yes, there is hope. My rupture was on the left side of my head. Three weeks in critical and moved to phys therapy in a hospital close to my home. Speech was affected. Physical therapy works wonders with disabilities. Don't give up! Where there is life, there is hope!

20

Hello wacky,

First off, I'm so, so deeply sorry to hear about your mom. My heart goes out to you.

My mom suffered a ruptured aneurysm on November 1st of last year. A few hours before, we were on the phone, talking and laughing like always. Just a short while later, I received a phone call from the ER up home explaining what had occurred and informing me that she was being flown to another hospital due to the extent of her bleed. She was actually denied transfer by two other hospitals because her condition was so poor. She underwent a left pterional craniotomy/clipping after the coiling procedure failed.

My mom was unresponsive for several days following surgery, and her prognosis was extremely poor. Her bleed was devastating. After nearly two weeks, I was approached about the possibility of removing her from the ventilator and on a gut feeling, chose not to. We proceeded with a trache and PEG tube. A few days later, she woke up!!! She was able to open her eyes on command and wiggle her right toes. She had zero movement in her upper body, but she finally began breathing on her own and regulating her own heartbeat. Just a week later, after almost 21 days in ICU, the hospital released her to a skilled nursing facility.

The first few weeks in rehab, she was still unable to follow significant commands. She could not track someone around the room, would only open her eyes on occasion, and continued to have no movement in her upper body. It was utterly terrifying and gut wrenching to see my mom - my best friend and my hero - in such horrific circumstances. As a scientist, I understood all too well the gravity of her situation and feared the absolute worst.

Almost three months out, my mom is still in rehab, but she is doing AMAZING! She has regained all upper and lower body movement, speaks perfectly (even with her trache!), she is able to walk, eat, drink, etc. without assistance (and use the potty!), and her memory is just remarkable. For quite a while, her short term was struggling, but she has made absolutely amazing progress and is truly our living, breathing miracle. She tells me that she "...doesn't quite feel like herself." She says she feels cloudy and out of sorts, but I can honestly say, without bias, that she is 100% the same person she was before the SAH. It is with high hopes that next week her trache/PEG tube will be removed and in February, she will be coming HOME! :)

The brain is extraordinary in its ability to heal. It needs patience, time, and rest. Your mother's determination, and your support WILL get her through this. Remember that you are her biggest advocate. Rehab can work wonders, but educate yourself, be involved, and don't lose hope. It sounds like your mom is in wonderful hands and is an incredibly strong person.

You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Please keep us posted and please take care of yourself as well. Hang in there!!! :)

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