There is hope. I was 50 in 2003 and had a rupture, clipping and several vasospasms. My family and I have gone through a lot. I am a survivor and somethings have changed. I have a life and it is different. I do mostly everything but I have a few deficits. The brain can heal, it takes time and patience. Bless you and your mom on this journey.
J
Hope all comes good with your Mum. I had a rupture in July 2013 and am still recovering slowly. I have no memory of the first three weeks after surgery and itās a bit spotty for a couple of months after that, it took a few months to be able to get out of bed and shower and dress without help, but every day brings another achievement. Your mum will have strength and weaknesses in different ways, Iāve concentrated on getting my physical fitness back and now Iām working on my brain training. Youāll need patience with Mum and lots of help, but she will improve and do well with such a loving family there for her.
Yes, the chances she will improve are good. However, you need to be vigilant, extremely so, especially when sheās in rehab or if sheās moved into a assisted care adjacent to the hospital. I found that the rehab staff were mostly diligent with giving proper meds, taking BP on the ONE SIDE OF HER BODY THAT THE DR. INSTRUCTS THEM TO. Some docs will put a hand written sign above the patients bed with BP instructions.
When my mom was moved into a facility adjacent to the hospital, the nurses were neglectful and didnāt give her her el dopa meds for 2 days. My mom went into that place lucid, and went back into hospital suffering from brain spasms and coma. Sometimes if a mistake like that occurs, it cannot be undone. Which is why I felt compelled to write to you.
Watch out for signs of brain spasms, or degeneration or swelling. They can manifest as repetitive movements (fingers to earā¦) and of course as you know, vomiting and or dizziness is a sign that thereās swelling, or even possibly, bleeding.
If they remove a portion of her skull to ease the swelling, that usually works quite well, BUT MAKE SURE THEY KEEP THE SKULL PIECE. Some surgeons trash it, which I feel is criminal.
Remember, you are your moms best advocate. Just because a doctor went to med school, doesnāt mean they have ALL the answers. Question everything.
If you want to talk about any of this with me, I would be happy to do so.
Best to you and your mom,
Michele
I too am sorry to hear about your Mom. On September 30, 2011 I suffered a catastrophic rupture on the right side of my brain. I was airlifted to Medical University of South Carolina and was not expected to survive the flight. The first night Doctors performed a craniotomy, repaired a two inch tear in an artery in the temporal lobe, drained 750 ml of blood and removed a 4 cm blood clot. I spent two weeks in an induced coma, another week in ICU then a month in a rehab hospital. Two weeks after that I was back to work as Academic Dean and Classroom Professor at a career college.
Miracles do happen and never lose the faith. Stay strong, celebrate even the smallest accomplishments as they are just a preview of coming attractions. Any improvement means more are possible. I also agree with Mary that it is important to take care of yourself as well.
Keep looking forward and know that you and your family will be in our thoughts & prayers.
Hi, so sorry to hear about your mom. What an awful time it's been for you. I'm 9 weeks post surgery for 2 enraptured aneurysms so I'm on the patient side. As far as caregivers, my husband was the one and he was wonderful. I'm taking back most of my responsibilities. My eye is still an issue so I can't drive yet and have trouble reading. I also get on overload when I'm listening to too much news or like today trying to do too much personal paperwork, bills, calls, etc. and had to stop and take my anxiety meds. The tiredness is a common factor to everyone recovering.
I'm only telling you this so you'll see that I can have some insight into the caregiver side of all of this.
Your family has a long road to recovery and I'm certain it will happen. I've read so many stories of success here (which a group you could join for those stories) and it gave me hope too.
Your's is way more complex than mine and since everyone's given you advice and comments on how your mother will do, etc. (which will be hard for her but you guys will all make it easier for her. She has to do all the work but your support is crucial.) I thought I would just comment on the importance of caring for you and you're family. Keep writing and reading here. You can get all the physical facts from the medical staff but emotions are a whole other issue so you'll need that kind of support. Just for validation and comfort and a place to vent. This will be hard on you too. Is there a Brain Aneurysm support group in your area? The hospital should know that.
One day, or actually some days it's one minute at a time. Try to set a goal if you can on something maybe the doctor says she'll be able to do let's say by the summer. Even any little thing so you can tell yourself that by such and such a date, you and your mom/family will be able to do this again. Like have a barbecue or sit on the beach.
I hope this helps even in the smallest way. Take care and keep posting.
Jeannine
Hi - I am so sorry for all that you are going through and I wish your mom all best in her recovery. My mom had her rupture in early October 2014 (anterior communicating artery). Two weeks in ICU and then rehab for a number of weeks. As others have said, it is a SLOW recovery but things do get better. My mom is back home in her apartment now and I believe that she will make a full recovery. Sounds like your mom has good medical providers and most important she has a strong support system at home. Each little recovery "goal" and "milestone" should be celebrated :). I wish you and your family all the very best - I now know how scary and overwhelming it all is.
I would say it is very early days, your mum is just beginning her journey of recovery. I had a ruptured aneurysm in 1989 when I was only in my 20s and I had a small bleed and came out of the coma within hours and still I was a month in hospital and the best part of 2 years recovering and getting back to myself. She will improve a lot I'm sure, but its a step-by-step process with good and bad days. Have faith, things WILL get better and her speech and mobility will improve I'm sure. But right now its much too early to see big changes, so try to be patient, I know its hard. She will be in my thoughts and prayers.
I had a bleed on the left anterior communicating artery and watched the September 11th stuff unfolding on TV- so that was over a decade ago. Took me a good 5 months before I went on a "Return to Work" programme. Like your mum, I was in my late 40's- early 50's- & I had to learn to walk, and talk and do everything all over again (effects different people in different ways, of course, depending on their "pre-morbid" state of health). First thing I learned was that I hadn't- had a stroke- deep in the brain and physically debilitating- but a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH)- a bleed on the brain- with which they literally opened me up, mopped up the blood and sewed/ stapled (!!) it all up again! Ten years on- you can hardly see anything. The point was that although there is a greater risk of fatality at the time of the event- especially during the vasospasm phase- there is a better success/ outcome rate with a SAH (generalizing again) BUT, with help from loving family & friends I did get back on the horse. The long-term effects? I had the SAH at about age 48- similar age group to your mum- and I'm now more or less retired at age 62. I do have something called "proactive interference" (I suggest googling it) and a few issues mostly around fatigue ( I have meditated every lunchtime since I had mine which is a godsend!!!) and trying to work while going through what I go through. But let me say- IT IS POSSIBLE to get back on the horse and into the thick of life again!! But do reach out- join a support group for carers and talk, talk, talk to get support! Take care.
Hello there,
First, I'm so sorry your sweet Mom and family have to endure this, heartbreaking!
I can't say what the outcome will be for your Mom, but I can share my Dad's story with you. It's not perfect, but he was my Dad, and I was so happy to have him for as long as I did, even if he wasn't the same "pre-rupture". Also, my Dad's rupture happened in the 70's, so technology and treatments were very different back then. I'm not sure which side his rupture was on.
My Dad's rupture happened when he was 32, and he was in very bad shape like your Mom. Coma. Rehab center. Eventually he came home in a wheelchair. Through intense physical therapy, he learned to walk again, with a cane. He even graduated to driving a car again. His personality did change; but he recognized us all and his long term memory was in place. Overall, he was happy and grateful to be around for us (kids growing up), so we adjusted to the new normal.
As everyone has already stated, the brain is amazing in its ability to heal, it just takes time. Your Mom's personality may shift a bit based on her effects; for example: I used to be a social butterfly prior to my rupture, and now I'm reclusive and don't care for crowds. Everyone is different.
Another takeaway: You and your siblings should begin getting scanned just to be safe. I had no idea the hereditary factor was so strong; had I known, I may have saved myself a rupture.
You WILL see progress this year, as well as differences. It's a year of learning for all of you, God speed to you and your sweet family.
My mum has had the exactly the same thing but happened on 31st october. Shes stil in hospital, she has a traceotomey but is being weaned if it, she has a peg for food and shes waiting now to have a plate put in where they removed her skull. Shes making slow progress but has no movement on her right side, she nods when we ask if shes fed up. Its so frusturating but i hoping and praying she stays strong and keeps making progress. Hope your mum does too xxx
My husband found me (I was 41 years old) passed out in the bathtub on the afternoon of June 12, 2013. My aneurysm was on my carotid artery behind my right eye. The next day (my husbandās birthday) I was in ICU and my aneurysm started bleeding again. By this time my lungs were full of pneumonia, my kidneys were shutting down, my heart wasnāt beating right, and I was completely paralyzed from the neck down on both sides of my body. But The Lord had other plans. The next morning I woke up and started answering questions. (I donāt remember any of this). I was air-lifted to Dallas and had surgery on the 19th. I was in a medically induced come for 7 days. Then one day I just started walking, writing, and remembering things. Nowā¦between June 12th-July 18th I have no memory. I do remember some nurses but very few. I did have an encounter with The Lord in heaven. I am completely healed. I still have headaches from time to time and I have battled depression. I will pray for your Mother. Stay strong and prayā¦prayā¦pray
I had a double brain aneurysm. in a coma for a month, hospital for 3 months. Just celebrated my 5th year of complete recover. The body and brain are amazing. Stay away from sugar and starches. Take out the feeding tube. Let her live off her own body fat and leave the rest of the body energy for healing. My husband got me a massage while in rehab. It was so nice to be touched in a non-medical way. Go slow. Talk slow. Only have loving positive people around. Introduce laughter as medicine. From someone who knows and has been there. She will heal. Be patient.
I'll just add a bit to all the good responses you already have. My wife's ruptured on the right side, and she lost the ability to do everything. She has a memory loss of over a month. This was three years ago. Today she is fine with just a few little issues to remind us of what happened. As I write this she is teaching piano lessons (can hear it in the background) and doing it successfully. It is a very difficult time for you now, but be encouraged. Give your mother all the support you can. We cannot say what the outcome will be, but it can be very good. You can be thankful for the medical personnel you have (and you are), that you are there to support her, and that she is trying to come back. Likely a great deal of healing is taking place now and will manifest itself in due time. Prayers for you all.
So sorry about your mom. I feel most for my husband and children and what they had to deal with while I was unaware of what was going on. True, everyone heals differently and to different degrees, but improvement can continue for years. My neurosurgeon gave major improvements two years, but just passing that timeframe, I think I can still improve. Fatigue and frustration are the hardest to deal with. Itās very hard to accept the new you. Especially for very active folks. However, having no choice you learn to deal with the limitations. Check for support groups in your area-they do help. Patience, for family and the survivor-very difficult, but necessary. Improvement may be baby steps at first, but hopefully bigger steps as time passes. When I started physical therapy, 2 months after surgery, I could barely walk around the fitness center. It took six months for me to be able to spend 9 minutes on the elipticle, and over a year to increase to 20 minutes, very slow minutes! Even now, fatigue is still an issue, but donāt give up, or let her give up. The brain needs lots of rest to heal, and there is no race or finish line. Hopefully, sheāll keep improving. Blessings to you and your family as you learn to adapt.
Hello. Iām new here too. Mine ruptured on the left side. Fortunately for me it didnāt bleed to bad. It happened a month ago and Iām home now, and very lucky. I have good days, and some bad ones. If you pray, pray. Be thankfull that through all of that sheās still here. If anyone cares to read, hereās my story. (Itās just a lot to explain here):https://knucklehead2.wordpress.com/2015/01/05/the-true-testimony/
Welcome to the first steps of recovery, for your mother and yourself. It is very difficult to see an active vibrant person get knocked down by this, but you didnāt lose her. Recovery is slow and happening as we speak. My 63 year old mother had a double rupture and brain bleed into the right front lobe on June 4th. The surgeon had to remove a potion of the front lobe because it was destroyed by the blood. She was in a coma for 2 weeks and ICU for 3 weeks. I thought she would be blind and paralyzed on her right side ( I think she had left brain damage as well) but she is in a rehab, awake, watching TV, moving her right and left arms and nodding yes and no to questions. She can at least tell me if sheās uncomfortable or in pain now. They took the traich out 2 weeks ago and she is being fed puree foods. Sheās eating like a horse. She is even saying words here and there. No one knows what kind of recovery will happen, but my mom (a very vibrant active woman, who was walking in her graduation to get her AA degree in psychology 3 days later) is learning basics again. Let your mom know how far she has come and let her barrow your will to keep going. All of the things you mention are good signs. This is my new mom, but I still have her 
Iām still cheering her on for more recovery. Iām praying for your mom and your familyā¦hang in there and positive thoughts. BTWā¦positive thoughts are being scientifically proven to heal the brain. She also needs lots of sleep. I listened to a book on tape driving to and from the hospital every day called āmy stroke of brillianceā i forgot the authorās name, but she was a brain scientist that had an avm. So insightful for me! Good thoughts and prayers to you!
Stacy
Hi my mum had a ruptured brain anurism in November. My story is i heard a bang and run up to the bathroom she had collspsed whilst brushing her teeth as quick as that. her heart stopped and i had to resusitate her and it happened again whilst in the ambulance. we wasnt given much hope that she would pull through however She spent a week in a comma n was woken twice with a bad reaction the third time was better well I say better at the time she was so confused and telling crazy stories that she so believed where true. It was so hard at the time as I started to think this was how my mum was now going to be and thatās when I joined this group for support and knowledge as felt wasnāt given so much from the hospital and wanted to support her best i could. What I have learnt is time is key and each persons recovery is individual to them. My mum got over the confusion within a week we had some major kick offs and even got called in to try and calm her which broke my heart seeing her like that but 3 weeks later my mum was discharged from hospital and came home to me. Her moods to start with where awful but a month or so on they are starting to improve as sheās just started to go out the house which I think helps. Her short time memory is so bad and her eye sight and decision making has been effected however sheās my mum and sheās here alittle different to before but Iām blessed and taking her for the new her. As I said time is key, stay strong for your mum she needs you too right now and good luck. Your mum sounds like a strong lady and determination goes along way x
I had 2 ruptured aneurysms within 6 months in 2012, and as yours my family went through hell, I went from being a normal, healthy 50 yrs. old mother of 2 teens to being in ICU for 6 weeks the 1st time and 9 weeks the second, I had a lot of physical and mental deficits but with good doctors, physical, occupational and speech therapy I'm almost back to normal. we had a lot of support from friends and family, from sitting with my husband in the hospital to taking care of my children including laundry, cooking, cleaning house etc, I used a walker for several weeks and I still have a small limp, I have some deficits still, mainly memory- what I'd like for you to know is SHE A SURVIVOR!!! she's already ahead of the game, THIS IS A LONG PROCESS, the brain is slow to recover, your mom is going to need lots of support, love, understanding and PATIENCE! you and your family will need support as well, this forum is a great place to get support, DONT FORGET ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR DAD!! YOU NEED TO TALK ABOUT YOUR FEARS! we are here for you!
Hello,
I am so sorry to hear about your moms ruptured aneurysm. I had 3 brain aneurysms burst at once, due to High blood pressure that I never knew I had-they say it's the Silent Killer and it's the truth.
I was 48 yrs. old at the time working 3rd shift for the 5th year at Triple-A, National Road Service. I suffered an unusual headache during the night. When I got home in the morning my husband was getting ready to go to work. I told him I had a tightness with burning in the back of my head and it was a different kind of headache then I always got at least once a month since I was a teenage girl. He went to
get me an aspirin, and by the time he returned to the kitchen where I was sitting at the table, he caught me as I was falling to the tile floor. He layed me down and applied ice cubes all around my head and called 911. I was unconscious, but in the ambulance was saying, 'No Thank you, I'm not ready'
Anyhow that was April,1995-My mind woke up the beginning of that June in a Rehab Center-not remembering much about what happened except seeing a very bright light and a wonderful reunion with all my beloved relatives that had already passed on-all of them sitting under umbrella tables egging me to join them. But with a smile on my face said quietly, 'No Thank you, I'm not Ready'
With no mirrors in my room there, my husband told me that I had 3 brain aneurysms burst at the same time. Most likely because my Blood pressure was 200/185 at the time of the stroke. I had been operated on but the first operation I didn't recognize family, the second operation really brought my back to life.
I had all 3 clamped, with a shunt inserted from my brain to my stomach.
I had to learn to talk, walk and see again (the blood behind my eye caused one eye to be blind) After 4 months it was removed and I had my eyesight back..after 6 months I was determined to go back to work
day shift and continued another 2 years there with no ill effects from the brain aneuryms, thanks to a genius for a neurosurgeon and a wonderful team at the rehabilitation center I have been able to live life to the fullest and enjoy every minute of it now that I am a 67 yr. old retired lady. I feel that God helped me survive 20 years ago for the main reason to let you all know that are on this website, There is Hope after brain aneurysms to live a long healthy life. Good Luck to you All and the Best of Luck to your Mother.
This happened to my father but he was driving a car in March 2014. Two large aneurysms ruptured on the left side of his brain. He was flown to a hospital unfortunately they could not coil them and he had the clipping procedure. When he finally woke up he also could not talk or more his right side.
I wish I had more time to write. He now can talk and also move his right side with many hours of rehab. He does have short term memory loss but I am so thankful he is here.