I am a relative of not one but two aneurysm survivors. My mother suffered a berry aneurysm rupture of the left posterior communicating artery in 1995. We just celebrated her 18 year anniversary of her surgery this past February. She had it clipped by the way. She is alive and with most of her faculties intact, minus a sense of smell, some balance issues, and virtually no short term memory.
My brother suffered a rupture of the same artery in 2010. He received the coiling, along with a shunt. He was not as lucky as my mother and was wheelchair bound and in a nursing home. On January 16th 2012, my brother suffered a rebleed from a coil failure. The nursing home failed to take him to angio appointments to have it checked. He passed away at 5am on January 19th, 2012.
I have three children Cameron who is 8, Colin is 6, and Zack is 3. Colin has had headaches since he was old enough to complain about them. It has been one hoop to another trying to get the cause pinned down. But I am hopeful that eventually I will be able to get myself screened and my three boys.
To Michael's Sister...welcome here...we have lots to share...from clip to coils...I was coiled...and, we have lots to share... I was not in a nursing home...and, likely should have been in some rehab facility...too long a story here...
My third grade teacher noted on a report card of my headaches...I have no memory of discussing w/her...I have a vague memory of my mom giving me tiny piece of aspirin...and, no memory if same time/age range...
In the Groups sites...there is one of Pediatrics...and many others...
Again, welcome, and prayers for you for your research, for your/our pursuit of symptoms that are so overlooked or denied...which is continued in the recovery patterns...
My diagnostic angio qualifies mine as the ICA at origin of PCoA...another that it was PCoA...so we may have a lot to share...w/the same artery aneurysm...
There was a study done a few years back on the genetic factor...you may find in the BAF main wesbsite pages...and/or ask in the "ask the doc" forum...
Prayers that you document symptoms by date, time of day, after which activities, on waking, reading, etc...
I read (and gave my opinion) on your Blog Post yesterday, and my opinion of the matter hasn't changed one bit since! I really hope you can navigate thru the medical madness and find the right place and the right Docs who understand that, hey, you DO have a pre-disposition and so do your little ones--you are not at all 'mistaken' (as you already know, plus your family history screams the same ) I can't imagine how nerve racking this must be !