Came across this very intriguing article from early September. Not sure if anyone posted this already…if so, my apologies. Anyway, future brain bleeds may be treated by nanobots (under the care of a neurosurgeon of course)! I found it interesting:
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I did not see it, thanks for sharing. I did get a kick out of the replies and some had actually mentioned clarification perhaps. Don’t you find it interesting when they use statistics with nothing to back them up?
Pretty amazing, although I don’t think I would want to be in the first group of patients that tested this out!
When I started in Radiology as an X-ray technician, we had a ct scanner, one of only a few installed in the world. It took 7 minutes to process one image!! Today, we can scan an entire heart in .259s!! Boggles my mind. Always exciting to hear what may be coming up
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Wow @Judi - this is fascinating!! (Has nothing to do with the fact I had a stent put in days ago! 
)
I know one thing for sure: I am going to ask my neuroradiologist about it at my f/u visit. Thanks for sharing: that drive-up annie repair is within reach!! 
Fin Whale Fan 
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I’m interested in stenting for my annie, and you just had yours. What “aftereffects” did you have from the procedure, and do you need to be on blood thinners for ??? years/life? I can’t take aspirin so I am concerned and haven’t found concrete answers.
Love your name!
You do need to be put on blood thinners to get a stent. Most of us are put on Plavix for awhile and then aspirin for the rest of our lives as I understand it. I’m on the low dose of 81 mg daily, some members get the regular dose of 325mg. I received my stent after three other attempts. I’m not sure getting a stent is something we tell our surgeons to do, I think it’s up to our surgeon, type of aneurysm and the location of course.
Hi @Ralf -
@Moltroub can give you the long-range view, and I am happy to share the 1-week post-stent view!
Honestly, as I was told, the procedure itself is VERY similar to having an angiogram done, the only difference being on a general anesthesia v. a twilight. My procedure ended up being scheduled late in the day for whatever reason. I am not sure if that is the reason why I was allowed to spend overnight in ICU, but I was grateful that I did (don’t worry, nothing major AT ALL - just some hiccups discussed below).
As @Moltroub said, a week before the procedure I started on both baby aspirin (81mg) and Plavix. They did my coagulation testing right before the procedure, and evidently I did o.k., and am able to stay on Plavix.
I only need to take Plavix for a period of 6 months → 1 year, basically until the cells grow over the stent framework and block off the blood flow to Elmer (annie). Agreed that I am on baby aspirin for life.
As mentioned, they got to me late in the day (probably around 3:30-4). So, yes, fasting from midnight the night before, so was really looking forward to dinner! Beforehand, my neuroradiologist was talking about going in through my wrist, as he had done with the prior angiogram. Much to my surprise, when I woke up, he had gone in through my groin instead. Honestly, I didn’t care one way or another (but am curious as to why!), but I knew that recovery would be a little more drama-filled v. a wrist entry.
Post-procedure, your leg is immobilized for a few hours to give the wound and (presumably) artery a chance to start healing since you are at risk being on blood thinners. I wasn’t allowed to eat until after that, so dinner was now set for 9 p.m.
They kept checking the wound, and decided that they weren’t happy about the seepage rate. So, in comes one of the nursing team to apply pressure to the wound for 20 minutes. (She was wonderful, but it was also a somewhat awkward moment with someone standing there for that long! ) So, yes, the dinner clock was extended to 10 p.m. now.
Finally time to eat! I had my entree, and started to work on my sides when I started to feel faint. I told the nurse and that caused its own set of tests and issues. Conclusion was that is highly likely because of my family’s genetic propensity to faint, as well as that I had not had food or much liquids in so long, but still there was a lot to check and monitor.
They also had to throw me on a couple of drips since some of my electrolytes were low, as a result of one of my new BP meds. My PCP and I working on a plan of attack for that, so all a work in progress…
The first day home I can’t tell you how relieved I was to have the stent behind me! I had no idea how much it was weighing on my brain - but evidently it was.
Since they had gone in through my groin, recovery is a little bit slower. I am limited to 5 lb weights for the interim, and limited to moderate exercise (start at 1 mile, slow walking, and increase from there on). As you can guess, being from the Northeastern US that is extremely challenging for me , but I am doing my best to chill a little more!
I also was a little sleepier than normal over the weekend - likely a result from the anesthesia. I’ll take it though.
Beyond that, I am pretty much back to my normal post-rupture life. I couldn’t drive or take the stairs for 24 h to avoid opening up the wound, but I was in the hospital that time so it wasn’t an issue.
You have a fantastic question about you & aspirin! Definitely I would ask your neuroradiologist/neurosugeon about it … I won’t catch mine for another few weeks, but will try to remember to ask now that I am curious about it!
Let me know if you have any other questions I can help answer, or want to chat about it further!
P.S. Thanks! It was very spontaneously in choosing my alias, but it has become my personal favorite!
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Dear FinWhaleFan,
Thank you so much for the recap of your procedure, especially the follow up problems. It being so recent, I figured your memory was fresher than those who had it done a while ago. It doesn’t appear that you have any brain “fogginess” which others seem to mention.
Still doing watch & wait; don’t have a neuro doctor yet, but plan on moving next year to ???, so will find one once I am settled. [No nanobots for me!]
Best of wishes for a full recovery!
Ralf
FinWhaleFan
October 24 |
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Hi @Ralf -
@Moltroub can give you the long-range view, and I am happy to share the 1-week post-stent view!
Honestly, as I was told, the procedure itself is VERY similar to having an angiogram done, the only difference being on a general anesthesia v. a twilight. My procedure ended up being scheduled late in the day for whatever reason. I am not sure if that is the reason why I was allowed to spend overnight in ICU, but I was grateful that I did (don’t worry, nothing major AT ALL - just some hiccups discussed below).
As @Moltroub said, a week before the procedure I started on both baby aspirin (81mg) and Plavix. They did my coagulation testing right before the procedure, and evidently I did o.k., and am able to stay on Plavix.
I only need to take Plavix for a period of 6 months → 1 year, basically until the cells grow over the stent framework and block off the blood flow to Elmer (annie). Agreed that I am on baby aspirin for life.
As mentioned, they got to me late in the day (probably around 3:30-4). So, yes, fasting from midnight the night before, so was really looking forward to dinner! Beforehand, my neuroradiologist was talking about going in through my wrist, as he had done with the prior angiogram. Much to my surprise, when I woke up, he had gone in through my groin instead. Honestly, I didn’t care one way or another (but am curious as to why!), but I knew that recovery would be a little more drama-filled v. a wrist entry.
Post-procedure, your leg is immobilized for a few hours to give the wound and (presumably) artery a chance to start healing since you are at risk being on blood thinners. I wasn’t allowed to eat until after that, so dinner was now set for 9 p.m.
They kept checking the wound, and decided that they weren’t happy about the seepage rate. So, in comes one of the nursing team to apply pressure to the wound for 20 minutes. (She was wonderful, but it was also a somewhat awkward moment with someone standing there for that long! ) So, yes, the dinner clock was extended to 10 p.m. now.
Finally time to eat! I had my entree, and started to work on my sides when I started to feel faint. I told the nurse and that caused its own set of tests and issues. Conclusion was that is highly likely because of my family’s genetic propensity to faint, as well as that I had not had food or much liquids in so long, but still there was a lot to check and monitor.
They also had to throw me on a couple of drips since some of my electrolytes were low, as a result of one of my new BP meds. My PCP and I working on a plan of attack for that, so all a work in progress…
The first day home I can’t tell you how relieved I was to have the stent behind me! I had no idea how much it was weighing on my brain - but evidently it was.
Since they had gone in through my groin, recovery is a little bit slower. I am limited to 5 lb weights for the interim, and limited to moderate exercise (start at 1 mile, slow walking, and increase from there on). As you can guess, being from the Northeastern US that is extremely challenging for me , but I am doing my best to chill a little more!
I also was a little sleepier than normal over the weekend - likely a result from the anesthesia. I’ll take it though.
Beyond that, I am pretty much back to my normal post-rupture life. I couldn’t drive or take the stairs for 24 h to avoid opening up the wound, but I was in the hospital that time so it wasn’t an issue.
You have a fantastic question about you & aspirin! Definitely I would ask your neuroradiologist/neurosugeon about it … I won’t catch mine for another few weeks, but will try to remember to ask now that I am curious about it!
Let me know if you have any other questions I can help answer, or want to chat about it further!
P.S. Thanks! It was very spontaneously in choosing my alias, but it has become my personal favorite!
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No, my fogginess was greatly improved after my shunt was installed (for the hydrocephalus), so it has not been much of an issue for me.
Like so many others, I do have fatigue issues, but working at being more aware and addressing before it snowballs into a bigger issue. We shall see though!
Best of luck figuring out your next new home! So many great places to live, I don’t envy having to make that decision. 
Happy to answer any other questions you might have!
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P.S. For the record, I asked if any nanobots were used in placing my stent. Not this time around! (I am not sure if that is good or bad news… 
)
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I’m sure that’s quite far off but I’m also old enough to know that once someone dreams something up, somewhere along the line it is likely to come into being. Provided of course someone keeps funneling money for research. Maybe the next generation is in line for that high-tech treatment!
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You have me thinking about the Jetson’s:rofl:
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