So wondering how common is an unruptured aneurysm? And if ppl shouldn’t have symptoms, how did I have such a bad headache and my face was drooping on one side(symptoms of a bleeding aneurysm)? I don’t really understand what happened or when it started… Now salty foods taste nasty and I see things a little differently. Has anyone else had this happen? Not to mention I lost 10lbs, my head hurts, I have trouble falling asleep now and I am totally worried that something will go wrong by my “normal” life… Any advice for a 10 day old rookie?!
Thanks Jo! Yeah I’m a worrier by blood anyways so I’m sure this didnt help that. The surgeon did an awesome job and I felt good te first few days, just tired from pain meds but now it feels as though I woke up with different eyes and so much uncertainty. I had the angio seals used for the site on my femoral artery and I’m afraid to do anything for fear it might come loose or something! It’s all very strange that’s for sure! Do you know of a site that lists these after effects from the procedure or what to expect mentally?
Hi Tam...patience...this is a long journey...healing...and now your brain needs lots of rest to heal...it takes along time to see what things are your "new normal" and what things are not...~ Gothca in my Thoughts ~ Colleen
Hang in there! I had no symptom either and I was told 1 in 50 have aneurysms and they dont know about them. I agree with Jo that you are still in the early stages. I had mine in July and I still have headaches, mood swings, vision issues and I still worry about another small one I have that is too small to do anything about. Take one day at a time. Every day is a new day and we are blessed to be here. Thats all we can do to adjust to the new us! Best wishes to you as well!
Hi Tam
I take it you've now got coils..? Lots of folks don't have any outward symptoms from their aneurysms, but a lot of folks do , such as the headache and the facial palsy you described. My 1st aneurysm I had trouble focusing on the coffee grounds when I woke up in the morning, for maybe a few weeks or so..than I got one really intense headache one night (as the aneurysm was growing, putting all sorts of pressure on my 3rd cranial nerve with lots of pressure behind my left eye), infact it literally snapped my 3rd cranial (optic) nerve and suddenly I had no muscle control of my left eye, it was dialated and I had extremely bad double vision...(that was my que that something big had happened!, hense I got a clipping) but the next aneuyrusm 8 years later didn't give me the same symptoms. The symptoms for the 2nd one was my eyes wouldn't self correct whenever I looked upwards, and I'd have to wait 30 seconds or so til they'd re adjust themselves.. that didn't happen each and everytime I looked up, but I noticed this was happening more often ..then more..and so on..til one fine day a huge pain brought me to the floor and viola, I was in a coma for 6 weeks..(got coils) ...I had no headaches or problems with the coils for three years running, until suddenly one evening that same intense pain that I immediately recognized as "the right before I hit the floor" aneursym from 3 years back -- came back! back to the hospital I went, had a choice to get more coils but opted for a clipping as its typcally a more permanent fix ... Had to go the routine of not being able to sleep after I got home from the hospital after the coma/coils, but one thing that seemed to help a lot at home was daily walks. Got my strength back, helped me to settle down at night and be able to sleep better, and it sure helped to keep the excess 35 pounds at bay (that I'd lost while in the coma) ! Also, computer games like TriPeaks Solitaire seemed to help me get my reaction time back on track.
Maybe get a little more detail from your doctor as to what exactly did happen to you, what they did and why they did it and at what point did they do it, ( before or after a leak or rupture) which shouldn't hurt to know and will hopefully help you to better understand whats going on in your healing process (like the bad taste reaction to salty foods..--I seemed to lose my taste for nearly everything in that 1st year after the coils, but I attribute that to the blood pressure meds I was on at that time...are you on any new meds?) theres no law saying you can't quiz the doctors til you're blue in the face, and this website is great in getting some answers to the odd feelings you're bound to go thru. Good luck to you Tam, Take care, Janet
Thanks everyone for your advice and well wishes! I’ve been back at work for 5 days today and I feel okay… Trying my best to remain positive and not stress about the things that don’t matter so much!! It’s hard to stay focused and multitask like before but it’s a work in progress. Don’t have a follow up until March but have been writing my questions down and looking for answers… I don’t think I am really that bad off since my Annie didn’t rupture or bleed but I can definitely tell a difference in myself. I still take my thyroid, anxiety and cholesterol meds which I think I want to stop taking all except the thyroid meds. I can’t take birth control anymore and thought about the IUD but have heard a lot of bad things(any suggestions-has to be hormone free). I am still dropping weight probably since my appetite is zero and what I do eat is small. I know it will all take time and I am willing to be patient and allow myself this time to heal but I am so glad that there are other people that I can talk with that understand and can help with advice from their own experiences!! God bless you all, you are all angels in waiting!!
Hello Tam
Back to work already? Wow--thats great. Don't overdue it though! You mentioned you can no longer take birth control pills...when did you stop taking them? I know my whole body went thru some BS when I had to go off of birth control pils, and that hit me harder than I expected at the time. and I won't take a statin for my cholestoral (Statins killled my mother, she wound up with a supposedly rare disease from taking statins), plus statins are well known for other adverse affects--memory, muscle aches, the list is pretty endless ..I'd keep up with the thyroid pills though-(-even those can throw the body off into a bad zone and need re-adjustment ) If the cholestoral drug is new to you, and if you've just gone off the BC pills recently, i'd be looking into those 2 things as possible culprits as to how good or bad you may feel in your recovery.....Just a thought...
Hi Janet! Yes I went back a lot sooner than I expected but really glad that I have been doing well. Guess that is in partly because I am such a fighter and refuse to just stop living the life I want, deserve, and have worked so hard to have! As young as I may be and look I have been through hell and back! I had tick fever when I was 8 yrs old, I had a breast cancer scare back in May of 2012 and a very rough childhood. My mom says if I can get through all that and this now then she knows I can do anything!! The birth control or lack of being able to use the pill does worry me a little since I don’t want to get pregnant anytime soon. Thinking about the IUD but like I said I have heard of a lot of problems with them and so don’t want that. Do you know of any other contraceptives that work without hormones(or anybody else)?
Hope that you had a great weekend! Time for me to get some sleep and hope that whomever reads this had a great weekend too!!
Oh and Janet I do have a coil and stint for my Annie. It was measured at 3.8 x 3.9mm!! It’s classified as small but this one was apparently dangerous cause of the width at the base of it… Just thought I’d let you know!!