Recent aneursym diagnosis

Hi everyone, I have been having headaches and a pulsatile tinnitus in left ear. In June, I had a 10 day long headache that I think was occipital neuralgia. All this lead me to see a neurologist. He wanted to get a MRI/MRA of my brain. This week, the results came back with a 6 mm berry aneurysm on my right internal carotid artery where it branches to the ophthalmic artery. I am currently awaiting a referral to a neurosurgeon. I’ve been doing research and a lot of reading- trying to find someone with a similar aneurysm. I also wondered what signs other people had prior to or after discovery. I have been placed on BP med for high diastolic pressure. I wake up with headaches often that I thought was from my teeth clinching.( I wear a bite guard). I have also been having a lot of trouble saying things when I mean to something else. At first I thought this was just stress, but its happening quite often and is starting to worry me. Does anyone wear a medical alert bracelet? I worried it will rupture and no one will know what’s wrong with me.

Hi Dbarnp! I had similar 8mm para ophthalmic aneyresm. II has been clipped 7 month ago. I had the same worries.and did a lot of research .I don’t think it is going to rupture but again I am not specialist wait for the appointment with consultant. I had headache as well before operation. I would advice do not too much stress y
ourself just carry with you life. I was so depressed that couse me different health related issues. After operation I have different kind limitation but I am happy that I can see my children grow. Look after yourself and let us know how you are doing.

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Dbarnp,

I had a rupture and what saved my life was my cell phone. It was my life line. Without it, I would have perished. I would keep your phone with you always. In the meantime, I strongly recommend a hospital known for expertise in Aneurysm. You can get basic information from TAAF. http://www.taafonline.org I know that it may be inconvenient but having an excellent Neuro-Surgeon really makes a difference.

From this point, research the best Neuro-Surgeon and it is OK to get a second opinion.
Best of Luck and mediation bowls help.

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Dbarnp,
I had à 7mm aneurysm coiled in the circle of Willis almost 2 months ago. I too had alot of headaches prior to the diagnosis. Mine did not rupture, but the doctors thought my aches were due to rebound (too much ibuprofen). I had the same worries as well. I did zero research myself because I was too scared. I did tell people that I was around often about the annie and said if I fall out give me oxygen and call 911. I went to mayo for treatment, about a four hour trip from me, but we’ll worth it. They were amazing and I was treated in 3 weeks. Hang in there. I’m so glad they found it before it ruptured. We are very lucky

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Maya72- why did you have to do a clipping instead of coiling or pipeline? Was it because of the location of the annie or the size of it or both? I now have an appt on Thursday for an angiogram to confirm diagnosis and get a better look at it.

Michelle222- thank you for your reply. Do you live in Minnesota? We have a family lake house there and go every summer. Unfortunately, I’m in Oklahoma and Mayo would be out of network. Do you remember which artery your annie was on? How was your recovery from the coiling?

I do not live in Minnesota. I’m outside of Rockford, IL. While we do have good doctors here, they do not perform this type of thing regularly and had me out a couple of months to be seen and treated. I have blue cross and they covered the procedure. It might be worth it to call your insurance and just ask. They are very good. It was important to me to have this done by someone with a lot of experience in this area. My annie was in the left posterior communicating artery.

My recovery went very well. Just took it easy for a week and nothing too strenuous for 4 to 6 weeks. I had a lot of headaches at first and they assured me it was normal due to blood flow being re routed.

I still have some headaches and odd head pangs sometimes and it scares me. I was told to take Tylenol and come back in a year from a mri and to quit smoking. I have found that I get tired alot easier than I did before, which is odd to me.
I hope you are doing well. I know your fear.

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Thank you for your reply. I have an angiogram on Thursday so I will find out then exactly what we are dealing with and what can be done. Feeling extremely lucky to have found this before a rupture. So glad your recovering well!

Glad to hear you have an angiogram set up. My neurosurgeon was unsure if he was able to treat mine with the coiling due to its odd shape before investigating with the angiogram. After weighing the options, we decided it was best to knock me out, and if he was able to treat it while he was already in the there he was going to. Luckily he could and did the very next morning. ( im 4 hours from mayo)I had only anticipated going up for a consultation. My advice would be to have a bag ready just in case. God speed. I hope you’ll let us know how you are doing

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Hi Dbarnp! My anniversary was like yours berry shape internal carotid artery. They offer me coiling and clipping but first was coiling. I chose clipping as I did a lot of research prior to opperatin. Even I have very tough recovery and some limitation as I having conti9smell on and off from my nose I am happy with my decision. I know your feeling just be strong medicine so ahead In this area and I am sure you will be ok. Just let us know how are you doing and I pray for you as well.

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Thank you!

How are you Dbarnp! I am starting worries about you as I have seen any messages from you

Hi, Dbarnp,

would you mind sharing more of the Mayo experience?
do you know why your aneurysm was coiled instead of other methods?
stent/coiling, clipping, pipeline?

Thanks.

I’m not sure if that was supposed to be addressed to me, but I would l
be happy to share my mayo experience. ( My husband had prior experience with them, due to his mom’s brain cancer). I asked my doctor if she could refer me to them. 30 minutes later my husband came in and said pack a bag, we are going to mayo. I didn’t have an appointment. It was my first mini break down and it all became very real very fast. I told him no, I’m going to sit here on the couch and play with my new dog, and I did not want to go. We made the drive, stayed the night, and we’re not seen the next day, but it got the ball rolling. They had my referral, and scheduled me for a neurologist a few days later. He went over it all with me and I made a consult appointment with neurosurgeon and a carotid ultrasound. (At mayo, you have a team of doctors) 10 days later we went back and the doctor said he could do an angiogram the next morning at 8am, and see if a coiling would work. He was unsure due to its irregular shape. We decided it was best to fix it while he was already in there if he could. If not, he would schedule me the following week for open brain surgery. We didn’t discuss other options outside of coiling. I was too scared to research it prior to the appointment. The nurse told me that he does about a thousand aneurysm repairs a year, so I felt like I was in good hands. The team was amazing and I went home the next day. I threw up quite a bit that night from the anesthesia, but it was a small price to pay. He said it was fully occluded and to come back in one year for another mri. Looking back now, I wish I had asked more questions about clipping and just having it removed. But it’s been 3 months and the headaches are clearing up. Please don’t bury your head in the sand and do nothing. You have received a gift being diagnosed even if you don’t feel like it now. It is scary and serious, but you can do this. My doctor was Lanzino and he was great

Dear Michelle222,

Thank you for sharing with us your story.

So you think you might have chosen clipping (done by the same doctor or different?) if you’d make the decision today?

Mayo is a teaching hospital, and therefore, they have to offer residences chances to practice. I, too, went to Mayo for a 2nd opinion. I am not sure how much involved would my surgeon cut/search/treat me (clipping or stent/coiling). I know it’s the #1 neurosurgery hospital in US.

Reading your post is comforting and thanks for telling us the doctor’s name. :slight_smile:

Honestly I don’t believe I would have. He believed it was the best option for me due to my age 47, and active life style. I never questioned it until it was all said and done. There was another Dr under Lanzino that I believe was a resident, but he was not alone on the procedure. After it was done, Dr L talked to my husband and explained everything. Both doctors came to my room that evening and the following day for discharge. It was told to me that he trained in Italy when coiling was new and had something do with the implementation of it. Some type of development, I believe. I’m happy to hear you have some comfort. I feel the same physically as I did before they found it it’s almost like it never even happened. But it did. Emotionally I am grateful every single day in a way I never was before. Please keep us updated!

Hi Maya72- 4 days ago I had 2 pipeline stents placed on top of the other. I’m at home recovering. Sleeping a lot - weird pressure in head and mild headaches. It’s really amazing that you can be feeling this well after brain surgery! Now I just need to wait 6 months for the angiogram to see how is works! My ophthalmic artery was coming out of the dome of my aneurysm so he is trying to slow down the blood flow to my right eye without completely obstructing it so my body will develop collateral circulation to that eye. Thanks for checking in!
diane

Hi Diane! I am very happy that everything went well.Just look after yourself now and take it easy.I wish you all the best.
Maya

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Hi glad everyone is going well. Three weeks ago I had my second pipeline stent put in to cover 2 aneurysms. My first pipeline was in 2011. First one went amazing well. This one is much tougher. Still getting bad headaches after 3 weeks.

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Get it treated right away. I had a 3mm cerebral aneurysm and because I have low blood pressure there was little chance of rupture - but rupture it did. Don’t wait get it seen to asap