My husband had an Unruptured Aneurysm surgically repaired in January 2012. Because of the large size, they used clips and then wrapped it in muslin. His recovery post operation was remarkable. No major cognitive issues nor headaches and by three months he was able to walk two miles and do some workouts at the fitness center.
Now at 7 months post surgery, he seems to be experiencing some sort of relapse. He is experiencing severe bouts of fatigue and is limited to about a half mile of walking at one time. This is troubling to him, because he is diabetic and he has always been able to control that through exercise. Is this a normal up and down of recovery? I would appreciate hearing from others who have experienced a similar situation. Have you had any success in battling the fatigue? My heart goes out to those of you who are struggling with far more serious complications. I realize in the big scheme of things, this seems to be a small problem.
Hi Ann, I hope this fiinds everyone well. I too had clipping in January 2012 and had the same recovery. I bounced back quickly with few minor “speed bumps” as I use to refer to them as which now have become pebbles. From what I was told fatigue is normal, and even though we feel like we are physically back to normal, our brain is still in the healing process which for a timeline I was given can last for a year or so. There are days when I take an extra nap or just lay around because I feel exhasted. Just for some level of comfort giving the doc a call and chatting with them about it couldn’t hurt. I hope all is good. Please keep in touch on this… thoughts and prayers. Debbie
Oh, Debbie, Thank you so much. I will communicate this information to my husband. I know it will give him comfort knowing that it is common to other people as well. When he discussed this with his primary care doctor , he just told him to try to exercise more. But that has become impossible on some days. I will keep you informed, especially since the time frame is exactly the same for both of you. I wish you the best of luck also. Please keep us informed.
I had clipping done 10 yrs ago. It took me a good year to get back to not getting tired during the day. I too would do a little then lay down and rest several times a day. Rest is the best medicine for the brain. We use our brain for everything, even listening would task my brain at times. I just loved peace and quiet. Still to this day I can tell when my brain is getting tired and when that happens I just lay down and rest. Recovery is like a roller coaster, good day, bad day, good day, good day, bad day, not so good day, good day. You have to listen to your body and not over do. Your body has been through something major and it takes time to recover. Like I said, I still have days when my head bothers me, you get use to it. It becomes your new normal.
Thank you all so much for the encouragement. It has been very helpful in keeping everything in perspective. As a matter of fact, Cliff is doing much better. He has been taking D-Ribose (recommended as a measure to combat extreme fatigue at the cellular level) and it has worked remarkably well. He is back at the fitness center at least three times a week...low weights, but he goes..and he is back to being able to walk about 1 1/2 miles at a stretch without getting really tired. We both appreciated so much the comments we received from the BAF family. It is nice to know that others have experienced similar events and have come through well. I will keep you informed of his progress. I hope it keeps on being so positive. It is great to see his sense of humor returning.
When i had my annie clipped, i had to have 2 clips put in because it was an unusual shape. Also it had another annie along side it called a daughter annie. They wrapped crushed muscle and muslin around some part of it.
It's been 9 months since my op. I walk alot and doc said not to strain myself too much. I do feel sometimes i'm having a relapse of fatigue, i suppose the brain just needs time to heal. I see it as a natural warning sign to take it easier when i feel too tired.
Nikki, thank you for your note. I hope that you also stay on the path of recovery. Cliff also takes it as a warning sign that when he gets exhausted it is time to rest...sometimes just sitting and checking things on an IPad or sometimes a long nap. As I mentioned in my last note, it seems to be working. It is so encouraging to hear that his problems are similar to other people who have been in the same circumstance. He was so surprised to hear that the doctors had wrapped his very large aneurysm in muslin, but it must be the favored treatment for those who have such large annies that they cannot be completely clipped. Do you get any whooshing sounds on that side of your head? He finds it difficult to sleep on the right side of his head where he had the operation, and often has strange feelings and tenderness. But he seems strong this week, so hopefully all is well. The very best of luck to you also.
Hello Ann, Nikki again, hope all is well. I do feel i get a bit hard of hearing sometimes on my right side. Also i still have tenderness as well. It's good your hubby rests when he feels tired. I end up having naps some days, while i'm watching tv. I suppose this is an all natural process for healing, we should get better soon as long as we don't over do things, if you think about it it's major surgery that we had.
What a blessing to have read this. I had my wrapping done in Feb and am also going through the fatigue symptoms. I was getting frustrated with myself and now feel so much better knowing I’m not alone. I agree, we need to give our bodies time to recover, it has gone through trauma and I feel blessed to be alive! I have a whole new appreciation for my family and loved ones especially God who has been my refuge and strength through all this. May God bless all of you and heal you to recovery ASAP.
Becky, what a lovely message. I just read it to Cliff and he was really happy that you are doing so well even after over two years and a ruptured Annie. Wow! All of the messages we have received have been very inspirational and wonderful to read. Thank you. I will stay in touch and keep up with everyone’s progress. I wish you continued luck and a resumption of a great social life!
Best regards,
Ann
Seal, Good luck to you. Do not get discouraged. We have found out that it is two days forward and one day back quite often. But you will find that soon the bouts of fatigue will ebb a nd you will find yourself back to normal. We were getting really discouraged when I first wrote to this column, but within three weeks things have returned to a remarkable level of activity. Hang in there!
Ann
Wow you truly are an inspiration! It was so wonderful to read your story and realise that I can also do it, I just need so much prayer and patience! I do believe that although this has been a trying time for us, God would never let us survive through this if he didn’t have another plan ahead for us. I am also going to take your advise and do some walking for the fatigue and get healthy again. Thank you so much for you message of encouragement.
Hi Ann, thank you for your encouraging note. I have started walking everyday about 5 kms for just over a week now and I must admit I don’t feel as tired as often as I used to. I also want to start yoga sometime because I believe it also helps with fatigue and weight, which I have gained these past 8 months while being at home. Regards, Seal
I am so happy to hear about your progress. Way to go! I do think you will love yoga and will find that it has therapeutic benefits way beyond just the physical. I have recently met a lady who had the same type of surgery and after 18 months, she is back to a very vigorous life, with no complications at all. She also said that the first year was one of some frustration and some setbacks, but that her outcomes and activities lately have been extraordinary. So I guess patience is the operative word. Good luck, and thank you for letting us know how you are doing.