Hi everybody… I know everyone is different but this question is mostly for those of you with unruptured Annies, either with surgical clips or endovascular procedures… What time did you need to get back to work… Or… To recover to the point of feeling energetic and bubbly again?.. I am a child care worker… I care for under 5s including a 1 year old baby, My job is super physical, lots of jumping and dancing, lifting them up, driving them around etc.
I am trying to give my employer an approximate time frame for my recovery… Thinking there will be no complications… With any of the procedures, ( still don’t know if I will be coiled of clipped).
I have been clipped and am just over 6 weeks post surgery. I have been blessed with a good recovery and must say I am feeling great. Some of that is just the relief of having it all done but my energy is coming back and I am starting to exercise again. Walking for now but it is a start. I am returning to work on the 30th which will be about 8 weeks and i feel that i am ready. I do have a desk job though so my computer isnt near as demanding as a bunch of kids. On a side note, I have a one year old and a three year old and feel that I am energetic and bubbly again with them.
Like you mentioned, everyone is different. There are so many factors that come into play but you will mostly likely get the full spectrum as you get some responses.
Elke, it is interesting hearing different stories. I was given no restrictions on driving despite being clipped. I didn’t drive for about a month but I am back behind the wheel now.
I had coils into an unusual and large cavernous carotid aneurysm (30 mm) plus occlusion of the carotid artery. I was not restricted from driving, but didn't drive for several weeks because I had double vision (which is now better). I was advised not to do weight lifting at the gym, but otherwise to exercise as I felt able and lead a normal life. I am still off work 7 months later, but not because of physical restrictions, I can exercise as much as I want, but because my cognitive function is not yet able to cope with the intellectual job I do. I think I was doing all normal physical activities by 3 months (even went gentle skiing) though needed more rest. Tiredness has also been a problem. Of course it is likely I've been more affected than most people who are coiled as the right side of my brain now gets all its blood supply from the left and posterior arteries.
After the procedure, I was out of hospital on day 4.
Hi Naya ... we are all so different...I had complications with my coiling...so truthfully, I really didn't feel on the road to recovery until about 3 months...however, 18 months later...I am still combating fatigue...
Some here at BAF ... bounce back much much faster... wish I could be more help...~ Colleen
I had 2 aneurysms clipped in July 2011. I had not had any seizures prior, and have not had any since, so I don't have any seizure related restrictions. (I also have a large AVM, and my neurosurgeon seemed surprised that I hadn't had any seizures.)
My surgeon wanted me to have at least 4 weeks after surgery before returning to work. He was able to fit me in during the 1st week of July so that I would have 6 weeks before teacher inservice began for the new school year. I teach 9th grade Special Ed/Resource English & reading.
Two weeks after surgery, I was at the largest dog show in the area. I borrowed an electric wheelchair for the 5 day show. I still overdid it the first day (which was also the day I went back to the surgeon to have my stitches removed) & spent the next day in bed.
Four weeks after surgery, I went to my first dance class since my AVM diagnosis in April (the aneursysms were found in June when I was undergoing Gamma Knife radiation for the AVM). It wore me out--even with about 1/2 the class focusing just on arms. It was a Zambra Mora class. Zambra Mora is a Spanish Gypsy style of bellydance & is heavy on the use of flamenco style arms/hand movements & skirt work.
Five weeks after surgery, I went into school to arrange my furniture. Moving my teacher desk, computer desk, file cabinets, and book cabinets was really overdoing it.
Six weeks after surgery, I had the week-long teacher inservice/work days for prepping for the new school year. That week kicked my butt! As a SpEd teacher, I was attending SpEd meetings as well as English dept. meetings, trying to meet up with the Geography teacher I was going to co-teach with (and I had never taught any social studies classes before). I was having to go to other classrooms to print because the district tech guys had not set up my computer. They had set up my student computers (which didn't have a working printer), but not the teacher computer. My husband was out of town, so I was the one taking care of our 3 Akitas that week, too.
I had a little more engergy the following week when school started, but didn't stay as late each day as I normally would have. For a few months, I spent the weekends recuperating from the week.
i had a clip 6 weeks ago and will be going back to work in about 2 weeks. my surgeon said the average time for recovery from the clip is about 6 to 12 weeks. so i'll be right in the middle. he suggested i start half days until i feel like i can handle a whole day. best of luck to you with your surgery! take care..
I had unruptured aneurysm surgery -clipping in 2009. I was on brain pills for 3 months. They had me in physical therapy to learn how to balance myself, walk better, and get stronger. I don't remember when I started the therapy. My aneurysm was very low in my brain, and at 7mm. It was intense, and I was drugged out for 10 days post surgery. I am strong, positive and wanted to do everything again, but, as you probably know, if takes patience. I learned to drive after I was off the pills after 3 months. Walking is great and makes me feel better. If I feel tired, I rest. I was able to work from home which I did after a couple of weeks. As time flew by, I felt better. It saved my life and I noticed all the beautiful things in my life even more. The very best for YOU! OOO
I was clipped Nov. 2010...I was not allowed to drive for 6 weeks. As for recovery it's different for everyone. I took me awhile to not feel so tired after doing some physical activity. I'm still fighting with that but it's getting better.
Talk with your doctor and see what he says about your expected recovery time.
Thanks so much for all the answers… Looks like I will have to take things easy any how… I been thinking I should maybe change jobs, but I am afraid no one will want to employ me at this stage with this things in my head…
I will know next Friday, after my angiogram, due on Wednesday.
