I am happy to report that life has returned to near normal. March 26, 2018 I felt like I was having a stroke while in the shower. I was able to text my daughter in the back unit and she called the paramedics. They came and told us that my vitals were stable and no loss of function. They said they could take me to the ER but “hated to have me wait for hours there”. They said to call my doctor’s office which we did and left a message. I rested in bed, took some Advil and cold packs on my very stiff neck. 5 hours later the doctor’s office called and said I should go to urgent care or ER. Two hours later I was admitted to UCLA with a rupture on the basilar tip artery. I was coiled the next morning and was in ICU for ten days without any vasospasm or loss of function. Just a huge headache, backache and neck pain. I refused the Oxycontin due to severe nausea and took only Tylenol until after a few days they let me have Advil also. Two more days on a regular floor and went home with the meds. I retired early at 63 in January and so had the luxury of not needing to get back to work. My husband has been retired for years and was already taking care of the house stuff, cooking, shopping, cleaning etc. But I took care of the finances and had to try and get the numbers in the checkbook from dancing around on the page! I also have a 27 year old son with a developmental disability who needs our support so my absence was hard on him also. But we survived and now my life is back to my new retired normal with a few mild headaches. I have the luxury of taking it easy when they occur.
On my last angiogram post coiling in the hospital they found another small 3mm aneurysm on the right superior hypopheseal. It has a 1.86 mm neck. I also have a pre-aneurysm on the Left P-comm infundibulum which will need to be watched. I have the 2nd aneurysm to be coiled on July 19th. I was fortunate to make it to UCLA when I had the rupture and have great confidence in my doctor but still am not looking forward to the procedure. It was easier after the rupture to go to surgery since it was do it or die and no time to really think about it. I was told of the 1% chance each year of rupture so I could elect to wait and see. I also have learned that of the annie’s that rupture 75% are of the small variety. So, I prefer to not take a chance on another rupture and will take my chances on the risk of coiling.
Would like to hear stories from anyone who has had a successful coiling of an unruptured annie.
Prayers for successful surgery - they did both of mine at the same time - I had a subarachnoid hemorrhage with 2 aneurysms posterior communicating arteries - they coiled both in January. I didn’t really get a vote and my prayers go out to everyone who has been diagnosed and told to wait and see. They had to go back and stent one in April as apparently sometimes the coils slip. Or so I was told. I don’t know if that helps or not but I hope you have a successful recovery.
Thank you for your reply. My anxiety is increasing the closer I get to July 19th, the date for the coiling. I don’t think they saw the 2nd annie on the CTA they did when they saw the one that had burst. They saw it when they did the angiogram to coil the burst annie. I hadn’t given permission to coil or fix a 2nd one so maybe that is why. When I had the post hospital visit with the doctor who did the coiling I wasn’t clear headed enough to think of these questions. I was just really happy to have survived with only mild headaches. I hope this one will have the same or better outcome.