Ruptured brain aneurism

General
1

Hi,

Last week my mother in law had a brain aneurism rupture. They did surgery on Wednesday to repair the rupture. She has a drain on her brain to help with the swelling and has been on a ventilator in since Tuesday. She has been doing a breathing trial with the vent on standby and has been doing well with that. She has opened her eyes a couple of times, and is moving her arms and legs. The doctors and nurses say that it will be a long process and one step forward, one and a half back. What have your experiences been with ruptured brain aneurisms?

2

I'm sorry to hear about your mother in law but glad she is on the road to recovery now. I can't offer much help since my aneurysm was clipped prior to a rupture. But you will find many amazing supportive people here...just wanted to say welcome.

3

So sorry to hear abut your mother-in-law's rupture; yet it sounds like she is somewhat responsive even less then a week after this traumatic and what will be a "life-changing" event in her life! This is a wonderful place for you to get the Support you ALL will need as she continues to Heal & with her family by her side thru the healing; she is certainly a Blessed woman! For me; after spending a few days on a ventilator and 3 weeks in ICU before progressing to regular room; I will tell you with a Grateful Heart that I walked out of the Hospital a month following my rupture with not one physical deficit; yet this is a long healing process, as the nurses & doctors told you. The most difficult part of the healing process is that it's hard for those closest to us to understand that this is a long process because we don't leave the hospital with a cast around our head and we look as if nothing ever happened BUT the healing process has just begun! I'm thrilled to hear that her medical team was able to help her at the point of her rupture and now it's time to put your Trust in our amazing medical community who are now saving lives with the treatment options now available. Hang in there and Believe that she will Heal with time & Love from her family & Friends!!!

4

JB...so sorry to hear about your M-I-L...she's blessed to have your support...welcome here...

Prayers for her continued recovery...

Pat

5

Hi, I am sorry to have to read your story. Glad you have found this board. The people here have been very helpful. I'm sure you'll find the same as time goes by. My mom had a ruptured aneurysm on March 31 (6 weeks ago). It was a grade 5. What grade was your MIL's?

My mom also had a repair done and was on a ventilator for about 10 days. She was in the ICU for 14 days and then moved to a regular room for about 4 days before being discharged and moved to an acute rehab facility, where she has been ever since. She will be transferred to a sub acute rehab facility on May 20, where she will stay for about 4 weeks before going back to the hospital for a second surgery on the aneurysm. The first surgery coiled the annie and the second surgery will either be a stent with more coiling or a total clipping of the annie. After her 2 night hospital stay (assuming all goes well) she will be sent back to the sub acute rehab center for more time there. We are anticipating she will then be sent home some time after that.

As for how she is and what her milestones were thus far:

She was on a ventilator for about 2 weeks. It was a necessity for about 9 of those days. The rest of the days they kept her on it because they thought she might "forget" to breathe. She was very lethargic, and not very alert.

When they took her off the ventilator they kept the feeding tube in for about 5 days after that. Even now, 6 weeks later, her appetite isn't terrific, but she's not starving. There was a time when she went a few days in a row only eating a little apple sauce.

She is still eating finely chopped foods only because with TBI folks chewing can sometimes go on FOREVER. And they have to be coaxed into swallowing. My mom is getting better at it but she still wears herself out at every meal with the inordinate amount of chewing she does with every bite. She can feed herself a few bites but not much more. I think it's too exhausting for her.

My mom is moving all parts of the body but she can still not independently roll over in bed or sit up. She is not walking. The therapists put her into a weight bearing sling on wheels which supports her as she takes up to 100 steps int he hallway. They have her sitting up at the edge of the bed for 40 minutes a day unassisted, and sometimes she tips over. It's a work in progress.

She is speaking pretty normally now, but half of what comes out of her mouth makes no sense. By that I mean, for example, she thinks my brother had an aneurysm in January and will also need surgery next week. She thinks her 7 year old grandson is really an older boy who is engaged to be married soon. On the flip side, she asks very pointed questions about the upkeep of her house and other family affairs. Complete with detailed hard-to-pronounce names.

She was put on a neuro stimulating drug last week that helps improve initiation, alertness, and memory. It has made a world of difference for her. Before that she was only on her game maybe once a week for an hour or two . Now she can concourse for several hours at a time and is completely alert for a good portion of the day.

I agree with the medical staff's assessment of one step forward and one and a half back. It is a test in patience and endurance that I have never before had to endure…and I have twin children =)

Good luck to you and your MIL. If I haven't addressed a specific area you're interested in, please just ask. It's a long road but you will be amazed at the milestones when they do happen.

CJ

6

hi! was she coiled endovascularly? I was and I was level 5 was in nuero hosp for a week then in rehab hosp 8 weeks where they taught me to walk, eat and socialize, at first I could only sit in wheelchair for 5 minutes , they told my family if I survived I would be in a ursing home for the rest of my life, thank God this was not the case but I am perm disabled and I was platued by physical therapy,l also have a shunt, feel free to ask questions- we love to help!

7

Sorry to here about your mother in law. My wife suffered her rupture almost 6 years ago. It is a long road to recovery. The worse part of it is not knowing what the outcome will be. I am sure that the doctors have told you of all the possible outcomes. It does feel at times that you take one step forward and two steps back. You just have to take it one day at a time, and be patient and supportive. While my wife was recovering in the hospital, her thoughts were a jumble. Many memories were mixed together. One day I could walk in her room, and she would know who I was. Other days, she would think I was her football coach. She never played football. If her brother stood at the end of her bed, he was the irritating guy from TV. If he stood next to her it was her brother. At times she would remember we had kids, other times we were just starting to date. At that time we had been married for 22 years. It can be scary at times. The not knowing is the worse. The staff at the hospital was so supportive. I remember the first time that we went for a walk. Me on oneside, her brother on the other. As we went by the nurses station, they all stood up and cheered. We were fortunate that my wife's recovery went very well. There was no need for a ventilator or drain, which I was warned about before her surgery. She spent 10 days in ICU, 1 day in a normal room, and was released to come home. She still had the memory problems, needed alot of care, and alot of emotional support, but they were getting better. She has no physical limitations. And today she leads a new normal life, with support from her family. But remember to not forget about taking time for yourself and your family. It is a long road. And your family will need to take breaks. It's hard to do, you will feel guilty, but it is so easy to burn out.

Good luck, and best wishes for your mother in law.

8

Hello, like the others, I'm sorry to hear about your M-I-L. I had mine on Sept. 8, 2012. I spent 21 days in the hospital and then went home. I'm no longer working. I now have some physical limitations, but mostly cognitive. I sometimes think it is harder on the family, at least in my case. I still wonder what happened. Recovery takes a long time as ron k and others will tell you. I know a gal who works for friends and her's was not as bad(?) as mine, but she can only work part time, and not in her career field. It will take a lot of patience for the family, as recovery is long and she may have some changes to her personality. This is an excellent resource, and depending on where you live you might find a local support group. I live in the St. Louis, MO area and there is one here. It's definitely a life changer. I don't respond much because it is hard to put down my thoughts (thank God for spell check). I hope she continues to get better, God Bless.