Please share your brain aneurysm experience (discovery, symptoms, treatment, to recovery) with fellow members of this community.I was a nurse. I had just worked a 12 hour night shift. IT took me an hour to drive home I had been not feeling so good, but just thought I was pushing it working too many hours. I made it home and 30 minutes later I felt like a bolt of lightening came up from my neck and was going to blow the front of my head off. I remember screaming. The next thing I know woke up on my bathroom floor face down, sweating like crazy, . I couldnt use my left leg. My phone was near, so I called 911 who came so quickly. They took me to ER where it was discovered I had a SAH plus four other aneurysms. I was transported to another hospital with a great neuro unit. I had surgery that evening where two aneurysms were coiled. I stayed in Neuro ICU for 11 days. I dont remember any of the stay until they were moving me out of ICU. I was stubborn and would not go to rehab because I had a 16 year old daughter at home. So I went home. Then back every 6 weeks to have another one fixed. I had one clipped so I had a craniotomy. I had a hard time coming to terms with that, but with a lot of prayers, learning more about it and trusting my neurosurgeon, who is a wonderful person, I was at peace with it when they did it. It was a really hard time. The anger at first because I felt like I no longer had any control over my life. I raised my daughter alone since she was 7 month old. She took very good care of her mama though. She is going to be a nurse. She starts in the fall. Then depression, not being able to sleep. But the good news is, it does get better. I still have my days, but I recognize those days and take it easy. I still have one small aneurysm. Too small last June to fix but we are watching it, It is really hard for other people to understand. They say oh you are fine now. Yeah, somedays I am and somedays not as much. But everyday, I am thankful to be here.
Donna, welcome...you have been blessed...so blessed to have made it home before your black-out.
My first was in a garage of a listed house; getting ready to lock-up/leave, I awakened on the cement w/a fractured right humerus...too long a story...I was blessed because the woman across the street was outside w/her two children...my blackout occurred before driving in a family neighborhod...
Too much for the rest of the story...beyond three ER in 29 days...sought testing/diagnosis right after the first ER; surgery on my shoudler...and these 29 days became the best of the treatments...
Again, you were blessed, as was your daughter...
Pat
Thank~you Donna...again Welcome to BAF ~ and this is an inspiring story...wishing you a good day ~ Colleen
Hi Irene, My rupture happened on July 14, 2011. I am guessing close to the same time as yours. I still have bad days. I get so tired on most days actually. Regaining the stamina for physical activity is really hard. I have gained weight. I just dont have the energy that I used to have. I can do a little housework on a good day. On a bad day I dont. I occasionally will still have dizziness. Maybe once a month or maybe once every 2 months. Especially if I over exert myself. I did try to go ack to work because I am stubborn. But as a nurse I just could not do it. I had to tart walking with a cane again after I tried that but have since came off the cane. You know, I find it sad that people look at us, we look "normal", but there is no way they can know how we feel. My daughter does as she went through all of it with me. I have had people tell me, "oh but you are ok now" Yes thank God, I am better, but they dont see the bad days. One thing I have really noticed is time is hard for me. Something that happened yesterday might seem like a month ago. But my daughter keeps me straight on that. I guess we just take it a day at a time, listen to our brain and our bodies, and be thankful we are here.
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Hello Donna,
Your story is truly incredible..In retrospect, do you recall having any type of symptoms to the aneurysms before they (it) fell you? any trouble with your vision or any pressure behind your eyes, or headaches? My first annie , I had trouble seeing well or clearly when I tried to focus on the coffee grounds but the symptom vanished right away, only had that when I awoke in the mornings...then about 2 weeks or so later, I was driving from Vegas to Orange County, CA., and my eyesight gave me such trouble in focusing that I had to switch drivers..than shortly after that occurred, I had left my house one morning to do some errands and I recall saying to myself that morning, "I feel great today!", but by the afternoon and evening it felt as though someone was rapping a hammer at the left side of my skull, I felt like vomiting, and as the annie was growing it actually pushed at my 3rd optic nerve and split it in two--ouch--I went to the Omphalmoligst two days later and was put immediatley in the hospital where a craniotomy/clipping was performed the next day.
2nd annie happened in 2006, but the symptoms were so different. I had experienced a horrible toothache over the weekend and couldn't get any antibiotics for it..finally the pain was gone but now my vision was the new issue, where looking upward my eyes wouldn't 'track' right, ...this happened at randam at first, and then got closer together and was happening often. I had an instant of extreme, deep head pain one evening before going to work, then the next day while at work, it happened again. I knew I was in trouble and headed to the employee brea k room to get some Advil and to tell my boss to find someone else to work my shift that day. Thats the last I remember, as my annie fell me to the floor and I was out for the next 6 weeks, with an Sah that was coiled, a trache, a shunt, etc., but was able to leave that hospital within a weeks time of coming to and came home to recuperate, pretty much intact other than some right sided weakness. My coils compacted however in 2010, and again that same awesomely intense pain struck thru my skull again, and I thought I had yet another annie to deal with. I had a clipping in order to take care of the coiled aneursym at that time, and been fine ever since (well, I hope thats still the case)! I'll b ehaving an MRA soon, as i've lately had some problems with only one pupil reacting to light, which has happened before and after each of my annie's in the past...I just want to be sure theres nothing else lurking now.
You are a Survivor and its good that you are a stubborn one at that! I think that stubborn streak gets us further in life, and things in your life will get better in time...do you have any resideual headaches to deal with ? Its mind boggling what our bodies can go thru, I wish you nothing but peace and healthy vibes ! Thank you for sharing your story, Janet
Hi Janet,
Yes I do remember having symptoms. I was working full time at night and then prn for a home health care agency, I started running over curbs and not being able to see that well. I also would have sometimes a fleeting moment of dizziness. But it would just come and go really quick and I didn't worry about it.. Now I would!! This was within a week of my rupture. I have two that are coiled. I do worry about something going wrong with them. What do you mean by compacted?
You are right I am stubborn. I would not go into rehab even though I walked like a drunk. I lost my left leg when I ruptured, but the coiling helped and I was able to walk so I said I am going home. I used a cane for about 7-8 months. I am lucky. I do not have headaches as I understand a lot of people do after a craniotomy. I do wake up sometimes with stiff neck and shoulders. But I have learned some exercises to do for that and it really helps. I do not work anymore. It was hard to accept at first, but I am ok with it now. I still have one. It is due to be checked in June, but I have no insurance. So it will be January when I get Medicare. My NS told me to watch for my right eye drooping or my pupil enlarging. I check it everyday! Do you still work? You too are a Survivor! Donna
Hi Donna,
Yeah I guess you were having a few symptoms ! Thing is, they don't teach us these things in school , and even with you being a Nurse, you couldn't have known....All of us have symptoms and none us have a clue til something goes way wrong .
I did work after I was off of Disability (was on it for a year), but right now I'm not working (My husband and I take care of my Mother In Law who has Alzheimers, although we don't paid for it) so I'm looking to do some part time Merchandising for HallMark. I don't have headaches either, but plenty of tooth problems , seem like headaches!
With the coils, there is percentage of them that need to re-addressed in the future, and they call such a thing "compaction" ...I was in the 25 percent group (in 2006 the odds were at %25 that mine would have to re-addressed down the line) but many do not have to be, and getting your angiograms on a scheduled basis would be the best defense in making sure yours are a-okay .
Peace to you Donna, none of this is simple or easy, for sure. Peace, Janet
Hi Donna!-collapsed in 09 coma 5 days, 9 wks hospital. I'm permanently disabled and can't see left n both eyes so i don't drive either. i can't walk well but happy to be able to get around a little. Therapists plateaued me after 2 yrs so i was sad about that etc etc etc. Hope your improving ~