Hello to you all.. I am new to this site. I am a 35 year old mother of 2 wonderful kids going through a real rough time.. To make a story short, I have a 4.6mm aneurism and i am going to proceed with coiling on february 3rd. I am terrified. Just wondering if anyone can help me go through positively with this. I am so scared, mostly thinking of my kids of course. what if's...... that is all that is going through my head. Being an extremely nervous type, it is difficult for me to be objective and positive.
Hi Sarah!
I totally understand --I can't tell you this is easy, but I can tell you its very 'do-able'. i was coiled in 2006 after an sah, and quite honestly my recovery was great...If I hadn't known I had a coil in my head, I wouldn't had been able to you I did, as I had no bad side effects at all .....When one has an a sah and coiling, the percentages rise in having to be recoiled due to compaction of the coils, and mine compacted in 2010....at that time I was able to elect which procedure to go with for the 'fix', and I chose to go the route of clipping as I really liked the idea of something more permanent. My best to you Sarah,
Peace, Janet
Again ... Welcome Sarah......this isn't an easy journey and it can be long finding your "new normal"...but when you read the survivor stories here at BAF ... you will find it is very "doable"...like Janet said...
Trust me...Nervous could be my middle name...most likely the reason I suffer from high Bp...but if you find you can't cope right now until the surgery...don't suffer...ask your Doctor for something to keep you calm until your surgery...also, if you have a Faith...Hold tight to it...it will help you greatly...Thoughts out to you ~ Colleen
hi sarah! hang in there, the waiting is the hardest part. Keeping you in thoughts and prayers for the 3rd and beyond!~~~ think positive and all will be textbook procedure~
Thanks to all of you xxxxx all this support and positive keeps me hanging in a little more each day UNTIL the operation date. xxxxx prayers to you all , have a great day.
Sarah, I can understand the fear you are going through. My children are grown, but it was still a fear that I wouldn't be there for them, either physically or mentally. 3 days before my clipping surgery I finally called my neurosurgeon's office and asked if there was something they could give me to help me sleep. I had never had surgery before and and the thought of having a big one such as brain surgery scared me to death. They gave me a tranquilizer and it made a big difference in how I felt during the day. I am a nervous type too and I have a tendency to think of the worst case scenarios. I sure wish I had found BAF prior to surgery, I think it would have helped to read all the stories with positive outcomes and even some that have some real tough struggles, but have positive attitudes and are able to show that life goes on even through the struggles. I am very happy that they found your aneurysm prior to rupture, it makes a huge difference in recovery. You will be in my thoughts and prayers :)
Take Care,
~ Carol
Thank you so much. They are not using clipping in my case, they are coiling. And yes i am very lucky that they found this anu. But was very hard for me to take the decision ( and i am still sometimes wondering) if i should or shouldn't procede. They actually gave me the choice seeing as they do not have enough research on aneurysms, and they don't know in my case seeing as 4.6mm is quit small apparently. But they don't even know the point of rupture and some do rupture at even smaller than me... soooooooooooooo living with a time bombe is just to ( i think ) tooo much for me.
I am lucky to have found this sight. It is true that all these gret life stories after operations are positive and are helping me get through each day better. :)
Welcome Sarah, I so know what your going thru. I was coiled and had the stent in July. I did not find this site until after my surgery. I sure wish I would have found it before. I was in the hospital for one night and went home the next day. Went back to work two weeks later. The waiting is the worst. Have faith in your doctor and ask lots of questions. They have been doing the coiling for many years. I think my doctor told me since the 1980's. God bless . Deb
Dear Sarah,
Thank you for sharing your story with us. I have a six-year-old son who was in my tummy when my first aneurysm was discovered, so I understand your fear and concern. Thinking of your kids IS the worst part. It's also the BEST part, of course! My advice to you to get through this is to focus on your kids. You are blessed to have the option of coiling your aneurysm when in the past so many individuals died without ever knowing there was a problem. You are doing this procedure for your kids, so you can have many more wonderful years with them. Breathe deeply. Try to meditate or pray. Focus on your love for your children and you will feel stronger! :) Mothers are incredibly strong; we have to be. You can do this, and you will come out of your procedure much better off than you are now. When the "what-ifs" start, just redirect your mind and thoughts to something more positive. Maybe create a mantra for yourself...a phrase or word that calms and redirects you: "This is going to be okay." "I will get through this." "I will be strong for my kids." Something like that. I will hold you in my prayers, Sarah, trusting that all will be well. -Rebekah
Hi Sarah!
Sending positive thoughts your way! I am 36 with two kids, a 2 and 6 year old. I had my clipping done on Dec. 12th. The surgery was suppose to be about 4 hours, but there were complications and it went for 8.5 hours. My Annie is right behind my left eye and attached to the dura flap / bone. The first week was horrible, but it got progressively better fast. I started driving independently after 4 weeks and am almost 80% back to normal. 80 because I still get occasional dull headaches, and still trying to find my limits. I don’t realize I’m overdoing it until I overdo it. I’m going back to work in Feb. My family was my motivation to get back. This site was my reference and support system. Best of luck and don’t forget if you ever need encouraging words, this site helps!!!
Jam
One more thing. I found that all the emotions, pain, and fear that I have/had are normal. It’s okay to be depressed or cry for no reason, just sike yourself to try to minimize it and know that you will be okay. Don’t be afraid to ask for help:)