Just for some background- My mom just had an aneurysm that burst less than two weeks ago. She felt dizzy, started seizing, then they rushed her to the hospital, did a CT scan, then moved her to a neurosurgery hospital where she had more tests and they found the aneurysm. She had an EVD put in, then surgery to clamp it. She was on a ventilator for 10 days, in those 10 days they tried to remove it 3 times. She finally got it out for good (as of now) yesterday. She can speak, but shes very confused and doesn’t make sense half of the time.
I have two questions- The doctors say they aren’t sure yet if the confusion and jibberish talk is from the drugs she was on while intubated, her brain just having been through a lot with surgery and everything, or if its a result of the stroke that might not go away. Does anyone have experience with this getting better? I’m really scared she won’t be there mentally again.
Second, she had been having headaches for 2 months before this. One evening she had a horrible one, and my dad took her to the doctor where they did a CT scan and said they saw nothing, and that it was a sinus infection-- 2 weeks later this happened. So it seems likely they just missed it on their scan. Should they have been expected to look harder and not just dismiss her “worst headache ever” as a sinus infection?
Any other advice is appreciated, this had been very overwhelming
My wife had a ruptured aneurysm now almost six years ago when we lived in Montana. She was fairly quickly airlifted to Denver where we had excellent medical help. She too was very confused when she began to be able to express herself and respond to her environment again. She had been on a ventilator for, I think, 16 days. Her confusion gradually lessened, and today you would never know that she had at one time been confused. While I am not an expert, I expect that your mother will improve. It will likely take some time–for us I think it was a couple months. I wish you well. It is a very difficult experience.
Thank you. The doctors are pretty vague and you’re right it is very difficult so its just nice to hear a good outcome for other people who went through a similar experience.
hi Applesauce, in answer to your question about CT scans, my husband had a CT and a CT angio and both showed no evidence of rupture. it was only a couple of days later when he had an MRI that they saw the leaking aneurysm. It may depend where your Mom’s aneurysm was. My husband had a PICA aneurysm which I have found in the literature can be missed on CT. Lamentably, misdiagnosis is not rare.
My 58 year old husband had an Aneurysm. He also was very confused most of the time. He’s been home for 6 weeks and is less confused every day. Keep the faith she will do better.
Hi im charlene 58 from Toronto Canada and on May 9 of this year my whole world changed when my aneurysum ruptured without a single sign of having one. Thank God my daughter in law found me a few seconds after i collasped in my garage. I had the aneurysum coiled but while waiting vas a stroke and another bleed in my brain beside it. I was in hospital for 6 weeks 4 spent in ICU. It has been 6 months and with the help of rehab i am going very good no problems except i still get headaches but other than that im great.i still have not seen my specailist i will see him on December 21 and have a lot of question to ask. It will take time but with rehab and time she will be back to her old self in time. May god bless you and your mom i wish her all the best
