To all of those who are "living with an aneurysm", I would like to hear your updates. I joined this group in 2012 the same year that I had my clipping for a ruptured aneurysm. I have been waiting and watching two small aneurysms. I still have not made up my mind to have surgery. In fact, I don't worry about the aneurysms anymore.
I would like to hear from other members who are still waiting and watching. Please post your updates so I don't feel like I'm alone in my decision to wait and watch. Even though I don't come here as often as I used to, I have read stories of others who decided to treat small aneurysms. I just want to know if there are others here who are still brave enough to wait and watch as I am.
Also, if you decided to treat your aneurysm, please let me know if you think the decision was a good or bad one.
I will also post this on the "Discussion" forum. Thanks.
Hi I have 2 that are 2.5 mm and my doctors have been watching them for a little over 3 years now. My next cta is this July . I used to worry every day now not so much now . I do everything the doctors told me to do and then some so I feel pretty good now . I do not want to have surgery unless it is the last result . I would also like to hear from others about this . Thoughts and prayers to you that they stay small
Tara
Hi Eula, I had one ruptured aneurysm which was clipped almost 26 years ago, I was only monitored for a year but have had severe headaches ever since, though they have become much less frequent. I made up my mind very early on that I would not have any more surgeries no matter what. There are lots of people in this world walking around with aneurysms they don't know about, and which will never rupture. Worry and stress only make things worse. If your aneurysms are small and the doctors are not rushing you to have survey then I would say don't worry.
I have been watching and waiting for nearly 19 years and am in my late 70’s. At this time, I conclude that some other cause may lead to my demise. Life on earth is merely a way station before eternity.
Hi there, mine ruptured so of course I didn’t have the option to watch and wait. You already know what it’s like to go through clipping so I don’t have to tell you that. I think that if I were you, I would get two second opinions on whether to wait or treat. If all surgeons agree you should wait…you might feel more relaxed. But if others feel you can safely coil, and that it’s wise to do so, well then it was worth your time to get those extra medical opinions. Good luck
Sorry - one more thing: I just noticed you are from Maryland. Johns Hopkins is like the #2 neuro hospital in the country. If your doctors are there, you can probably trust their opinions. If you go elsewhere, I would RUN to Hopkins. Dr. Coons and Dr. Radvant are the ones I’ve heard people say are amazing there. Hope I spelled their names right.
Hi! I had my aneurysm to rupture on the operating table two and half years ago. I had clipping done at that time also. I have 3 smaller annies that we monitor yearly. I lived in fear in the beginning but now do not think about it so much. I did not have an option to treat the smaller ones, was told we would monitor and hopefully would never be a change. Live your life now and enjoy!
Hello
I have been watching and waiting for 2 years. I am going to be 50 this year. My Annie is only 2 mm. It hasn’t changed and I’m still going to see my Nuerosurgeon every 6 months. I don’t have many symptoms and take care to keep blood pressure in check, exercise and eat a clean diet. I was very worried at first but I only think of it occasionally now. I have spoken to people who have lived for over 20 years with there’s. I figure no major symptoms or change is a good thing. As my physician says live your life. I won’t consider brain surgery unless it is a last resort or I’m in so much pain that I feel it is worth it. That said its a personal choice. I wish you the best.
Sincerely
Lydia
I’m not waiting but watching and believing. I had my Brain Aneurysm in 2006 after my Coiling I’ve moved on it took me two years to become fully functional again.
I have lots of sinus issues and a few other issues all in all I’m blessed and I rarely think of the two that remain.
My aneurysm bursted 2010 in 2012 I had my other one coiled n I feel the best I’ve ever felt even before my bursted any I eat better don’t drink go to church again my last follow up everything was great my doc even said she didn’t need to seee again for 3 years unless I felt different now I don’t think or worry about it anymore just take care of your body n everything will be ok but I do pray everyday I think that’s the big difference I thank god every day
Eula You are blessed to have that option of just monitoring your annie, not everyone shares that choice. My unruptured annies were discovered in 2012. The first two aneuryms had to be treated right away in 2013 because they were almost 11mm and 8 mm! There was no choice of waiting! Most aneurysms over 5 mm are considered a high risk of rupturing that is why they are imminently treated. I share the same blessing with you in having the same option in monitoring my 3rd and last aneurysm up to know. I just had my 1st annie-sary from my second treated aneurysm treated with coils. I see my neurosurgeon in a few months to check that it healed without the need to recoil again. If your neurosurgeon assures that your annie is a good candidate to be monitor...keep your appointments and enjoy life. My neurosurgeon recommends for my scenario to keep checking every year because of the fact I have 3 annies. I pray that when I see my neurosurgeon, he will tell me "no recoil for the second treated one and still monitor the 3rd one. Always make your choices with your doctors...best wishes
I had watched and waited on my 2mm Annie in the ACOM for 2 years. This past August at an annual MRA it was noted that it grew to 3mm. My neurosurgeon then advised we should take action since it had grown and is now considered aggressive. I scheduled for coiling as it was the less invasive approach, but as he was in there he found a sister Annie attached to it that was unable to be seen on MRA and with that extra growth it was now not advisable to have coiling procedure. He then brought me back for a consult and stated I needed the clipping. After lots of thinking and questions I decided to move forward with the clipping. My best descision yet. While surgeon was in my head there was a second Annie that mirrored the one we were watching and never showed up on Angiogram or MRA. It was very thin and probably wouldn’t have held out more then 3 months he said! So after clipping on 11/17/14 I have no regrets!
With that said…If you have to opportunity to watch and wait and you have no changes…go for it. But we always face that risk of what can’t be seen! Good luck!!!
I had 3 clipped at Emory two years ago. The Dr. said there is a 4th unruptured that they could not get to. He was reminding me that if it bursts, they can not get to it. I thanked him and the whole team. I found worrying about the burst is not helping. I’m happy every day. x
I have one untreated annie. They found it while they were clipping my other 3. I go sometime this month/early next month for my MRA and then next February for my angio. They are monitoring it for growth and hopefully, it will never rupture in the meantime. I try to live my life as if it weren't there, except for the times I have to have the testings to monitor it. At first, it interfered with my life too much. Now, I have pretty much come to terms with just ignoring it (other than testing) and getting on with living.
I made the decision to treat the other 3 and it absolutely was not a bad decision -- it was the best decision in the world. Come to find out had I not decided to have surgery my surgeon said it would have been fatal and in very short order. The walls of my annies were so thin they could watch the blood swirl through the walls and since they were very large and the largest was in the frontal lobes right behind my eyes, well let's just say, it's the best possible thing I could have done. Although I have dealt with some crazy symptoms and am now on disability for quite a few deficits, it's better than not being here at all! =D
I had mine clipped 2 1/2 yrs ago. I have another 2mm on my carotid artery that they are watching. My neurosurgeon, Dr. Oglivee has advised me that we are safe to have an mra every 3 years. It does make me nervous, as I wish I could be checked every 6 months or at least every year. But he assures me that where it is normally doesn't grow at a fast rate. Anyway, good luck to everyone. I too don't think about it as much as I used to; which was daily.
Hi Eula, I was diagnosed with 5 brain aneurysms in Jan of 2013. Two of them have been coiled and stented, one in March and the other in June, one of them was in the basilar tip (6mm) and the other Opthalmic (5mm) no side effects at all and they are now occluded as shown by a scan last week The others are 1 x Left Side MCA (6mm) and 2 x right side MCA, 6mm and 11mm! The decision that I faced was whether to have open surgery to fix the ones on the right side, both can be tackled at the same time as they are close together. The 6mm one is straight forward a balloon type on a vessel, however the 11mm one is at a junction where 4 vessels meet, smack in the middle. This one can only be partially clipped on one side and the walls of the other side repaired by muscle grafts. Needless to say this open surgery scares me and I am cannot get my head around 2 x open surgeries and the risks! Do I fix them or leave them alone? as I have no symptoms at all!
My decision has been to monitor them, so I have scans and a MRI angiogram every 12 months!
Do I think about them? yes every day, but it is my choice not to have surgery, so I must live with this decision.
Perhaps sometime in the future one may bleed and I would be forced into surgery! Till then I will live with them knowing the potential consequences.
I hope this helps you, remember we are all different and handle the situation differently, this is just my tale to date.
I have a 4mm annie that I have been watching since 5/2014 and it is very scary for me knowing that it is there. I also have AVM which we are going to do the Cyberknife on and will be starting that this Friday. In the mean time they will be able to see if my annie is growing and then I guess I will make a decision but right now clipping surgery scares the hell out of me! I hear alot of positive but also negative about surgery and as I have at least 5 years left to work it scares me that I won't be able to return as some folks have said it took them a couple years to bounce back. Good luck to all of us and hopefully we are making the right decisions.
Hi Eula: I am not on here much either, I will tell you that ten years ago I started with three, then December 2013 I had a pipeline on one, then June of 2014 pipelined another, at that time they found a fourth Annie. I have been told that the two remaining are small and in untreatable areas. So I am taking the watch and see.
I am with you, in fact I will not worry about them anymore. After the first one I was diagnosed with Graves Disease, they killed off my Thyroid, so I will never know if the Annie's were my problem or the Grave's Disease? But I will say I feel much better, whichever it was. So I go in March for a angio, if everything is as my Dr. had hoped, I hope to be off Plavix and asprin. Happy waiting!!
Hi Eula
They found two aneurysms on my right carotid artery in 2007 bad location paraclinoid I had a scan MRA two years ago and still approximately same size. Worry when I have toscan or see neurosurgeon . They are about 3mm really want to avoid surgery too . Best of luck Kelly
I have two very small ones that my doc is watching, he did not give me the size of them I had 2 annies clipped in November 2014 that were 5mm, and the clipping was successful. I have decided not to stress about them and let them take my happiness for life away for today. I am hoping that they stay small and remain mindful of symptom changes but do not dwell on them...
