Hi there,
Would people be kind enough to advise what effects they had after a brain aneurysm bleed operation as I’m trying to establish what to expect.
I had the op on the 2nd January 2020, spent two weeks in hospital and have now been home resting for two further weeks.
Couple of things I am noticing is some numbness on the right of my neck, feeling rather out of sorts if I fall asleep sitting in the chair/on the couch, whereas this is not the case when I go to bed.
Dizziness is also something I’ve been noticing.
On a scale of 1-5 my bleed aneurysm was around a 2.
I’m also keen to know how soon people felt ready to go back to work and when they felt like themselves again without any fear / nervousness.
I ride 40k 3 times midweek and more 1 day at a weekend and also keep to get thoughts on when people returned to such activity.
I am also experiencing ringing in my ears.
Any heads up / comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanking you kindly.
Hi Richard. Never went back to work. You might be more robust than I am/was. Stamina has been off too. Long sordid tail…I won’t burden you with. It has been 2.5 years since coiling and lost coil in my brain. I think a lot of folks have different stories. Have been mall walking w 4 wheel walker. Makes me feel a bit dizzy sometimes… but grateful I can do something. You sound really strong and brave, that will go a long way in recovery. Blue skies, gd
Hi Richard,
I had a ruptured aneurysm on 9/27/19. I was in hospital 2 weeks then off work another 6 weeks. Mine was on left front and I have occasional arm numbness on the right. I still experience headaches and neck pain, but only take Tylenol for them. Sometimes dizziness when I stand up too fast.
I was exercising about an hour per day on a daily basis. Now I can walk on treadmill for about 30 min or pedal recumbent bike, or light yoga. I keep an eye on my HR too. When I try to do more, like some weights or anything to get my HR up, I get stronger headaches for days after. It’s very frustrating for me as I miss working out like I used to.
Plan to have a lot of patience because your body may be feeling fine, but your head will tell you differently. I talked to a lady that ran every day and she said it was a year before she was running regularly again. It’s different for everyone though.
Also, I work in an office so I am able to sit a lot. I did adjustments to block direct light and lowered brightness on monitors to help.
Hope that helps and good luck on your recovery.
Hi Melissa,
Thank you kindly for your reply and the heads up on your experiences. It’s answered a few things I’m having which is a great help.
I hope you are able to get back to normal health and activities soon without too much trouble moving forward.
Have a great weekend.
Richard
Welcome Richard! As others have said, everyone has a different story. I had a Fischer level 3 bleed and was in ICU for 26 days. While in ICU I wanted out of the bed to walk due to having back surgery the year before for Cauda Equina Syndrome. My neurosurgeon wasn’t told about it and the hospital I flew out of hadn’t sent my records. When I stood up, I couldn’t remember how to walk. I danced out of ICU only to be put back in because of the vasospasms. I opted for the wheelchair the second time I left ICU.
It took a few years and two follow up coilings for me but I still tried to walk everyday, do gardening, etc. the doc wanted me to rest more than I was but I’m not one who likes to sit around.
I’ve got photophobia which is getting better finally, my hearing drastically improved despite me getting older, have issues with speech -stutter, aphasia, Foreign Accent Syndrome, some memory issues, tremor with right hand that sometimes goes to the left as well, had no emotion for the first couple of years and was forced into retirement as soon as my benefits ended (comp time, vacation, sick time). I still try practicing visualization constantly through each day as this has been lost to me. I have to rely on things to jog my memory. I believe that’s it lol
Hi Richard… Hope you are recovering well. It is hard to compare recovery because we all kind of seem unique in our own way but alike as a group.
My aneuysm ruptured about a year ago. I also had a subarachnoid hemorrhage stroke with the rupture. And then sleep apnea and then emphysema. They coiled the aneuysm and I just found out at my last visit last month that they did a pipeline stent. I have had 1 follow up angiogram. I am scheduled for another next month. The surgeon said if it looks as good as last time I won’t have to have another. I don’t know if all surgeons are the same on follow ups. They kept me in ICU for 3 weeks then I did a week of therapy. They offered more therapy after I got home but I felt like I was ready to spread my wings and fly.
And then… I thought I was doing fair. I have a headache that has set up permanent residency in my head. The neurosurgeon said it could last a little while, a little longer or it may never go away. I had another seizure in June and I fell off my back porch and broke my wrist. They pinned and plated that back together. Over 60 years old and that was my first broken bone, right wrist and,of course, I am right handed. Let’s see if that seizure will slow you down, Sister.
It worked very well. I developed what I can best call panic attacks. I don’t want to leave the house and could easily topple over to agoraphobic. Bright lights make my head hurt worse, I can’t stand crowds or loud noises. If I could figure out what triggers the seizure or if I had warning it was coming I am sure I would do much better. I was skiddish and extra careful before but I honestly don’t see me ever getting back to just skittish. I admit I am petrified when I have to leave the house.
I have just started having cramps in my left hand. My thumb turns in towards the middle of my palm. I can’t even describe what my little finger is doing. It’s like a cramp running all the way up the side of my hand with my little finger trying to bend up. I am also getting cramps in my back.
I don’t drive right now because of the seizures and fear. I have had 4 fall down seizures. Luckily, the other 3 have been relatively mild and in the house. But I don’t know what is causing what. It could be the brain aneurysm, the apnea or the emphysema. Also, the stress could be making the headaches worse and stress can cause so many problems.
I don’t feel like I can be safe on the roads right now.
There’s my book. Good luck.
Ms Mary, You are one strong person! Keep hydrated and eat a lot of protein. Check with your surgeon or a dietician.
There’s a place in TN that was able to get a trained therapy dog covered by Medicaid for a child with epilepsy, so that might be something to look into, if you like dogs.
I had issues with going down the stairs to the cellar (where I ruptured). So I made a plan of attack…first I used the outside door for access, and eventually down from inside the house. I also walked our driveway several times a day, then next door to our neighbor for a visit. My neighbor would walk with me around the block, just like she used to after my back surgery. All this took time, it didn’t happen overnight. But set goals, baby steps first… My photophobia is not as bad as it was the first few years after rupture, so I worked on that and I still have issues some days. I always wear sunglasses, I find the amber color works best for me. For noise overload, I wear a set of ISOtunes. I also had to work to have the tv at a sound level others could hear especially the younger members of our family, for some unknown reason they want the sound blasting. I have the same issue as you with my hands, for me it’s caused by a vertebrae in my neck that’s out of place, besides PT exercises, I get a massage every 3 weeks. My parents both had the same issue, for different reasons. I found this article, https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/a-harvard-medical-school-doctor-answers-a-question-about-hand-cramps Hope some of this helps.
[Hello Mary
I also had a subarachnoid hemorrhage stroke 3 years ago I am back to work about 2 years now and I drive and Had about 6 months of therapy I also a seizure I am on medicine for that also I am 63 years old I have fallen a couple times to hurt my back I seem to loose my balance a lot I have a fear about being around a lot of people my anxiety gets bad I found I have lost a lot of my being patient so I understand how you are feeling I also you extremely tired a lot I cut my work schedule to 4 days a week I will be retiring in 2 years I need to take care of myself I still have strange feelings in my heard where the shunt is. I have a problem with my left hand sometimes feeling weird sensations you seem to be doing very well I have to start exercising again I am getting lazy 
I wish you the best Pat
Hello,
I hope you are doing well. My surgery was five years ago. I was in ICU for five days and another week in a regular room. I went home for a week I had to be hospitalized for another week. I had physical therapy for about three months to learn to walk again and again my balance.
Like many on this site I still have short-term memory problems, balance issues and weight gain problems. The one issue I have that I haven’t seen mentioned is that I no longer have the ability to sweat, which causes me to overheat easily. On the positive side I no longer get very cold in the winter. lol I feel blessed and love spending time with family and friends. I still work full-time and try to use my story to encourage and bring hope to others. I wish you much happiness and a speedy recovery.
God bless,
Jj
I had coiling procedure and was advised not to do weights. Maybe that’s why you are having headaches. Just a thought. X
Good morning
All normal however doctors won’t tell you that
Get lots of sleep it helps. Seven years out
I still have a ringing in my ears tired and the feeling of being in the middle of the fog every day Doctors just put it on a seizure medicine thinking the fog is coming from mini Seizures so far so good I feel much better on the meds but again plenty of sleep plenty of water and eat healthy protein for the brain
Welcome to our group Rich627! I hate it that your experience with doctors is such that you feel they aren’t being honest. I truly appreciate doctors who are and if they don’t know, they tell you. We once asked a question to my Neurosurgeon, she quickly said she didn’t know, she wasn’t a rocket scientist. ROFLOL