My brother had a raptured brain aneursym and had an emergency surgery(clipping) a week ago. He is now in ICU for further observation. I thought my brother is doing well with his recovery. He was able to respond to the doctor’s instructions and correctly answer series of questions about his personal information the other day. But when they tested him again today, he failed. I don’t understand what’s happening to my brother. I hope he is going through a normal healing process.
Shiela,
I don’t know what’s going on with your brother, but please know that after my rupture I had good days and bad days. Recovery isn’t a simple uphill climb. Sometimes I would slip backward, depending on my medication, my pain level, how little sleep I got in NICU (the doctors and nurses would wake me every 4 hours…that does get exhausting!), and general healing. Please trust that your brother is getting the best possible care in NICU.
Please keep us up to date on his progress. You and your brother will be in my prayers.
JulieNH
Thank you Julie for your words of encouragement and prayers. As of now, my brother is having an angiogram, the doctor would like to make sure that he is not having vasospasm. I hope and pray that everything is ok.
Shiela,
I had almost three weeks of vasospasms. I was given these huge horse pills every four hours (Nimodipine). They saved my brain, my personality, and my IQ!
My husband said that when I started having vasospasms I was totally out of it. Luckily the neuro nurses in NICU were on the ball, and I was started on Nimodipine and have recovered well!
I pray everything is OK too. Just remember he’s in very good hands!
JulieNH
Shiela,
How is your brother today (10/11/10)? Was he having vasospasms?
You’re all in my prayers.
JulieNH
A vasospasm is a constriction of a vessel. When the vessel constricts there is less blood flow which then increases the risk of stroke. So they will treat your brother to prevent this. They will raise his blood pressure so that they can push more blood through the vessel. I hope this helps you to understand what is happening to your brother.
Hi Julie,
Thank you for your message.
I am writing this message from CT and my brother in at the hospital in Los Angeles, CA. Everyday I call my Sister-In-Law for some updates. I also call her to keep her focus on the things that needs to be prioritized. It gets to overwhelming for my sister-in-law because she’s not only dealing with my brother’s illness, but all the finances as well. My brother is the sole bread winner of the family and now that he is not working we are trying to make both ends meet.
According to my sister-in-law my brother is having a good day, he is responsive again, but still most of the time asleep. She also mentioned that the medicine is being given to him through angiogram. I’m still not sure how long he will stay in the ICU, but my only hope he will recover fully and live a normal life once again.
Thank you again for your words of encouragement and prayers Julie.
Best regrads,
Shiela
Hi Becky,
Thank you for your inspiring message.
For the first time, I was able to talk to my brother over the phone.(He’s in Los Angeles, and I am in CT). He sounded tired, and I couldn’t understand some of the words he was saying. Perhaps I was too excited and too happy that I couldn’t hear what he was saying.
There is no news yet on how long he will stay in the ICU. I keep praying that he will fully recover with no deficits.
Thank you again for your prayers and for sharing your story.
I just got a call from my sister-in-law and been informed that my brother had a stroke. He is currently having a angioplasty procedure. My sister-in-law said that the procedure will take 2hours, so here I am anxiously waiting, hoping and praying there is nothing serious going on.
Sheila,
I’m sorry to hear about your brother’s stroke. I had a stroke in ICU after coiling, and my family was told, in advance, that this might happen. Of course we’re all different, but I recovered very well, and with the exception of short term memory problems, difficulty with math, and loss of periferal vision in my left eye I am fine, and very blessed to be alive! Bacially, a ruptured aneurysm IS a hemmoragic stroke by definition.
I’m keeping your brother in my prayers. Please keep us informed.
JulieNH
Hi Julie,
I hope all is well with you.
I am just writing to give you an update about my brother. He is no longer at the ICU and has been transferred to Neuro Surgery Unit. He seems to be doing ok except recently his hemoglobin reading is low and the MD’s are saying there might be internal bleeding. There is no deficit physically - he can talk, walk, move Thank God! I am more concern on the cognitive aspect. When is the best time to test him on this aspect? I’m not sure if there is a deficit in his memory, I hope not. I know he will not be back to himself again, but I really hope and pray there are no deficits so he can function as a normal person.
Thank you for taking the time in reading this message.
Best regards,
Shiela
Hi Becky,
I hope all is well with you.
I am just writing to give you an update about my brother. He is no longer at the ICU and has been transferred to Neuro Surgery Unit. He seems to be doing ok except recently his hemoglobin reading is low and the MD’s are saying there might be internal bleeding. There is no deficit physically - he can talk, walk, move Thank God! I am more concern on the cognitive aspect. When is the best time to test him on this aspect? I’m not sure if there is a deficit in his memory, I hope not. I know he will not be back to himself again, but I really hope and pray there are no deficits so he can function as a normal person.
Thank you for taking the time in reading this message.
Best regards,
Shiela
After 31 days, my brother is finally out of the hospital. He is now recuperating at home. My sister-in-law noticed however that he is not ready to be at home. My brother has decrease appetite, fatigue, headache and dizziness. Is this a normal phase for my brother to go through?
Goodnews! I was able to talk with my brother the other day, and my conversation with him was a lot better. He sounded more like himself, unlike before he seemed confused. He told me that he is ready to go back to work by Jan 2011. Thank God for giving my brother another chance, another life.
That's great news! I'm in LA too - what hospital was he at?
Hi Jennifer!
He was confined in Kaiser in L.A. spent 3 weeks in the ICU and the rest at Neurosergury unit.
Thank you Becky for sharing and happy holidays to you and your family
I just got back from my vacation from CA, and I finally saw my brother. Thank the Lord as he has fully recovered perhaps with very little deficits. But it was such a miracle. Thank you everyone for your prayers for my brother.
Sheila,
This is just wonderful, grand news...the success of your brother's recovery and the excellent med care he received...he was blessed.
Somehow I was not on-line back when you started this...it is truly a delight to read it...
Pat
I am so sorry about your brother's rupture...but know one thing...this is a long and hard journey...and he will have good days and bad days...it will be sometime until he is out of the so~called "woods"...sometime improvements daily will be so small you will not notice them...try not to worry too much, but be there for him...and be sure that you and those around him (caretakers) ... take time to take care of yourselve's... this is hard on all of you too...
Come here for support...but know one thing...the brain gets better when and how the brain wants to...
Sending Cyber Well~wishes to Your Brother....Colleen