Unlike others, i have not had the clip/coil procedure yet because mine is still been monitored, but I want to wish you the best as you undergo the surgery. Good luck
Thanks for sharing your story. It's very encouraging to hear about successes. You survived! Celebrate that. I think this whole process just makes you really appreciate life and how valuable it is. I will be very grateful if all goes well and I make it through this surgery.
That's amazing. I'm supposed to be going to my sister's wedding in March (my surgery is end of October) and I don't want to plan anything because it seems crazy that life could be normal again after this ordeal. So encouraging to hear that you got back to "normal" again. Where was your aneurysm located and how big?
Hi,
Thanks for your encouragement. I just pray that all will go well. You're right- you appreciate life so much more going through this sort of thing. It's good that with your challenges, you can still feel the gratitude of just being alive.
I guess that's a fair tradeoff. I haven't had a drink since I found out about my aneurysm, although I don't have any real restrictions from the doctor. I'm too scared. I'd love to get to the point where I can have a glass of wine with dinner.
But if I survive the surgery and come out ok, I will be more than grateful!
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Mine is sort of tubular too, but the coiling wasn't an option for me. He said the neck is too wide. He said the risk of side effects are 1% but I don't have the details yet about what they could be. Based on the location, I imagine it would be speech or seizure-related.
That must have been such a hard recovery, and for someone so young. You got through it. I hope I have the strength that you do.
My other aneurysms that we are watching are small with a wide neckâŚalmost the side of the actually aneurysmâŚmy dr is actually calling them blister aneurysmsâŚand u cannot have them coiled eitherâŚnecks just have to be a lot smaller than the aneurysm size to coil.
Hi Kit. 63 yo had basilar tip 9 mm unruptured aneurysm repaired March 17th of 2014 by Dr Muchael Lawton at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco. My husband could quote all the stats but I just knew I had to do it.
sounds like you're doing ok?
Thank you! I had the choice to monitor, but I'm too scared as I have a family history. I don't think any decision is easy!
I had clipping of an unruptured saccular aneurysm at the right internal carotid artery terminus. I was 49 at the time (4 years ago). This was 3-1/2 months after rupture of a dissecting pseudoaneurysm arising from left vertebral artery at the P1-P2 junction, which was coiled and stented.
For the clipping my surgeon told me there was a 95% chance of success, and a 5% chance of disaster. I encouraged him to let me die if we approached that 5% mark, and he said he was glad to understand that. Everything went very well, but I did need a shunt 3 weeks after the surgery.
I attribute most of my deficits to the SAH before the clipping, but I'm sure there was also some impact from the craniotomy and clipping. As the surgeon kept reminding me, my brain had been severely assaulted. He kept using the word assault, and I believe there's no way around that.
Tania,
My wife and I went to see the best-known brain surgeon in our city. But he was so arrogant and rude that before the interview was over, my wife -who was an OR nurse - asked for a second opinion, and chose the surgeon who finally did my surgery. After all, this guy was going to have his fingers in my head. Her choice was a great one, and my surgery went well.
David Andrus
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
you will Kit just have Faith and believe in your self, Even when it seem dark and the Doctor are telling you theres a little hope or Small change...Please believe u want to live and think above all what is said..kit I will have you in my prayer...
I wasn't given the option of talking to my pediatric neurosurgeon(RIP). I was only 8mos.-old in 1968.
Hi Kit,
I had a ruptured SAH aneurysm at 46 years old. They told my family that I may have vision and memory problems if I survived. The doctors told my family I may not recognize them. I recognized them but I do have short-term memory problems. However, they did not mention severe depression and personality changes. I went from a confident and assertive personality to "scaredy rabbit" with bad depression according to my husband.
So true, Kit!
ory. 3 clipped, one has nor bursted but couldnât get a clip on it. Stayed in ICU 2 morecweeks clips and 4Th one not burts and couldnât clip. Had memory problems for about 1.5 weeks and went home fo back to work. 2 months physical therpy got rid of dizziness and tailbone pain, nec, and back pain. had jaw, migraines, dizzziness, and now chronic neck, back, and taibone pain
long recov. now two years and back, neck, short term memory loss, and problems picking the right words.
Hi Kit, wondering how you are hanging in there? I am getting a bit more freaked out each day, my surgery is Oct 20th, a few days before you. How are you feeling? What is a MCA aneurysm? My neurosurgeon told me that anything over 7mm they look at but if under that size and no complications they sometimes just monitor. Mine is 9.5mm and at the Cartoid something, part of a neck artery I am told? I am told the risk is 5% that anything bad can happen during surgery so the odds are good and my neurosurgeon is suggesting clipping due to size and the fact that my annie has a weird shape also??
Keeping positive and praying a lot seems to help me, lol.
Brenda :)
Hi Brenda, I am a roller coaster of emotions. One second Iâm fine and the next second Iâm terrified and wondering about how my family will cope with my death. Very dramatic-Iâm not an optimist by nature! I had a moment of panic this week when I realized "omg-itâs OCTOBER and someone is going to operate on my BRAIN this month. Other times (I went on a business trip) it feels like its not really happening-just a dream. Definitely a lot of prayer-rediscovering my Irish catholic roots. My aneurysm is MCA, which means its on the Middle Cerebral Artery. Not an easy location to coil but apparently not bad for clipping. Iâm having a mini-craniotomy which is some sort of keyhole approach. The incision will be above my left ear in my hair line. Pre-op oct 22 and surgery Oct28. I have very little other info from my doctor at this point-I will see him on the 22nd. I will definitely be on here to update afterwards and I hope you will too! I will be praying for you (and selfishly looking for you to tell me it wasnât that bad:). We will get through this.