I have a 7.5 mm aneurysm, and I’m having treatment (coiling or web) August 12. How can I expect to feel after surgery and during recovery? Thanks for any advice.
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Welcome mhann! Great question! While everyone comes out a little differently, there are similarities. Tired, most feel very tired. It’s important to rest. Depending if the doc is going through the groin or the arm will let you know how much weight you can pick up. Don’t pick up more than what they say! You may feel odd do to the dye, it’s important to keep hydrated to get rid of the dye. Captain 365 had posted an otc that he said helps get rid of it. Always check with your doctor on any remedies you might find helpful. Depending on your doctor’s advice, you may not be able to do some things, so do things prior to your procedure. I call it getting your house in order.
Be sure to let your support group be they physical or virtual know how your doing. It’s important that we have someone who checks in on us, especially if we don’t live with anyone.
Anesthesia by itself can muddle some brains, so don’t make any important decisions for a few days if you can avoid it.
I find being prepared helps a lot. So have some easy to fix meals. The last recoiling I had, we updated our wills. My Neurosurgeon had prepared us for a possible craniotomy. The floors were mopped/vacuumed, dusting done, yard work done.
Increase protein to help your brain heal after the procedure. Ask your doc how much, mine was 90 grams a day for several months. I have to do this just for an angiogram. And drink Gatorade, my doc said 3 bottles a day, plus the water. Not the little bottles, the bigger ones that are around $1.00
Take some walks now, exercise is a great way to relieve anxiety we feel prior to any procedure. You may be limited afterwards, so learn some deep breathing exercises. And when they put needles in, breathe out. It helps the muscles from contracting making it less painful.
I’m sure other members can help out, give them time to respond.
Thanks very much for your advice and insight. I didn’t know about the increased protein or Gatorade! I’m nervous but optimistic. Thanks for your support. 
You’re more than welcomed! I’m sure you will do well. I feel it in my bones and they’ve been around a decent amount of time.
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I had a craniotomy to repair my brain aneurysm a little over 3 years ago. I went back to work full time 2 1/2 weeks after surgery. I felt extremely exhausted for quite a few months after surgery. I also experienced periodic episodes of feeling very unbalanced for a little more than a year, although not enough to keep me from being able to work and function. For a couple weeks after surgery my scalp was extremely itchy, but was also completely numb, so scratching it did no good. At any rate, I feel very lucky to have recovered so well! Many prayers to you for a quick and complete recovery!!!
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I had a similar procedure (stent for 5mm aneurysm) in Dec. 2019. I was told that recovery was simple and quick but that was not my case. I tried to return to work after 2wks but continued to have headaches, head pressure, and neck pain. This gave me a lot of anxiety and thought something was wrong. Pain meds were temporary fix but talking to others that went through this really helped. I learned that everyone is different and every procedure varies, so give yourself time to heal. It took me more than 6 months and still recovering from the neck pain. Take it easy for a while and take care.
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Hello mhann - What helped me after the craniotomy which was 20 months ago was having someone by me as much as possible. This was not always easy because my family members had to go to work but I was lucky enough to have my daughter on Christmas holidays at that time. I must say that her company kept me alive. She will make sure to take me out for walks and I am telling you that one month after my surgery her and I, in a very cold Toronto, walked for 10 km.
Have a plan for the day. When I knew that I had to be home alone, I would make sure to keep myself busy with simple tasks such us preparing vegetable juice, cleaning, and call me crazy but I washed dishes everyday. I found it very relaxing.
You are going to experience anxiety and sleepless nights…I hope not. My iron levels were low and that would cause heart palpitations. I was afraid that it was something more serious and kept going to the hospital. Try to eat healthy as much as you can and stay hydrated. Hot water has worked for me.
I went back to work after 6 months. I hear that some people return to work after 2 weeks or 2 months. In my case, I needed the 6 months to recover. Please try not to rush yourself. We need time to recover.
I wish you all the best with your surgery and I wish you a speedy recovery. Looking forward to hearing the good news from you 
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Hi!
Well I am still just 6months recovery from my craniotomy I’m still not ready to return to work at all. I have done great but I get dizzy spells and my anxiety is off the charts at times.
I went through a period of time not wanting to shower with out someone home or on the phone just in case something happens. They had to cut off part of my sinus on my forehead to get to my 2 aneurysms. Parts of my head and eye are still numb. It’s a little irritating at times. Lol… but yes as someone else said on here make a plan. Don’t expect to be back to normal ASAP. It gets easier I promise but the fear is real. I still have one more aneurysm they will fix in January with a stint or whatever it’s called. I don’t have a lot of energy at all but I make myself move around and do things. I’ll be attending the support group with Marie and Dr.Colby with UCLA he was and is my surgeon. He is amazing and took very good care of me… I wish you the best I really do. It’s not as scary as what your playing in your mind. I promise you’ll do great!!!
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Hello,
I had the same procedure on the left side of my brain and I experienced headaches, my cognitive skills were off, had a little difficulty pronouncing words when reading, dizzy at times, extremely sensitive to sound. This went on for a little while, but I connected with a support group in North Carolina which helped a lot. I begin to do things slow, not rush, and did brain exercises like coloring, small puzzles, etc. I continue to have headaches when the barometric pressures changes and I take Tylenol and of course aspirin everyday for the rest of my life. As with time, things improved. Granted, I am not back to my “old” self, but I have a “new self” now and that’s okay. It was just a matter of doing things differently. Unfortunately, I found out that aneurysms are hereditary in my family. Before I had my surgery, I lost my mother due to ruptured aneurysm.The most important part for your recovery will be a great medical team, family and friends support, and prayer. This BAF social media helps many to express the challenges and create comrade re among survivors. I currently have an aneurysm on the right side of my brain and my medical team @ Duke University continue to monitor… they take good care of me. I truly wish you all the best, don’t rush, take it easy, follow instructions and don’t refuse help from family and friends… you’ll do well. Praying for you!!!
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Hello Chan273,
Thanks for sharing your experience. It helps to know someone else has had similar problems along the way.
Well, I’m four days since surgery. I’m home and honestly grateful to have come through in one piece. I know it’s very early in recovery, I have some headache and neck pain but hopeful it will improve with time. Thanks everyone for your advice and for sharing your experiences. I look forward to chatting with you all. 
Thanks so much for checking in with us. I’m glad you’re doing well!
Ask your doctor about using an ice pack, I find those to be extremely helpful, your doc might suggest a heating pad. Something else I use for stiff muscles is a muscle balm from CVS, a little goes a long way. It’s menthol and camphor in white looks like petroleum jelly. Please remember to keep hydrated and eat lots of protein. Both will help your brain heal.
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It surprises me to no end that doctors seem to minimize what they consider a simple procedure in terms of after effect. What they deem minor can feel pretty severe to the patient, and it seems that it is so unpredictable that no one tries too hard to provide full info. 2 weeks seems like a short time, and my sister is in this time frame and not doing very well after a pipeline stent for an unruptured giant aneurysm. Really hope it gets better.
I certainly understand that feeling! I think it’s because they don’t know what the after effects will be and they don’t want to scare us with all the possibilities. Personally, I prefer honesty over too little information. My favorite story is when a resident anesthesiologist was going through the speech prior to a procedure. He had memorized it and I kept interrupting him with my questions and corrections. He had to keep starting at the beginning. Finally, Dr. Shaw asked me to give the resident a break roflol.
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Update: I’m 3 1/2 weeks after stent and coiling and feeling pretty good. My energy level has improved and the head in the clouds feeling has gone away. I try to do something every day (housework or short shopping trips) but nap after. Have an MRA scheduled next week and f/u with surgeon on the 15th. I’m hoping to return to work week of September 21, but worry about looking at my computer for 7-8 hrs a day. Would love to hear other’s return to work experiences. Thanks!
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It’s certainly good to hear how well you’re doing! I hope our members who have been able to return to work check in. Some suggestions would be to turn the lighting down on your computer to the lowest brightness you can comfortably see, do the stretches for your hands, etc, get up and walk a wee bit every hour if possible, stay hydrated. Not sure what you do, but it may be beneficial to ease back into work if able.
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