Hello, I’m a 20 yr old with a recent 8mm ruptured brain aneurysm. I’m an aspiring electrician to be and have made it half way through my apprenticeship. I recently had my clipping procedure on march 26, 2024. I’m wondering if anyone else has been in a similar situation to mine. How does work continue after such a procedure and am I able enough to continue my line of work (construction) with a ABI. I’m fairly new to everything and still going through the motions of my recovery but am highly curious as to what will be of my future/career as I am restricted in certain aspects.
Hola and Buenos Dias Alex! We have many members who have had a rupture and been able to return to work. Some members have gone on to finish their college degrees. We have some, including myself who have too many issues and could not return to work. I think you will be able to finish your electrician’s apprenticeship. What are your restrictions?
3 Likes
Hey Alex,
Welcome to Ben’s Friends.
There really is no direct yes/no answer to your question. Some are lucky enough to bounce back almost unaffected but then for some it can be life altering. There are a few variables regarding size, location and type that can make the outcome different for each patient. So, how you recover can be very individual to you.
I say all of this because I’ve required a few neurosurgeries and none of them have presented the same, nor recovered the same. From my initial surgery I recovered slowly but got back into life/work fairly well. But, for me each following surgery hit me harder and harder. My last major neurosurgeries, back in '13, really knocked me badly, that year alone I had 3 operations. I’m still dealing with the aftermath of that today. I repeatedly attempted to get back into my profession but in the end, I had to accept it was unsafe for me to continue.
In regard to work, My advice, don’t do what I did.
I ‘tried’ to return too early. I didn’t listen to my own body. I pushed my limits too soon something went ‘pop’ and I woke up back on the operating table. I haven’t been able to return to work since.
Don’t do that.
Listen to your body. It will tell you, but you have to listen. I’d convinced myself that by pushing my limits I was building stamina. The reality was I was driving myself into the ground by trying to meet my own standards. My body’s signs were subtle at first, subtle enough to ignore. But by ignoring those signs they’d get worse and worse. The recover from them was awful. I soon learnt I had to manage my time much more carefully, manage my activity, manage my environment to be able to manage me.
One word I soon learnt was ‘Slowly’. Previously I had 2 speeds, full tilt and stopped. Some days even getting to 1/2 pace is a battle, but I have to manage around me and how I am today. When my body says ‘No’, I have to listen or pay the consequences.
Nobody, not even the medicos, can give you a direct answer to that question.
Merl from the Modsupport Team
6 Likes
I agree with Merl – take your time and understand your healing. I was 25 when mine burst, finished school but was trying to start a career. I was blessed with good support so I was able to start part-time and slowly. I didn’t have a full time job for almost three years after the rupture. Not to say that will be your timing, but just to say, listen to your body. See if you have new challenges that affect how you now work and be patient with yourself in finding new habits to overcome those challenges. Good luck!
4 Likes
Hello! As of now I’m still trying to see what all of my restrictions are as every day presents a new challenge. Thankfully I’m fully able in my movements and just trying to recover to being that active person I was once. I’m adjusting to my stamina, little strength, headaches, lack of energy and slow movements. I start my 3rd year this coming August but I have to also obtain all my ojt hours (on job training). I have worries about the strenuous work such as heavy lifting, wire pulling, going up & down ladders, working outside in hot weather, the stress and tedious work that may present itself.
2 Likes
Thank you so much i appreciate you! 
2 Likes
Thank you for the thought out response! Yes I’ve definitely been learning to listen to my body and what it wants, not what people want out of me. It’s hard adjusting and having to solely listen to your body when it says no or maybe that’s too much. Like you have said I’m actively trying to meet my own standards and sometimes I have to realize that no is no and I’ll meet that standard whenever my body sees right. Hopefully everything falls into place and I’ll be able to continue my career path! I’m young and filled with passion over being a master electrician. I’d hate to have to turn to a different career path
4 Likes
Our Electrician has been licensed for about 50 years! He had been licensed for commercial, now he sticks with residential. In my younger days, I worked in commercial roofing for 5 1/2 years. Everything from hot roofs, rubber roofs, sheet metal then into a warehouse manager position. That’s when I went back to university to finish my degree. Here in the South, the humidity can drain us faster than anything can’t it? I’m not allowed on a ladder anymore, some family came up and I wanted to go to an antenna and stop using Spectrum for our tv. I couldn’t remember how to get off the extension ladder on to the roof! I did it when BH talked me through the steps. The year before, I was up on our elderly neighbors’ roof cleaning off the leaves and the gutters with no issues.
After I ruptured, my Neurosurgeon started her mantra with me, for headaches, fatigue, etc - hydrate, eat protein, hydrate some more, rest, repeat. Try staying hydrated and get your protein intake somewhere between 90-120 gms/day.
When you’re outside, building up your tolerance to the coming humidity and heat, please don’t forget to wear sunscreen. Our electrician was diagnosed with skin cancer a short time ago and the dermatologist had 15-20 stitches both sides of his face. It took me a long time building up my tolerance to things like noise and light, be patient with yourself, baby steps will get you a lot farther in the long run than trying to do a marathon in healing,
3 Likes
Hello! Congrats on making it through! My ruptured brain aneurysm was a decade ago - I was in the neuro ICU for several weeks, then in and out of the hospital multiple times. When finally home, I was told to work from my house for two months (which I realize is not an option for you). When I did go back to work (in downtown DC0, I got dizzy on the metro and for a while could only work 1/2 a day from the office until my brain and the rest of my body got used to it, physically and mentally. Survivors have both shared and varied long-term results. I am an attorney, and my short- and medium-term memory was impacted (I have to take far more extensive notes than the average person and often recognize a person but cannot recall their name (an aside - when I fully woke up a day or two after the surgery, my first words to my parents were “who the f&%k are you?” - not how I addressed them pre-rupture!)). As to your work – and any physical activity – a few months after coming home I began having seizures. I was put on Keppra to prevent them (3 x per day), but still had between one and six seizures per year until this year (knock wood). Hopefully you will not face this, but it is certainly best to go for walks with a partner and test what your body can face before pushing yourself). Best wishes!
7 Likes
Hey Alex!
I was 23 when I had a ruptured aneurysm, it was about 7 months ago! I went back to work in March and I would stress that listening to your body is most important and not letting anyone pressure you into doing more than you can! Sometimes I would over-do it at work or not advocate enough for myself and I would feel even worse the next day, almost wanting to call out! Understanding that things take time to heal is also a great reminder, don’t have too high of expectations for yourself! It’s a humbling experience at any age. What helped me is to read encouraging experiences on this website about how far people have made it in their careers despite the setbacks they’ve had! It’s also helped to set really reasonable goals and celebrating them! Think of how awesome you are that you’ve made it this far but go at the best pace for your body. Good things take time!
4 Likes
Hey @Alexanderreq,
I don’t like that word ‘slowly’, but as I say, I soon learnt I had no choice. I fought against it. I had a life I’d worked damn hard to establish and this damn thing wasn’t going to beat me.
In my previous profession, I taught people with disabilities and special needs. With them I could have the patience of a saint, but with ‘self’, OHH HELL NO!!! I wanted to be right and I wanted it right bloody NOW!!! I was my own worst enemy, my own worst critic. My view as 'Well, if my clients could do it (recover), why can’t I?? and I pushed myself to do it.
One thing I have learnt is: No 2 neurological journeys are identical. There are some similarities for many of us, but even in my own scenario, none of my recoveries have been the same in length, not in symptoms (other than the omni-present headache), nor intensity, nor longevity. For me it’s all been variable, what I refer to as ‘my rollercoaster’. But over time I learnt my signs, like I say a headache ‘for me, that’s normal’. If that progresses to tingles in my hands and feet, that’s a concern. If it then progresses to nausea or like oral pins’n’needles, for me that’s a clear ‘ACT NOW!!!’ sign. Another ‘ACT NOW’ is a headache like someone has kicked me in the back of the head with steel cap boots. ‘BOOM’ and it knocks me off my feet. I NEED to ACT NOW!!!
I tend to get some weird and wonderful odd sensations, some visual distortions, aches I’ve never had before, just weird stuff. But if I see a progression… …that’s not good, if that progression is intensifying and pushing through my ‘normal’ management tools, be that medication or rest or whatever works and it’s outside my control, I need help.
SLOWLY, No, dammit, I mean S.L.O.W.L.Y. Don’t be jumping to far ahead of yourself, take it from me you can ONLY do yourself more harm by pushing yourself too hard. DON’T.
Make yourself a long-term goal. Okay, your goal is to return to work. Fair enough.
But first you have to recover. What small steps can you take to get there?
Start slow. No climbing mount Everest in the first weeks/months.
This recovery thing is a journey of a lifetime. You can try and sprint the first 10 mile, burn yourself out and have no energy for the next 10,000 mile. One step at a time. The slower you take it now, the better the longer term outcome.
Learn from each ‘step’. What works? Why did it work? remember why it helped. If it didn’t help, Why? Did it trigger symptoms? What was the trigger? Learn to avoid symptom triggers. These are all management tools I’ve had to learn and over time you too will learn yours.
Being young is a good thing, your body still has that ‘resilience’ thing 
it will help you adjust along the way. I burnt all of my resilience out years ago 
Now I’m just stubborn
And don’t be too worried about what others think, they are not the one’s in your shoes. They don’t have to manage your symptoms, they have no clue of the realities of it all.
I have a VERY opinionated family member who likes to make his point known, pass judgement on me one day, when I was battling at my worst. The next time he was ill I feed his same condescending comments back at him, with a reminder. He did not like that at all, you could see his rage building, but he hasn’t made a comment since. He got the message.
Merl
3 Likes
Hi Alex, there are already a lot of great advices. Thought I would share my own experience. I just made my 1-year survival from a 3mm rupture today! The surgeon gave me a 5% chance of survival before he rolled me into the OR. I think I was just too stubborn to admit defeat 
I had endovascular surgery. Everyone around kept telling me to take it easy but well, the stubborn me… I went back to work 3 months after my rupture. I am in IT and work from home so that probably has made things a little easier. Regardless, like everyone says, listen to your body and hang in there. You are young and you WILL beat this!
6 Likes