Scared

[Andersl]

Is it normal to feel so scared when you've been diagnosed with an unruptured brain aneurysm? I get so emotional sometimes then I get annoyed with myself for feeling that way.

[DawnD123]

Absolutely! It's the fear of the unknown. I know exactly how you feel. I had my first SAH over 20 years ago, had a stroke about four years ago and have been diagnosed with new aneurisms.

It is frightening but I have come to the conclusion I can't worry about it ALL the time. Luckily for me I have a wonderful son and daughter in law and three grandchildren who I get to see regularly. They are still very young so I am trying to spend as much time with them while it's not interfering with their social lives!

It's only natural that we worry but I am trying to see my glass as half full.

I wish you all the very best in everything thing you do. I usually check into here most days so will be around if you need to chat.

Best wishes

Dawn 😀

[Andersl in reply to DawnD123]

Dawn, thank you so much for the reassurance. I'm waiting for an appointment to see the neuro radiologist and.yourr right it is the fear of the unknown. Also the fear of brain damage either through rupture or treatment though not sure I could take the wait an see approach.

It certainly helps now I'm in touch on here with people who are/have gone through the same thing.

Louise

[GT500]

Your damn right it is. I had mine coiled a few months after diagnosis but I wasn't told much before the op, since the coiling I've been on constant alert for funny twinges. I will admit I worry slightly less nowadays, after all it is nearly 5 years since it was bunged up but the fear is still there despite the reassurances from the Walton centre. You can't help it, it's natural I suppose.

Apparently, quite a few people who have an autopsy after they croak are found to have an aneurysm that wasn't even known about.

My best advice is to live your life to it's fullest don't sit there and wither away worrying yourself stupid, you'd feel such a twit if you look back at your life and see that your life ended with something else entirely, decades later and that you wasted all that time worried sick about an aneurysm that never popped. Do'h.

Cheer up and eat cake.

[Andersl in reply to GT500]

Thank you. That's very encouraging

[Andersl in reply to GT500]

I have ! Cheered up! I would eat cake but as I have hypos after sugar I can't lol. I also have reactive hypoglycaemia. .. non diebetes. So I've put the aneurysm worry in a little locked box on a back shelf in a cupboard somewhere in my brain. Ive done my preparations: lasting power of attorney and advanced decisions document. At least knowing about the aneurysm means I can make choices about treatment /non treatment in the event of rupture. So now i can focus on managing my blood sugar every day and hoping this is not caused by a tumour in my pancreas. Tests in the next two weeks! Dont get me wrong, im nor morbid about things just being practical and learning to look after my health which I admit I didn't really do very well before learning about the aneurysm and reactive hypoglycaemia! Just proves, youre never too old to learn

[Navillus]

I was terrified. I did calm down after a while and this forum helped me lots. I asked lots of questions and people were very reassuring. I have just undergone a craniotomy of aneurysm at M1 and it has gone way better than I thought. They told me had to be open as had engulfed three main arteries and high risk of a bleed. I am pleased to say I had no bleed - was out of hospital in 5 days instead of the thought 10 days, no intensive care or high dependency. I was terrified of something going wrong but the surgeons and staff have been amazing. Give yourself time to absorb, have a cry and ask questions but know they won't do anything that would put you at risk, there are some hugely clever surgeons and much better machinery for precision surgery. I think I calmed myself by thinking to have not found it would be worse. I had to wait a year for surgery which seemed like an eternity but they work wonders. I hope you find the reassurance you need and you get it sorted soon.

[Andersl in reply to Navillus]

A year for surgery? That must have been awful. I'm beginning to put my situation in perspective from the replies I'm receiving on here. It's good to feel I'm not alone. Despite having a fantastic network of friends having people like you around to talk to is reassuring.

Louise

[Jacacr]

Absolutely normal to worry!! I sure did when diagnosed (accidentally) with 4mm unruptured Annie! (may 2016)... I felt like I had a time bomb in my head and was scared to do anything!! ... Although I didn't think so at the time, but now feel that I rushed into having it treated and it scares the hell out of me when I think of the risks involved in the op, (which probably wouldn't have gone ahead so soon had I been NHS) luckily or not, we had private insurance and I had a flow diverting stent inserted in July last year, via femoral artery not open surgery. I woke up with not so much as a headache!! I did have a funny bleed from the artery plug, which I think was my fault, but was in hospital and all went ok. ..... Its jus now that I think of it I wish I had waited and thought about it more, I was just in a panic to get it done! maybe thats easy for me to say now its over, I don't know, probably is. But just as you think any little twinge may be from the unruptured Annie, now I think every little twinge is to do with the stent!! Just remember (a surgeon who does the open head told me) "you are not in any immediate danger, think long and hard about the risks of stroke during, and after the op 6-8% as opposed to the risk of rupture 0.5% per year". And he'd seen woman who have given birth with bigger aneurysms than mine!! Some NEVER rupture, its just that no docs can 'guarantee' that! I'm not sure I would do the same again if I had to make that choice again, don't know why, just scared of what could have happened. Good luck

[Andersl in reply to Jacacr]

Hey I m so pleased you shared what the consultant said. That's cheered me up and made me think differently about the potential wait for surgery or even watch and wait policy.

The things I'm concerned about re waiting are my daughter worrying about me looking after her kids in case it ruptures, whether I should fly especiallt long haul and whether I can drive.

My aneurysm is 5- 6 mm

Louise

[Navillus in reply to Andersl]

I checked with my Consultant re: flying and was told it was fine and flew to Las Vegas. I didn't suffer anything untoward, side-effects.

[Andersl in reply to Navillus]

Thank you

[me2you]

Yes me as well feel so scarred. Never cried as much since finding out last December. And only found out today that after nearly 8 months I am to have a angiogram in the next couple of weeks so now I'm scared of having that done as well now

[Andersl in reply to me2you]

Omg. Waiting all that time? That's awful. I worried about the angiogra m too. Especially as I have lots of allergies so I was concerned about having 'conttast' ... the dye they inject you with. But it was a doddle and I was fine. I'd never worry about having it done again.

I'm pleased things are moving forward for you now.

Louise

[me2you in reply to Andersl]

Your story sounds so much like mine my daughters feel exactly the same looking after the kids. As for flying I was on a flight in April and felt my hubby watching me as if to check to see if I was still alive lol

When did they find your aneurysm?

Thanks for information on angiogram

[Andersl in reply to me2you]

They found it at end of April. But due to negligent sec I didn't get the results till end of July

[me2you in reply to Andersl]

I've waited this long they keep telling me they haven't got neurovascular surgeons?! Got on to PALs and they are now chasing it for me but I'm due to go on holiday in 2 weeks so that will probably get in the way or maybe a good excuse for them lol

My Annie was 7.5mm at last time looked at on 23/12/16 x

[Andersl in reply to me2you]

I've used pals to get messages to the consultant when I couldn't get through to the Secretary. They're a great team. Tell them your worries... exactly as you put it here

[me2you in reply to Andersl]

Yes I did husband did and my daughters also got onto them they were horrified but have also been given the run around but maybe soon I might get to speak to Someone in person. All depends where you live in the country it seems? I'm in the midlands and as you can see they don't seem to be the best at getting things done. But hopefully you will be sorted soon x

[DawnD123 in reply to me2you]

As said below the angiogram was a doddle. Try not to worry about that 🙂

[me2you in reply to DawnD123]

Thanks x

[Loganjames]

I was found to have seven in total!! One I had clipped in June don't have mybopointment till end of September to discuss the rest one of which is 14mm outside the brain my life has stopped I'm sick with worry I really am it's not like I have one just keep thinking why me!! Xx

[Andersl in reply to Loganjames]

Oh how worrying for you to have so many. I know what you mean about your life being in hold. It's hard to plan anything more than a week in advance.

[Loganjames in reply to Andersl]

Thanks for the reply we try to carry on we have to! This site is helping me lots I know I'm not alone

Xx

[Kelz93]

Mine ruptured a few years back but is growing around the coil.. It's not exactly the same but I often worry that it could rupture again.

[Andersl in reply to Kelz93]

If you don't mind me asking, did you suffer any brain damage when it ruptured?

[Kelz93 in reply to Andersl]

My short term memory was quite fuzzy for a while and I had double vision for a few weeks but nothing major.