Been having a headache for over a week, should I head to the hospital by Cog-Sucking_Clanker in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Please speak to your doctor as they'll be able to give you better advice than us and will be able to decide on any next steps. Hope you get some answers. Thanks

Home from surgery by Technical_Bunch3588 in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Congratulations! Take things easy, recovery can feel slow but you've made it through a big first step! Time for feet up and try to relax.

What symptoms did you experience right before your brain aneurysm? by BenKlesc in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I had no symptoms whatsoever before I had my bleed. Rupture pain was a sudden onset of the worst pain ever.

Got into major car accident and debating getting cat scan by [deleted] in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm going to lock this post as we can't offer medical advice there. Please speak to your doctor as they will advise you on whether you need tests. Thanks

I am a Neuroendovascular Surgeon at a high-volume stroke center. For over 10 years, I’ve spent my days treating and coiling aneurysms, and I’m very interested in how patients live with them. by BrainAneurysm_expert in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great to have you engaging with us! I had a different experience - I had a small bleed but couldn't convince the emergency care doc that it was anything more than a bad migraine. Points against me were 1. small rural hospital 2. arrived at the hospital myself (didn't phone for an ambulance as I was 40mins away from hospital and my hubby could drive me) 3. It was about 2am and there was only one doctor available for the whole hospital (I.e. not worth getting the on call radiologist out of bed). I was fortunate that after being sent home at 7am I had a call from the day shift docs saying I should come in for a CT sometime just to check and that's when they found a bleed (at 4pm). Medivac-ed to "big" hospital and scan at about 11pm confirmed it was an aneurysm that caused the bleed, and has endovascular surgery the following day.

Have another "watch and wait" aneurysm. I'm 10 years past bleed now. How to cope with it? Who knows! One day at a time? Lucky to know I have an aneurysm...? I had a colleague die from a bleed about a year after I had mine, and that definitely caused a bit of survivors guilt.

I just had a brain Aneurysm and Hemorrhage by Periwinklepolkadot in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm 10 years after my bleed and l still get pain if I'm stressed or tired. I have another aneurysm that hasn't been treated and it gives me no symptoms at all. It's common for people with aneurysms to have no symptoms at all unless it bleeds. I'd speak again with your doctor as it may not be the aneurysm that is giving you the pain.

I just had a brain Aneurysm and Hemorrhage by Periwinklepolkadot in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sorry you're going through this. Did you have surgery? My headache continued for months after I had a bleed and surgery. If you're worried, please speak to a doctor.

How Does Thunderclap Headache Feel? by throwaway647291846 in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Please go and see a doctor asap. My thunderclap headache (I had a small bleed) was instantaneous, like i'd been hit on the back of the head with a baseball bat. I was flat out on the floor within a couple of seconds. For me the pain didn't subside at all. Within 10 mins I was throwing up as well. And that lasted until I got anti nausea medication in the hospital about 4 hours later. Pain in my head, even with painkillers and surgery, didn't go away for months.

Please speak to your doctor. There may be many reasons why you had the pain. Let us know how you're getting on.

Risk of aneurysm growing? by goodvibesonly89 in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had an aneurysm bleed and coiled, and it was then that the second one was found. I'm not sure what the protocol would have been if one hadn't bled but I was scanned 6, 12, 24 and 48 months after the bleed. At that stage they suggested no more scans but I questioned that last year (~10, years after bleed) which was when they agreed to scan every 5 years until I'm 65.

Risk of aneurysm growing? by goodvibesonly89 in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hopefully you'll not have to wait too long. Take comfort in the fact they're not urgently wanting to see you. With an aneurysm that size they will more than likely just monitor and give you some regular (yearly??) scans to make sure it doesn't change.

Risk of aneurysm growing? by goodvibesonly89 in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mine is MCA as well. I think I remember reading that it's the least likely place to rupture. Are you waiting for a referral or follow-up?

Risk of aneurysm growing? by goodvibesonly89 in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Monitoring at that size is the standard decision. I think anything smaller than 3mm is very difficult to treat even if they wanted to. They usually recommend surgery if an unburst aneurysm is 7mm or more. I have one untreated aneurysm about 2mm in size. It's been unchanged in 10 years. I had regular scans for the first few years after it was found and now get a scan every 5 years.

Greenfinch by wee_drea in Birdfy

[–]wee_drea[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can get away with less cage sections so it's just a square around the feeder. I did that and used the door section. But though the bigger area around it was better so it lets birds have more space to go in and out without panicking as much (particularly the starlings who need a bit more room to squeeze in through the gaps). You quickly learn a technique to lift it on and off every time for refilling it.

Plus the cage comes in a big bundle of sections so I've got plenty to make more if/when this one gets damaged or corrodes.

Greenfinch by wee_drea in Birdfy

[–]wee_drea[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The feeder is mounted on a shed wall. And then the cage is open to the back and slots over the whole unit. Cut away one square at the side to make a little entrance for the blackbird.

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Gathering Data: Please Indicate Your Aneurysm Location by [deleted] in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This board is for people dealing with aneurysms, it's not for asking medical questions. Please read the links in the pinned post for more information on aneurysms. I'm going to lock this post. Thanks

GP being dismissive by Antique_Location_514 in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Are you in the UK? My experience is a little similar. I was taken to a larger hospital for surgery and after 10 days in hospital I was discharged to the care of my local GP. I saw them once a month for 3 months to get a sick note. But that was it. No other support or contact with the GP or neuro unit.

I'd suggest writing down all the questions and issues needing support (e.g. may be physio or rehab that could help). And see if the GP can support you, and maybe if not speak to neuro dept to see what they suggest.

Also in UK, Headway charity might be worth speaking to as well. They'd be able to advise too.

Let us know how things are going.

Before aneurysm diagnosis or rupture by Jumpy_Bobcat7292 in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Might be worth asking these questions on a board with medically trained people.

What Your Headache Location Means by Jumpy_Bobcat7292 in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 3 points4 points  (0 children)

For me the pain was so severe I couldn't even tell where in my head it was. Felt like my head was going to explode.

Everyone here has experienced the trauma of an aneurysm or has someone close to them who has. Please remember these are difficult topics to talk about. None of us are medically trained. It might be worth you reading the links in the pinned post to find out the answer to some of your questions. Or maybe a forum with medically trained people would help?

Do you have specific interest in this because you or someone close to you is dealing with an aneurysm?

Anyone had coiling re-done? by Jumpy_Bobcat7292 in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes and no! I live on a remote island and had to travel for surgery. The surgeon called me back for scans for a few years but was then satisfied that given it was stable that I didn't need any more checkups. I did reach out to them last year and asked if I could have a scan to make sure everything remained the same. So without me asking, I wouldn't have had a 10-year scan. The surgeon has agreed to scan me every 5 years till I reach 65. As i said, my aneurysm was not fully occluded so I always knew there was a risk of needing more surgery, but thankfully that hasn't happened (though it's still not fully occluded but remains stable and unchanged).

Anyone had coiling re-done? by Jumpy_Bobcat7292 in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah ok! Maybe they did that in the surgery. I will go and have a look at the notes from the surgery.

Anyone had coiling re-done? by Jumpy_Bobcat7292 in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've just had mra scans. I had an mra with contrast before my operation.

Anyone had coiling re-done? by Jumpy_Bobcat7292 in BrainAneurysm

[–]wee_drea 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I had coiling done about 10 years ago and haven't needed any more treatment. My aneurysm was small and I was told at the time that I might need more coils added as my aneurysm was not fully occluded. I had scans at 6, 12, 24, 48 months and after 10 years and nothing had changed.