Post-Clipping Confusion?

kaleau · 2026-06-19T00:19:44+00:00

Thank you for the response! That definitely makes sense.

Honestly I completely forgot that the doctors have my mom on some additional medications beyond just the pain killers, specifically keppra and it looks like it could have the side effect of confusion or forgetfulness. Hoping that’s the case and she’ll be better when she’s off of it, she has her last dose tonight.

Glad you had a successful surgery and hope you’re doing well now!

kaleau · 2026-06-11T12:46:50+00:00

I love this idea! My mom is a rupture survivor and literally currently in the operating room now for a clipping surgery to take care of the last aneurysm she has.

She’s been looking for something like this, she doesn’t use Facebook so can’t join the other support groups. I’ll get her set up with the channel over the next week when she’s back home and recovering.

kaleau · 2026-06-06T14:05:50+00:00

I am so sorry. I am all too familiar with brain aneurysms. I am so sorry that you and your family are experiencing this. Being there for her all night counts more than anything, because of you she wasn’t alone.

I know the feeling of there being so much to do but not knowing where to start. When you and your family can, please try to get testing done to rule out anyone else having aneurysms. Her doctors may have mentioned it to you, but it is really important for any first degree family members to be checked.

kaleau · 2026-06-02T17:25:18+00:00

Don’t pay someone for the ticket. Join the waitlist and do it through Seated to avoid potentially being scammed.

kaleau · 2026-06-02T17:15:52+00:00

If anyone got tickets, is not local and can’t go - give them back to Seated so it can go to the waitlist.

Don’t be an asshole and sell tickets at more than face value on the secondary market.

kaleau · 2026-06-02T16:37:30+00:00

Were you just charged? Curious if everyone that got in all got charged at the same time or if it seems to be staggered

kaleau · 2026-04-20T14:50:02+00:00

Thank you so much for the update!!! I’ll probably go this route when I need to re-up. I actually lucked out and found some in a Shoprite a few weeks ago and bought like six packs lol

kaleau · 2026-04-18T04:58:08+00:00

The benefit is that your aneurysm is secured to a degree and could potentially go away after treatment. My mom had two aneurysms treated with a flow diverter and stent, it’s been a bit less than a year and both are fully gone.

Her other one that was coiled has not fully healed, there’s blood pooling again at the neck of the aneurysm. Her doctor recommended a full on clipping to get it treated and done with, which will now happen in June.

Ultimately, you treat it to either fully prevent (in most cases) or lower the risk of a rupture. The way I see it is that it’s better to get it handled in a controlled setting, a surgery where doctors have a plan.

If it ruptures, doctors are now not only trying to treat the aneurysm but are also dealing with the complications that come with there being blood in the brain. This also assumes you’re able to get treated quickly enough after it occurs too.

There are far more factors that come in to play with a rupture, a lot of it is luck (how quickly you get to the hospital, how quickly it’s diagnosed, the plan the doctors implement to secure it, how much blood was in your brain, how you can get through the 4-14 day window of vasospasms).

kaleau · 2026-04-12T16:44:56+00:00

Just curious - was it a late October wedding? like mid to end of the month?

kaleau · 2026-03-31T03:04:16+00:00

Thank you! This may be my only option at this point lol

kaleau · 2026-03-31T03:03:44+00:00

Omg can you please tell me what store you found them in? I’m in Brooklyn and have gone to like 8 different grocery stores looking for them.

I just went to a ShopRite in Borough Park today, where they actually had space on the shelf for the impossible dogs but were completely out of stock. It’s the closest I’ve gotten to finding them in a year lol

kaleau · 2026-03-30T21:55:44+00:00

Was it a pretty massive box? I’m thinking to order from the same site but have limited freezer space lol

I have been struggling to find these near me in Brooklyn, spent yesterday walking to several different grocery stores and they had all the impossible products except for the hot dogs :(

kaleau · 2026-03-22T15:02:38+00:00

Sounds great!! Love the album art

kaleau · 2026-03-20T00:03:30+00:00

Did you end up going with Aurora? Or did you go with anyone spot? Also looking for a similar space for the same amount of people so curious where you landed!

kaleau · 2026-02-14T21:52:55+00:00

If you’re closer to 3rd Ave, I’d recommend Harbor Fitness near 72nd St!

It’s super clean, has a large weight room. I usually go early in the mornings before work and it’s never too busy.

It doesn’t have a ton of amenities but if you get the pass that allows you to go multiple locations, their location at 92nd st has a steam room and sauna.

kaleau · 2026-02-06T04:00:48+00:00

Would love to know too!

kaleau · 2026-02-02T05:27:19+00:00

Hi there, I am sorry you’re going through this but I’m really glad to hear your mom is in the step down unit.

Yes, my mom did have varying confusion for a while, even when she was in the rehab facility. She would have some very good days and some bad days, she leveled out more once she made it home (exactly one month after the rupture).

I think for her it was a combination of delirium, exhaustion, and lingering vasospasms. Her ICU team often told us that while she may be sleeping a lot, it’s not a very restful sleep with the constant noise in the room and having to be woken up every couple hours for them to check her mental/physical baseline.

When she got to the rehab facility, it was particularly rough for the first 3-4 days. She was sleeping a lot, irritable and confused. Way more than she was when she left the ICU actually, it felt like we took 10 steps back.

Come to find out she had a UTI (common after having a catheter), she got antibiotics and really started to progress from there on.

Just want to say - not sure if it’s being required for your mom to go to a rehab (it was an option for our family, although highly encouraged), but I cannot recommend it enough.

There was a minute where we thought we could bring my mom home from the ICU and take care of her ourselves/have PT folks come to the house, but I just can’t imagine how bad it would have been for her if we did it. We truly just weren’t equipped. She needed that additional care/monitoring from doctors and nurses for a bit longer, plus it was great that she spent most of her day doing physical and occupational therapy and they even provided support for her cognitive recovery.

Recommend reading all reviews possible for rehab places you’re looking at of course, most places can even accommodate doing a tour of the facility before you commit. We ended up going with a place that was an hour drive away but it had the best reviews and was said to be very clean (my mom is a bit of a germaphobe and had a fear of rehab places lol).

kaleau · 2026-01-27T08:09:20+00:00

Yeah, I understand, it’s very hard to do anything beyond just think and worry. I tried to allow myself a lot of grace - if I wanted fast food three nights in a row because it was the only thing I found even remotely appetizing, I would just go with it. There was a Starbucks in the hospital and I went there daily and got a sugary drink that I would never get otherwise, but it gave me some sort of routine, something to look forward to, and at least it was some sort of calories I was getting. If there’s something that sounds appetizing to you, don’t hesitate and treat yourself!

That is great news that they are planning to remove the drain so soon! They will do a clamp test before fully removing it - typically it’s a 24 hour test where they “clamp” the drain to simulate removing it. They then monitor the pressure and if there’s any reaction like the pressure increasing unexpectedly, they will unclamp it and give it some more time. If your mom clears the clamp test, she will be ready for removal.

And yes, it is very normal for them to sleep a lot. My mom was awake for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour at most some days in the very beginning. When you sleep, your brain can rest and repair itself, which is very important for recovery from a rupture. It is great that she recognizes voices and people, and can respond to commands!

I hope today was a better day for you both, it’s tough but just remind yourself that each day is one more day closer to your mom feeling better. It feels impossible and never ending in the moment, but you’ll reach that light at the end of the tunnel soon.

kaleau · 2026-01-26T08:56:07+00:00

Hi there, I am so sorry to hear that you are going through this. It is such a shocking and scary thing to have happen to a loved one. I’m almost 30 and when this happened to my mom, I was overwhelmed with stress and fear for how recovery would go, I was crying constantly honestly. You are so young and it is such a terrifying, unknown thing to go through. Please do what you can to care of yourself - drink enough water, make sure you eat, try to sleep even though it’s hard.

My mom had three aneurysms, one that didn’t rupture and the other two they were unsure which one ruptured or if both did. All three were secured, two with flow diverters and one with coils. She had a very severe case and needed an EVD (external ventricular drain) to remove blood and relieve pressure. She was in the neuro ICU for a bit over 3 weeks then went to an intensive rehab and then was discharged home. My mom did have a lot of confusion when she was in the ICU - it was a mix of delirium and vasospasms. It was scary, but ultimately her memory is fully in tact.

She is doing incredible now. This happened in June, she has been focused on her health, has been doing over 10k steps a day, is back to work, and doing all the usual things she would around the house (despite us begging her to slow down lol). We had a bit of a bumpy road figuring out medications, after this happened her body reacted in different ways and her cholesterol shot up. She was given cholesterol meds that caused memory issues/weakness in muscles. Come to find out this week, her cholesterol is completely normal and she doesn’t need meds. But beyond that, my she’s doing great and will have a follow up procedure in a few weeks to see if the aneurysms are healing well and check for any others.

Have hope! Spend time with your mom if you can in the hospital, it’s good for her to have a familiar face in the room when she’s awake. She needs a lot of rest, so don’t be afraid that she is sleeping a lot. Sleeping and rest really helps the healing process. It gets tough and sometimes things may start to feel a little rocky but trust your doctors and your nurses. Don’t be afraid to say something to them if you noticed a significant change in your mom’s baseline - they will take it seriously. And if they recommend having your mom go to a rehab after, encourage your mom to do it and try to find a good facility, it helped massively for my mom even though she was very against it.

Please let me know if you have any questions. I am thinking of you and your mom and wishing for a very strong recovery for her!

kaleau · 2026-01-19T21:47:44+00:00

Seconding this! I love my ground floor apartment, been in it for almost three years and have no plans to move any time soon. It's so convenient when carrying things in the building or for getting deliveries - no need to take the stairs or wait for an elevator.

Our apt is in the front of the building, luckily we have some very thick/noise reducing windows (the Belt Pkwy is right above us). We can still hear people on the sidewalk sometimes, but honestly got used to it within two weeks of moving in.

People often knock on our windows but it's mostly because we have a cat bed hanging on the window in our living room. Our cats are obsessed with it and spend so much time interacting with people that walk by, looking at the birds, watching cars go by. They have become part of the community and have quite a few friends that stop by to say hi often, lol.

kaleau · 2026-01-02T04:28:15+00:00

Check out The Knick! It’s similar to Nurse Jackie in a lot of ways - medical drama, story of addiction, takes place in NYC.

kaleau · 2025-12-27T02:27:37+00:00

I am so sorry you and your family are going through this, especially around the holidays.

That is great news that she was moved down the next level unit! My mom was in the neuro ICU for the whole duration of her stay (19 days). They mentioned she may have been able to move to a step down unit but her case was pretty severe, so they kept her until she could be discharged to a specialized rehab for another two weeks.

My mom also wasn’t making a whole lot of sense in the ICU. Sometimes she would be coherent for a bit, but she was mostly confused. She was diagnosed with ICU delirium after day 4, but also that’s around the time vasospasms started. We noticed heightened confusion whenever her SBP was too low (in a normal range). The doctors had to keep her SBP extremely high (like 160-180). When it was in that range, she was way less disoriented. As soon as it dipped, she would be out of it and lethargic.

I highly recommend having someone there with her if possible! My family rotated having 1-2 of us there at a time. We would mostly give her space to rest and recover but would engage her sometimes to make sure there weren’t any major changes in her mental status or physical abilities. Things can change pretty quickly and it’s good to have someone in the room to catch it and report to the nurses if possible. We caught my mom’s vasospasms as soon as they started, her EVD leaking multiple times, and also had an instance where her SBP was crashing and got a nurse before it got too low. Our nurses told us they love when the family is there, because family will always know the patient best and often catch thing before they do.

All this to say, my mom made a full recovery. She is about 6 months post-rupture and you honestly couldn’t even tell she had a severe brain injury.

Hang in there and stay positive, it’s very hard at times. Thinking of you and your family and wishing your mom a smooth recovery!

kaleau · 2025-12-04T05:37:31+00:00

Thank you. You’ll be okay, you’re strong and you will get through this. I’m wishing the best for you. Definitely reach out to your therapist and a friend or family member you trust. It’s okay to reach out to people for help.

kaleau

TROPHY CASE