About two weeks ago, after two days of worsening pain....starting with what felt like indigestion in my upper left abdomen with increasing low then full back pain....and an inability to find any position that was comfortable, or be able to eat, I went to an Urgent Care where they did all the tests, plus a CT, all of which were normal. They then suggested I head to our very busy ER. They, too, did all the tests, plus a CT. An attentive radiologist saw a barely visible anomaly in my celiac artery. They did another CT to confirm, told me I was going into surgery as soon as the surgeon, an Interventional Radiologist, and his team arrived at the hospital. Barely had time to call family, arrange for care for my dogs. The CT scan showed disruption of the celiac arterial trunk from dissection with intramural hematoma and development of pseudoaneurysm. The final “Impression” after the closed surgery was: Initial visceral angiography confirming an irregular dissection of the celiac artery and development of prominent, irregular pseudoaneurysm from the false lumen. Due to the irregular narrowed lumen, primary repair with stent graft placement was not possible. Alternative, successful coil embolization of the celiac artery trunk and bifurcation and left gastric artery to prevent further pseudoaneurysm growth and mitigate risk of rupture and hemorrhage.

So I got lucky. None of this showed up two months ago on a CT I have every year to monitor an aneurysm in my ascending aorta. I don’t know what caused it or what any of this means for the future. The surgeon had seen this before and was well qualified to perform this procedure. My experienced PCP had never seen this before. I live in central Oregon, in Bend, where I would not have thought my care could be so good. The surgeon was Dana Mann, MD.

Now I need to find out how to take care of myself. Diet, exercise, future monitoring. Wish my energy would come back. Maybe with time.
I was incredibly lucky and am so grateful to the fine people working at our one hospital, who cared enough to save my life.
Thank you for letting me share this journey with you. So glad I found you all.

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