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How to live normal life wit 5mm brain aneurysm
Hi. In recent ct scan, just learnt I have 5 mm brain aneurysm. Actually while dealing with eye floaters I had a brain mri 5 years ago, there was nothing wrong.
I am 64 old Australian man.
Waiting for further check in the hospital with specialist. The probabilities showing that I may have “coiling treatment” in the near future.
I have some questions in my mind:
1-Learning about this aneurysm is just like living with ticking bomb in the brain, how to be back to normal again?
2-i was always careful for my health and living healthy lifestyle such as no smoking and eating pure healthy diet and exercise. How did this happen?
3-in the web;
Stress, surprise, heavy lifting, even harsh cleaning the nose, leak of sleep, and all similar behaviours are dangerous and may trigger the bleeding.
4-if bleeding occurs and I rush to hospital, how are they going to fix this? Will they immediately open the skull and operate?
5-I have a boating hobby for instance or healthy sauna visits. Should I quit or make them lighter?
6-As far as I learned, the coiling procedure may be dangerous and cause bleeding or stroke. Don’t know what to decide.
7-Does this condition cause some minor headaches (having 5mm aneurysm) or some other consequences?
8-At home I fell down backwards and my head hit a school bag not too hard ground. And then I was advised for ct scan. No bleeding and no fractures but found this aneurysm.
The fall caused some back and neck pains and even head pains. Now, after one week past, I can’t figure out some of leftover light headaches are coming from the fall or aneurysm…
Any alp would be appreciated.
Regards
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Sorry guys I think I made some spelling mistakes. Not easy to learn suddenly a health problem like that…:(
Must be;
“Any help would be appreciated”
“Living with 5mm aneurysm”
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1 ReactionHi
I personally do not have your condition.But my close friend just went through the coiling.It was a success she's doing well.The aneurysm has disappeared, so try to think positive.I'm sure it's very, very difficult as I know.My friend struggled with a lot of emotion. I also have a close family member who lives with a brain aneurysm.And has for ten years and has not had a problem. Maybe try some cognitive therapy to help with the overthinking. We all struggle with that when we have a medical diagnosis. I am just getting thru breast cancer. Hang in there 🙏 💓
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1 Reaction@adamaustralia Good morning from the U.S. and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. From what you wrote it appears that the 5mm aneurysm is a recent discovery. While I personally have not experienced an aneurysm I have friends who have. I'm thinking of one friend who had one several years ago and had no symptoms. Like you, she had (and still has) a very healthy lifestyle including her diet and exercise.
I understand how frightening this is for you and why you feel like you have a "ticking time bomb" inside your head. It is alarming to suddenly learn about the aneurysm and wonder if or when it could rupture. Personally, I would feel the same as you under these circumstances.
Since you learned of the aneurysm through a CT scan I'm thinking that you've already been in contact with physicians including a neurologist. You are waiting for an appointment with a specialist. Will that be with a neurosurgeon who can discuss treatment options with you?
I'd like to suggest that when you search around on the internet for information that you read sources that are valid and reliable. Valid and reliable sources are from professional journals, well known medical centers such as Cleveland Clinic or Mayo Clinic, and national health agencies such as the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. or the equivalent clinical/research institute in Australia. Why do I recommend this? There is so much misinformation on the internet posted by well, who knows? I am a retired university professor and I spent years teaching my students how to find valid and reliable sources on the internet and I marked their papers down if they did not cite valid and reliable sources.
I cannot answer all of your questions but I'm hoping that in the coming days other members of Mayo Clinic Connect will chime in with their experiences. In the meantime, here is information from valid and reliable sources on aneurysm diagnosis and treatment:
Mayo Clinic-Brain Aneurysm:
-- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/brain-aneurysm/symptoms-causes/syc-20361483
Cleveland Clinic-Brain Aneurysm:
-- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16800-brain-aneurysm
Johns Hopkins Medicine-Cerebral Aneurysm:
-- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/cerebral-aneurysm
How are you feeling today/this evening? Do you have emotional support at home from your partner and family?
@adamaustralia
Sorry about your aneurysm. I would feel the same way as you do. As encouragement, I’ll share that a lady in my neighborhood fell and hit her head about 4-5 years ago. She had a CT scan and was told she had 7 brain aneurysms! She was afraid to treat them or not treat them. I don’t know details about her treatment, but she had a procedure on the riskiest ones. I still see her out walking her dog all the time years later. This lady thought she wouldn’t see another a Christmas. It’s hard not to worry but please stay hopeful. Prayers for you.
Don’t hesitate to get a second opinion if you’re not sure what to do.
I found out after a CT scan for another condition that I have a 6 mm. brain aneurysm. I understand how you feel like a walking time bomb. I met with a neurosurgeon who specializes in brain aneurysms. He said I'm on the borderline with regard to treat or not to treat. Lots of variables play into this decision like how large the aneurysm is, where it is located, how it is shaped, the age of the person, etc. I was advised of 3 options:
watch-and-wait (until my follow up CT scan) coiling, or clipping. I told the neuro doctor I saw that I needed time to digest all the information. I found a 35 minute podcast by a neurosurgeon, Dr. Omar Choudhri, at Penn Medicine, that enabled me to be at peace with my decision to watch-and-wait. By being at peace, I mean I am able to get up each day and live my life without being obsessed/anxious about the aneurysm in my brain. You can find it if you type in "You Tube Omar Choudhri."
Back when I had a brain injury and to this day no one has found out what caused it, so it could happen again, at any time, and it has. So, I learned:
You are a human be-ing, not a human do-ing. We, each of us are of immense value regardless of what we can or can not do. No matter how much you can accomplish in each day, it is good for others, as well as yourself.
Do not let those who harm you into your life. Life is too short for that. That includes family members, healthcare professionals, and any spiritual ones too. Benign is the worst that may have access to you. When/if you get stronger, then maybe you can serve those who might harm us.
Some days, it isn't one day at a time. It's one minute, one hour, at a time. That too, is just fine.