Not all aneurysms are ticking time bombs. I asked my cardiovascular surgeon recently and he said that “I’ve been monitoring your aneurysm for six years and it was 1.7 cm then and it’s still 1.7 cm today “
"The only difference is I’ve been told in your hospital chart that it was torn”.
He said he didn’t see any tears so “I don’t know why they sent you to another hospital for emergency surgery “ As far as I can tell I didn’t see a tear in it and it’s still at 1.7. Case closed I say. I wasn’t a living time bomb and I didn’t know the size of it so I was correct in having questions. My mind was put at ease so if you are told you have one it hurts nobody to ask what the size is whether it’s small or over 5 cm. I have the right as a patient to request the size.
It will probably never grow any longer than 1.7 and now I feel less concerned.
It’s ok to advocate for yourself. I do it all the time with all my doctors and none seem to mind answering my questions.
Am I a walking time bomb? No. But at least I know now.

I feel what your saying!
I have a decending dissection that has 3 aneurysms in various sizes up to 3.9. I have an aneurysm in each vertebral artery. (To tortuous to fix)

any of these could go at any time! I already had a type A and B Dissection, I was lucky to survive that.

I don't understand one thing, when did it change from 5 to 5.5? I have always been told 5. I guess everything changes, right.

If you don't have one already you should try to do something each day that totally needs your mind or your hands, I find that drawing and painting are my favorites. I've just started and it really helps.

All the best