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4.8 - Ugh
Hi. This is a club that I prefer not to be a member of, but I am now. C’est la vie. I went for a calcium CT scan and lo and behold. My calcium score was great, but they found a 4.8 AAA. I wasn’t really too surprised, considering my father had an abdominal aneurysm that they only discovered when it was 11cm (The largest one they ever saw in the hospital that hadn’t burst). He survived. I’m now going to start going through an echo of my abdominal aorta and then a stress test. Reading some of your stories have greatly reduced my stress levels (I’m 69 and very active – working out with weights three days a week – which I’ve stopped for now) as well as being able to share what I’m going through. It may be odd to say, but I’m happy I found this group and I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences and thoughts with you all.
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BTW, I have an ascending aortic aneurysm not an abdominal one (but I go for that echo test tomorrow).
Welcome to the club. 4.4 ascending aneurysm and growing. 52 years old and rode flatland BMX daily until a few weeks ago when it was a hard no to continuing by the cardiologist. Stay positive. We have little choice in the matter! Wishing you good test results like a smaller aneurysm due to the difficulty measuring that damn thing.
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2 ReactionsThere are a few good Facebook groups you might want to check out, Aortic Hope, Cardiac Athletes, and Aortic Athletes. All have good information and support for people with our condition.
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6 ReactionsThis group is a life saver.
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1 ReactionSo you got to St. John ?? Did you get a surgeon yet?? Is your cardiologist in St. John ?
I’m on Long Island.
An AAA of 4.8 cms means what? 4.8 cms in length? In circumference? In extension at its highest point from the aorta itself? Ron
An AAA (abdominal aortic aneurysm) of 4.8 cm refers to the diameter of the aneurysm, not its length, circumference, or extension. This means the aneurysm has expanded to 4.8 cm across the width of the aorta at its widest point.
Typically, the normal aortic diameter is about 2 cm, and anything above 3 cm is considered an aneurysm. A 4.8 cm AAA is considered to be of moderate size, and depending on factors such as the patient's overall health and growth rate of the aneurysm, medical monitoring or intervention may be recommended.
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1 ReactionAn ascending aortic aneurysm normal size is 3.8 cm diameter. When it reaches 5.5 cm, you need surgery. Anything between 3.8 and 5.5 cm needs to be watched. I plan on asking my surgeon if I can get it fixed now when it’s 4.8 and I’m healthy. I don’t wanna wait until something else breaks!
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3 ReactionsMine is 4.1 right now as it was just discovered a few weeks ago but I also don’t want to wait until it gets all the way to five or 5.5. I understand they won’t do anything now, but I’m being rechecked in six months and if it shows it’s growing, I’d rather get it taken care of sooner than later when the survival chances are better. This whole thing is totally freaking me out. Now every time my back hurts I am afraid it’s a potential dissection. This is really messing with my life. Like so many people post on here I too tried to live a healthy lifestyle, exercise regularly, so I don’t have any idea where this came from but here I am. I’m so grateful for this group .
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