1. < Aortic Aneurysms

4.8 - Ugh

Posted by cdt55 @cdt55, Sep 10 7:54am

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.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Aortic Aneurysms Support Group.

pamela78 | @pamela78 | Sep 13 9:56am
In reply to @mjm3 "Mine is 4.1 right now as it was just discovered a few weeks ago but I..." + (show)
@mjm3

Mine 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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I think we were all freaked out when we learned we had this potential disaster lurking in our chests. I know I was/am. I'm at 4.2 and nervous as a bug on a hot plate. To be honest, I'm thinking at the moment, at age 78, that if my aneurysm stays under 5 until I'm in my mid-80s, I might forgo an operation altogether. Of course, I want to know how things stand, hopefully every six months, but suddenly figuring out what I want to do in the next five or six years seems important. My Toyota Camry, the car that never dies, is 20 years old. I'd like to have a nifty new car, used would be okay, with all the gizmos that cars today come with. Just saying.

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3 replies
cdt55 | @cdt55 | Sep 13 10:22am
In reply to @pamela78 "I think we were all freaked out when we learned we had this potential disaster lurking..." + (show)
@pamela78

I think we were all freaked out when we learned we had this potential disaster lurking in our chests. I know I was/am. I'm at 4.2 and nervous as a bug on a hot plate. To be honest, I'm thinking at the moment, at age 78, that if my aneurysm stays under 5 until I'm in my mid-80s, I might forgo an operation altogether. Of course, I want to know how things stand, hopefully every six months, but suddenly figuring out what I want to do in the next five or six years seems important. My Toyota Camry, the car that never dies, is 20 years old. I'd like to have a nifty new car, used would be okay, with all the gizmos that cars today come with. Just saying.

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My dad had an 11cm aneurysm (The largest the doctor ever saw that had not burst.) and was operated on a 79. He lived until 95. Buy the car 😃

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1 reply
pamela78 | @pamela78 | Sep 13 10:40am

I was hoping someone would say that.

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mjm3 | @mjm3 | Sep 13 5:10pm
In reply to @cdt55 "My dad had an 11cm aneurysm (The largest the doctor ever saw that had not burst.)..." + (show)
@cdt55

My dad had an 11cm aneurysm (The largest the doctor ever saw that had not burst.) and was operated on a 79. He lived until 95. Buy the car 😃

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That is such fantastic news! Out of curiosity, what kind of aneurysm did he have abdominal or ascending? I’m just looking for any. Hope I can find. Thanks so much for sharing about your dad.

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1 reply
mjm3 | @mjm3 | Sep 13 5:12pm
In reply to @pamela78 "I think we were all freaked out when we learned we had this potential disaster lurking..." + (show)
@pamela78

I think we were all freaked out when we learned we had this potential disaster lurking in our chests. I know I was/am. I'm at 4.2 and nervous as a bug on a hot plate. To be honest, I'm thinking at the moment, at age 78, that if my aneurysm stays under 5 until I'm in my mid-80s, I might forgo an operation altogether. Of course, I want to know how things stand, hopefully every six months, but suddenly figuring out what I want to do in the next five or six years seems important. My Toyota Camry, the car that never dies, is 20 years old. I'd like to have a nifty new car, used would be okay, with all the gizmos that cars today come with. Just saying.

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Buy the car! You will enjoy all the new technology!

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cdt55 | @cdt55 | Sep 13 5:15pm
In reply to @mjm3 "That is such fantastic news! Out of curiosity, what kind of aneurysm did he have abdominal..." + (show)
@mjm3

That is such fantastic news! Out of curiosity, what kind of aneurysm did he have abdominal or ascending? I’m just looking for any. Hope I can find. Thanks so much for sharing about your dad.

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Abdominal

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reg72 | @reg72 | Sep 14 5:50pm
In reply to @glendamn "So you got to St. John ?? Did you get a surgeon yet?? Is your cardiologist..." + (show)
@glendamn

So you got to St. John ?? Did you get a surgeon yet?? Is your cardiologist in St. John ?

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Still waiting on SJ. M friend works with a team of cardiologists in Halifax and he had them look at my echo results. They said no to riding and get to SJ for CT. My GP sent the request to SJ and evidently I will be seeing a Dr. Posey. Not sure when as they haven’t called yet. Who did you see in SJ?

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1 reply
glendamn | @glendamn | Sep 14 8:13pm
In reply to @reg72 "Still waiting on SJ. M friend works with a team of cardiologists in Halifax and he..." + (show)
@reg72

Still waiting on SJ. M friend works with a team of cardiologists in Halifax and he had them look at my echo results. They said no to riding and get to SJ for CT. My GP sent the request to SJ and evidently I will be seeing a Dr. Posey. Not sure when as they haven’t called yet. Who did you see in SJ?

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Hey I saw Dr Craig Brown .
Thoracic surgeon . ( kinda very old dude ??) I’m still waiting on my cardiologist here in Fredericton.

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1 reply
rogerdhorton | @rogerdhorton | Sep 15 12:29pm
In reply to @pamela78 "I think we were all freaked out when we learned we had this potential disaster lurking..." + (show)
@pamela78

I think we were all freaked out when we learned we had this potential disaster lurking in our chests. I know I was/am. I'm at 4.2 and nervous as a bug on a hot plate. To be honest, I'm thinking at the moment, at age 78, that if my aneurysm stays under 5 until I'm in my mid-80s, I might forgo an operation altogether. Of course, I want to know how things stand, hopefully every six months, but suddenly figuring out what I want to do in the next five or six years seems important. My Toyota Camry, the car that never dies, is 20 years old. I'd like to have a nifty new car, used would be okay, with all the gizmos that cars today come with. Just saying.

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Yes my 4.4 ascending at age 65 has crystallised my thinking to become more focussed for the next 5 years and achievements or fun times to be addressed. Sigh!! If only I could get off the couch and stop watching the social media pages and YouTube and Netflix yarda yarda yarda 😝

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reg72 | @reg72 | Sep 15 1:10pm
In reply to @glendamn "Hey I saw Dr Craig Brown . Thoracic surgeon . ( kinda very old dude ??)..." + (show)
@glendamn

Hey I saw Dr Craig Brown .
Thoracic surgeon . ( kinda very old dude ??) I’m still waiting on my cardiologist here in Fredericton.

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So was it more CT scans and watchful waiting?

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