Brain Anyerism Fiance

LegacyUser

Hi,
I am going unregged for this.
Basically my fiance has been getting continuous headaches for the last 4 months. She went to doctor and was prescibed migrane tablets which didnt make any difference. So she went back and explained again to doctor who put it down to muscular pains she was getting in her neck.
Again she went and would not leave untill a mra scan was done arranged
So the scan was done last month and was given the clear a day later she gets a call asking her to come back in to re-check the scan as part of it was blury. She got a call last week to say she has a small enlarged blood vessell in her head. And her file is been sent to Beaumount Private clinic and she won't hear anything untill Wendesday.

Basically I am worried sick as you can imagine look at the time of night it is at the moment I can't sleep every time I think of it at work home anywhere I well up.

Guy's how serious is this I know it is probably impossable to tell untill the results come back from the doctor.

She is not half as worried as me and seems to be handling it quite well. She has'nt told any one yet even her folks. She does'nt want to worry people about it.

She is going out tommorow night and I am trying to get it through it would not be a good idea to drink as it could thin the blood. But she is adamnt she needs to relax which is fair enough

I would appreciate your comments lads.

VeeEmmy

I'm not a lad, but hope you don't mind a reply from me.

I commend your fiancee for pressing for the MRI. That means she is an assertive patient and will have better care as a result.

Your concern is very understandable. There's no getting around it, an aneurysm is a serious concern. But because she has found out about it while it is still intact, my guess is that she is in a good position to deal with it and have a very good outcome.

I don't know loads of medical information, but I did have a friend in the US who had a brain aneurysm (hers was a thinning/weakening of the blood vessel wall). It was found while they were investigating a benign tumor near her ear.

She had surgery to remove the tumor and to repair the vessel, and she had a complete recovery from the surgery. It was an extended convalescence, as you would expect, but she had no ill-effects or complications afterwards.

The fact that your fiancee's aneurysm has been found is in her favour.

While it's very scary and upsetting for you because you probably can't help having thoughts of the worst outcomes, it will be helpful for you and for her if you can put those fears aside and just support and encourage her through the process.

Worrying about the negative aspects does nothing to change the outcome.

You say you are losing sleep and having trouble concentrating at work. You will not handle this better with less sleep.

You might try thinking of it this way: You could be hit by a bus/car/truck anytime you go out into traffic, but even though accidents happen like that every day, and the possibility is real, we don't lie awake at night fretting about it.

No one knows when something life altering might happen to us, so we are better off not dwelling on those what-if's because they interfere with the NOW. They interfere with the clarity with which we are able to handle our problems. NOW your fiancee is ok enough and dealing extremely well with the challenge she's been presented.

While this or that "might" happen because this problem has arisen, the best focus is probably "what do I need to do now about this?" Your fiancee pressed for the MRI. Excellent response!

She now knows she needs to relax, and that's probably a good thing. I have no idea whether drinking is good or not in this situation. Alcohol dilates blood vessels, but whether or not this is good, bad or irrelevant for an aneurysm, I haven't a clue.

Some straightforward info on a VHi page here.

Wednesday will seem an eternity away, but if she can't know before Wednesday, she can't know before then.

Treasure her now (as you should be anyway! ) and be as supportive to her way of approaching it as possible: that is what YOU can do.

Best wishes for your calmness and for a great outcome. She is lucky to have a caring and concerned partner.

Ban

LegacyUser

Thanks for the kind word op, I have looked over the VHI site and many, many more.
It seems if it is caught in time there is a good chance of no ill efects depending again where it is in the brain.

I know what you mean about wendesday not comming quick enough it really feels like that at the moment.

I am finding it hard to concentrate but I have let my boss know and he has been very supportive, he said any time you need off for doc opointments etc is fine don't worry about it.

The wedding is end of aug so hopefully everything will be well by then

I really appreciate your kind words. I'ts hard to talk to people about this at work only 2 people know and they kind of shy away from the subject understandably I guess.

I'm meeting a close friend tommorow evening so will have a good chat with him. Its good to talk as they say

Oh yeah when I say lads I mean boys and girls its from my College days in Carlow never lost that habit
Thanks again really glad to get some positive talk on the subject

cathy01

just a note...a tiny thing...do you think you should be telling your weok friends and your other friends as she hasnt told her own family.I know your upset but...if it gets out she would be very hurt.
that said I do wish you and her the best,
cathy

Redpunto

If the doctors had felt that she was at immediate risk then shew ould have been taken into hospital then and there....... try not to worry

LegacyUser

Hi,

Thing is the doctor she is seeing does not seem to be good. She rang on Friday basically to ask what she should be doing ie should she excercise, we were going to paint over the weekend you know normal stuff. Anyway when she rang she got a snotty Im busy ring back later.

So I rang my uncle who is a doctor not her GP. So he gaves us some great advice. Put my mind at rest a bit. Basically nothing to raise blood presure what so ever any change in the headache straight on to 999

The head aches are getting progressivley worse. We are going to go to charlemount on Tuesday and pick up the scan that was done ourselves, and then head up to beaumount private clinic to make sure the neurosurgeon gets the documents. This is what my uncle recommend.

He has also given me the name of a couple of surgeons. At the moment the appointment is set for AUGust but I am not waiting that long.

We are going private and have VHI but at this stage I couldnt give a damn what it costs. I just want her to be seen and get it into the system so things can get started.

Redpunto

You're doing everything you can, shes lucky she has you:) Keep us posted as to how you both get on.

TerrorFirmer

Very lucky you found it, hopefully all will work out in the end. Sadly I know someone who died of an aneurysm out of the blue that left behind a young wife and small kids, it was terrible: I honestly lay awake at night for weeks afterwards thinking about it so while it's not quite as close to home as your predicament is, I definitely understand it. It's one thing to develop a progressive illness, it's quite another to think you or someone you love could literally drop dead any second without warning. Again, you're so fortunate that you've actually caught this in time - everything should be fine. Even in cases where an aneurysm isn't detected before - and if - it bursts, there's still a chance of recovery. A lot of people actually have minor aneurysms, it's not as rare as you might think, but not all of them require surgery and an awful lot of people don't have the luck of realizing they even have one, so try and focus on how lucky you are as opposed to unfortunate.

Good luck, hope everything works out for you...I will actually be thinking of and hoping for her after reading this.

LegacyUser

Hi,
Thanks for all the kind words people.
Well we met the Neurosurgeon in Beaumount on Friday and he went through the MRA with us.
He explained that it a congenital condition and is extremley small 4mm and has a tiny chance of ever rupturing. He said were it is located it wouldnt cause the head aches. Also there has never been a bleed so needless to say we are very please.
He has scheduled in a CTI scan in the next week or so just to be 100% sure as he said the resolution of MRA are not great. He will then decide with the Radiologist wether surgery will be needed but he reckons it won't.

He was extremley nice chap and put us at ease. So once the CTI scan is done and hopefully goes well we will book our Honeymoon getting married in Aug this year.

So hope everything will work out good.

People it has been great to hear from you

Pete67

Thats brilliant, absolutely delighted for you and best of luck with the wedding!

tbh

upset wrote: »

Hi,
Thanks for all the kind words people.
Well we met the Neurosurgeon in Beaumount on Friday and he went through the MRA with us.
He explained that it a congenital condition and is extremley small 4mm and has a tiny chance of ever rupturing. He said were it is located it wouldnt cause the head aches. Also there has never been a bleed so needless to say we are very please.
He has scheduled in a CTI scan in the next week or so just to be 100% sure as he said the resolution of MRA are not great. He will then decide with the Radiologist wether surgery will be needed but he reckons it won't.

He was extremley nice chap and put us at ease. So once the CTI scan is done and hopefully goes well we will book our Honeymoon getting married in Aug this year.

So hope everything will work out good.

People it has been great to hear from you

fantastic news, congrats.

Redpunto

THat great news

TerrorFirmer

Great news, congratulations. :pac: