PLEASE STOP BY MY MEDICAL
LINKS ON MY OTHER SITE TO CHECK OUT SOME PLACES THAT ARE EXTREMELY
NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART
Let me tell you............
In December 2002 I mentioned to my doctor that I was experiencing some
vision problems and some slight loss of balance. Neither of
us were very concerned considering some of my other health issues (which
could cause these symptoms), but for some reason she decided at the last
minute to order an MRI. It came back showing that I had two brain
aneurysms!
The first one was successfully clipped on Jan. 24, 2003 and the second
was successfully coiled on March 4, 2003.
On March 19 while my daughter was in the hospital for a pulmonary emboli
(blood clot in lung), it was discovered that she also had a brain aneurysm.
She sucessfully underwent surgery May 19, 2003 for her brain aneurysm.
During surgery they found buldges in the aneurysm indicating that there had been
recent activity. The walls of the aneurysm were very thin. A rupture is difficult enough to survive, but with her being on a blood thinner for her pulmonary emboli - she would have never survived!
Brain aneurysms are are fairly common. About 1 out of 20 people
who are autopsied are found to have brain aneurysms. Many of these aneurysms
are quite small, which can explain why they went undetected during life.
Approximately 10 million Americans have brain aneurysms, and about 1 out
of 4 have more than one, usually two or three.
Brain aneurysms often run in families. Recent studies have shown
that about 1 out of 5 patients with ruptured aneurysms will have a close
family relative who's also had one. Research also shows that brothers,
sisters, children and parents of a patient with a ruptured aneurysm are
about four times more likely to have an aneurysm than the general population.
It's also interesting to note that compared to brain aneurysms in the general
population, those that occur within a family are smaller when they burst,
burst at a younger age, and are more likely to be followed by the development
of a new aneurysm.
It is strongly recommend for individuals who are at high risk be
screened. If you have two first-degree relatives (parents, siblings
and children) who have brain aneurysms, the chances are about 1 in 10 of
finding an aneurysm prior to bleeding. Occasionally, screening may be recommended
for persons who have only one family member with a brain aneurysm.
Young women who smoke are at high risk and some doctors believe they should
be screened also. Smoking, heavy use of alcohol or drugs, stress,
and head trauma can be contributing factors.
Once an aneurysm bursts and causes a subarachnoid hemorrhage,
about 1 out of 8 patients will die before receiving any medical attention.
One-half of patients die within one month after the aneurysm bursts, and
of those who do survive, less than 1 in 3 will be able to live normal lives.
So please take a moment to contribute to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation
and
talk to your doctor if you feel for any reason that you should be
screened for a BA.
