I Survived A Ruptured Brain Aneurysm. (AKA - Brain Injury)

Cerebral Angiography Or Arteriography Is A Form of Medical Imaging.

2006-08-15T12:03:00.000-04:00

When someone survives a Cerebra Aneurysm rupture, (aka a Brain Injury)one of the things they will have to do is have an occasional angiogram. The purpose of it is to let the doctors check and see if everything is okay. Here is a Wikepida diefinition for that:

Cerebral angiography or arteriography is a form of medical imaging that visualises the arterial and venous supply of the brain. It was pioneered by Dr Egas Moniz in 1927, and is now the gold standard for detecting vascular problems of the brain. Read More here.

Whey you first hear that you will need to go through the Cerebral Angiography it can scare the !@#$%^&* out of you. It did me.

However, it amounts to little more that an inconvience. Your whole day will be pretty much used up lying in a hospital bed with your leg elevated so that the hole created by the doctor heals up.

The procedure takes about an hour or so; 20 minutes of it is taken by a nurse keeping pressure on the puncture spot where the catheter was inserted. Here's the best part. It does not hurt.

The Cerebral Angiography procedure works very well for the survivors of a brain aneurys that is repaired when coils (known as GDCs) are then deployed into the aneurysm to stem the bleeding.

I don't know if a Cerebral angiogram works for those that have to have clips placed at the base, or neck, of the ruptured aneuryms.

That's about it for now. Just remember, having to face a Cerebral Angiography, Or Arteriography, is not that big a deal. Also, it makes for a very interesting show you can watch on the screen as the doctor feeds the wire up through the artery; something you can tell your kids about.

Take care and keep your spirits high.

RT...

Interesting Brain Aneurysm Articles

2006-08-13T06:50:00.000-04:00

I came across another good article today in the Wikipedia (an online encyclopedia) on Treatment of Brain Aneurysms. I was extremely lucky in that I didn't need the clipping of the aneurysm. I do have the coils, known as GDCS, they refer to and they do have a tendency to promote a headache every now and again, but I can deal with it.

I didn't get a chance to talk to any of the survivors of the Subarachnoid_Hemorrhage or -SAH- ,while I was in ICU, but I did meet a couple of of survivors that had their skulls split open to clip the ruptured aneurysm. I thank God and my lucky stars that I didn't have to go through that procedure.

Anyhow, the links above go to the Wikipedia site that has some very good information about the dreaded Cerebral Aneurysm, -- Brain Injury --. I'm going to keep this post short because I've had a very long night. Another side effect of the coils is they sometimes produce a sickly feeling head problem. Sort of like having to much cheap wine.

So much for today. Everyone take care and stay healthy.

RT...

Driving is just second nature. NOT! Not if you've suffered a brain injury.

2006-08-10T04:19:00.000-04:00

Everything that everyone does everyday automatically takes a serious hit for us that suffer a brain injury. Simple task like:

Getting dressed
Brushing your teeth
Walking a straight line
Driving a car
Heating something in a microwave oven
heating water on the stove.

This list can go on and on but I think you get the idea.

This all came to mind yesterday when I thought I would drive into town to pickup some things at the store. It's been almost 5 years since I had a brain aneurysm rupture. I had forgotten everything there was to know about driving a car:

Which key to use
where to put the key
what the little letters on the dash meant
the levers on the steering column

I've been practicing over the past 5 years over the past 5 years in the hope that I would master the simple task of backing our jeep out of the garage. Well, I got it. I can get in our car and start it, and back out of our garage, without the least bit of effort.

That sounds like a great feat, and it is. What I didn't do was practice driving down the road. I'm willing to bet that if you're a driver you do everything automatically:

Watch what's coming at you
glance at the rearview mirror
give a quick look at the dashboard indicators
apply pressure on the gas pedal.
put your foot on the brake pedal when needed.
take your foot off the gas pedal when doing number 5 above.

One other thing I forgot to put up there; Keep your car in your lane.

Driving is just second nature. NOT!

Not if you've suffered a brain injury. I've got a long ways to go before I attempt driving on a busy highway. My good fortune now is that I live in the country and traffic isn't all that heavy.

Those 6 or 7 tasks listed above are repeated every second of every mile driven. I've learned just about everything in everyday life over in the past 5 years. It takes time and determination.

If you've suffered a brain injury;

Ruptured brain aneurysm. (Cerebral Aneurysm)
Stroke
Car accident

Don't give up! You'll get discouraged and even PO'd sometimes but don't let it get the best of you. It's a great feeling when you stick a cold cup of coffee in the microwave and and pull out a hot cup of coffee.

A Scary Time For The Family Of An Aneurysm Victim.

2006-08-06T06:33:00.000-04:00

The main problem for a person that suffers a ruptured brain aneurysm is that it resembles the symptoms of a stroke. I suppose that if you stretch the technical jargon for strokes it could be called a stroke. However, there is a vast difference between the two. A clogged artery causes the stroke and a Cerebral Aneurysm rupturing is when a hole burst in an artery.

The first thing the doctors in ER told my wife was, that in my case, I didn't have a chance because of the excessive bleeding in the brain cavity and that she should prepare herself. Keep in mind that this was almost 5 years ago and there wasn't that much known about this sort of problem.

However, I think they were a bit premature in saying that to my wife. I think it's more appropriate to give a relative some sort of encouragement rather then a smack in the face of pending doom. But I guess there's no counting on some doctors bed-side manners.

I guess the point of all this is to say if you have a loved one in the grips of a ruptured artery in the brain; "Don't give up! There is always hope.

My wife was told that it takes about 21 days for the patient (victim) to make it out of the woods for his/her chances of a good recovery to fall into place.

It was a pretty rough time for my family. I had my problems, but nothing like what they went through.

Again, don't give up! Also, a prayer every once in a while won't hurt either.

Til later.

Dick....

PS... Notice the link on the right side about a webcast of a person that had an aneurysm that was taken care of before it ruptured. It's a very interesting hour of watching.

It's Possible To Survive A Cerabral Aneurysm

2006-08-05T04:49:00.000-04:00

This is a response to a couple of postings on my blog.

An Aneurysm Affects Your Health And Changes Your Lifestyle.

Hi Somer and Dave. My name is Dick and I own this blog. I'm truly sorry for not keeping this blog up to date. I've been quite distracted lately and sometimes have a bit of a problem getting things done.

It took me about two years to get my system somewhat functional. I still have memory problems and am limited on what I can physically do. I'm in my 4 1/2 year mark since my aneurysm rupture. Mine happened on 4/3/02

Somer, I had tubes stuck down my throat and nose, chest, belly, and the top of my head for about two weeks. I was in ICU for about 6 weeks. The throat tube and the one stuck in my head for drainage, they tell me it was a bleeder problem, were removed but they left the other tubes in for whatever reason.

I was transferred to a rehab hospital on the 7th week. The only thing I really had going for me at that time was something called 'dissociative disorder.' It's sort of an amnesia that blocks the events that are occurring at the time. Here's a Google Link to sites that tell about the 'Dissociative Event'

My wife tells me that I was totally functional and talking. However, I have no memory at all of anything happening for over 10 weeks since my rupture. No pain. No up. No Down. No light. No dark. Nothing.

Your mother is going to need a lot of your help to get her memory going. I had no short-term memory. I didn't know my name, birthday, or even that I had three kids. My wife made up around 300 questions and answers about my life for me to pour over. That's the one thing that helped me get back on track.

It appears that the survival rate is increasing with this sort of problem so keep your cheers up and a prayer couldn't hurt either.

What I find discouraging is the fact that a simple MRI can catch most of these aneurysms before they rupture.

My best to you and your mother.

Dick.

Cerebral aneurysm

2006-04-12T14:27:00.000-04:00

Cerebral aneurysm: "Cerebral aneurysm
An aneurysm is a sac-like protrusion of an artery caused by a weakened area within the vessel wall. If a cerebral (brain) aneurysm ruptures, the escaping blood within the brain may cause severe neurologic complications or death. A person who has a ruptured cerebral aneurysm may complain of the sudden onset of 'the worst headache of my life.'"

eMedicine Health - Brain Aneurysm Symptoms

2006-03-06T04:01:00.000-05:00

eMedicine Health - Brain Aneurysm Symptoms: "
Brain Aneurysm Symptoms

The initial symptom of a brain aneurysm may be a sudden, severe, catastrophic headache.

Most people will not be aware that they have an aneurysm in the brain until the aneurysm ruptures, causing the severe headache. For the majority of people, symptoms do not come directly from the aneurysm, but rather from the following:

* Symptoms of a ruptured aneurysm "

***READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE. ===> eMedicine Health

A Brain Aneurysm Creates Some Strange Effects.

2005-10-20T10:14:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the delay. Some days are diamonds and some days are stone. Yesterday was a stone day.

Your life can really get messed up when you suffer a brain injury. That is, of course, assuming that you survived the brain aneurysm blowout. ;^) Terrible humor. One thing I have noticed is that my confidence has taken a serious hit.

My incident was about 4 years ago come this next April 3. I didn't have a clue about what was happening for the 1st year. I went through a lot of physical therapy to get back my ability to walk from one end of my house to the other.

One thing you have to come to grips with is the idea that the brain controls everything you do. Simple things like walking, talking, spiting, go right out the window when you are the victim of a ruptured brain aneurysm.

One of the hard parts of getting back on your feet is accepting the fact that you will need help. You cannot do it on your own, there's no if's, and's, or but's about it. Sometimes life sucks, but that's the way it is. If you don't get the needed help you will, in all likelihood, end up chasing dust bunnies in the sunlight that shines through your living room window.

I’ll cite a perfect example of what actually happened to a woman my wife worked with shortly before I had my blowout.

She suffered a multiply brain aneurysm hemorrhage three weeks before my troubles. There was quite a delay before she got any help. We spent a month in ICU at the same hospital and at the same time. I guess she had seniority. She had, and still has, a much tougher go of it than me.

One of her main deficits is; is that she is really bull headed about getting help. Anyhow, she has now been committed to a constant care home because she can no longer do for herself.

Could she have pulled herself together and gotten any better? Who knows. It’s really hard to call those shots in life. I think she would have done much better had she been able to pull herself up by her bootstraps.

This is turning into one of those down days. Just let me say this. If you know anyone that has survived a brain aneurysm incident and they don’t want your help; stick with them. It will take a lot of effort on your part to not give up on the victim but it will be worth it in the long run.

Stay healthy

Dick…

Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability Changes
after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage:

A Brain Aneurysm and me.

2005-10-18T05:54:00.000-04:00

I get some interesting mail about the problems that come with a brain injury like a hemorrhaged aneurysm in the head. What's really surprising me is the number of people that go through the agony that takes place when the damn things blow.

It comes right out of the blue. One minute you're fine, then BAM! You're stepping in the deep stuff. I didn't see mine coming. In my case everything was in place and I survived with a good deal of my abilities left to live a fair degree of living.

I have a few deficits, but I ain't complaining. There are many out there that are in far worse shape than myself. One of my problems is grammar. You may notice a few "high school" grammar screw-ups so just kind of bear with me.

One thing I had to go through, like it or not, is therapy. You're in real trouble when a brain aneurysm bursts. Your mind gets really messed up and you need help to get back on track to be able to resume some sort of a life style.

My physical abilities, walking, waving, winking, things we all take for granted, have all taking a serious hit. A good deal of my first year was spent in physical therapy. The first three months of the therapy was critical to get me moving.

Physical therapy is not that big a deal. If you are satisfied with having someone serving you for the rest of your life then I guess you can stick your nose up to the hard working part of therapy.

However, getting your mind back in shape is a real pain in the kester. The first thing you have to do is realize, (admit), that you are going to need some help. Ego, also known as bull-headed dumb, rules a lot of us. Think about it. Have you ever heard this?

I know what I'm doing.
It's my life.
If I want your help I'll ask for it
I'm ok.
I can work this out by myself.

It's tough to come to grips with the fact that you are no longer able to do the everyday things you've always handled yourself. It took me awhile to realize that I actually did not know my own birth date.

Here's where my wonderful wife came into play. She made up a list of about 300 questions that revolved around the common things we all know about ourselves.

Where do you live?
What is your birthdate?
Where were you born?
How old are you?
Are you married?
Do you have any children?
How many kids do you have?
What are your kids names?

These type of questions proved to be the key to putting my mind put back into what is now an orderly fashion. I was surprised to reliaze that I didn't know the answeres.

**I'll have to get back to this tomorrow. I'm starting to ramble.**

One of the problems with my brain aneurysm is that I don't have the ability to stay focused on what I'm doing. Er'go, I need a break.

A quick note: A brain injury stinks. The problems seem to linger on forever. Don't let-up and don't give-up. A ruptured brain aneurysm is a two edged sword. It slices through your life and it will also slice through those that are near to you.

Take care and I'll see you tomorrow.

Dick....

ABC TV has a lot to learn about a Brain Aneurysm.

2005-09-28T08:28:00.000-04:00

"The Commander In Chief" aired on ABC TV last night (9-27-05). All in all, it's a pretty good program. The part they flubbed was the scene showing the president in the hospital after the secret assissin, that hides in all of us, a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, struck. Wrapping a large piece of gause around his head does no come close to showing just how miserable a victim of a hemorrhaged brain aneurysm is handled.

Where were these items?

A drain tube sticking out of the head to drain off the excess blood from the ruptured brain aneurysm.
The oxygen tubes so the victim can breath.
The tubes stuck in a hole in the throat that the doctors cut open.
Tubes of various sizes crammed in the arms and else where that desspense medications.

This is the scene that takes place during the 1st couple of days of what an actual victim goes through when an brain aneuryms ruptures. How do I know? Been there! Done it!

Below is a review of the program. Click the link and you'll find a bunch more of the thoughts of people that watched the program.

A NOTE: I thought the program was very good. They missed a minor detail and I guess that happens.

Dick....

*****
Mackenzie Watch: "Some thoughts on the Commander In Chief program."

Well I’m sure glad someone is keeping an eye on this lady, cause I think she stole the job. When I voted for Teddy Bridges, I sure never thought I was gonna get this woman as my Commander in Chief. Who would of thought a powerhouse like T.B. would die on us."

ABC's View of A Brain Aneurysm

2005-09-28T06:35:00.000-04:00

ABC TV introduced a great TV show last night. "The Commander In Chief" I thought the story was pretty good. The basic premise is that the good president was struck down by the assassin that lurks in all of us. A brain aneurysm that is waiting to strike.

However, they had a scene of the president in a hospital bed with a bandage wrapped around his he’d and he had a very haggard look on his face. Poor guy.

In reality he didn't come close to looking like a real victim of a brain aneurysm that had ruptured.

No drain tube sticking out of the top of his head.
No tubes jammed down his throat.
No tube shoved into a hole the doctors cut in a victims throat.
Talking to his Vice President. I think not.

It all makes for good TV but in the real world the victim looks nothing like how they portrayed the president.

Anyhow, below are some reviews of the new program on the ABC TV site.
A Note: I did like the program.

*****

Mackenzie Watch: "Welcome

For the first time in our nation's history, a woman leads us. How will President Mackenzie Allen face challenges, both personal and political, unknown to any previous Commander in Chief? The answers, opinions, and even more questions are here, in the words of the people."

A Brain Aneurysm and me.

2005-09-17T04:37:00.000-04:00

I had an interesting situation the other day at my doctors office. I've got a very sore sholder from old age, strain, who knows. The doctor wanted to run me through an MRI tube. ***"How The MRI Works": *** to see if maybe I had a splinter or something. He had forgotten that because of the brain aneurysm blowing I now have a coiled up ball of metal in my head.

I don't actually know if the high magnetic force generated by the MRI machine would pop the ball of metal through my skull but I'm not willing to take that chance.

Anyhow, the look on his face was funny when I reminded him of the little problem I thought might happen if I was slid into the MRI tube. I guess my point here today is, be sure to let your doctor know if you think their idea might not be the best in the world.

If they take offense to it then maybe you might want to look for another doctor that's willing to treat you and not his/her ego.

Click the link to read the complete article.
News on Brain Aneurysms: "New Non-Surgical Approach Showing Great Promise in the Treatment of Challenging Brain Aneurysms www.medicalnewstoday.com, August 29, 2005

A fender-bender may have saved Douglas Collins' life. A CT scan following the accident discovered Collins, 64, had a brain aneurysm, a weakness in the arterial wall that if ruptured could cause a stroke or death."

Commercial
Ping Your Blogs To The Top Of The Search Engines!

Being diagnosed with a brain aneurysm is frightening

2005-09-14T10:27:00.000-04:00

A brain aneurysm, aka, a brain injury, scares the hell out of just about everyone. Think about it for a minute. Your brain controls everything you do.

Talk
See
Walk
Sit
Stand
Think

The list is almost never ending. This brain aneurysm blog is intended to show you how I try to deal with a lot of the things that most just take for granted. I did before my blowout. Have you ever given it a thought or do you think that a brain aneurysm "Happens to the Other Guy. Not Me!"

I had a very rude wakeup call when my brain aneurysm blew. That kind of stuff doesn't happen to me; Joe down the block maybe, but not me.

Knock- Knock- wake up. I was very lucky that circumstances were just so and everything fell into place. Timing is so critical. If fate steps in and blocks the ambulance or a doctor isn't quite that familiar with what a brain aneurysm is, then you are in trouble.

A brain injury such as the "Brain Aneurysm" resembles a stroke and it's very easy for the medicals to misdiagnose the problem causing unnecessary delays.

Below is a very good article that covers
brain aneurysms being diagnosed.
Click the link to read the rest of the article.

The Brain Aneurysm Foundation >> Information: "Being diagnosed with a brain aneurysm is frightening. Having survived a ruptured aneurysm is a very difficult experience to have gone through and can be extremely unsettling. Gathering information about your condition can help ease this fear, help begin the healing process, and help bring a sense of comfort and support during a trying time."

A Commerical

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A Coil In A Brain Aneurysm That Bursts.

2005-09-09T04:39:00.000-04:00

You got to see this. Keep in mind that this is a "Brain Aneurysm" blog that covers just about anything I was, and am, involved with. I have my very own Endovascular Coil in my head; it looks like a gob of worms that balled up. I found an image that depicts the coil after it's been insereted in a ruptured brain aneurysm (That's the hole that blows in an artery).

Take a look at the coil here --> Treatment of Ruptured Aneurysms
Treatment of Brain Aneurysms by Endovascular Coiling - Aneurysm Treatment: "Endovascular Coiling v. Surgical Clipping."

I'm finding that keeping this "Brain Aneurysm Blog" is helping me handle a few rather unusal problems. To anyone looking... thanks.

Don't be to surprised if this next picture looks like a commercial. Have you ever watched a ball game or soap opera? Plagued with commercial. Right? I lost my source of income when my brain aneurysm, or brain injury if you will, blew. So kind of bear with me.

One thing you can believe is that I do not promote anything that I do not believe in.

That's it for today. Is a brain aneurysm blog fun to do? YEP!

Take care and stay healthy.
Dick....

Repairing A Hemorrhaged Brain Aneurysm.

2005-09-06T09:02:00.000-04:00

I know this is sort of a rerun but I'm finding more great stuff on what's being done to treat a brain injury like the cerebral aneurysm that burst. Not every victim is able to get the coil inserts. The ones that do not qualify have the hard way to go of having the artery clipped or stapled. Here's an interesting study on the situation.

"International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial (ISAT) of neurosurgical clipping versus endovascular coiling in 2,143 patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms: a randomised trial."

Read the rest of the article here
ISAT test information

I'm finding out that those of us that survive have an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. I think that imbalance is the reason I've tacked on 30 or so pounds. Here's a good place to start to help shed those extra pounds.

Treating A Brain Aneurysm.

2005-09-05T15:58:00.000-04:00

The more research I do the more interesting things pop-up. I was lucky in the respect that I got a coil implant to plug the hole in my brain aneurysm; an endovascular coiling technique. The other method is clipping; also know as stapling. I've seen a few of those and it has got to hurt. It does make me wonder if I'd trip the metal detectors in an airport. Imagine the fits they'd have in security.

I came across this article a few minutes ago. It's got a few good pictures too.

A side note: My brain injury was diagnosed on the spot in ER after the aneurysm burst; in other words, I didn't catch it in time and I am extremely lucky to be here. (An add-on to my note) Timing is very critical. Your chances of survival diminish the longer it takes to get treated.

Until later... Take care and stay healthy.
Dick...

--Treatment of Brain Aneurysms--

Surgery or minimally-invasive endovascular coiling techniques can be used in the treatment of brain aneurysms. It is important to note, however, that not all aneurysms are treated at the time of diagnosis or are amenable to both forms of treatment. Patients need to consult a neurovascular specialist to determine if they are candidates for either treatment.
Read the rest of the article here -->
Treatment of Brain Aneurysms by Endovascular Coiling - Aneurysm Treatment

Do you have a weight problem? I do.
I was in petty good shape before my incident.

Catch A Brain Aneurys Before It Catches You.

2005-09-05T05:40:00.000-04:00

I'm getting a new education on how a brain aneurysm is treated and how victims of the brain injury handle themselves. I thought I was the only one in the world that survived at the time of my cerebral incident. To go from crummy headaches to a full blown brain injury is quite an eye opener.

Here's an interesting story of a very lucky person that hit the jackpot before she suffered the brain trauma.

ISU professor Barbara Mack appears hale and hearty after brain surgery, when Dr. John Chaloupka placed tiny platinum coils in a blood vessel to prevent rupture.

By DAWN SAGARIO
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
August 17, 2005"

Read The Rest Of The Story Here.

DesMoinesRegister.com: "Prof. Mack fights back after brain surgery.

Brain Aneurysm: She's Living Proof

2005-09-04T08:47:00.000-04:00

I'm not the only one. You can survive a Brain Aneurysm. This is a really good article about a survivor of the brain injury and coils over clipping..

New Englander Susie Laurie is a walking testament to the benefits of coiling vs. surgical clipping, having undergone both procedures to treat aneurysms in her brain.

There’s lots of talk nowadays about how endovascular procedures can speed recovery and improve outcomes in the treatment of cerebral aneurysms, but Susie Laurie’s extraordinary experience says it all."

Read The Rest Of The Articls Here-->
BrainAneurysm.com: "She's Living Proof!

Some Thoughts On Pre- Brain Aneurysms.

2005-09-03T11:16:00.000-04:00

One of the things I forgot to mention yesterday about my "pre-ruptured" brain aneurysm was I had a rather odd change of personality. We figured that it was caused by the forming bubble in my brain putting pressure on the "Nice-Guy" control center of my brain.

Okay, that's not very technical, but I'm not that much of an expert on what actually happens when a brain injury forms. Anyhow, according to my wife I was developing a rather nasty attitude about everything.

I can see where she was getting concerened; considering that I've always been easy going and then I seemed to not like anything. I thought it was odd that I was finding fault with the least little thing.

Until later. Stay health and take care.
Dick...

Here's another interesting article on brain aneurysms.

An Angiogram:
This is an important test in the diagnosis of an aneurysm. The test is performed in a special X-ray room and takes approximately one hour. An angiogram involves injection of a contrast dye through a special tube and watching how that dye circulates through the blood vessels of the brain. Your radiologist will explain the test in further detail."
Read The Rest Of The Article Here-->
Cerebral aneurysm, Family Guide to Neuromedicine

Brain Aneurysms and Vascular Malformations

Unruptured Brain Aneurysms? What To Do? Learn A New Trade?

2005-09-02T03:35:00.000-04:00

I was talking with my wife last night and some interesting thoughts surfaced. I was having some really bad headaches during the year before the brain aneurysm hemorrhaged. The conventional thinking, at least in my world, was migraine, and that's how it was treated.

I was also being treated for back pain from a couple of surgeries that I had on the back. I was taking heavy doses of Celebrix for that problem. That took care of the back problems but in the process caused my blood pressure to get out of control.

Our theory is that the rising blood pressure was the cause for the growing cerebral aneurysm to rupture. I think it's needles to say that I'm off the Celebrix.

Here's the dilemma I'm facing now. I still have a small brain aneurysm lurking in my head. It will probably never pop; but who thought that the other one would?

Okay, back to the headline. You May Have To Learn A New Trade I'm working on it. Ever hear of affiliate marketing on the net?

Take care and stay healthy.

I came across this site on cerebral aneurysms today that just happens to cover untreated brain aneurysms.
***********
"The decision to treat an unruptured aneurysm with no symptoms is somewhat controversial. Physician must weigh the patient’s overall health and risk of treatment against the chances of rupture. Factors taken into consideration include the age of the patient, the size of aneurysm and rate of its expansion, the location of the aneurysm, and the patient’s medical history."

Read the rest of the article here:
Cerebral Aneurysm - Page 1 - HeartCenterOnline:

Traumatic Brain Injury

Cerebral, aka, Brain Aneurysm - Wrong Diagnosis or No Diagnosis.

2005-08-30T04:57:00.000-04:00

A wrong diagnosis or worse, no diagnosis, of a brain aneurysm, can put you between a rock and a hard place. I don't put the blame on the doctors. The insurance companies tie their hands.

However, you could be headed the wrong way on a one-way street if you keep having persistent headaches. You may not fit into the slot that an insurance company has for headaches or brain injury problems.

Here is an interesting article on Wrong Diagnosis.

Cerebral Aneurysm: Dangerous swelling of a brain blood vessel that may rupture.
Cerebral Aneurysm: Cerebral aneurysm is a common cerebrovascular disorder caused by a weakness in the wall of a cerebral artery or vein. The disorder may result from congenital defects or from preexisting conditions such as hypertensive vascular disease and atherosclerosis (build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries), or from head trauma.

Introduction: Cerebral Aneurysm - WrongDiagnosis.com: "Introduction: Cerebral Aneurysm

I don't think you need to make a dash to your lawyer. But you may need to insist on have further test on the inside of your head. When your doctor scratches his/her head, or yours, that should raise an "ALERT FLAG". A simple MRI doesn't hurt and it will spot an obvious problem.

Until the next time. Stay healthy and take care
Dick..

*****

Clinical experience indicated that brain-injured patients are often unaware of the very deficits that impair their performance in everyday life. This book explores these issues in hopes that the information obtained from studying disorders of self-awareness will ultimately lead not only to greater scientific insights into the nature of disturbed awareness following injury, but also to improved rehabilitation of patients with brain dysfunctions.

Brain Aneurysm And The Detachable Coil Embolization

2005-08-28T09:59:00.000-04:00

I was very lucky when I had my brain injury. My brain aneurysm ruptured in a very convient location. I was a prime candidate for the coil plug. Here's some detailed information on the coil.

Detachable coil embolization offers a new approach to treating aneurysms and other blood vessel malformations in the brain and other parts of the body. A brain aneurysm, or weakness in the arterial wall, is a serious medical condition.

If a brain aneurysm ruptures, internal bleeding may cause a stroke or loss of life. In less severe cases, a bulging aneurysm may compress surrounding nerves and brain tissue resulting in nerve paralysis, headache, neck and upper back pain as well as nausea and vomiting. Cerebral angiography, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can detect brain aneurysms prior to rupturing.

Interventional neuroradiologists perform detachable coil embolization to alleviate much of the danger presented by aneurysms. The interventional neuroradiologist inserts a tube, called a catheter, into an artery in the leg.

This catheter is then maneuvered through the body to the aneurysm's position. Once in position, the radiologist places one or more small coils through the catheter into the aneurysm. The body responds by forming a blood clot around the coil blocking off the aneurysm."

Read the rest of the article about fixing a brain injury here >>
Detachable Coil Embolization: What is Detachable Coil Embolization?

Good luck and stay healthy

Dick...

PS. I mentioned earlier that I'd be plugging some books and videos on health issues that I think are worthy of checking out.

Lighting Up: How I Stopped Smoking, Drinking, and Everything Else I Loved in Life except Sex

Support & Recovery For A Brain Aneurysm That's Hemorrhaged

2005-08-26T20:39:00.000-04:00

"Strategies for Short-Term Brain Injury Memory Loss"

Survivors might remember events from ten years ago, but cannot seem to remember who called yesterday or where they put the keys. Memory involves many facets of the brain, and if a brain aneurysm or treatment damaged any of these areas, your memory will suffer.

Many survivors regain their ability to remember as they continue to heal, while some continue to experience difficulty with short-term memory for years."

Read the full article here -->

The Brain Aneurysm Foundation: Support & Recovery: "Strategies for Short-term Memory Loss

This is a really good site to pick up some pointers on how to work with the memory loss problems a brain injury.

Take care and stay healthy.

Dick...

PS.. I'm going to be adding some books and videos from Barnes & Noble that I've checked out. They have some really good prices and service at B&N. They even have a used book department.

Brain Injury, Stroke, Brain Aneurysm Support Forum

2005-08-26T10:05:00.000-04:00

Good morning. This is going to be a short post. I've got a headache of gigantic proportions. Not to mention I'm really tired today too. These brain aneurysm things can be a real pain in the kester sometimes.

Anyhow. I came across this forum today and thought I'd pass it along. I haven't had a real chance to check it out but it looks pretty good.

Brain Injury, Stroke, Brain Aneurysm Support Forum

It looks like it'd be a good place to pick up some tips and also let them know your experience with a brain injury. That's what I plan to do.

Take care and stay healthy

Dick..

Collateral damage from a ruptured brain aneurysm.

2005-08-25T04:42:00.000-04:00

I’m finding out as time passes that I have a few more problems that keep popping up. Fatigue seems to be ruling my life at the moment. Last year, about this time, I could mow the grass and do some trim work with a weed wacker.

I have a very small yard so it shouldn’t be that big a deal to cut the grass. Wrong! I can cut the front yard the 1st day. Then I have to wait two days before I get enough energy to cut the back. Weed wacking is out of the question. I call this collateral damage.

It seems that fatigue is a fairly common problem for survivors of a brain aneurysm that popped. It has something to do with a depletion of some chemical that the brain produces.

The doctors said that I have a very low hormone count and that’s what is causing some of the fatigue problems. He didn’t have a good suggestion on how to cure the problem so I’m doing some research on it. I’ll let you know if I come across something.

A brain injury is about as bad as it gets. I class anything that messes up the brain as an brain injury; chemical imbalance, disease, aneurysms, migraine headaches. The list seems that it can go on forever.

I’ve learned a very hard lesson with my brain aneurysm. Everyday things I took I took for granted have changed.

Driving a car
Recognizing a friend
Recognizing your children
REmembering your birthday
Making change in a store
Mowing a lawn
Fixing a leaky faucet
Working for a living. (I'm trying the net affiliate programs. Note the commercials in the side panel? I think I might get into that more on the next post.)
Staying focused (My mind tends to wander at a rapid pace.)

Don’t get me wrong. I can do a lot of things that others, that suffered the same thing, can’t do. I realize that I have have a lot of setbacks and I’d better learn to deal with them.

That’s about it for today. The cursed fatigue monster is at me again.
Bye for now. Stay healthy and take care.

Dick…