Category: Doctor

Watermark

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

I visited my optician last week for the first time since my ruptured aneurysm…um…that was in 2006! Not good.

So, understandably, I was nervous about my eyes. I knew my eyesight has been on the decline as I’ve had to start holding small text away from me to see it and starting to squint to see things far away. Ah, the joys of getting older!

The good news is that my eyes looked healthy and no significant issues that can’t be resolved by getting a stronger prescription. The Dr. was alarmed to hear about the aneurysm and pleased that I was doing so well. He showed me the photos/xrays of my eyes that he took and pointed out that on my right eye there appeared to be what I believe he called a watermark on my eyeball. He indicated it was caused by the pressure on my eyes from the ruptured aneurysm! Kind of like when the ocean pushes sand and debris onto the shore but when the wave goes back out to see it leaves an edge of “stuff” on the shore, That “stuff” was on my eyeball…or at least an impression of the “stuff” remained.

#1, I found it quite interesting and it kind of made sense and #2, I was surprised he said it was my right eye and had to ask him to confirm it was my right eye. He said it was and that the opposite of the brain issue was where that would occur. My aneurysm is behind the left eye. The watermark doesn’t cause any issues and wasn’t a problem, he was just pointing it out on the photo, which was interesting.

The bad news is that I need bifocals or progressive lenses. I am NOT looking forward to that adjustment. I’ve had glasses since the 4th grade and know that any major prescription change can take some time to get used to and can cause headaches and often times an upset stomach. I was debating whether to get them before our trip to the UK in May or after, but I supposed I’d rather SEE what I’m looking at than have to guess what it is….so……I’m off to make my appointment for old-lady glasses….errr…..progressives.

Angiogram Check-Up Scheduled

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

Even though I thought we had discussed doing this after our trip to the UK in May, the Dr.’s office called and said I was schedule for my year checkup on my aneuryms, stent, and recoiling from last spring.

Dave and I weren’t prepared for this call, nor expected to even think about this until we got back from our trip, but this now forced us to. I had a decision to make.

Of course, every scenario started going through my mind. What if something major has occured with the coiled aneurym? What if the tiny aneurysm has grown significantly? What if the stent has failed? What if? What if? What if?

Then I’d think, but I’d rather do this and get it over with and if everything looks fine, then no harm, no foul and life goes on!

The Paranoid Mind and the Common-Sense Mind had some serious battles all night.

The next morning, I woke up prepared to make the final decision to wait until June when we got back from the trip. Fine! Decision made. THEN….my Paranoid Mind spoke up and said “Heidi, what if you don’t have the angiogram and something happens half way across the Atlantic and there is no place to quickly land to take care of it medically and you suffer severly.?” Well…I didn’t want to have to say “If I had only had the angiogram prior to flying, I would have known there was an issue”. It’s all about the “knowing”….it truly is.

So, then my even Calmer Common Sense Mind spoke up and said Dr. Ecker wouldn’t let me fly if he felt there were serious issues and he felt he had done such a good job with the stent and recoiling last year that I shouldn’t be concerned about the coiled annie. The odds of the tiny annie growing to such a significant size in a year are pretty slim…so……I reversed my decision and decided I’d just rather know. We kept the appointment and I’ll go it on April 11th. That’s a month before we leave for Europe.

That Little Voice

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

It’s funny…for the most part, I rarely think about my small unruptured aneurysm on a daily basis. I know it’s there, but I don’t know yet if it has grown in the year since it was discovered or if there are any issues with the larger one that ruptured. I’ll find that out when I go for an angiogram sometime in June AFTER our trip to England & Scotland.

However, with my impending gallbladder surgery FINALLY happening this Friday, that little annoying voice in the back of my head that reminds me of the aneurysms has reared its ugly head. Not that I’m overly anxious or nervous about the gallbladder surgery, but it still is surgery…I’ll still be put under anesthesia and I’ll be having things inserted and an actual organ removed from my body. Things “could” happen….that little voice says.

After yelling at that voice to leave me alone, it’s a simple procedure, and it has NOTHING to do with you for a change, it finally does quiet down. I’ve been treated very well at Maine Medical Center and I liked the surgeon and her staff, so I have no qualms about the procedure itself. I’ve survived a ruptured brain aneurysm, a stenting and recoiling, so this should be a walk in the park, right? I hope so.

I don’t want to think about those darn aneurysms again until I have to. So you just listen to me little voice…this has nothing to do with you and those pesky brain aneurysms. Silence!

Knowledge is Power

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

I have developed gallstones in my gallbladder. Had my first attack a few weeks prior to the Christmas holiday. After watching my diet and making sure I didn’t over-do it with the fat content, I still had another attack. So, the decision to have my gallbladder removed was made and surgery is scheduled for the end of this month.

I had a meeting with my surgeon to discuss the particulars and give him my background. As we were sitting down with one of his associates, she informed us that her uncle had had a ruptured brain aneurysm. Luckily he survived but it gave quite a scare to them all.

He has 12 brothers and sisters and they ALL decided to have themselves checked out to see if they were at risk for aneurysms or possible HAD one. Luckily everyone was annie-free, but another brother found another medical issue that wouldn’t have been discovered had he not had the scan. Now, it’s something they can monitor and treat before it gets too bad that more serious medical procedures would be needed.

Dave and I were both THRILLED that her uncle’s entire family took it upon themselves to get checked. I’ve been unable to get my two older sisters to get scanned. Both are at high risk due to a sibling and two cousins having aneurysms and they’re also both smokers.

I know they’re scared and I know money is an issue as well. BUT the discovery of an unruptured aneurysm is much better than discovering it as it ruptures….I know….I have gone through both. The rupture did not allow me any options and could have not only caused death, but serious brain damage.

The discovery of another aneurysm DOES allow me to have the power to control it somewhat. I now know it’s there and I can work with my Dr. to monitor it and determine a course of action SHOULD it be needed. There’s alway the odds that nothing will have to be done, but at least I know it’s there and I know to get it looked at and monitor it. I don’t live my life in fear of a rupture because as we’re monitoring it, it hasn’t grown considerably and it may never grow, but at least I’M the one watching it and I’M the one who will determine, if the time comes, to have surgery to fix it.

Knowledge is power!! If you, or a loved one has had a ruptured brain aneurysm or has discovered an unruptured one, please get scanned. It could save your life.