Brain Aneurysms: Why I'm Compelled to Raise Awareness about this Silent Threat
My story begins with what’s known as an “incidental” find, meaning my doctor sent me for an MRI for something unrelated. It was pure luck that the radiologist on duty that day was alert and knowledgeable, and spotted the tiniest dot on my brain—an aneurysm. He ultimately saved my life.
A neurologist explained an aneurysm
measuring below 5mm was nothing to worry about. At five mm, there’d be a conversation about surgery. At 7mm or more, I’d be rushed into emergency surgery. But my 3mm—not a concern. The treatment plan was “come back in a year for a recheck.”
One year after the diagnosis, I had an MRA, imaging that focuses on the blood vessels and surrounding tissue instead of an MRI, which shows organs and tissues. MRA is a much more accurate image for detecting brain aneurysms. My 3mm was now a 4, which according to the original barometer, was still not a concern, but the growth was.
Besides size, the shape of an aneurysm is significant. A smooth balloon appearance is a better scenario than a malformed one. The only way to know for sure what it looks like is to have an angiogram.
"My story begins with what’s known as an “incidental” find... It was pure luck that the radiologist on duty that day was alert and knowledgeable, and spotted the tiniest dot on my brain—an aneurysm.
He ultimately saved my life."
Typically, the neurosurgeon uses an angiogram to map out a plan for the actual aneurysm surgery at another date. At my urging, they did the angiogram and surgery at the same time. I had an aneurysm pipeline stent placement in what turned out to be a very ugly and dangerous 4+ aneurysm. The surgery was a success, and the aneurysm is gone. However, they discovered a second, too-tiny-to-fix aneurysm on the other side of the brain.
Before the original diagnosis, I didn’t have any symptoms or red flags. In retrospect, I’d ignored plenty of warning signs for at least a year: significant change of vision, eye and facial twitching, jaw pain, eye pain, issues with balance, sensitivity to light, worsening handwriting, an increase of migraines and one scary moment where I could not speak the words in my head. It was sensible and believable when my internist chalked most of my complaints to stress, when the dentist said I had TMJ, when the eye doctor said the problem was dry eye. Although I disagreed with the neurologist who said the inability to speak was a “senior moment.” I’ve heard many stories of overlooked aneurysm symptoms because specialists or first responders gave these go to answers of stress or migraine, even as one has a WHOL (worst headache of life) indicating an impending or occurring rupture.
"Before the original diagnosis, I didn’t have any symptoms or red flags. In retrospect, I’d ignored plenty of warning signs for at least a year."
Statistically, 1 in 50 will develop a brain aneurysm in their lifetime and can affect anyone at any age. Women between 35-60 are at greatest risk. I survived an unruptured aneurysm and am living with another. My sister-in-law tragically died after a terrible rupture. I know over ten others in my life who had a brain aneurysm or whose family member did-all of varying outcomes.
Brain aneurysms happen more than you can imagine. Knowledge and awareness of the signs, symptoms and risk factors could help save a life.
