I survived a brain aneurysm last year at the age of 19. AMA!

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Can't say that happened to me. I never paid attention to my headaches honestly. Only thing was I'd get light headed. I'm so sorry for your loss. It is a really shitty thing that can happen to anyone. Healthy or not.

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I know it freaks me out still. Every time I get a headache part of me thinks this is my last couple seconds on earth. That's where most of the anxiety comes from.

The pressure from being in the air for so long was probably the cause of the rupture. It's so sad how often people pass in planes from Cerebral Aneurysms. Was she a relatively healthy person? Did she have a stressful home life?

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You two were really close huh?

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I'm sorry brother. Condolences to you and her family. I'm sure that wasn't easy for anyone to accept.

What was happening in the events that led up to the aneurysm?

I was having headaches here and there for years. I never thought anything of it though.

The day before it happened me and my mother were arguing over my relationship with my SO. That's a pretty touchy subject for me so I got very angry. To keep myself from saying something I didn't mean I went into the bathroom to calm myself down. After that I woke up to two paramedics lifting me out of the bathroom into the ambulance.

How are you doing now?

Doing great! Working a full time job (Light Labor) and planning on going to college. Not sure what for yet.

Did you see "the light" or anything along that line when it happened? Glad you made it! Kick ass scar too!

Right before I went under I felt every emotion and good time in my life run through my mind at the same time. I kind of just sat there smiling and crying on the table as I faded out of consciousness because I had a vivid hallucination of my grandmother holding my hand next to me (she died from lung cancer 4 months prior) . And thanks man! My girlfriend thinks I look like a bouncer. This is me all healed up

Holy crap. Seriously if I saw you at a bar I would think you got in some crazy fight and would not wanna mess with you!

Lol I'm a gentle giant, wouldn't hurt a fly. Unless that fly was Fucking with someone I cared about that is.

Yea dude you look fucking badass

Lol thank you dude! I'm sure you also look bad ass!

i dont think and fly will fuck with anyone you care about.

Lol y'all are cracking me up.

it's not the person with the scars you should fear, it's the person who gave them the scars

My surgeon was pretty awesome. I'm sure he could kick some serious ass.

How did it feel when it happened?

I didn't feel anything. I just woke up after it happened, didn't even realize what was going on. I was in shock when I woke up and was very delirious.

This actually makes me feel like a weight has been lifted partially from me. My grandfather passed from a sudden aneurysm in the middle of the summer and it hit our family hard. It's nice to know he didn't suffer too much

It's as fast as a snap of the fingers. I'm very sorry for the loss of your grandfather. How old was he?

Wow, crazy. I can't even imagine. What was the last thing you remember before it happened?

Going into the bathroom after arguing with my mom to cool off. I just went in there to be alone for a couple minutes.

How long were you out before they found you? Did the fall cause any more complications?

I was out for an hour or so. And no it didn't do anything.

What was the hardest part of the recuperation process ?

It was all psychological for me. Every day knowing that I was a dead man walking for however long I had that thing in my head still haunts me. They kept me pretty medicated so I wasn't in very much pain. Most of it was anxiety. Besides that, the staples in my head FREAKED ME OUT. I ended up taking 3 of them out myself because I was paranoid they were too loose. Also, I felt myself becoming addicted to the pain medicine, treating everyone in my family like shit when I was on them. After two months I took myself off cold turkey and never went back to them. I should still be taking them a year later but I'd rather deal with the headaches.

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Tried that, doesn't work for me. Just gives me even worse anxiety. I've been thinking about looking into CBD capsules though. Pretty available here in California.

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Oh okay cool, I'll look into that when I have some extra money. Just moved to California from Maryland and 12 bucks an hour is barely cutting it. Thanks for the info. That'll definitely safe me some cast if I decide to go that route.

how many miles from the hospital did you live? sounds like we are lucky you are still here!

any changes in general life perspective since then? did it seem like a near death experience at the time or shortly after?

these have always fascinated me, seeming to be ticking time bombs in otherwise-healthy people's heads. when i was in my teens a friend suffered a very painful one and did not survive very long at all.

are they able to see any of these vascular weaknesses in the brain these days or predict susceptibility any better than they used to be able to?

I was a 15 minute ambulance ride away. Luckily my mom is a paranoid person and sensed something wasn't right.

Life is completely different now. I find myself taking chances I would've never thought about taking. I loved from my home town Maryland to California to be with my long distance girlfriend of 5 months. I'm now working at a Restaurant full time and enjoying being about to do my own thing. (Something I thought would be impossible to do after the aneurysm.)

I'm sorry to hear about your friend. Whether someone survives or not is really a flip of a coin.. I always sit and almost feel guilty about making it through mine with little complications. I've had 2 family members die from theirs on the spot and they were much healthier than I am. I was just the youngest.

And to the last question, I'm not sure.

sorry to hear about your other family members, i did not realize something like this could be an inherited trait but i guess almost anything can be.

thanks for sharing your story. all the best to you! i wish i was 19 or 20 again, you lucky dog!

Thanks for the awesome questions my man. Really enjoyed answering them. Best of luck to you!

Is this an inherited susceptibility? I've had mild headaches for 2 months, got an MRI, found nothing wrong, and was told I had a sinus infection. I had antibiotics and it went away, but they're starting to come back and I've really been freaking out about something like this happening. Like having debilitating anxiety every day... I have perfect blood pressure and no family history of this kind of stuff, but I am still so so so scared. Is there anything you can say to put this at ease? I'm crying reading this post.

i don't think it is solely inherited, but relax buddy! mild headaches can be caused by many things. eye strain, caffeine withdrawal, stress, you probably aren't doing any yourself favors overthinking it if you got an MRI.

i am no doctor but i would prescribe 1 60-90 minute full body deep tissue massage once a week for the next 3 weeks.

He said it way better than I did, thank you man's

My uncle just had one two weeks ago. How long was your recovery? They are saying it will be about 6 to 12 months for him, and the overall outlook is really positive.

Yeah 6-12 months is about right. It took me 8 to get to 100%. If the doctors are seeming confident, they're confident. they aren't gonna lie to you. I'm happy they have a positive outlook on his future. I hope all goes well . Sending positive vibes your way!

Much appreciated, glad your recovery has gone well.

Thank you my friend.

What's your outlook on life? Do you think nothing can stop you or are worried it might happen again?

I recently went to the hospital because of a bad headache. The cat scan showed I had a second aneurysm in my head. Got transported to a Neuro hospital. After some tests it was determined that it was a shadow from the clip on my previous one. That incident didn't help the anxiety at all.

I'm worried it might happen again. I struggle with feeling like I'm going to die every day.

I'm cheering for you. Stay strong.

Thank you sir.

Is it more likely to happen again?

Or just general anxiety because of something so traumatic

Over 50% of people who have one have another. Scary shit

Very scary :(

So sorry you have to have that on your plate so early in life(let alone at all)

Also the anxiety.. I have severe daily panic attacks and anxiety. It's horrible to live with. Especially since you can't avoid the trigger, for you it being the fear of having another. Mines also linked to health. Sometimes I with I was afraid of turtles.. you can avoid a turtle.

What give you the anxiety? And yeah it's the worst. Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Did you lose any functionalities, gain clarity in others, or is life now just the same minus the headaches?

My memory is jacked now, I have a very hard time remembering anything anymore. Besides that everything's normal.

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Those people did that to themselves, though.

How do you know that you exist?

That's a great question, I'll let you know when I can give you a good answer.

Have you picked up any women with your injury?

Definitely could have, had to turn down alot of females and pass them on to my buddy's to talk to. Been in a relationship since September last year.

how would that go? why would they approach you?

Mainly the "I've been thinking about you a lot recently, wanna go talk somewhere private?" Catch. When that happened I'd politely decline and bring a friend over and start chatting them up. Not sure what my circumstances had to do with women wanting me, but it did. Pretty strange actually

the mothering/nurturing instinct. plus chicks dig scars

I thought they just liked me for me man!

what was the first thing wanted to do after you recovered?

Get to working again. I love to work and not being able to for 9 months kinda sucked. Another thing I still haven't done is get a car and go on a road trip. Saving up for that now.

What kind of headaches did you have? Were they regular headaches or hard migraines?

Regular small headaches. They were never debilitating.

When I was 14 my dad died of a brain aneurysm. He was 39. He had migraines pretty often but we never thought much of them.

When he died the nurse mentioned that when my sister and I were older it would be smart to get cat scans (or mri's?) in case it's hereditary.

I'm 27 now. Never experienced migraines and very rarely get headaches. Should I think about getting checked?

Absolutely. My headaches weren't migraines at all. They were low grade headaches. Once they cat scanned me they told me I had one of the largest aneurysms they've ever seen. I lived with that in me for God knows how long without any major headaches. They're called silent killers for a reason. Get checked as soon as possible, and try to at least once every 3 years.

Sorry you had to go through that but glad you are still here! I have frequent debilitating migraines and after reading your responses and some of the other questions I'm a little concerned...do you think it was the stress of the conversation you were having and trying to subdue your frustration that might have initiated it?

Also hello fellow MD-er :D

What part of MD? :) I'm from Southern MD. I think that the stress of the conversation was like the straw that broke the camel's back. It was on a very touchy subject and it made My blood pressure go through the roof. My surgeon told me I had less than a year to live if we never found it. Are you migraines in on specific spot that keeps on return? Or does it hurt in multiple parts of your head?

Did you shit your pants when you had your anywrism?

Yup

What did it feel like in particular, and made you know you needed to go to the hospital?

I passed out on my bathroom floor . Woke up to paramedics picking me up. Didn't feel anything, just woke up with a minor headache and felt delirious.

Were the headaches constant all day, or did they come and go?

They came and went, I thought they were normal. Never thought about it honestly.

Well, now I'm terrified

Don't be man, the best thing you can do for yourself is get a Cat scan. Seriously wish I did so I could've caught mine earlier.

Hey, do you play PS4? Saw your posts.

Yes sir

Add me if you want. Jelly_Spank. It's my favorite thing to pass time.

what do you play?

Just about everything on the ps4 store. Hooked on rocket league now.

How do I know if I'm going to have one?

You don't really. But the most common symptom is an isolated migraine. One that never moves where it hurts.

How do I check if I have one? Is it worth going even if I have no symptoms?

Just go to the hospital or set up an appointment with a neurologist. Having no symptoms doesn't really help decide if you have one or don't. There are many other reasons we should all be seeing a neurologist. Id just ask for a check up if you want to be sure nothing's wrong upstairs. I recommend everyone get a CAT scan once every 3 years

Did you become more morbid/ Are you more focused on death? Do you feel a change in your maturity? And does your hair grow over the scar?

All the best man!

No I wouldn't say I'm more focused on death. I do have anxiety attacks when I have a headache though. Those make me feel like I'm going to die. And no, I don't think I've gotten any more mature. And yes if my hair gets long enough you can't see the scar.

Squirtle, Charmander, or Bulbasaur?

Squirtle for sure. How about you?

I don't see anybody asking about cost. What sort of total bill does such a thing ring up at the hospital?

I found out I have Brugada syndrome about a year ago, which involved a week in hospital and an ICD, among other things (45 y/o). The bill was more than I was expecting...

I was in Neuro ICU for 3 weeks. The surgery alone was $750,000. Luckily my insurance is decent. At the end of everything I only ended up owing 5 grand back. But the total bill of everything was over 2 million

What's Brugada syndrome? If you don't mind me asking.

My great Aunt passed away from a Brain Aneurism a couple years ago, but I'm no doctor and I've never really looked into anything about them- what symptoms did you have (or what symptoms are there) so that if it runs in the family, I can tell if I'm at risk?

Headaches is one specific spot in your head, Feeling faint/dizzy when standing randomly, Feeling like you don't know where you are or what you're doing for a split second (Almost like blacking out but without loss of vision), Blurry vision or Feeling like you can't focus on something without it being blurry no matter how hard you try, Feeling like you get exhausted quickly and foggy headed while working or doing multiple things at once. Now that I look back on it I had a few of these symptoms. Never thought anything of it. Just thought it was all normal.

THIS DOESN'T CONTAIN A QUESTION, BUT SOME ADVICE THAT MAY HELP OTHERS- PLEASE DON'T BAN ME, MODS.

I know what you and others mean about the daily anxiety that I could die at any second and this day may be my last. it is horrendous and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone. I have definitely got a greater appreciation for my life and the people in it after all this. even though before it I still was extremely grateful for everything in this gift of life.

while I haven't had an aneurysm - not to my knowledge anyway- I have over the past year and a bit been experiencing fucked up headaches and other weird pains and sensations in my head and through my brain (the brain has no pain receptors so if you feel pain inside it then something is up, right?). It started after I was taking many different health supplements daily. not all at the same time but some of them I took on the same day and the same times. it turns out I should have been far more careful with regards to interactions and the effects of each. for example the way some affect bloodflow, blood pressure and blood clotting etc, and taking ones along with them that counteract them or have a reverse effect. none of them were synthetic pharmaceuticals except for a couple of nootropics.

BASICALLY- after stopping all supplements they have SERIOUSLY lessened and the fucked up stabbing sensations I was getting through my head have completely ceased. I no longer get the weird "bubbling hose/blood pressure" and "liquid leaking" sensations up the sides of my head, I no longer get any of the sensations or headaches etc that were seriously frightening me and making me think that I was having blood clots in my brain or an aneurysm.

the ONLY issue I have now (and it is going away more and more every day) is that when I smoke cannabis, sometimes I get a feeling of head pressure, as if too much blood is flowing to my brain. and even then it's only really when I focus on it or take big bong hits. cannabis naturally increases bloodflow to the brain anyway. but combined with supplements and other herbal stuff that affects blood thinning, blood clotting, blood flow and pressure, it is likely what was making me feel like I had an ocean forcing itself through the cardiovascular system througout my brain, complete with popping and bursting sensations (which I think were at most blood vessels bursting from the pressure/bloodflow).

like I said, since stopping ALL supplements etc it has basically almost completely gone away. I feel that anxiety played a huge part as well, as in- worrying constantly about brain aneurysms and blood clots and then experiencing anxiety induced physical hallucinations of the things I was worrying about. It probably didn't help the situation by me continuing taking the supplements for about 6 months after the problem started getting bad, and not realizing that I should probably stop taking them.

my advice to anyone having similar issues is of course see a doctor, but also- if you ARE indeed taking supplements of any kind, especially multiple different ones, and at the same time, STOP taking all supplements immediately and see if your issues start to go away. While I probably SHOULD still get checked out by a doctor- I am 90% sure that what I was experiencing was due to the supplements I was taking that should have probably never been taken together. If you want to take supplements, RESEARCH as much as possible about potential counter-effects, interactions and side effects when used alone or mixed with other ones.

I'm at work so I just skimmed through this, I'll get back to you around 5 pst. I had the same head pressure when smoking pot though.

Do you believe in God?

I don't. I'm very lost when it comes to religion. I wish I could have the faith and believe like others but I've never been able to genuinely feel a connection to a religion.