Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with aneurysm

Send Funny Card to Friend With Heart Condition?

jimmyjimjim — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:27:00 -0800

Will I kill my buddy (in hospital with a large aorta aneurysm) by sending him an amusing card? I'm afraid this question will expose a really deep, horrendous personality flaw in myself, but here goes. A friend lies critically ill in a hospital in Madrid. He had an aorta aneurysm, and due to its size, he could not be operated on. Doctors thought he would not make it, but his body reacted with a huge hematoma which allowed him to overcome the problem (last week). That's all I know, and I don't really understand any of it. Doctors have refused him visitors, because he must not get emotional and stress his heart in any way.

I've thought of a very funny bon mott to send along on a card with a huge basket of flowers. I won't type it in cuz it's something only he'd "get". It will make him chuckle. And, if I weren't a total jerk, that would completely remove the idea from my consideration. But my go-to instinct at touchy moments is always to brighten mood via humor. And I'm so distraught at his situation, I want to give him "my best"....and he's the kind of person who loves to laugh. And it's really a great line.

I'm sure he's feeling too crappy to start guffawing and chewing the carpet. But it'll definitely get a chuckle. Is there anyone who understands his heart situation well enough to tell me that even a chuckle would be too much? Every cell in my body wants to send him the funny card, 'cuz I feel he'd really dig it and be brightened by it....if it doesn't kill him. So are there any medical people out there who are quite sure it wouldn't kill him (in the biological sense rather than the comedic sense)? Otherwise, I'll (sigh) err on the side of caution and not take the chance.

Also say a quick prayer (or secular expression of hope) if you would. He's awesome....and way too young for any of this.

She's sleeping while I piss my pants

generic230 — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 22:52:01 -0800

Just a few hours ago we learned that my SO of 7 years has a brain aneurysm. I have been googling stuff, but the information is terrifying. It keeps saying how death can come suddenly. If this is so, why did our physician-referred neuro surgeon set a meeting for Monday? Shouldn't she be in the hospital now?

This all started a week ago, on Friday around 4:30pm. While driving she had a sudden. severe headache, and a "weird" feeling of being "out of it". She drove to our doctor who sent her to the ER where they did a CT scan and a lumbar puncture, both of which came back clear. The doctor wasn't satisfied, (thank god), and he sent her for an MRI and MRA. Something on one of those tests had him order a CT angiogram for this morning. The results from that show she has an aneurysm in her brain.

It's now late Friday and she's happily asleep while everything I read makes me anxious. I don't understand what the headache was. Was it the anerurysm rupturing? And if it ruptured, how could he say her CT showed" an aneurysm. And, also, I read that, if it did rupture, there could very likely be a "vasospasm" within 2 weeks, which could cause a stroke.

Our doctor is awesome. He kept sending her for tests even though the CT and the lumbar puncture showed nothing. So, I know he would NOT put her life at risk in any way, but I just don't understand what I'm reading.

It seems like she must not have a BAD aneurysm, or they would be more alarmed and doing the surgery right away.

Also, the description of recovery from the surgery is also terrifying. There is minimally invasive surgery which seems more succcessful with less side effects called Coil Embolization or Endovascular Coiling. With a shorter recovery of 27 days. BUT HOW DIFFICULT IS THE RECOVERY? Will she have speech and memory problems? I know I should wait and ask the Neurosurgeon, but I want to know now. I need more information, and the stuff I'm getting off the net just keeps scaring the shit out of me. I am worried.

Anyone who has had this surgery or an aneurysm, or has any knowledge or experience of this, can you provide me with some info? Can some aneurysms be "milder" and less deadly?

abdominal aortic aneurysm

flipmiester99 — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 05:49:14 -0800

abdominal aortic aneurysm filter: My 53 year old mother-in-law was just rushed to the hospital and was diagnosed with a 7cm abdominal aortic aneurysm. Apparently it was caught just before it was about to rupture. The doctors are currently trying to figure out best procedure to deal with this since some blood has been leaking into areas it wasnt supposed to. Anyways, my question is has anyone ever dealt with this? What should my expectations be? Survivability? After operation? Thanks.

What caused this aneurysm?

acoutu — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 22:55:02 -0800

WWII Medical Mystery Filter: Why did this young woman have an aneurysm? During World War II, a young woman in the UK is hit in the head by a boom at a munitions factory, but the 21-year-old woman seems to be okay. (No details available on what this means.) About two weeks later, she and her younger sister go on a trip to the seashore by themselves. While there, she gets her period and complains that she feels very ill and that her period is very heavy. The younger sister persuades her to stay just one more day.

The next day, they take the train back home. The young woman gets into the shower and calls her mother, who gasps at the amount of blood and rushes her to hospital. Tragically, the young woman dies in hospital. Doctors say the cause is an aneurysm.

Over the years, family members assumed the aneurysm was caused by the blow to the head. The younger sister has spent 60 years blaming herself for persuading her older sister to spend one more day at the beach.

Can a blow to the head result in an aneurysm that would lead to bleeding that would be mistaken for a period? It's possible that something else caused the aneurysm. And it's possible the doctors used aneurysm and the family assumed it was related to the head injury.. Perhaps doctors even used aneurysm vaguely. It does seem a little odd that an aneurysm would take place over a few days, but I am not a doctor.

Pulsing spot next to belly button. Serious?

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 09:19:47 -0800

My abdomen is pulsating significantly just to the left of my umbilicus. [More Inside]

I first noticed it happening every once in a while three years ago but now it's pretty much a constant thing and I think it's a stronger pulse. It's especially pronounced when I lie flat on my back. I don't have insurance in the country I'm currently living in and I don't want to dish out a hefty sum for a slew of diagnostic tests if perhaps there's nothing to worry about. Everything I've looked up online points to a possible aortic aneurysm but I'm a 20 year old girl with no family history of similar problems, so I'm figuring that's unlikely. I've never been hypertensive. Should I be worried or could it be normal?