How they found it

I decided to start this blog to chronicle my upcoming brain surgery.




In July of 2007, I experienced serveral really bad headaches that felt like migraines. I would just lay in a dark room and wait it out. I remembered that my nephreologist (kidney doctor) mentioned that I have an increased risk for aneurysms because I have polycystic kidney disease. So, I made an appointment with my family doctor, Dr. Holloway. I saw him on July 16. He thought I was having migraines and mentioned he could give me a shot and then prescribe me with some medication to take when I feel one coming on, but he ordered some blood tests and an MRI/MRA to make sure there was nothing serious going on and to check for aneurysms. He sent me to the hospital for the tests and asked me to come back to the office afterwards, he was having the tests sent to him right away.



The MRI/MRA went okay. I was really nervous, but I felt good that I was getting it done. I kind of thought that it would show nothing, and I could rest easy knowing I just had annoying migraines.



After the testing, I went back to the office and waited to see my doctor. His nurse came out and told me I should go eat some lunch and come back in about an hour and they would have the results. So, I went to McDonald's even though I had already started my diet and ate some french fries. I was just nervous and wanted to eat I guess. I went back to the doctor's office. As soon as Dr. Holloway saw me walking down the hall, he showed me to his office. I sat on his couch while he explained that they found a small 4mm aneurysm on anterior communicating artery. I just sat there in shock, trying to process his words. I never really thought they would find something. He explained that it was small, and they would probably just need to monitor it to watch it for growth. I felt a little better about that. He said it was unlikely to be the cause of the migraines. He said he called a neurosurgeon friend of his that suggested he refer me to a neurosurgeon at Vanderbilt that specializes in aneurysm, Dr. Mericle. I left the office feeling uneasy about the whole thing, but I figured I would be okay. I just needed to make an appointment with Dr. Mericle. He would be able to answer more of my questions.



I saw Dr. Mericle at the Neurosurgery clinic at Vanderbilt hospital on July 30. He explained to me that the location of the aneurysm (anterior communicating artery) made it dangerous even though it is small. He suggested surgery. When he brought up surgery, I was shocked. I had read a lot on the internet that seemed to match the information I got from Dr. Holloway that 4mm aneurysms are considered small and just need to be monitored. I asked some questions about that and he explained again that the location of the aneurysm is the reason he is recomending surgery. He began to explain the surgery as if it was no big deal. He would cut along my hairline, there would be no shaving of my head or anything. He would pull my skin down and remove a small peice of my skull and clip the aneurysm with a metal clip that would cut of the blood supply and prevent it from growing and rupturing. I would be in the hopital for 3 or 4 days then ready to go home. Then he went into a bunch of statistics. The sugery has a 95% success rate. He also went on explaining the survival rates of a rupture and the chances of rupture. All the numbers were swimming through my head. All I could think about was my son Jeremy, only 2 years old. He wouldn't care the surgery has a 95% success rate if his Momma is one of the 5%.



Dr. Mericle went on the explain that I needed to have a cerebral angiogram before the surgery to confirm the aneurysm is really there and that it can't be fixed by coiling or another procedure. He explained the angiogram. I would be sedated, but awake. They would put a tube in my artery from my groin and push it up to my neck. Then they would inject some dye into the artery and take x-rays while the dye traveled through my brain. He suggested that we schedule the angiogram for a Friday and the sugery for a Monday. At first, I said okay. I was just in shock. Then, when the nurse came in to schedule everything, I told her that I wanted to get the angiogram and then discuss the surgery later after the results. She understood. So, we scheduled the angiogram for August 24. I left the office in tears. I got to the parking garage and sat in my car trying to fight off my tears of fear and shock as I fumbled on my phone dialing my husband. I cried and explained to him that I might need surgery. He was upset but assured me as he always does that he would be there holding me hand through it all.