I had surgery for a ruptured aneurysm almost eight years ago. To make a long story short, they put in five coils. I remained in the hospital for 20 days. I was then tested six months later to find out that the aneurysm was growing again. So the doctor performed another surgery and added five more coils and a stent on the artery. They discovered that the aneurysm was bigger than the when it ruptured. I developed a blood clot where they were putting the stent, but after a nine hour surgery, I am well. I suffered a hole in my spinal cord. It is a medical mystery, but I am alive and able to enjoy my three now grown children and two grandsons. I work full time also. There is only some weakness and numbness due to the hole in the spinal cord. Short time memory is there also but nothing that my family and I can't deal with.

I went into the hospital 7 years ago to have sinus surgery as a result of constant sinus infections. After they gave me anesthesia I had a problem with my heart and they aborted the surgery. They later found bleeding in my brain and had to perform brain surgery due to an aneurysm that had ruptured. The recovery was a tough one but I was truly grateful to be alive. At first my only symptoms seemed to be memory loss. Now, 7 years later, I seem to have changed in personality. I wish I had been given a book or some kind of reading material so I would have expected these changes. The medical personnel should definitely inform survivors of brain injury of possible changes down the road. I am now in therapy and in a support group. I am very grateful to have survived this ordeal.

I just had a coiling done for a ruptured aneurysm 5 weeks ago. I'm hoping to return to work in a couple of weeks. I guess I'm fortunate that my only residual problems are headache, fatigue, hot and cold flashes and a problem with my balance. I was a smoker and under a lot of stress. Also, my grandma died from an aneurysm. Doctors said smoking was probably the worst factor though. I've quit smoking, but stupidly still crave it. I'm anxious to go back to my normal routine. I'm a little different now, whether it's due to the aneurysm or nearly dying, I don't know. But I'm taking control of the things in life that I can that in the past I just let slide.

I had a coil embolism that failed because the neck was too big and the coils kept falling out. I then had two craniotomies a month apart the first one the clip was too small and had migrated to the top of my aneurysm. I had a small bleed during that surgery. The second surgery they put in a bigger clip and the surgery was successful, that was sixteen years ago.