My sister in law just had brain surgery this past Sunday after suffering a rupture due to anterior venous malformation in her brain, just last year she had an aneurysm in the same area which later led to a stroke and caused ataxia in her right side during the angiogram process… she was very strong and healed very quickly… she is very dear to me. Now I hate to see her and her family go through this again… she is in a moderate coma and is responsive to pain stimuli however has not woken up yet, she has obeyed a few commands here and there, doctors have said it could take her even up to a month to get up…, doctors also said everything went well during the surgery however we have to wait till she gets up… I’d like to hear from those that might of had a similar incident occur to them or a loved one and how they dealt with it and overcame the pain… We just want her to open her eyes. We are taking it one day at a time… Her conciousness and lungs are primarily effected… her temperature continues to fluctuate as well as her movement. Her MRI today confirmed damage to her brain stem particulalry her conciousness. Doctors have said they are optimistic since she is so young her chances of recovering are high… but I am very scared for her and her family about the time…
Hugs and prayers going out to you. I can’t answer that with much insight because my bleed didn’t leave me unconscious. I had a seizure that did but it only took about a few hours to remember pieces of my life and I was back to my self mentally (mostly) in a few days. Maybe someone else here can shed some light? God Bless
-Lorna
Thank you Lorna… I hope you are doing well.
How scary for you all. I was fortunate to have my AVM surgery at Vancouver General Hospital, reputed to have the top neurological team in North America. I was comatose when I arrived and for about a week after. My husband remained at my side, talking to me, feeding me, and holding my hand. I may have looked less than alive but believe me, my brain was in overdrive. Dreams and hallucinations, based on reality but contorted by imagination. I had conversations with old friends and my mother (who lived in a home suffering from dementia) but I swear she was there with me. I remember staring at what I thought was a blue swan shaped phone on the wall and thinking if I could get to it and call someone I could go home. Turned out it was the surgical glove dispenser. All this without giving any hint to my family of what my brain was trying to process. I still ask my husband “did that happen of did I dream it?” So don’t give up on the talking, touching and communicating. Even though there may be no sign of recognition, it’s still there. And it takes a long time. And it is so important. Good luck to you.
Omg. So you are not going to believe this. We are in Vancouver and in the Vancouver General Hospital. I will continue giving my support to her as much as I can and have encourage the family to do the same. She has started to open her eyes now. I pray for her speedy recovery and can not wait for her to wake up.
I really hope this nightmare is over for you soon. Best wishes to you and your cousin.
Lulu
Your cousin is fortunate to be in the care of VGH. They are the best there is so keep that thought. I can’t say enough good things about them as they saved my life. Good news that she is starting to respond and every new day will bring a small improvement. It’s a long journey but be patient and supporting. Trust in the surgeons and their team; they are a talented group of people. Keep us up to date on her progress, please.
Thank you 
i definitely will
So she has started to open her wyes for a few hours each day. Which we are cery happy about. She is now breathing on her own completely without ventilator support just oxygen. She is getting a VP shunt put in today because of excess fluid which they weren’t able to drain with the lumbar drain or external ones from her head previously. She obeyed my command of asking her to raise her thumbs and the nurses as well. She has shed a few tears as well… :-/
I am so happy for you. Don’t give up hope. Hopefully one day you’ll look back on this and say “remember when”…
I hope so Jenny… thank you…
Amrit,
This does feel like positive progress. I am sure it will be a long journey but it sounds good. Very best wishes to you both. Do keep us all posted with progress. We will all be routing for you, and to be able to show to others in future what happened for you can be very helpful.
Lots of love,
Richard
Its been over a month now, she is not very responsive… occasionally she obeys commands. She Opens her eyes throughout the day but no focus… she has not made a single sound since… I’m dying to see her smile and hear her voice… she has had a few infections and even had a reaction to one of the meds which caused her kidneys to stop functioning… however they recovered after dialysis… she has had a cerebral shunt placed, the tracheostomy and a feeding tube still… its just getting harder each day… anyone have anything close to something like this they saw a loved one go through or themselves… ct scans look good per the doctors. They still say because she is so young she has chances to recover, however yesterday a doctor at the hospital stated she has seen 2 patients with similar cases one never recovered other did after a year… I dont want to lose hope or give up on her ever…
She has suffered from a few seizures the past couple of days… still not concious or very responsive…
They are asking us if we want to put her on the ventilator again… and what she would like…
Please don’t give up. A miracle could be just around the corner! After my AVM rupture, I was also in a coma. My life was filled with hallucinations, weird dreams, scenario’s that could not possibly have happened, and best of all, I thought Keith Urban wanted me to play on stage with him at the Grammy’s!! I was so, so messed up for a while. Then one day, things began to fall into place and I got me back. To God I give the glory; and to my wonderful Husband, I give the Kudo’s! Things can get better. Stay positive and prayerful.
Thank you that is all we can hope for at this time is a miracle… they have medically induced her into a moderate coma now so her brain can rest… she is back on the vent… I just hope that when she wakes up she is able to give us a better response…