How old were you when your avm was detected?

For anyone that wanted to know; I had mine at age 7; only detected when it bleeded.

I was 15 when my AVM was diagnosed, however at the age of 10 I had a stroke that went unexplained. The Doctors had no knowledge as to what had caused the stroke until I was 15 and had a brain hemorrhage. After performing an Angio-gram the doctors detected the AVM. At that point the stroke at the age of 10 was explained as a bleed from the AVM.

Jpico, I realize you posted this some time ago, and I thought to myself, " wow, someone finally got it right! Avms, are "detected", they don't just happen. Even if a rupture is the awful way to find out about an avm, it has been with you your entire life. I think sometimes people don't remember this fact. And in our grandparents lifetime, how many people lived an entire life with little to no symptoms and died with an avm?!( not necessarily because of.) Just wanted to thank you for posturing your question correctly. Btw, I was 13 when diagnosed and sought treatment at 35. GK

I was 20 when it was discovered. Until the proper diagnosis was given I was diagnosed as throwing turns to get attention. Even after the drs has seen my eyes darting across my head and vomiting everywhere.

Greg and all: I could probably be your grandma. I was 8 when my AVM bled and was removed by brain surgery in 1959.

i lived and am now 64.

beans

I dont think you could be my grandma I am now 59 had brain surgery in 1976

What's "throwing a turn"? No, I could not be your grandma, so I guess I meant it is possible I have lived longer than most because I was lucky, and I was a kid. There are most probably others who went through it also back then. It must have been the same number of people who have them now. How could it be different? But no one knew anything except a couple of doctors in Baltimore then. I bet they were just called tumors. I was accused of being a faker when I complained of headaches, spots in my eyes, and a noise in my ear. By my mother!!

beans

I was 43. Had numbness on left side. Had a second bleed at 51. AVM is small but is against my brain stem. So since my symptoms are fairly mild, no surgery unless it gets much worse later.

I guess the drs accused me of throwing tantrums to get attention, but really how a 12 year old throws herself to the ground then vomits while her eyes dart from one side of the socket to the other in rapid motion beggars belief. I had another dr tell my mother I would get over it at menopause or have a couple of children that would stop the attacks. I lived with the avm until I was 20 before drs believed I had a genuine medical condition.

Mine was also on the brain stem but lucky for me it was operable, I still have paralysis on the right side of my face and am completely deaf on that side. I now suffer from numbness and still black out occasionally but overall I was one lucky lady.

Hmmm... interesting question. From what I saw posted so far, the ages range from 4 years old to 60 something which tells me (or I interpret as) that ages fluctuate. I was 41 when my AVM was discovered but it never ruptured before it was removed. I guess a follow up question becomes, at what age did your AVM rupture?

Mine ruptured when I was 44 years old. For the first 4 years after that, I had a misdiagnosis of cavernous angioma. I found out it was an AVM in 2006.

47, after being off balance and massive headache for an entire wk in bed and seizure
activity.MRI with AVM diagnosis on right temporal lobe size of golf ball. 4cerebral embolisms, surgery 7 hrs and it's gone.
i'm 52 now.

I was 40 years old no symptoms till I woke up with indescribable pain on the right side of my head and vision problems went to hospital to find out I was bleeding and then later found out took a stroke at the same time caused from the rupture

Beans, You are younger than my mother.:) Love seeing your posts, thank you. GK

Greg, you said you like my posts, and that made me feel very good. Thank you.

beans

I am 51 and it was discovered 2 months ago after a bleed and a seizure. I go in Tuesday for my embolization and the following Monday for surgery.

I had a SAH hemmorage at age 57 and the AVM was found, my neruo told me it had to be removed because it was probable I would not make it thru a bleed so 12-13-2012 it was removed and I was 60.

I was 34 and was an accidental find (left posterior frontal lobe) on a CT scan for change in Migraines. Due to residual left after 5 year follow up an embolization with Onyx was performed (now approx 10%left). I was told no need to follow up for another 10 years.

I was 34, i was at work and it started with a headache, then my right eye went grey. Thought I was experiencing a migraine for the first time.So I went home ate a few exederine migraine tabs. eventually fell asleep. Woke up completely blind... Called a friend who took me to the ER. Who almost sent me home with migrain meds, untill my friend insisted they do a ct scan. They found a bleed in my ocipital lobe. Within 45 minuted I was air lifted to a larger hospital.Now after 6 months am very grateful for everything and everyone...