I totally agree w. you Kelly. Ashok, you have got to lighten up, I found it humorous myself although I didn’t comment. Life will definitely be unbearable if you don’t have a sense of humor.
Wishing you the best.
Well the first time it bled I was skating at Skate Country when I was eleven years old. The second time I bled I was coming in from a lunch at work… Sat down and the same feeling came upon me…
Hi Kelly,I had a funny taste in my mouth for a few years,but I let it go because I had no health insurance and by the time I mentioned the taste it was gone.April 29,2004(8 months after I got married) I was in work and I got that funny metal taste in my mouth but it was different this time,more intense.I got dizzy and really hot I felt like I was going down.I went outside to get some air and the next thing I remember was an emt waking me up.I had a seizure.I wasn't eating or drinking anythiong cold at the time and it was a nice warm day.Maybe my blood pressure was high because it was a crazy busy day at work.I'm an assistant in a hair salon and at the time I worked for 5 stylist's by myself and we book every 15min.I do remember that every time i had that taste I would get a major headache also when that taste would come I would get numbness in the left side of my face and down my left arm.I feel that stress and high blood pressure may trigger something.I hope your son and your family are doing well I'm new here and I think it is wonderful we all have someone to talk to about our AVM someone who knows what we are going through.To look at me before and after surgery I look like a normal healthy person.it's nice to know that I'm not alone anymore;)
Interesting discussion. My son was 8 when he had his bleed earlier this year. He had just been to football training and they had been practicing headers. We cam home, and about half an hour later we were standing at the microwave making popcorn. Jake and his little brother were listening to it pop, then Jake got the headache and the rest is history. When he came home he remembered about being next to the microwave when it happened, and he still won’t use it!! He says he was looking in the microwave and the light went really bright into his head, and popped. So he blames the microwave, I blame the headers at football practice and the doctors just say it was waiting to happen!
If I haven’t already answered this…I was washing my rugs and that’s the last thing I remembered for 10 days!
I just wrote you a book then decided to go with the short version… I may blog the book later when I’m done tearing up.
The short version is that when it happened I was relaxed in the evening sitting having a phone conversation. But, I was not a big drinker but occasionally would go out with friends which I had done the night before. I had drank more than usual as well as pretty much pulling an all nighter, also unusual. I believe the trigger was hangover, sleep deprivation and stress if I do the math. But I’m in my 30’s so I have seen my share of all nighters and occasional nights of heavy drinking so why not then? Who can say for sure?
You are not crazy for searching for the why. And you are most likely correct. For liability purposes no doctor it seems will confirm or deny a single thing. Trust your gut. My biggest conflict lately when I think about it is when is the best age to discover or be hit by this? I wish it didn’t exist at all but here we are. I am sorry you and your family are dealing with this and I hope your son is AVM free asap. <3
Aug 28th 2011. My sister had her bleed. She had been complaining about headaches but of course we try to diagnosis ourselves before we go to the doctor. days before I told her to take some excedrine which worked a little bit. Her headaches were so bad she left work one day from work to sleep her it off she even told me she had numbness on her whole left side i told her to take motrin. Well Aug 28th east coast got hurricane Irene. My sister was soo nervous about the hurricane she spent over $500 in supplies she stayed at my mothers house that night 2hrs after 8am the hurricane pasted she called me and teased me. She asked me if i held on to my boyfriend at night and yelled i would never let go (like titanic) an hr later she told my mom she had a really bad headache. She gripped the left side of her head and sat down on the sofa my mom told her to rub her temple. My sister kept saying how badly it hurt my mom sat down and asked her if she wanted her to rub her back. My mom then sat next to my sister on the sofa and my sister lend on my mom, my mom thought it was because she wanted the back rub until she noticed my sister was having a seizure. My mom got nervous and started to yell my sister name. My 9yr old sister ran down and saw what was going on. she ran back up stairs and got my older sisters daughter who then called 911 and told them her mommy was shaking. they rushed her to Stamford C.T hospital where they did a ct scan ruled out bleed. they transferred her to a trauma hospital Westchester Medical Center N.Y.C and there they did a MRI ruled out avm. She was 17days in a induced coma.
The two seizures so far I had I was at rest both times. My only common denominator was stress if I had to find one. I have been working out up to 6 days a week sometimes heavily in the passing months and have had no problems. Trust your mothers intuition. It could happen anytime or it couldn’t, not to sound like a useless neurologist, so you have to let him enjoy life and hope for the best. I can’t imagine if roles were reversed and I were watching my son go through this so my mother’s heart goes out to you.
HI!
I was taking a shower on thanksgiving day, Thats when the strong headaches started, I faint out. I let the days pass i Did not want to go to the hospital…BUt the strong headache didn’t want to go away. The same week we found out that I had the avm bleed and cause an aneurysm. It was terrible that week. But is like a new Journey no. Thats my history.
That would increase your blood pressure.
I have not yet had a bleed. Right now I’m afraid to tell my husband that I’d really rather not have a mind blowing orgasm.
I’ve been waiting for someone to ask this. In 1975 (confirmed bleed), I was having sex. In hindsight I find this funny and scary. In 2009 (suspected but unconfirmed bleed), I blew my nose. I really don’t think any one thing triggers a bleed. I’m sure there are things that put us at risk, such as smoking, excessive alcohol, high blood pressure… I’ve been told some people have AVMs and never bleed.
My AVM ruptured the Monday before spring break. I had a ton of finals in the next couple of days and was really stressed. I had tons of migraines before so I learned to tell when one was coming. I couldn’t sleep (luckily), and I started to get a migraine so I stood up to get some medicine, and I instantly lost all feeling and proprioception became a thing of the past. Within a couple of minutes I was completely paralyzed down the left side of my body. My sister who has the top bunk in our shared room woke up because I started to collapse and hit the bed frame with a thud. She got the attention of my dad and stepmom who didn’t know what to do. They both went into shock so they didn’t call an ambulance or anything. I spent the night throwing up, on the floor, eventually loosing the ability to lift my own head. After 6 hours, the shock wore off, and my dad took me to the hospital where they eventually did a ct scan and found a massive hemorrhage in my brain. Then I had a couple of surgeries to stop the bleed, clean up the bleed, etc. before I woke up two days later in the icu, with practically no memory of what had happened.
I was told that high blood pressure, and stress can wear down an AVM or aneurysm to rupture much faster than when stress and other things that raise blood pressure are not present.
I was sitting watching TV trying to deal with my pet AVM. When all of a sudden the pain and discomfort of the AVM was instantly gone. Every got a little brighter & better. About a minute later, a warm flush feeling (very soothing) starting at the site of my AVM and spreading across my head, down my neck and through out the chest. I thought I had FINALLY beat my Migraine after 15 years of dealing with it. About 5 minutes since it started, I realized I had no feeling in my right arm and tried to stand up to go into the kitchen. Alls that happened was that I stood up, realizing something wasn’t right, fell into the Christmas tree (it was destroyed). With that my life started from a NEW place and I never looked back. My experience didn’t involve temperature, but was affected by temperatures definitely.
I am curious to know the triggers to because I am waiting for my surgery. I’m delivering my baby this week and hopefully I can get the surgery after I recover in a few weeks. My AVM ruptured while I was 27 weeks pregnant and while I was lifting weights at the gym. My doctor said I can go back to normal activity. But normal for me is deadlifting over 200lbs. And they prescribed stool softeners so I don’t strain on the toilet, so them saying “normal” activity doesn’t really make any sense.
Heather,
You said you’re delivering your baby this week, right? So it’s by c-section, then? If so, that’s good because it won’t put horrific pressure on your AVM while pushing to birth your baby. The common theme in these replies to what a person was doing just prior to their AVM rupturing is an increased blood flow to the brain, whether it be from physical strain, temperature variations, or intense emotion. Delivering a baby vaginally would certainly count as physical strain, so a c-section would be ideal.
Kelly
I think you were replying to me. I’m Lacie BTW. 
Yes, I just found out I’m going to get a C-section on Friday.
Yes, I did mean that for you Lacie. I apologize! I scrolled up and saw the name Heather and typed that instead. I wish you well with your ceasarian on Friday!
Kelly
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I was up at my cottage with my boyfriend and friends, sitting by the fire and enjoying a glass of wine when I heard a pop and whooshing sound as well. This was followed by the worst pulsing migraine of my life. The pain was horrible- I couldn’t feel my face. Soon after I began vomiting every hour or so all night long through to the next day. My boyfriend/ friends decided to take me to the hospital when they began noticing that I wasn’t making any sense while speaking. I was repeating myself and saying the most random things.
I truly believe they saved my life and I am forever indebted to them. 
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I was driving and as I turned the corner home a sudden roaring started in my head. I thought the car had slipped out of gear but soon realized it was me. Then a violent headache started at the base of my skull. I made it home and my husband rushed me to ER. They did a CAT scan and a spinal tap (which was full of blood), consulted with a neurosurgeon by phone (I live in a remote community) then sent me home with morphine and an appt with neurosurgeon (4 hour drive away) the following week. Worst week of my life with excrutiating pain…suicide was considered. It was unbearable. Neurosurgeon put me on pain pills and sent me home where I suffered for weeks. My husband contacted a neurosurgeon in Vancouver BC (a days’ travel away) and bribed an appt. It worked. We went 2 days later and I was admitted on site and operated on the following day. It was touch and go. 12 coils were inserted and blood flow was restored. In a coma for about a week then rapid recovery and back home in another week. All tests since show clear. My surgeon and my husband are my heroes here. The local ER, not so much.
I was sleeping, but was stressed out as my father in law had just had a brain bleed.
I guess the stress caused my avm to rupture.