Hi and thank you all for the warm welcomes into this forum. My mother has just had brain surgery tonight and the doctor told me that no AVM was found, I was told that she has intracranial hemorrhaging. My question is, can there/this still be an AVM because there is no explanation of her intracranial hemorrhaging, in fact this is the worst part because I can not figure out why this has happened, it doesn't make much sense at all. My mother at 70 years old is in better health than most 30 year olds and has 0 prior conditions....? I am scared right now waiting for time to take its course and as they wean her off the heavy drugs I sit and wait for the outcome of what to expect will be the norm. in her life and mine. I can only pray for the best!
Hi DBoy. I hope your mother is doing well after brain surgery. Usually an AVM can be found thru an angiogram or an MRA. Since your mother was healthy to start with…her recovery time might be easier. A lot will depend on the severity of the bleed and how long she went without medical care. Also, her determination to get well will also have an effect on her recovery.
Prayers are always a good thing! Your mother will be on prayer list tonight!
It sounds as if she has had a bleed of an avm. The doctors prayerfully will be able to stop the bleeding. After this, her brain will likely have swollen some. Depending on the severity of the bleed, the doctors may perform a craniotomy, where a section of the skull is removed to prevent permanent brain damage. She may be placed in a medically induced coma to allow her brain time to recover from the bleed. This is a normal medical procedure. I have undergone all of the procedures I mentioned. My wife and I are praying for you and your mother. As an avm bleed surivor 3 times over, I can only imagine the difficulty you, your mother, and your family are going through. Stay strong and trust the treatment of the doctors. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Paul, I too have had 13 bleeds from an AVM that bled for the first time in 1973. I am sorry to hear that you have suffered three of them. Although inoperable, proton beam radiation was performed in 79' and after suffering more bleeds, again in 82'. The stubborn AVM still remained and 2 years ago it bled and created a hematoma on the brain stem. In all this time, it was surgically removed, along with the hematoma in an extremely complex and delicate surgery. I am all too familiar with all treatments you mentioned. Trying now to adjust to what may be a new normal. I have recovered from so many hemorrhages, but never surgery. This is a whole new feeling and I'm starting to feel hopelsss and my vision isn't improving. This is an issure I haven't had before. I am curious to know at what age you were when you suffered your first bleed. Trying to stay strong!
Once the swelling reduces and blood recedes you’ll haves better idea as to what caused the bleeding, whether it be a stroke, aneurysm, or AVM.
I personally have 3 aneurysms inside my AVM. I wasn’t aware of this until recently. It appears after my first dose of radiation my AVM changed more than even the doctors knew.
Unfortunately you will have to continue to bide your time, pray, and learn the mist you can about her rehabilitation process.
Don’t let the doctors scste you too much. All of our brains are “relatively” the same. They give worst case scenario based on tests and anatomy. My family was TLD I would never wake up, I would never walk again, and I would never be the person they once knew.
They were very incorrect and I never let an of it stop me.
Don’t give up hope even when it seems all hope is lost. She needs you now more than ever.
Hello again everyone... thank you for all your prayers, they mean everything to me. We'll this has been one hell of a ride, emotionally and definitely physically for me as I approach day 6 now. Last night unbelievably my mother had to have surgery again. Her ICP's started to go higher again and they did another CT/MRI and determined blood was pooling on top of the brain yet again. They told me her bleed has stopped but somehow there was blood again that would need to be removed and the having the surgery out weighs the risk of not doing so. I feel like I am in the middle of the twilight Zone and its on repeat and playing on slow motion at the same time......
Paul you are amazing and exactly right in what you said. This is precisely what has happened. Except they told me there is no AVM and there is no aneurism just an unexplainable hematoma (Bleed) of the head that no one can tell me where it came from or where it will go, just a lot of speculations to chew on. There was never any trauma to her head that I know of.
Susan you are truly an amazing story, 13 bleeds wow, you are a very strong soul indeed. I hope youth condition is improving and I wish you all the best in your recovery. You are undoubtedly, astonishing.
Well I am going to peel myself out of bed now and start the process all over, again... All I have is support from my family, friends and you guys and I for one am most grateful for this support because without it, I would be far worse off than hell...
Hey Susan, and sorry for such a delay! However, after a few years and a few more medical complications, I wanted to let you know I’m now blind in my right eye with partial vision loss in the left as well. It appears that is is not getting better for me but one day it will be solved for good! Until that time I will encourage others that if God has you on this earth still, that means He still is giving us the opportunity to praise Him. Blessings as you go and may you find your peace in Jesus Christ alone.