Brain Aneurysm: He Would Never Do It Again

Established April 15, 1995
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He Would Never Do It Again

15 April 2007

In November 2006, my 70 year old father underwent an aneurysm clipping surgery. He was discharged from the hospital 4 days later to recover at home.

Two and half weeks after the surgery he fell asleep at 9:30 am and never woke up. We rushed him to the hospital to discover that he had had an aneurysm clipping complication. Air had seeped into his frontal lobe through a sinus cavity that had been cut open when the doctor cut into the skull bone. The doctor plugged the hole and created a "flap". The "flap" somehow remained opened.

As the air entered the skull, it pushed the brain back. He had to undergo a second surgery to correct the clogging up of the cavity and to release the air that had taken the place of the brain. He ended up not being able to walk, feed himself, and pretty much do anything. He was in a rehab hospital for 2 weeks.

Now, today, he is unable to open his eye above the area of the surgery. Although, he is able to walk, talk, and move normally, cognitively he is not the same person. He used to tell jokes, drive and worked. Now...my mother has to do most of the things that require thinking and problem solving.

It has been a very trying time. He does not remember anything of what he has been through....we do!! We are very thankful that he is still with us, although he is not the father I have known all my life. I know that if he had to do it over again, HE SAYS...HE WOULD NEVER DO IT.

Good luck to all !!!

Update: 12 July 2007

Well, it's been about eight months after my dad's anurysm clipping and complication post operation. I'm happy to say that many things have changed since I posted my narrative in April.

Two months ago, my father had cataract surgery in both eyes and can see much better. The eye lid on the side of his craniotomy opens about 75%, more times than not. HE IS DRIVING NOW !!!!! Of course, short distances and usually accompanied by my mother. He does pretty well. He remembers how to get to places (including short cuts), which is good.

Although we have seen a lot of improvements, there are some things that still linger. His short term memory is quite "short". He doesn't remember if he took his medications, what conversations were had, if the dog is outside or not. He asks the same questions over and over again. At times, he is a bit more aggressive than he was before, especially with my mom (he had a very short fuse before too). He still asks questions about what happened to him...I guess he can't believe everything he's been through. We keep reminding him that since his aneurysm was discovered before it ruptured, it could have been much worse. This seems to help things in his mind and ours too.

Thank you for everyone's support and words of encouragement, many have opened our eyes about what to expect and have made us cry too. I spent many hours trying to find information on aneurysm clipping recovery, to no avail. The narratives posted on this site gave us information and hope. Thanks and God Bless to all.

Discussion, comments, or questions: Mercy Alonso

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