My sister-in-law who is 37 suffered a ruptured brain anyersym on 12/13. She was not a candidate for the coiling procedure so had to have fully invasive procedure to clip it - it was in the area of the Cirlce of Willis.

Before and after that 8 hour surgery, she suffered strong vassal spasms.

She is now at a rehab center and after inintial evaluation they believe that due to the vassal spasms she will have long term effects of speech, balance and thought process.

My quesiton is, for those that have been through this, what can we, as her family, do for her? I talking about things to help her pass her alone time in rehab, how do we reassure her and support her in the best way possible?

Any input would help.

Try visiting the Brain Aneurysm site: bafound.org They have a wealth of information available to family members and survivors also their own forum.
Just remember that healing takes a loooooong time. Have a lot of patience.
Just being their will be a lot of help. Make sure she knows that you love her and will be there for her. My unruptured aneurysm was clipped 5 years ago. It took close to a 1 1/2 years before I had my energy back. Still now there are things that I'm affected by. Katie

Hi there,

I had a severe ruptured aneurysm in February 2005 (I was 47); same area, Circle of Willis. I was at an airport on a business trip, was taken to a hospital, had the aneurysm clipped, spent the next six months in hospital, then another six months home with a nurse. Part of that time was spent in a wheelchair; I couldn't even get up for a few months...three years later, I am fully recovered, working, driving, etc....you can come back from that, but you have to have patience with yourself and with others. As family, all you can do is support the person and keep treating her like the person she was before the aneurysm...not an invalid. Need lots of cheering up...as it was a hard adjustment, being stuck in the house and unable to do anything...best wishes and love...Effie

Hello,
I had a PCOM aneursym (circle of willis) clipped a year ago. Brains heal slowly. Please be understanding when she has trouble thinking straight. I had trouble focusing on more than one thing at a time and fatigue problems. For now think "non-complicated" when thinking of anything to get her. It's been 14 months for me and I work, drive, am thinking clearly- with the help of some medicine to raise my dopamine levels. After she gets home she will probably be restricted from driving for a while. If you can get her out for a few non-strenuous activities she will love you for it. Bringing over some groceries or doing her wash would be nice for a short while. Check to see if there is a support group for stroke patients in your area. Just being there is the most important thing. I was surprised who was there for me and who was not. I never expected special treatment, but thought people would be understanding enough to over look some spaciness. I was definitely treated like "damaged goods" by some. The experience change my life's priorities. Give her a hug for me!
Sarah