Hi - I have asked this question before and would love to ask again. I am grateful there is more activity here. A tiny bit about me. I was diagnosed with both a annie and pituitary tumor at about this time last year.....gabrielli was kind enough to answer some of my questions....Thank you

My question is about the size of an annie....mine is about 3.5 mm. First and only angiogram said it was 2.6 mm and most recent mra said it was 3.5. Measuring depends on the doctor does it not? Should I be concerned about the difference in mm? Or is this within a reasonable range to be ok?

Thanks in advance for your replys

To me No Annie what ever size is safe (little monsters) many doctors will want to watch them at this size. Both mine were 4mm but I already had symptoms such as loss of feeling in both legs,foot drop in my right leg,slurring and just couldn't think. Along with this I felt like I had the flu for 7 months,dull forehead headaches everyday,tired all the time,and couldn't think straight. When one of my 4mm Annie's was clipped the surgeon told my husband he thought it would rupture before he could get the clips on.Yet some people can have them be 11mm or bigger and not have a rupture...I smoked all my life and was told it causes the arteries to lose elasticity and get hard so mine couldn't grow anymore without a rupture.Everyone is different but the one question you always your surgeon and I did is "if this was your mother,daughter,wife what would you tell them to do?' He said "I would tell them to have the surgery to fix it now." The one thing they can't tell you is if or when it could rupture,they told me "we can just watch them but we can't tell you if it will rupture in months,years,never or tonight"

So if I didn't look him in the eyes and ask the what would he do question I wouldn't be here today writing this.

ooxx
Mimi

Thank you gabrielli for you reply

I'm about due for a visit to the doctor and will definitely ask that question..its is an excellent one. Questions to ask seem to be the hardest thing for me to think of when I'm sitting with the doctors. I feel like I have a low grade cold that has not subsided for years now and it seems I've never really been able to think straight ......

I read your story and am soooo very grateful that you and your friends have decided to help out here. I hope to get to know many of you as support around this has been the one thing missing for me. When I found out last year I had both an annie and a tumor you can imagine the shock I went thru.


What I love about what you wrote in your is the drive to remain positive. I try at least once a day to have a good belly laugh and it helps.

Thank you so much for sharing.

Crwstar I'm a friend of gabrielli, in fact she asked me to come here. Ruthie1959 is too and so is Pam and Lyn, I hope more of us come here too. I don't know if you read my short story but my aneurysm was larger. They don't know the unruptured size but the ruptured size was 2.2 cm that's cm not mm. I know I'm not supposed to be alive but by some miracle I am. I'll never be who I once was but that's ok I'm retired now.

Glenn

The bottom line here, is that an aneurysm can rupture at any size - sometimes even small ones can burst with catastrophic results. Mine was 5 mm, and the doctor said that when he operated to clip it, it was ready to rupture at any time.

Having said that, a lot of people live their entire lives with an aneurysm and they never even know it. You are lucky in that you found it, and it can either be monitored for growth or repaired.

I would recommend writing a list of questions to take to your next appointment - I am so glad that I did (I was in so much shock that I couldn't possibly have remembered anything).

Another good strategy is to take a trusted friend/partner with you to your appointment - because it is hard to remember the things you are told sometimes, and they could write things down for you.

Wishing you well with this, if you stick around you will find lots of great questions you can ask. Remember that knowledge is power.

Cheers

Lyn

Yes forgot to say write the questions down and bring someone..thanks Lynn.

And Glenn we now have Chris B. one more of our friends signed on...so that is six of us oldies out of our group of thirteen and trying to get more here.

ooxx
Mimi

Thank you Glenn for introducing yourself, I have not read your story but will locate it and do so - I too, am glad you are still here Thank goodness for miracles - I know I will read many more as people share.

It is definitely a blessing that it was found before rupture - Ah, Lynn what a great idea to have someone write down what is said!!!! I have had someone go with me but not had them write down what was said.....and we came out with conflicting information...Great idea!!

Hmm, I'm liking this and am grateful to have gotten a msg from mimi the other day. I hadn't been on this site in over 2 months and just happened to check the e-mail account.

It goes without saying.....and I'll probably say it again but thanks to ALLLL of you for signing up here

Hi Crwstar,
Size of aneurysms have some degree in whether the neurosurgeon want to clip or coil. From what I have learned so far is most of them 3mm and under are generally monitered, I have 2 like this. Then again it all depends on the strength of the artery wall and if it seems to be a rupture risk or not, even the small ones can rupture if the arterial wall is weak and fragile, so size doesn't always matter. Say for instance your blood pressure is consistantly high or a heavy smoker or drinker, or if you already have a history of a rupture, which in my case I do so I am extra careful. You can increase your risk of rupture even with small ones. Most docs seen to treat the small ones kind of casually, saying your risk of surgery is higher then the risk of rupture, I often wonder if they would feel that way if they had the aneurysm??
Ruthie

Hi Crwstar,
In trying to help you with your origional question about size differences. I have had both cerebral angeogram and MRA tests done in and in what I have gathered the cerebral angeogram tells the most accurate size of the aneurysm. I have had several times had to repeat MRA's because the aneurysm could not be viewed clearly enough and the doc has told me himself when viewed at certain angles aneurysms can sometimes look different in size and shape. Hope this helps you, its always best to call the doc to know for sure
Ruthie

Hi Ruthie - Thanks for your reply, it does help. I have a follow up question. My neurosurgeon said he couldn't answer it. Is there a way to tell the strength of the artery wall? And whether or not there is a risk of rupture. He said, there was no way of telling unless they were in the act of surgery and saw it.....I'm just curious what others have experienced around this....as my grandfather had an aneurysm as well so there may some degree of hereditary going on here. What makes them hereditary?

I'm full of questions today