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I had a ruptured AAA aneurysm, anyone else?

Posted , 33 users are following.

james99024
james99024

I do not hear much from people who survived a ruptured AAA aneurysm.  Are you doing fine now?  How was the experience of getting all that blood out of your stomach?  Did you have trouble bending over and picking things up for a while?   Did the pools of blood in your belly cause you to have weird pains?  Can that dispersion cause blood clots later on?  After 6 months are you feeling normal again?

2 likes, 76 replies

76 Replies

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  • rraven01
    rraven01 james99024

    Posted

    I have a 5cm AAA. Stented but not shrinking. What were the symptoms when yours ruptured and how painful was it if I may ask?
    • james99024
      james99024 rraven01

      Posted

      Hi rraven01,  It is confusing to me why you say your AAA is stented but not shrinking.  If it is stented, wouldn't it be fixed?  On my rupture it started out as a slight back pain.  I got into the shower and ran hot water over it thinking is was a sore muscle.  After I got out of the shower, the pain kept getting worse.  I layed on the floor and had my wife massage it for a couple of minutes, but it continued to get worse and worse, to the point where I could not get off the floor.  I told my wife to call 911 because I knew something was seriously wrong, but I had no idea what.  So, I just laid waiting for the ambulance.  Every now and then the pain was excrusiating.  While I was being bounced along to the hospital in the ambulance, the pain was excrusiating.  In the E.R.  I was writhering in pain.  After the doctors were pretty certain what was going on I heard one Doctor saying "this is serious" and I that was the last thing I remember.  In summary, you will not feel the rupture at all, it is totally painless.  The pain comes from the blood pooling in your belly pressing up again your organs.
    • rraven01
      rraven01 james99024

      Posted

      It was scented in 2011 at 4.2 cm. had a type I and II endless repaired in 2013 after it grew to 5cm. Down to 4.9cm as of last CT scan.
    • rraven01
      rraven01

      Posted

      Thanks for the quick reply. Good to hear that you're healing well
    • sherman_15588
      sherman_15588 james99024

      Posted

      Your experience sounds very similar to mine. July 12, 2017. Had my wife drive me to hospital. Gradually became the most intense pain I have ever felt. Started with pop in lower left back, within 90 minutespecially was passed out. 9cm doing better lots of exercise around home. Fear might experience again. Still learning how lucky we all are.
  • Yvonne470
    Yvonne470 james99024

    Posted

    Hi James Am so glad you are a survivor :D

    If you don't mind tlling me, what were your symptoms if you remember them?

    • james99024
      james99024 Yvonne470

      Posted

      I was in great shape at 63 years old and hardly ever went to the doctor.  I completed a 4 mile run and got home that night.  I felt no pain in my aorta.  The pain occurred in my lower left back side where the blood was pooling up.  The pain kept getting worse and worse to the point that I knew there was something seriously wrong with me.  I never have back pains. My wife called 911.  
  • mike23675
    mike23675 james99024

    Posted

    Hi James, glad to see there is another survivor. I had a emergency endovascular surgery and am 2 months into recovery at home. I am 64 yrs old and never had any previous medical problems. So far I have just had one follow up ct scan and visit with the surgeon.  I  will post more soon , breakfast waiting. Smile 
    • james99024
      james99024 mike23675

      Posted

      awesome...  my rupture was 1 1/2  years ago (May 2014).  I just had my yearly CT scan and blood test.   Everything is good according to the test. My doctors say I am doing great.   I was worried because I have had pains in my stomach, but that could be muscular pains from golf.  Plus, I still have a glob of blood left (little bigger than a golf ball) pressing up against my stomach walls.  Other that that, I am doing great.  I do my 3 mile walks every day and do a little running twice a week.  Every day I wake up is a good day.  Mike, are you having any problems with the glob of blood in your belly?  I had lot of trouble bending over for months after the rupture.
  • mike23675
    mike23675 james99024

    Posted

    James , not that I know of on the blood pool in belly , but yes on bending over. Will have another ct scan in early March , will know more then. I am starting to walk each day in the local mall , but my muscles get sore quickly in my legs and back and I take several breaks sitting to rest. My hips and legs seem to start aching along with my back . I guess it will take a while for me to get back my strength. The two Incesions are still just a little sore but seem to be healing ok. I do have some problems sleeping at night, I wake up a lot. Could be due to the medicine I am taking. Or just need more exercise to get tired. I am not used to taking any medicine. I am taking some blood pressure medicine and monitoring it often. So far it runs normal or just above. I am also on some thyroid medicine and have a checkup for it in January. They said it was a little hyper at the hospital, after the operation. I take my gout medicine and a baby aspirin a day, for now. I keep a check on my temp for infection , and keep an eye on my blood pressure. Other than they tell me there is not a lot that I will notice about complications. Just watching for anything out of the ordinary. How long did it take you to get back your strength back and begin to feel normal again. Did you have the endivascular surgery? Did they talk to you about the chances of complications and what they could do if you did have some? How often do you have checkups? Did you have any other medical problems. Anything else you want to share , thanks . 
    • james99024
      james99024 mike23675

      Posted

      Hi Mike,  

      I had endovascular surgery.  I bled out a lot because the hospital had to wait for my stent to arrive from a city 60 miles away.  I was in ICU for 9 days and a total of 11 in the hospital.  I was a mess.  For a few months I had trouble with my blood pressure.  Sometimes my high number was over 200, but most of the time I got it down to 130 to 150.   I was a regular exerciser before my rupture.  I exercised daily because I have two large highly energized dogs that get mad at me if I don't take them out daily.  It took me couple weeks after getting out the hospital to get back to my 3 mile walks.  It wasn't easy at first, but did get easier fairly quickly.  I can't run like I used to, but that is no big deal.  I am just happy to be mobile.  I think the daily exercise really helped my recovery.  I had a slight wisp (leak), but after my 6 month ct scan, it had gone away.  For you it would be very important to get some exercize.  You would be better off getting off the concrete and walk in the park on the grass or the trails.  It is much easier on the skeleton.  If you still have problems then maybe no-impact exercises like a stationary bike would work for you.  I didn't have any medical problems before. I didn't smoke I didn't drink and I didn't chase woman, except my wife ( I have a very nice wife).  The first year I got ct scans every 3 months, after that once a year.  I have trouble with sleep, I aways have. I take sleep aids like nightime tylenol.  I get panicy at night sometimes but as a whole it is not too bad.  When you have weird aches and pain it is very concerning, but in my case they do go away.  You are still very early in your recovery, so pace yourself, stay close to the hospital and be very thankful to God. Let me know how you are progressing.  It is nice to hear from you.  Maybe I can help you in some way.

      Thanks, Jim

  • mike23675
    mike23675 james99024

    Posted

    Hi james, 

    I will stay in touch and let you know how things go. I will take your advice on the exercise. I may have overdid the walking, I am very sore in my hips and legs, and back and stiff when I sit for a while. Still not sleeping well. I also just use the Advil pm but it doesn't seem to help. it will probably get better if I can get off of the blood pressure medicine and the thyroid medicine. i was hoping the panic feeling would get better and I am resisting it and speaking the things that are not as though they were. I do believe by faith but am asking God to help my unbelief. I also have the weird twinges and pains, it must be a normal thing when you have bled out from a rupture. Mine started   With the severe back pain, they told me I was leaking , I ruptured about 45 min later and passed out. From there I was in and out several times. The 1 hr ambulance ride to the larger hospital felt like I was in a dump truck, it seemed very rough and painful along with being switched in and off different gurneys and beds. It was like I was mostly out of it but could hear what people was saying which was not things I wanted to hear, lol. Sometimes my mind gives me flashbacks of different parts of this experience which is something I would not wish to revisit. The whole thing will make you ask yourself a lot of questions, and help you to rethink which doors you open and shut in your life. The journey we are all on is still there and everything in the world is still laid out before us to choose from. I am thanking God for the Good Samaritan that was going down the same path that I was on and took the time to minister to my wounds. His name is Jesus and he is within those that receive him. You seem to also be a Good Samaritan, they were a mixed breed, part Jew and part gentile. Think on that , Christ in you is your hope. Man and God become one within. I will stop, I am getting into deep waters here. Smile  We all have our Golith to face, I think you are doing well against yours so far, we were never intended to face him alone. Knowing that helps each of us overcome. It's good to know you James. 

    • james99024
      james99024 mike23675

      Posted

      Hi Mike,

      I like what you said "Christ in you is your hope".  With Jesus, we really have nothing to fear.  When the Lord takes us out of this world, we will be in a much better place.  I want to continue living here on earth and keep my wife company in retirement and make a difference in this world as long as I can, but if the Lord has other plans, God's will be done. That is our hope we can carry with us.  

      Please keep in touch,

      James

  • mariannesig
    mariannesig james99024

    Posted

    I just had AAA surgery on the 3rd of Dec, I am 65.  I've been in a lot of pain mostly in my lower back and down my legs.. some pain in my stomach area, but, I think it's mostly because of the pills I take.. medication can be tough on the stomach.. I am thankful my doctor found this in time.. and James and others here who have had a rupture.. thank God you are still with us.. I still have a visiting nurse and physical therapist.. twice a week.. haven't been out of the house yet..so, I try to do my walking almost everyday in the house.. and it's hard..  as  I didn't realize how serious this condition was.. until I came here and read all your posts.. wish the doctor would have told me that I would have this pain... did anyone here have a drain put in their back, before the surgery..?  Also, I am allergic to contrast dye.. the doctor was able to go in through the groin... but, when he was almost finished he wanted to see the area of my artery better and used just a little dye.. and that's when my throat started to swell.. they had to intubate me..  I was in ICU and had to lay flat  for 72 hours.. they kept me asleep with propopol and I would wake up now and then with pain.. and they would give me pain mediction through the IV to keep me sedated too..I was operated on Thursday and came out of it on Sunday.. in my mind I thought it was Friday.. the good Lord is not ready for me yet.. and I thank Him.. for being with me through all this...
    • james99024
      james99024 mariannesig

      Posted

      Hi Marian,   You are very early in your recovery.  You mentioned drain in your back.  I wasn't familiar with that.  I googled it:  Is that a lumbar drain?  How long do you have to deal with that?   Hopefully you can get that out soon.  Just curious, did you get any follow-up CT Scans to see if you have any leaks after your surgery?  I  thank God you are getting through this. I pray you will gradually get better day by day.  Stay close to your Lord.
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