I had a ruptured AAA aneurysm, anyone else?

I survived - thesurvival rate in the UK isn't that great from ruptured aneurysm 5% - 

Mine ruptured while I was hospital with salmonella sepsis which is usually fatal.   My surgery was delayed while they said they were "stabalising" me.  So depite no recordableblood pressure, the knowledge my aneurysm grew 1.5 cm in 2 months (0.5cm per year any sudden growth should be considered for elective repair) and the severe pain I experienced and told staff they didn't act.  I had 26 units of blood 3 resusitations and spent 4 months in hospital.   I had a drain attached as the wound was seeping a brown like substance.  This was in 2011 - I still have a number of issues.  No weird tummy pains just all my interstines are in my lower left abdomen which makes me a weird shape.  So after 6 years I am not normal. 

Hi James, thank you for sharing and I'm not sure if you're still active on this site but it's wonderful to see other people like me on here. My AAA ruptured 6 years ago. It happened one month after a major pancreas/digestive system surgery. I was home and gratefully my adult sons were home to help me. By the time I was in the ambulance I was vomiting blood and within 45 minutes had bled out. The only option the drs had was a coil embolism that was done through the main arteries because of my recent pancreas surgery. It worked. I had a transfusion of 10 units of blood that was airlifted to the hospital from a local blood bank. The drs told my husband and my sons to prepare for the worst and if by some chance I survived I would not be the same because they thought I had had a massive stroke when it ruptured. I was on life support and put in ICU. The drs told me husband to go home and rest and if anything changed they'd let him know. The next day he and my sister and my best friend were there. I remember hearing my sister's voice, I couldn't move because they restrained me so I couldn't involuntarily move anything. My eyes were taped shut. I could move my fingers and as I woke up I realized I was in the hospital, I didn't know why but I was mad. I started signing the letters H-O-M-E. my sister saw it and knew I was back. They brought me off the life support slowly but after 18 hours of the rupture I was sitting in a chair talking to the drs and my family. Drs and nurses kept coming up to see me, not believing what they saw. I was in the hospital for 3 weeks and had blood clots and other effects later but I've been better. I still battle my pancreas disease but my aneurysm effects are good, the emotional side sometimes haunts me but it's good. A year ago I had to have a traechea resection and reconstruction due to an injury from the intubation after I crashed with the aneurysm. They said they inflated the cuff to quickly and with too much pressure. Through the years scar tissue built up and almost scarred my traech closed. I'm good and I'm trying to move forward but sometimes I'm a strong person, the one who's always there for others, I was a teacher and college professor, logical and thoughtful but I get scared that something else is coming and it's paralyzing at times. I want to see my sons get married and I want to meet my grandchildren and help them grow up. Does anyone have strategies to help the emotional side of surviving a AAA? Does anyone else have emotional issues from it?

Hi there , I survived my AAA which occured in Febuary 10 , of 2014 .I was at work just before closing a retail business in the evening .No pains , was feeling quite calm actually , than a voice went off in my head " Stand up , your going to throw up ." I do not throw up , but I felt a ' burp ' and I never burp.I listened to that voice that has saved my life many times before .Walked to the garbage can and spit up a RED blob . I thought it odd , I had no pain and I had taken a cheap ibuprophen 5 hours before......swollen leg from a spider-bite , 4 days previous .Getting a ride home , destination 2 1/2 miles , must have spit at least 4 more times , mixed blood and mucous .Ran into the bathroom to guzzle cold water than that's when I heard a " pop ." Rocket stream of blood out of my mouth , grabbed my cell phone , pushed 911 and yelled out in the house " I'm not going to make it through this one " Blacked out and awoke 4 days later in I C U.....mask on , fighting a bunch of strange people.I was 46 years old .I have never had a ounce of fat on my body . Lean , wired for hard work , athletic , on the go , walking 5 miles a day.....was a light drinker, beer only , very light smoker. Those habits are done .Once again I must state that while the rupture was occurring , I Felt NO PAIN....in fact it was rather relaxing For 3 months after the AAA my belly was to swell to a constant 59 inches and going from a waist of 30 inches my whole life , that is , well not good. To this day i'm still not having muscle control in my mid section.Walking further than 200 feet is a chore . Twice now I have walked further , only to be bed-ridden for weeks.I now have three hernias , my belly is almost flat,...hurts to eat much. A EVAR was performed on me and I have had all the scopes , prods ,and a constant plethora of blood test { my request }.At 5'9" my weight will not get above 118 lbs.  Sitting gets very painful after 20 minutes and I can feel the main artery swelling on the right abdomen , than dizziness .Over 3 years now and pain is steadily worse.Taking both my doctors advice , I do not take Pain meds.I have a extreme high tolerance for pain.From mountain climbing to logging , to playing with lightning , been there done it.My only advice I can say is , Pray a lot , avoid stress.....ha , ha ..if it hurts STOP,..... Laughter and talking loud are now a ' no-no '.Now my latest CT scan showed , according to a new doctor , previous abdominal injury .That would have been early , about 1978 ....very bad fist fight , vomitted blood , still that injury bothered me in years to come in other high school sports and never gave it any thought . Parents watch your kids please , if the enjoy school sports And once again....no warning , felt calm ......no pain..........thanks for hearing me out , proud of all of you ......Nate

July 23rd 2017  3  am could not sleep bad stomach pain.  54 years old  was a smoker... san antonio tx.  called EMS took to Baptist hospital they ran test blood and sound*  I was tired of waiting around told my wife I feel better I am leaving *  I was out the door my wife and doctor running after me  I feel fine I told them !  My wife, hold up the Doc wants  to tell you something ... I should had never stopped !  He told me the bad news abdominal aorta aneurysm I didn't know what that was but I should kept walking.  You have it and it's  big 7.0 cm come back we want to ran a ct scan It was like the doctor had hit the jackpot finding this aaa wow!  didn't know, while I was up getting the ct scan the doctor was on the phone with a vascular team... when i  came back down from the ct, they were waiting for me ready to roll me into the O.R  hold your horeses missy! I am not dead yet! they were telling me I am going to die that thing is going to pop and I was going to die... Wow! was The Rip was in my thoughts now, but how? I am feeling fine. I denied treatmeant a few times now!  they want to put a graph EVAR endovascular stent in me ! today is the14 th weeks later going for operation before it pops... at 11 am today Aug 14 th  i will be in surgery hope to continue the story ! 

It's crazy how time flies. It's been over 4 years now since my AAA rupture and will soon be hitting 39. I think a common theme amongst us all that have survived a AAA rupture, endurance and stamina will never be the same. Frustrating but a small price to pay.

For anyone waiting on loved ones that have had a rupture and recovering. If you're after advice all I can say is to just be there. It was a battle and thinking about the little memories of being in what I can only describe as limbo, it was easily the hardest thing I or they will ever do. It was the love of my wife, family and loved ones that motivated me to keep pushing forward. I never knew what I was pushing against, I just knew that I couldn't just lie down and wait for what will happen next. Even though I was in a coma I just knew and could feel loved ones near even in that state.

So don't give up because there's always hope and know that just being there is all that need now and it's not going unnoticed