Brain aneurysm kills suddenly

Nurses General Nursing

Published

So I'm kind of sitting here in shock because my 38yr old cousin is about to be removed from life support d/t a ruptured brain aneurysm that occurred yesterday morning. He woke up yesterday, was holding his 6mo old son, and turned to his wife and said, "I have got a terrible headache, it feels like I'm going to die, I don't know how people live w/ these."....then lights out. He fell unconscious and remains in a coma until now. He had a crani yesterday and ended up having to remove 1/2 of his brain d/t continued bleeding. This morning it was determined that he was indeed brain dead and so the decision was to remove life support at 1:15est today b/c 115 was his motocross number when he was younger. I am just having a hard time wrapping my brain around how someone could be here one day and 'poof' gone the next, especially when they are literally the picture of health. Does anyone know anything more about aneurysms or experience something like this before?

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Specializes in CT ,ICU,CCU,Tele,ED,Hospice.

i am so sorry this happened .my heart goes out to you .my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family take care .

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Specializes in SDU, Tele.

My case wasn't related to the brain. My cousin died suddenly of a heart attack at 24 yrs of age. He was in his room and asked his mother for a glass of water and when she was in the kitchen she heard him hit the ground.

He left a little girl behind and a family that misses him. He would have been 36 on 8/11, the day before my birthday.

I am so sorry for your loss. All I can say is I understand your sorrow and I know you will get through this--it will take time, but you will.

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Specializes in Neurosurgical/Trauma ICU, stroke, TBI,.

I am so sorry for your loss. My heart and prayers go out to you and your family.

I am an neurosurgical ICU nurse and have been witness to many of these events. It does not get easier and my heart is always heavy whenever this situation occurs. As a neuro ICU nurse, I strive to support the family and answer any and all questions about their loved one's condition and plan of care.

I can only speculate the details of your cousin's situation. He did exhibit a classic sign of aneurysmal rupture with the sudden onset of the "worst headache of his life." The extent of the cranial bleeding caused him to be rendered unconscious and necessitate the neurosurgeon to perform a decompressive cranitomy. This will help in alleviate the swelling of the brain. However, the assault to the brain was extensive enough to cause brain death.

I have included a link to information regarding aneurysms and brain death. Please do not hesitate to send a PM with any questions. I can not begin to understand how you and your family feels, but I would like to offer any support possible.

http://www.nmh.org/nm/cerebral-aneurysm-about

http://www.bafound.org/

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My favorite high school science teacher went to the school nurse one day with "the worst headache of her life" and it turned out to be an aneurysm. Miraculously enough, she survived. I am so sorry your cousin didn't make it- every time I think about my teacher I know that she is so, so lucky to be alive today.

My thoughts are with your family.

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

Yeah, a few years ago, I knew of 2 people that suddenly died from them. One in her 40's and one in her early thirties. The former a unit secretary at my previous place of employment and the latter dh's coworker. Both were ok, until that particular moment. The older victim was getting ready to go camping. She was walking across her bedroom packing up, and talking to her dh when she said she wasn't feeling too well and she collapsed. The second one was with her BF and he said they were walking down a sidewalk and she literally fell over dead.

I'm so sorry for your loss. :hug:

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

I am sorry this has happened but we cannot offer medical advice. It is terribly upsetting for you, please talk with the medical advisors they will know where there is a support group.

It happened to my sister in 1996 so I understand what you are going through

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

about one in 50 persons in us have an unruptured aneurysm.. most brain aneurysms cause no symptoms and may only be discovered during tests for another, usually unrelated, condition. in other cases, an unruptured aneurysm will cause problems by pressing on areas in the brain. when this happens, the person may suffer from severe headaches, blurred vision, changes in speech, and neck pain, depending on what areas of the brain are affected and how bad the aneurysm is.

symptoms of a ruptured brain aneurysm often come on suddenly. if you have any of the following symptoms or notice them in someone you know, call 911 or other emergency services right away:

  • a sudden, severe headache that is different from past headaches.
  • neck pain.
  • nausea and vomiting.
  • sensitivity to light.
  • fainting or loss of consciousness.
  • seizures.

brain aneurysm foundation | bafound.org

brain aneurysm and aneurysms information

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Thread reopened for members to offer their wisdom and support in the OP's time of loss.

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I'm so very sorry for your loss.

People can sometimes live with an aneurysm from birth to a ripe old age without any problem at all. Or they can develop one and die soon afterward. Or they can have one that has been there for a long time that suddenly ruptures. There are so many variables--thickness of the vessel wall, location in body, physical stressors, etc.--and sometimes there is just no rhyme or reason to it that we or the docs can determine.

How sad for your whole family. I hope you can all offer each other love and support at such a tender time.

Maybe when some of the shock wears off you and other family members can make a memory scrapbook for the baby (and for other kids if there are any). Include pictures, stories about your cousin, what you loved about him the most and anything else you can think of so that he will be more like a real person to the little one(s) and not just a photograph. Family members could put together a DVD of videotapes, as well.

I can't imagine that jolt of having this person around one minute and gone the next.

I hope you will take good care of yourself and each other.

Please, let us know how you are doing.

This is a reminder to all of us to tell our loved ones that we appreciate and care about them.

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I'm so sorry for you and your family. All of the medical explanations in the world are not going to make this make sense :o It's a situation that is so emotional, that "head knowledge" isn't going to really sink in- understandably. :heartbeat Take the time to grieve, it doesn't make sense from an emotional sense. Being a nurse doesn't help with loss like this IME.

Hugs to you and your family :heartbeat

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My mom had a subarachnoid hemorrhage a few years ago. She didn't have a headache at all. Was conscious one moment, out the next. Detachable coiling after the bleed stopped things from getting worse in her case. It was a long hospital stay, but lucky there were no lasting deficits. Not a common outcome. Sorry it didn't turn out better for your cousin.

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