emotional sensitivity after annie surgery

[pamuk]

Does anyone else find they have had character changes following surgery on unruptured annies. I had two coiling ops last year to coil three annies. My emotions were very up and down immediately post op,but then stabilised, now I am left with just a more sensitive personality, at times it drives me mad as I get upset more easily,it has taken time, for me to get used to the new me and also for other people to get used to me. , however I am not complaining because the softer personality can also be an asset. I dont know if this is normal (and if it is not maybe it is a form of depression I have and if so maybe I should get treated for that). I havent had a rupture and was in good health (and still am) before the surgery, I dont know if it is the physical effects of annie surgery or if is the effects of going through the psychological experience of diagnosis, surgery etc. Anyone else in my situation

pam from england

[gafey]

Hi Pam,

This is Maria (Gafey). I actually had a rupture this year and then had my annie coiled. I still have two more being monitored. I did have 'character changes' and mood swings - still do. But I think I'm experiencing the opposite of what you are feeling - I'm not as sensitive as I used to be - in fact, some of my family members have mentioned that I've temporarily lost my 'censor'. I kind of tell people now exactly how I feel, when I feel it, whereas before I was very careful how I word things so as not to offend people- Now I just tell it like it is! I'm guessing this is all part of the 'brain trauma' recovery. Once you've been down the path of aneurisms, it sort of changes your perspective on life. The mood swings and depression are overwhelming at times and I do have to find ways to curb it.

Hope that helps, Maria

[HereinNY]

Hi everyone,
I actually experience the same issues with being blunt as Maria. My rupture was over 2 years ago, and my sister and others very close to me tell me all the time how I just lay it on the line now. Sometimes they even say I'm b*tchy lol! I guess I feel that I don't have the time or energy to dance around certain issues anymore. Life's too short. I don't let things get to me anymore, I really don't care what people think of me and try not to sweat the small stuff. Family and friends are extremely important to me and I am thanful for everyday I have with them. I am also thankful for this group here where I am able to vent, share and feel a part of something. So I wonder if there is a difference for those of us who had a rupture and those who didn't when it comes to our emotions. Either way, I know we are all affected somehow by doctors poking around our brains. I know none of us are the same. That may not be a bad thing!
-Tracy

[agt]

Hi Pam,

I sure wish I could say I had your personality change. Like Maria and Tracy I am just the opposite - I say what I think regardless of how blunt or insensitive. Of course at work and other places I don't, but with family I don't hold back. I think I am this way because it creates too much stress to hold in my emotions and the stress leads to headaches. My family frequently tells me I have changed.

Anne

[Lyn]

Hi Pam

Yes, I have undergone a major personality change since my annie was clipped - in 2004.

I find I am more emotional too, and I feel more for others who are in pain, and am more sensitive. On the flip side of that coin, I am also more irritable and because I still can't seem to 'multi-task' all that well I can't get my head around my kids wanting me to do stuff all the time. I get kind of confused when I am tired or try to do too much at once.

Hope that helps - you are totally normal, and you have been through a life changing event, so of course there will be some changes.

Hugs

Lyn

[BAlive]

Hey there, I thought it may have been just a coincedence but I guess there are others out there. I too became a bit more emotional and aware of my emotions after my coiling. And its quite noticable because before my surgery I was a bit of a stone like brick wall emotionally. So I guess this may be common. Its not a always a bad thing.. :p

[cindybear]

I'm emotional, was before. still am...Wouldn't hurt ya for nothing...Have emphathy for just about everything except spiders.....I had an attempted surgery in 2005, placed a stent, and had a stroke...No memory, not much anyhow...I live for today, cause I can't remember yesterday...or what I'm suppose to do tomorrow....Hugs, Cindy

[Kathie]

Hey Pam!
Although I've always told it how it is, (must be the Aussie in me) I'm probably a little more blunt than before, if that's at all possible. :D
Emotions run hot and cold, I have more patience for some things and less for others since my rupture.
And, I'm totally unpredictible, :D (but thats the female in me :p ).

[mercylee]

I had a unruptured annie surgery 2years in november. My personality did not change.
I was a little bit more emotional right after but came back to normal at least what I think is normal (i'm going thru menopause)

I enjoy life more than ever

Mercy

[debtoo]

Well seems like emotional changes is something alot have experienced. I also noticed a change in that I just had some much anger almost to the point of just having raging anger. I have never been one to censor my words, but I was at one time on the verge of going a little overboard. One of my good friends and coworkers insisted that before I sent an email to my supervisor to call him and read it to him first. This was a good thing because if I had sent it as first written I probably would have been fired for insuburdination(sp):D

Now I am much better and the really bad anger/rage is gone. I had gotten so bad I am surprised I didn't get into physical altercations. :eek:

Now I still speak my mine as I did before annie and AVM , but I have my tact back. I am not rude, but I still get my point across. I am not angry anymore, but it took sometime to get my anger under control.

Deborah

[Brookside]

My name is John,
I have always been an "emotional Artist", but after my surgery for a ruptured annie to be clipped, The called them cerebral aneurisms back then. I had a hard time communicating my emotions, which to others seemed abrupt, even rude sometimes. That was out of my early anger. I'm 22 years post clip but that "is" one side effect I have been dealing with since. My hemorage / annie was in the area of the brain which controls speech. All my motor functions returned, but when I get happy or mad I find it difficult to communicate...followed by silence. It seems that others don't seem to understand sometimes. try to explain that to others.
I often find myself getting upset at other humans for being so trivial ( little things) I guess for me these days its all little things. Maybe its "normal" but its still hard.
I got off of all meds after about two years post op....good. Then I started drinking alchohol(to much).maybe part of growing up, but not helping with dealing with emotions and how to communicate. I became a lonor for many years feeling I was so alone on this planet. I did'nt have you guys back then. Not even one followup to the doctor. Even after 22 years emotional hypersensitivity is still my "obstacle".
I don't drink anymore, by the grace of God, " whatever her name is".
I have since married and I have a 3 and 5 year old. Life is good....except for those d*#* emotions.
I'm an architectural designer now so my clients expect me to be sensitive.
I'll stop rambling now. I've been packing my emotions in for over two decades now so please be patient with me and my stories. I now have a place to talk and be understood...I hope.
Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone with the emotional thing.
Thanks
love john
http://amwoodsunitedstates.spaces.*********/

[FireflyR7]

:o I just want to say that it is good to see someone who has so many years under their belt, doing so well! Congrats John!! On eveything! Surviving, the family... I am only 1 year post rupture & surgeries, it seems like forever sometimes? I still have a long recovery ahead! :p But I will get there!

Pam and everyone else,
I think emotions are one of the toughest parts of this! We have all been through something life changing! Our brains are healing and it is a natural response!! I know personally, this has been most difficult to handle! Still homebound after a year, I miss being a firefighter and having a life! I am still super sesitive to everything, light, sound, smell, feel, emotions... I am still battling with sleep, headaches, acceptance... This is all very difficult, seems like we all go through different phases as we recover. Some of it is just our brains healing, some is mental. The physical changes I have gone through have been dramatic!! I am still so weak!!!
I am just so lucky to have the best husband & sister who have taken very good care of me!!!!! I have had a lot of help from friends too and a lot of support. I so a lot of praying & writing poetry... We all have been given a 2nd chance so I try to make the best out of it!
It takes a long time for the brain to heal and everyone is different, just have patients and take as good of care of yourself as possible! Drink lots of water!!

I hope all of you find a way to deal with your emotions like I have! Do something you enjoy to take your mind off of it! That helps me, good music too! Laughter is always the best medicine!! Keep on praying!!!
Love Tricia / FireflyR7 :cool:

[kpc1051]

I am fairly new to the site. I had an aneurysm, ruptured and coiled in Aug of 2006. Seizures 7 months later--I am on Topamax. I used to be very outgoing-- now I am not. Sometimes I wonder if I have any emotions or were they all erased. I don't ever seem to get to be [[I]B]very happy[ [I]or /B[very sad everything [B][B][I][I:confused: :confused: :confused: ]is just right down the middle the middle

[WATERGIRLH20]

Hi Pam

Yes, I have undergone a major personality change since my annie was clipped - in 2004.

I find I am more emotional too, and I feel more for others who are in pain, and am more sensitive. On the flip side of that coin, I am also more irritable and because I still can't seem to 'multi-task' all that well I can't get my head around my kids wanting me to do stuff all the time. I get kind of confused when I am tired or try to do too much at once.

Hope that helps - you are totally normal, and you have been through a life changing event, so of course there will be some changes.

Hugs
Lyn HI GIRLS YES I SOUND JUST LIKE LYN , BUT FINDING THE RIGHT MEDS FOR ME HELPED BUNCHES, BUT I AM A DIFFERENT PERSON NOW ALSO. LOVE JODY

[FireflyR7]

:D So glad to see you finally got on!!! :p I will call you tomorrow,Ok! Love ya

Yea, I am a different person! :o All of you are in my prayers! ;) Tricia

[hattyuk]

Hi Pam, I have definatley had a personality change since surgery,but for the better in some ways. Infact that was one overwhelming reason as to why i got early retirement, my husband told the neuropsychologist that I had lost my 'tough' side and would struggle to do my job as a secondary school teacher, and that he was scared that the children would get away with loads. Luckily I have not suffered with depression however I am very,very short tempered,with strangers but not family and friends. An example happened just yesterday, we were returning from holiday in greece and at the airport someone knocked into me and didnt apologise, I immediatly come out with a stream of abuse totally involuntarily. getting off the plane I let a lady get off before me, but she took more than 1 second to get out of her seat and the same happened!!! If I drive to the supermarket, all of 5 mins away I will abuse on average 5 people. One day I know someone will retaliate, luckily it hasn't happened yet.
it has been reassuring to read this post and realise I am not alone, thanks.
Take care Hatty x:D

[Lyn]

I believe that actual name for those mood swings is emotional lability. I learned that term from the MS society, and brain surgery only makes it worse - I am fine as long as no one upsets me.

If they do, I either bark back or I cry.....

[collins]

after two recent ruptured annies i'm like the bull facing the red flag

( non violent one )

[hstupno]

Well, I'm glad to read this post. At first I just thought the dangerous life/death aspect of the annie was the reason for my emotional displays...and I believe that IS part of it. Everything sentimental from my famiy or friends, leads me to tears right now. I had my surgery on the Oct 6th...still in the hospital and I KNOW the second I set foot in my own driveway I'll be a mass of tears.

BUT, was I was not expecting was strange imagination issues. I had two experiences, one in ICU and another in the special care ward where I got paranoid that all the nurses were talking about me, that I cannot explain.

I had strange things happen in the ICU. I knew one room in the iCU was being used to aminister last rights to someone during one day and perhaps that made me think of the following.

Considering I’m very isolated in one glass-walled room, it can be quite lonely at night and perhaps my mind just played tricks on me. I saw my co-worker Di. At least I could have sworn it was her. Then I heard, what I believed were, body bags being opened up for people in that room to identify. I heard someone say “Di just threw up”. Then I heard crying, then I heard someone say “what do we do about the wedding ring”? and I heard Di say very strongly, “I’ll take care of the damn ring!”. I heard a woman crying, then when it was all over, the “bodies” were taken away out a back door, the curtains were opened and all was done.

I was so upset. I knew Di’s only daughter was getting married this month. Not that there was anything I could do about it. I was bedridden, but I just really needed to know. I called in the nurse and asked her about it. I was having an axiety attack for sure. I told her what I thought had happened to my co-worker. She assured me there were no bodies being identified there that night. Of course, I didn’t believe her and the mystery continued. I had no contact with any at the office to ask if something had happened to Di’s family. Frustrating.

It wasn’t until a week later when I finally asked someone at work, that I found out nothing had occurred with Di’s family. THANK GOD it didn’t, but that meant I imagined the entire thing. I still cannot believe that. Very, very odd and very, very real. I wasn't on morphin at the time because it made me very sick and I'm still stunned I imagined it. Will those types of things continue? I hope not! Horrible, horrible.

I did too much today, just washing my hair and bathing. I'm exhausted, so that was a good eye-opener for how much I can and cannot do when I get home, but the emotional aspects will be interesting down the road once I DO get home.

Heidi

[pamuk]

Hi Heidi

I had odd experiences in hospital I think it is just the fact that the brain has been shook up and it plays a few tricks on you. With me it was memory and for some reason I was remembering and almost reliving past events which I didnt even think I had stored in my memory, I was awake but sort of day dreaming them trivial little things like receiving a trivial business phone call about thirty years ago and "seeing" the old type of phone I was using and remembering the actual conversation which was hum drum ordinary stuff, I thought I had forgotton all this, none of it was important. Then remembering filing a paper document in a filing cabinet in one of the many offices I worked and remembering doing photocopying on this machine and remebering the actual document - this was a memory from when I was 16 and worked in an office and all I did all day was photocopy for this building firm I worked for and most of the paperwork was about building materials, yet I remembered this actual document from all those years back (I was 50 when I had the annie surgery!) I really did not think the brain stored this type of information which but obviously it does!, I had these experiences in the high dependency unit and on the general ward after my two seperate annie surgeries four months apart (unruptured annies) and like you I hadnt had any morphine or other drugs given to me. I also had these experiences for a week or so when I got home and each time I was wide awake.The experience was very real almost as if i was actually doing these things at the time, in fact during one experience I was thinking to myself "I have done this before" and yet at the same time I was aware of my present surroundings and those near me in the ward! They stopped and I havent had them since. I wonder if anyone else has had this type of experience.

take care and dont worry about things, your brain will settle down

pam from england

[hstupno]

Wow! That's good to know I'm not the only one experiencing those kinds of experiences. Just truly odd when it seems so real. SO real. I'm sure they will decrease, but the sensation of its reality is just strange.

Thanks Pam

[WATERGIRLH20]

if you are in my boat alot of our problems come from our meds side affects. hang in there,;) love ya jody