Worst Headache of My Life: Surviving a Brain Aneurysm Rupture
Bobbye Cohen lived with a small, unruptured brain aneurysm for years. It was discovered after she was checked for a heart health scare. Doctors kept an eye on it, which is common with small aneurysms. “We knew that if I ever said that I had the worst headache of my life, it was a 911 call,” Bobbye recalls.
After 9 years, that headache came. Her aneurysm, although still small, ruptured. Mike Cohen, Bobbye’s husband, recounts: “I got her to UVA Health, where they started treating her immediately.”
Aneurysms Can Lead to an Emergency
Luckily, a UVA Health team was able to quickly get Bobbye help. “She had suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm, and this was complicated by the fact that she also suffered a pretty significant cardiac injury,” says Ryan T. Kellogg, MD, a neurosurgeon and brain aneurysm specialist at UVA Health. Kellogg and his team helped Bobbye survive her aneurysm rupture. “When Bobbye initially arrived, she was neurologically very unstable. She was in a deep coma.”
What Is a Brain Aneurysm?
A brain aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge in a blood vessel in the brain. As long as aneurysms stay small and don’t leak or break (called a rupture), they usually don’t cause any symptoms. You likely wouldn’t know you have an unruptured brain aneurysm until it’s found during a medical test for something else, like Bobbye did.
“Bobbye's is actually a pretty common scenario,” says Kellogg. “Monitoring small aneurysms is something we do frequently, because if they do start to change size or shape, then we start to have a more serious conversation about whether that should be treated.”
Surviving a Brain Aneurysm Rupture
Concerned About Brain Aneurysms?
If you think someone is having a brain aneurysm or stroke, call 911 right away. Talk to a UVA Health primary care doctor about your stroke or aneurysm risk.
When an aneurysm does rupture, that’s an emergency. It can cause a type of stroke. If you think someone has a brain aneurysm rupture or a stroke, it’s important to get them to a hospital right away.
If you see someone with these symptoms, call 911:
- Sudden severe headache (“worst headache in my life”)
- Vomiting
- Neck stiffness
- Confusion
- Loss of consciousness
- Trouble with vision
If you suspect someone is having a stroke, remember BE FAST:
- Balance — sudden loss of balance or coordination
- Eyes — double vision or lack of vision in one eye
- Face — an uneven smile, one side of the face drooping
- Arm — one arm is weak
- Speech — slurred or abnormal speech
- Time — call 911 at once
See Bobbye tell her story of surviving a brain aneurysm rupture thanks to Mike's quick action and the care she received at UVA Health.
Surviving a Ruptured Brain Aneurysm
Subscribe to Healthy Balance
Get timely health and wellness tips from UVA Health experts. Plus, stories that will move you.
