May 22, we arrived at Shands Hospital in Gainesville and had further testing. A CT angiogram had been scheduled before the appointment with Dr. Hoh. We then met with Dr. Hoh and his fellow Dr. Fox. They confirmed the aneurysm in the exact location and size the radiologist in Vero Beach had reported. The aneurysm is located on the middle cerebral artery (MCA) between the cerebrum and cerebrellum lobes. Treatment options were discussed with alot of statistics. 90% of patients never know they have an aneurysm until it ruptures, 50% of those die immediately or within a month, another 25% have long term serious neurological problems (vegetative state), and another 25% survive with little or no side effects. Of the fortunate 10% who find the aneurysm about 3% find it for unrelated reasons such as headaches or being in a car accident and having associated MRI or CT scans. Or as I believe, because of an Awesome God looking out for his child!!

Treatment options include observation over time (the ticking time bomb option), using a coiling procedure where they go through the femoral artery in the leg with a catheter and place coils of platnum wires in the aneurysm causing reduced blood flow and scabbing over, or open surgery where they place a titanium clip at the base of the aneurysm and eliminate blood flow. Coiling has a 20% reoccurance rate and is a great option for high risk patients and those aneurysms in positions which are very difficult to reach through open surgery. Clipping, although a more invasive crainotomy, has a <1% reoccurance rate and as it turns out is the best option for my aneurysm because of the location, size, my age and general good health.

Dr. Hoh performs over 800 aneurysm surgeries per year, about half coiling and half open brain surgery. His procedures consists of only surgeries of the blood vessels of the brain. The sucess rate is 96-97%. If we chose the option to wait and monitor, the likelihood of rupture is 1-3% annually, and is additive. Therefore, if we were to do nothing for 10 years the likelihood is 10-30% for a rupture. Comparing these statistics makes it clear that for long term the annie must be clipped.

I said to Dr.Hoh, "thanks for the great news" in my best playful joking voice. His response, "actually I am giving you very good news." Then he said, "I can fix this, but if you wait until it ruptures and you show up in the emergency room in a coma, it is too late, all I can do then is stop the bleeding, the damage will be done." He said this with almost a tear in his eye and with conviction in his voice. We have thought greatly about this. This man has dedicated his life to helping people with aneurysms and related problems and 90% of his patients show up when it has ruptured and it is too late for 75% of them.

We opted to call back to schedule an appointment for surgery and traveled 3 hours back to Vero Beach praying and thinking.

May 19, I visited the local neurosurgeon and he was unimpressed with the CT scan images and made statements that the radiologist had made a diagnosis as to the presence of a aneurysm from a questionable image. The neurosurgeon said he didn't see the aneurysm in the image and would have called it a location that requires more imaging. He mentioned that even if it were an aneurysm he would recommend not doing anything and monitor it yearly. We pressed him for further information and who he refers surgical aneurysm cases to, he said Dr. Hoh at Shands in Gainesville. He had no idea that we already had a second opinion scheduled with Dr. Hoh in three days. He wrote us a prescription for further imaging and we left confused but hopeful that maybe there was not an aneurysm after all and the radiologist report as to the location and size of aneurysm was possibly wrong.

May 12 I was at my doctor's office at 8 am, waiting on my referral appointment. The appointment was scheduled the following Monday, May 19. We immediately contacted Shands hospital at the University of Florida to see about a second opinion. We were told there is a 2 month wait and the only way around this time frame is to have my doctor send a referral. They receive 1000 referrals a day and each morning teams of doctors gather to determine the needs of each patient. The doctor faxed my info immediately and I received a call at 4 pm on Friday that I had an appointment the following Thursday, May 22. Praise God for this appointment!! He is able!!!

May 7, I visited Vero Radiology and had a CT Scan with contrast performed. As the days passed, so did my anxiety, thinking no news is good news. By 5 pm Friday I had not heard from the doctor, so I was very relieved. May 9 at 6:30pm I receieved the call that ultimately has changed my life and my view of life. This call was informing of a 5mm aneurysm found on my right Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA). I was told to have as good a weekend as possible and I would be referred to a local neurosurgeon on Monday. What a way to start Mother's Day weekend. I can assure you it was a weekend filled with much prayer and God has been with me each step.

May 5, I began like every morning the previous month, with a very bad headache. However, this morning was different and God spoke to me encouraging me to see my medical doctor. He had been speaking quite some time, I just wasn't listening :) I made an appointment for 11:30am and upon arrival discussed my headaches and requested meds for a "sinus headache." Thankfully, my doctor refused and insisted that I have a CT scan to rule out any problems. He stated "I am 99% positive we will find nothing but lets make sure." The procedure was scheduled for two days later.