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Subarachnoid haemorrage

Im enquiring from UK.Desperate to get an answer.On 19 June I spent the day with my best friend.We had lunch and went to the Cinema.Altho she frequently complained of headaches over the years neither she nor anybody thought anything of it.She had a stressful job as a lawyer and some people do suffer headaches and some dont.On the day she was in a fine mood.We had a good day.I left her at 6pm.She was good tho had yawned and said in a girly way that she fancied a nap.Again nothing unusual about that.She was one of those girls that loved a nap on the sofa,usually with her cats on hr lap.
At 7.15 her husband returned home to find her unconcious in the shower room (she had clearly gone to spend a penny or suchlike and which in itself was peculiar as she had gone to the loo only an hour or so earlier when we had returned from the cinema).Both he and the paramedics and hospital attempted CPR but without success and it is thought she was dead when her husband found her.
I saw her the next day and there was clear evidence of bleeding from the nose.
At post mortem the cause of death was attributed to rupture of a berry aneurysm of the basal artery (think Ive got that right) and subarachnoid haemorrage.
She was 50.
Would:-
1)Death have been instant.
2)Had I stayed could she have ben helped?
3)Would the pathologist have been able to certity cause of death without opening her up and/or going into her head (she was such a beautiful woman and were you interested you could go onto google and search Journal Live and go to 24 june or search Claudia Thompson to see for yourself...a local Newcastle Upon Tyne U.K paper).Thanks
Best Answer
Avatar universal
Dear CEAT,

Sorry to hear about the tragic loss of your friend.  In many cases death from a subarachnoid aneurysm can occur instantly or shortly thereafter.  A cascade of biological events occur with blood loss within the brain or for that matter in the thoracic cavity as well. The burst, depending upon how large it was, and the amount of blood loss would cause shock to the system.  

The headaches over the years could have been symptomatic but not absolute.  A Neurologist might have found the aneurysms via a CAT scan and appropriate action could have been taken.  As for anything you could have done to help or save her, that would have been unlikely unless you are a very well trained medical specialist.  Even with such training the symptoms could be missed.   It is likely a xray, lumbar puncture, or cranial puncture was performed to confirm the cause of death.

I can attest to what I have written above.  My wife, at the time my Fiancee, suffer a ruptured subarachnoid aneurysm while I was 70 miles from her location.  Level headed thinking and always having an emergency action plan was very helpful in saving her life.  The full credit however is GOD's alone.  He has a plan for my wife and she needs to fulfill that plan.  We'll know how we did when we are truly called home.

The best you can do now is to use this experience to help someone who appears to be in need.

Be well and God Bess!
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Avatar universal
Thank you so much for that.I am so pleased for you and yours.
I responded earlier but think it was deleted so if you have already received a reply,forgive me.
Apart from thanking you I wanted you to know that I had posted a similar question on an UK site and received 1 reply in nearly 3 months.I have received 2 fab replies from this site in 48 hours.
Thank you.It says alot about my american cousins and your caring attitude.
Take care and thanks again.
Derek (CEAT are my late friend's initials)
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Avatar universal
I'll do my best.
God be with you.
Derek
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Avatar universal
Please accept my Condolences on the loss of Your Best Friend.  At the age of 49 I had a Brain Aneurysm also.  I too had suffered horrendous Headaches my entire Life.  No one ever took them seriously.  Around age 40 I had a CAT scan of my head & no problems were seen or at least not recognized.  At age 49 I was in the medical offices of a hospital having a routine pap smear when mine burst (incidently I was in the midst of one of my terrible headaches that had been ongoing, non stop for 12 days.  I was only a few feet from the emergency room of the hospital at the time it burst so I was immediately rushed to ER.  A CAT scan at that time showed I was hemorraging in my head but they were unable to determine why.  I was air lifted to another hospital where they found the reason/cause and performed surgery. 15 years later one would never know I had this experience - I have no residual side affects from my experience and I have been assured time and again the reason I lived and or had no permanent damage is because of where I was when it burst.  I've been told there is very little time for life saving effort to be effective and that I probably would not have this story to tell had I been any where else when this happened.
I'm sorry for Your loss.  Regards, Tink  
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Avatar universal
Dear CEAT,

We all need to find the "Greater Good" in the messengers God sends us.  Your friend served God's purpose in someway.  It will be up to you to find that message and purpose.

My wife's purpose is being fulfilled in very strange and methodical ways since her aneruysm burst.  You see, she coded three times before her recovery.  I happened to be there at those times.  For me it was surreal for I seemed to be the only one around on the hospital wing, praying furiously and for what appeared to be both timeless and intensly focused on God's message of our need to fulfill our purpose.  As I escorted my wife's gurney to the CT scanning area, I gathered my articles and walked rather dejectedly from the hospital certain that I had lost her as her condition was dire.  I no sooner got back to her apartment when her Doctor called to let me know that she had turned the corner and was improving.  I believe God's healing hand saved her because I submitted to His will.  

In honor of your friend please keep your Faith in God and his plan for you.

Take care and best regards!
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Avatar universal
Many thanks for that.
And you and yours take care and God Bless too (tho I have to confess that my faith has taken a bit of a battering).
Thank you once again.
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