The Julie Brothers from New York have always led a pretty peaceful life, avoiding conflicts over things like workplace challenges or that last piece of pizza. However, everything changed last year when one of them faced a life-threatening situation.
At just 37 years old, she suffered a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, which went untreated for over 36 hours due to an initial misdiagnosis by medical professionals.
This dangerous delay heightened her risk of severe brain damage, stroke, or even a second bleed that could result in death.
“You know your body better than anyone else,” her sibling expressed. “Even if you can’t pinpoint the issue, if something feels wrong, it’s likely something is.”
A big risk of missing the sign
Despite working in a high-stress environment in television production, they generally maintained a healthy lifestyle without major health problems.
“Honestly, I thought my worst health issue was spraining my ankle before this,” she reflected. But on April 23, 2024, things took a dark turn.
After wrapping up work from home, they were juggling laptops and takeout when she felt a sudden, intense pain at the back of her head. “I’ve never been shot in the head, but it felt shockingly abrupt,” she recalled. “It was like something snapped inside me.”
Having never had a migraine, she initially wondered if she was experiencing her first one after hearing stories from friends.
“When the pain hit, I thought, wow, this isn’t a joke; it’s pretty intense,” she shared.
Accompanied by nausea, dizziness, blurry vision, and a stiff neck, she somehow managed to get a glass of water before collapsing onto her bed. By the next morning, her condition had deteriorated.
“I was throwing up and couldn’t even sip water, so I was really dehydrated,” she said, reflecting her concern.
“Am I being overly dramatic? Am I going crazy?”
Julie Brothers
Even with a stiff neck, she wondered momentarily about meningitis but dismissed the thought, attributing it to a bad sleeping position instead.
Desperate, she booked an Uber to a local walk-in clinic.
“I knew they weren’t really equipped for emergencies, but I didn’t think I was in one,” she stated.
After describing her symptoms at the clinic, the doctor suspected a migraine without running any tests. Instead, she was prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and sent home.
Misdiagnoses like this happen about 25% of the time, according to Christine Buckley, the Executive Director of Cerebral Aneurysm Basics.
When the pain becomes fatal
A day and a half post-initial pain, they awoke to lingering headaches and unsettling thoughts.
“It’s part of being a woman, I suppose; we’re often dealing with our bodies without enough knowledge,” she recalled wondering, “Am I making too much of this?”
By 1:45 a.m., feeling hopeless and dehydrated, she called for another Uber, this time to Mount Sinai’s ER.
As they drove, the music blasted, and the smell of air freshener in the car made her feel even worse.
Upon arrival, the ER staff sprang into action, quickly assessing her and running tests. They swiftly checked her vitals, provided IV fluids, and administered painkillers before performing a brain scan.
The diagnosis was alarming: a ruptured aneurysm, about the size of a marble, was bleeding into the area surrounding her brain.
Silent Killer
A cerebral aneurysm is a weakened, bulging section of a cerebral artery. When it ruptures, it can lead to a life-threatening condition known as subarachnoid hemorrhage, which can cause a severe stroke.
About 6.8 million Americans are estimated to have unruptured cerebral aneurysms, and each year, approximately 30,000 of these can rupture. Tragically, half of those individuals do not survive beyond three months, and among survivors, two-thirds may experience lasting brain damage.
“Timely assessment and treatment are crucial,” emphasized Dr. Christopher Kellner, a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon at Mount Sinai.
Upon her hospital arrival, Dr. Kellner’s priority was to halt the bleeding, repair the aneurysm, and manage any existing damage.
“When an aneurysm hemorrhages, blood spreads quickly, causing inflammation and added pressure in the brain,” he explained, noting how it could lead to further strokes.
“I thought it was a migraine, but my instincts told me otherwise.”
Julie Brothers
Just three hours after arriving at the hospital, she underwent endovascular embolization, a minimally invasive procedure. Through a catheter, the surgeon inserted a soft wire coil into the aneurysm to stop the bleeding.
Her recovery kicked off almost immediately.
Two days post-surgery, she began to regain mobility and even participated in physical therapy, where she celebrated small victories with the nurses.
“A short walk was exhausting,” she admitted, adding that she dealt with light sensitivity and trouble concentrating.
Though expecting to return to work quickly, she spent three weeks in the hospital; it took her three months in total to get back to her job.
Months later, on May 13, she took part in a charity 5K for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, with Dr. Kellner by her side.
More than a year after the rupture, she is back to living independently, traveling, and working full-time, yet her health scare reshaped her outlook on life.
“Life is not just about grinding through,” she stated. “It’s meant to be lived.”
Beware of “Thunder Clap Headaches”
Most cerebral aneurysms are initially asymptomatic, but as they grow, they can exert pressure on nearby nerves and tissues, causing discomfort and other symptoms.
Oftentimes, these aneurysms are only discovered incidentally during scans for unrelated concerns, leading to routine monitoring for particular changes.
Risk factors for developing these aneurysms encompass being female, having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, or a family history of aneurysms.
“In Julie’s case, she was otherwise healthy, so her aneurysm likely developed naturally,” Dr. Kellner noted.
According to him, the initial misdiagnosis isn’t uncommon, but it’s crucial for individuals and doctors to be aware of key warning signs.
“A sudden, severe headache should prompt further inquiry regarding potential aneurysms,” he advised.
If you’re sent home without appropriate testing, don’t hesitate to advocate for yourself.
“I might have been told it was a migraine, but I knew something was not right,” she said. “Trusting your gut instinct is vital.”
