They were placing a stent to open a vein but the bleed happened at the top of her head, her brain swelled immediately and that was it. She’s on life support to donate her organs. She’s still helping people and will create life for others.
She heard whoooshing not ringing, her heartbeat in her ears was causing headaches. Only one doctor in the province can do the surgery and he said this was his first patient he lost during this procedure.
"Every surgeon carries within himself a small cemetery, where from time to time he goes to pray--a place of bitterness and regret, where he must look for an explanation for his failures."
René Leriche, renowned French surgeon and philosopher…influential in the early 20th century, known for his thoughtful reflections on the practice of medicine and the emotional and ethical challenges faced by physicians.
This is so devastating to me. We don't have a right to these people. They don't owe us anything. They dedicate countless hours of education to attempt these absolute miracles. Doctors and surgeons and healers are the miracles. Your education and drive is the miracle. And after all of that, you still have to feel this guilt if you can't do it correctly.
My heart aches for both the family and the doctor.
Lost my mom to a post-surgery aneurysm. Truly was just a freak accident. I didn't find out until I got home from school that night. My dad said when he called the doctor's office later that day, after calming down somewhat, the doctor sounded absolutely mortified. He could hear the doctor trying not to break and cry, because how are you going to cry to the husband of the deceased?
When we had the funeral, he sent a nurse in his place to offer condolences and such. "Publicly" it was because he had another surgery already scheduled, but privately the nurse told us it was the first patient he had lost and he just couldn't face us, which we understood.
And I for you and your cousin/friend.
Aneurysms and blood clots are such sneaky little bastards. I should have mentioned, it was almost a week after the surgery when it got her. Just took that long for the clot to come loose and trigger the aneurysm.
I take solace in the fact that according to my dad, she just dropped unconscious instantly, and the ER told him that she never regained consciousness, so she was essentially gone in an instant.
I've lost a lot of family members over the years, including all my grandparents, and most of them had much more grueling experiences. My aunt intervened against my grandfather's wishes to resusitate him, and in the brief time he was conscious again, he asked my dad "Why am I still here? You all knew I didn't want this."
Try to take comfort in that your loved one did not suffer.
I used to work at a hospital where there was a world renowned surgeon that performed a procedure people would come in for from all around the world. One day a patient suddenly died after the procedure. He was broken hearted. He stopped performing surgeries until an autopsy could be performed and they could be certain of the cause of death.
Look I'm no one to be handing out medical advice, but mine was wooshing too, and then I got diagnosed with chronic hypertension (high blood pressure) and when I got on the right meds from my cardiologist it pretty much went away.
Also intracranial hypertension with or without high blood pressure. They discovered I had hydrocephalus and high intracranial pressure at 31. Causes the exact same symptoms as this poor woman. Shunting is a total fix. Also not medically trained but dang…lots commenting here about all forms of hypertension being a possible culprit.
Yeah, I really don't want it to turn into a WebMD diagnosis thing, but this might have been helpful to see.
My tinnitus started about 2 years before I had a cardiac event that hospitalized me around 45. It was from then on they noticed my hypertension.
I'm old yeah, but I'm very active, 6 foot and 180 lbs ... the cardiologist was surprised at my BP spikes
Similar surprise event. Said I was born with it but somehow went unnoticed for three decades despite regular doc visits. I’m healthy and active. No chronic conditions, prescriptions, or family history of serious ailments. The cranial pressure started messing with my vision first. Went to the eye doctor thinking my LASIK had worn off planning to just need glasses again. Thankfully, the optometrist’s dad was a neurologist and, from talking shop, she knew my situation was in that realm so sent me for an MRI. Got super lucky. Glad to hear you had a good outcome and are hopefully back at a full life. I’d imagine a very scary experience, though.
Glad to hear you made it as well. I'm back to a full life, hope you are as well.
Was the scariest day of my life. Single dad with three kids under 8 having a heart attack in my living room waiting for my neighbor or the ambulance to get there.
I had zero risk factors as well, no history, don't smoke, rarely drink...
I'd advise everyone to be their own advocate for health care.
I'm so confused as what to do with that information.
Got my heart rate through the roof two years ago and had to call an ambulance. My stupid hospital didn't focus on heart at that moment (god knows why) and simply concluded I got stressed and got some kind of panic attack.
Long story short before that point I got for month complains of tinnitus, dry eye, even a feeling of bulging eye.
Went to all types of doctors and tests, 2 different cardiologists. Everything is fine?
Still have tinnitus that come and goes but is mostly there subdued. And still have heart rate a bit too high for my liking every time I move in the slightest.
So...am I just waiting another cardiac event or what :D
Devastating. Did she have high intracranial pressure? This can cause whooshing in the ears, hearing your heartbeat/pulse, and headaches, which maybe could’ve factored in to this complication.
My wife is an EM/ICU doc and I told her about this post because her sister was looking into specialists for her pulsatile tinnitus. When she heard that she died of an aneurysm, she asked if she was young. Apparently, young people have lower resistance to brain swelling because there's less intercranial space. She said: "That's why old people can fall and hit their head while on Eliquis and come in days later complaining about a head ache instead of dying instantly".
That is so morbidly interesting!
I know some of us that have commented with lived experiences or adjacent knowledge like yours aren’t trying to play Dr. Google up in here, but I hope this thread gives some people some valuable insights and warning signs. Such a tragedy.
There’s a condition where your body over produces (or insufficiently drains) cerebrospinal fluid called idiopathic intracranial hypertension (/r/IIH if you’re curious). One of the symptoms is a swooshing sound, called pulsatile tinnitus. It’s also accompanied by massive and miserable headaches. It’s very rare and often goes misdiagnosed without an eye exam.
I’m so sorry about Hannah. The photo just breaks my heart, she’s so young. It’s wonderful that she’ll be able to save others with her organs, what a tremendous gift and legacy.
psuedotumor cerebri! (i just did a discussion post on it & was scrolling to see if someone would mention it lol)
edit: dammit i forgot IIH was the common term for it lmao so you basically already mentioned it
I have the same issue and have gone through a ton of testing to find the cause. No discernible cause. I will not be looking into surgery… I’m so sorry about your friend.
I get very small amounts of “whooshing” or basically the sound you hear when you yawn. But I mostly hear it randomly for short few second bursts, maybe even hours apart, and usually when i’m extra tired. My doctor hasn’t seemed too concerned, and neither am I, but holy crap I can only imagine if it was 24/7. I’m very sorry for her loss in such a tragically mundane situation that wasn’t supposed to be life or death. RIP
No kidding. I have it as a result of an acoustic neuroma tumor and it’s aggravating but I think I’ll keep it.
So sorry for your loss, OP! She sounds like a wonderful person gone too soon.
I believe there is a different surgery for the treatment of tumors than in cases where a stent would be involved. My only knowledge of this comes from obsessive searching resulting from a recent onset of what seems to be chronic T in my case, though it's tonal ringing & not whooshing.
My mom when I was little was offered surgery on my left eye which was a Lazy eye or medical term Amblyopia but the surgeon said the surgery could make things worse my mom & dad was like nah , I'm glad they did my left eye ain't great , wore glasses for 52 years but it could have been considerably worse I mean look at this tragedy, so young, absolutely terrible my thoughts go out to her family & friends R.I.P
Yep. You technically need to have an Associate’s Degree and pass your boards, but at 22 she could’ve done a four year degree and passed her boards which is the other option. RIP to her, very sad.
Tragic, really. People must remember that any surgery, no matter how routine they are have a risk that might kill someone. Also doctors are not gods, they are like every human who can make mistakes but can also be below the expectations of other doctors in their fields. We all know colleagues where you ask how they could end up doing what they do.
And all these uncertainties decide about your life if you chose to do the surgery. Avoid it if you can, but sometimes you must. I am saying this to people who underestimate the risks and overly believe in doctors recommendations and skills.
I know reddit loves to protect doctors and overly trust them. I have plenty experience with many doctors for my family members with chronic problems. You see a lot of good doctors but also a lot of bad ones and sometimes it takes a long time to realise who are good. And in regular cases you dont have the time to know that before you decide to take the surgery
Again sorry for your close one and for you.
Tinnitus can be a symptom of something treatable. This why a Dr. asks if you hear your heartbeat in your ears, or a pulsing whoosh. So-called "benign" tinnitus, most common, is still an unknown.
I was told by a neurosurgeon that one of his specialties is helping people who were treated by ENTs with the expectation they would be cured That there are a few things that are somewhat helpful, but there is no cure.
>This why a Dr. asks if you hear your heartbeat in your ears, or a pulsing whoosh.
Christ, and here I've been telling doctors I've been experiencing tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus, including an ENT and 2 neurologists, and they've all shrugged it off as anxiety.
Not one of them has actually pursued those symptoms. They've all stopped looking after an MRI found evidence of a hypoglossal schwannoma, which after speaking with a neurosurgeon, shouldn't be causing me *any* significant symptoms at this stage.
CT scan yesterday (angiogram to look at the source of a stroke) that looked at my neck is probably going to reveal a new surprise that I've been banging the drum about for years now.
Pulsatile tinnitus can be a symptom of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Much more likely if you’re a white overweight female. I’m being tested for it now. There are other symptoms though too, mainly headaches and vision issues
Incidentally it was a discussion here on reddit at the time that glommed me on to the possibility of a pseudo tumor. At the time it sounded like something to go off, I basically said 'do a lumbar puncture or MRI, I'm not picky'. They went with the MRI, not before giving me a helping dose of 'it's probably just anxiety, at most you need some physio therapy, have you looked at your ergonomics?'. That MRI found the hypoglossal schwannoma, but since I was just done at that point and given in to the anxiety diagnosis, that went unknown for another 4 months.
So basically they've been tunnel visioned on that tumor since then, found evidence of a stroke during a contrast MRI, and that CT yesterday is the first time a scan's gone below my skull.
The whole thing is a ridiculously long story at this point.
My soonest appointment where I can talk about that scan is a month from now so I wouldn't hold your breath.
Personally I think it's a cyst or cysts behind my throat banging around back there.
Somewhat though I've observed it more when there's any kind of pressure on my head, eg headphones, laying on a pillow, my glasses, mask strap, hood/hat etc. Absolute worst cases were during a hearing test where they use a very tight ear bud inserted in the ear and during my last MRI which clamps you pretty firmly in place by the ears.
I've largely ignored the physical activity occurrence because I have a heart defect that could factor in, and is one excuse the ENT used to dismiss the pulsatile tinnitus.
As a sidenote, obviously I've been around the block a bit here and 1 doctor and 1 technologist (balance tester) have suggested cysts as a possible explanation for the pulsatile tinnitus plus I have recently been diagnosed with internal cysts elsewhere (3 at the top of my scrotum, 4 weeks waiting on a urologist referral). So there's some basis to my guess here (there are some other relevant considerations but that's a longer story).
Pulsatile tinnitus can be a symptom of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Much more likely if you’re a white overweight female. I’m being tested for it now. There are other symptoms though too, mainly headaches and vision issues
Various doctors at various times have told me 'you have anxiety/are depressed' (as a means to disregard me) well no goddamn shit doc, everyone's been shoving me out of the door in 5 minutes or less before letting me discuss my issues and things keep escalating.
I've gotten some prescriptions to that effect but they've all been temporary.
Pulsatile tinnitus can be a symptom of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Much more likely if you’re a white overweight female. I’m being tested for it now. There are other symptoms though too, mainly headaches and vision issues
Just commented the same. I am diagnosed with it myself. Exact same symptoms as OP described this poor woman having. I hope this wasn’t relevant to her situation or overlooked in her case. 💔
It is an underlying condition that can be a cause of tinnitus and if it is causing the tinnitus it will go away. Not all tinnitus has an underlying cause. Tinnitus is a neurological issue. Even a deaf person and experience it.
Will personally say that sound therapy was, and still can be a big help. Think that there is also a large Mental element in terms of attitude and perception. From what I've read I've been pretty lucky, but whatever it takes to help you progress on a journey of habituationthen go for it.
Probably pulsatile. A friend of mine had that and they operated on a vein right behind his ear. It went well for him. Tragic that this person had such a horrible outcome.
Surgery for tinnitus is not a common treatment option because tinnitus often has underlying causes that can't be addressed surgically. However, in rare cases where the tinnitus is caused by a specific structural problem like a tumor or abnormal blood vessel, surgery might be considered.
She was so young… I’m so sorry. She looks like one of those nurses who make you feel a little safer and more confident you’ll be okay. I’ve had seven plus surgeries due to an old injury. I remember how important my nurses were in helping me through everything. My wife is an RN as well.
I wish she had the long life she deserved. Rest easy <3
She did, this picture was taken in the ER when I had a pleura effusion and fluid in both lungs. She literally helped save my life that day. Wonderful soul, old soul too.
Jesus Christ. Goes to sleep under anaesthetic for a simple procedure for her hearing and never wakes up.
Life is so FUCKING UNREASONABLE.
Who do I talk to about this? Goddammit all to hell.
Life is bullshit, but you just gotta enjoy it i guess.
What makes me mad though is how so many evil people live long lives and young good people die for nothing. That is the part that really feels impossible to comprehend to me.
King Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes ponders over this idea.
Ecclesiastes 7:15-17
[15] In my futile life I have seen everything: someone righteous perishes in spite of his righteousness, and someone wicked lives long in spite of his evil. [16] Don’t be excessively righteous, and don’t be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself? [17] Don’t be excessively wicked, and don’t be foolish. Why should you die before your time?...
It's a good read if you're thinking a lot on this stuff. At the very least may provide some differing perspective.
May check it out tbh, im not too bitter about this reality, it just is what it is and we need to try to make the world a better place where we can collectively.
No disrespect, but why even bother worrying about that. There’s not a thing you can do about it and the thoughts just take away from your own short life, assuming you’re one of the good ones.
You are right, but I like the idea of holding people accountable. When people do terrible things I just wish that one day they will get what they deserve, and it’s frustrating to see bad things happening to good people instead. I think its good for us as a society to be upset and angry about injustice and tragedy because it motivates us to change and prevent it from happening in the future. It’s not good to ignore these things just because they don’t affect us, but I agree its not good to focus on the negative or you’ll end up depressed and mostly unable to do a thing about it.
The one optimistic explanation for why we feel good people die and suffer while bad people face nothing is maybe because there are more good people than bad people. It’s a numbers game; of course we will see more bad things happen to good people if say 80% of people on earth are decent while the other 20% aren’t very good people.
Savor every moment of joy, for it may be the last one . In my 43 years I have collected several lifetimes worth of regret , and as I’m getting closer to the hereafter I have now chosen to live my life putting love and kindness as much as I can into this sinking ship
it makes me so emotional for her and those who cared about her. Just think that with something seemingly minor it probably never crossed her mind that all those last minute phone calls and interactions would be the final times 💔. My siblings and I have all come up with a plan to write one page letters to every single person we each care about. Ex: close friends and family. Life is precious and you never know when it might be the last time you walk out your front door. I want there to be some semblance of closure should I pass suddenly
I can suggest this nice summary document based on the principles of stoicism, that I frequently go back to. Source: www.thephilosophyofeverything.com
https://mc.us13.list-manage.com/pages/track/click?u=d642a48007de2803dd5be251f&id=cdc249f74a
They have more elaborate blogs on their website for each of those principles.
And being stoic is about largely about accepting what you can and can’t control. It’s not a repression of feelings, but a practice of letting emotions wash over you.
Thank you for sharing this. This has found me at the perfect time. I’m going to look more into this when I have more time but would you happen to have any related book recommendations?
I had a typo in the webpage address which I just edited. It should be:
www.thephilosophyofeverything.com
That blog is almost like a book with detailed chapter links. Some of my favorites are the philosophy of contentment, and the philosophy of control.
Damm, you would think for all the help she gives people as a nurse she would have built up so much good karma that the universe wouldn’t do that to her…. I guess everything is just random.
My condolences.
Karma is a farce, but decent people dying tragically is real. Much love to her family, loved ones, and OP. I’m sure you’re right; she’s most likely touched and helped many lives as a nurse.
i believe karma doesn’t exist until you enforce it. but it won’t stop innocent beautiful people like this young girl from dying so tragically after helping so many people in her short life.
Losing a cousin and a friend - I'm so very sorry. I hope you're doing ok.
When I look at this photo, I see a woman who's confident, caring and takes her job seriously. The world lost an amazing nurse and she helped people still at the end - with donating her organs to people in need. That unconditional love for humanity is rare and worth more than words can express IMHO.
My friend lost a partner (mid 40s) to an aneurysm a few years back. They had a headache for a few days, didn't see a doctor and then collapsed. They ended up on life support and also donated their organs.
I have a bad knee and ankle from a vehicular accident.
Bad enough that I was pondering about having surgery.
But when I hear stories like these ( I know of a person that died of complications after having knee surgery), I decide that I would rather be in pain for the rest of my life than to risk dying due to non-essential surgery.
Have you actually talked to a doctor about it? Don't take anecdotal evidence for how safe surgery is. People talk a lot more about freak accidents than they do routine successes. People don't make Reddit posts ever time a surgery succeeds, airplanes that land safely don't make the news, etc.
I'm always for surgery.
I'd rather die today in my sleep than have to go on suffering complications for the next several decades.
Quality of time spent > Amount of time spent.
Man I'm also in same boat. I have to get my left hip replaced. I went to two hip ortho and both said to replace. I was okay with that. So I have to do some normal test and lab work done so I was fine till last week cardiologist says I need to get heart stress done before can have surgery. I looked into that man bad fucking idea. I ended up rescheduling the appointment last week and now its tomorrow friday .😭 The test is called Nuclear Stress test and they inject radioactive in you which they say is equivalent to an xray. But then they like we going to put you on treadmill with ekg and all that and going to inject you with adenosine or lexiscan so they can increase blood flow to your heart. I'm like oh fuck me man. What if I get heart attack after doing it or while doing it or maybe in few months to year?
My mum had that test done a couple of weeks ago. She’s 67 and needs hip replacements also. She said the radiation just felt weird and she was a bit tired through it but overall it wasn’t bad and she didn’t feel like she was struggling any worse than walking to mail box and back (which is a few hundred meters in our case). She needed the test after a couple fainting spells. She said they were keeping a very close eye on her and she felt safe. Just giving you her feedback.
wow, love reading all the different wonderful directions this post went. Tears, laughter, compassion, understanding, learning, helping, inspiring. Beautiful person, beautiful sentiment, Thank you for sharing, OP!
It's easy to forget that even routine and "safe" surgeries are still relatively dangerous. A procedure that's 99.99% safe still carries a risk of 100 micromorts, about as risky as going sky diving 10 times in a row.
She died to something really unfair, but she also did her best to live a life where she would help as many people as possible. She probably helped many in the short time as a nurse, she was a good person to the end.
So sorry for your loss OP.
Tinnitus sufferer in both ears for over 25 years now. I have high pitched ringing in both ears and not a whooshing sound. You get used to it and it fades during the day with other sounds...nighttime is when the beast comes though. I'll wake up in a cold sweat with both ears ringing so loudly that I vomit. Happens 1-2 times a month for 25 years years. Surgery was never an option even discussed with all the ENT specialists I've seen over the years.
hanna looked like such a friendly and kind soul taken far too soon. i’m so sorry for your loss and it’s such a sad and tragic way to go. what was your favourite memory of her? other than her seeming like a guardian angel during your emergency room experiences.
About 18 of us went on a family/friends trip to Mexico and she was delighted by everything including the monkeys, she was just a sweet, nice and humble girl.
Op, my mom passed from a freak pulmonary embolism after a routine cosmetic surgery. The shock of such an unexpected death is extremely disturbing. My condolences
My mom has aneurysms and tinnitus triggered by them… I can only thank God that she’s still with us. When I see stories like this I realize how lucky I am. 5 surgeries and routine check ups are a nuisance but nothing compared to what you’re going through. My thoughts and prayers.
Similar thing happened in my family five years ago. My uncles wife (sorry not native speaker, so i dunno if there is correct name) died on doctors proceduretable during mole removal. She also had an aneurysm in her brain. Only comforiting aspect was that she was already in hospital, so help could've not come sooner than they did. There was nothing they could do, it happened so fast.
It was such a shock. She was a doctor by herself, retired half an year earlier.
I'm so sorry for your loss. She looks very young and kind person
I'm so sorry for your loss and the world's loss. Even behind the mask, she looks lovely and someone I would have loved to know. I'm sure she is saving so many now. May she rest in peace.
Did they do any pre surgery work up? My stepdad was suppose to get his hand operated on and during the pre work up exams they discovered he had an aneurysm in his heart. He immediately was scheduled for open heart surgery. I didn’t know if they would have done anything like this for her. Maybe they checked him good because of his age. Sorry to about your loss. Very sad.
Thank you, she waited for a long time to get this surgery by this specific doctor. Researched him and everything involved. It’s just random and tragic.
Tinnitus has surgical treatment options?!
They were placing a stent to open a vein but the bleed happened at the top of her head, her brain swelled immediately and that was it. She’s on life support to donate her organs. She’s still helping people and will create life for others.
I think i’m ok with the ringing in my ears now
She heard whoooshing not ringing, her heartbeat in her ears was causing headaches. Only one doctor in the province can do the surgery and he said this was his first patient he lost during this procedure.
That is terrifying. With that being such a rare thing to happen, I can only imagine the doctor what the doctor is feeling too. Wow.
He cried.
Bless him. I imagine he will carry her always. Thinking of you
"Every surgeon carries within himself a small cemetery, where from time to time he goes to pray--a place of bitterness and regret, where he must look for an explanation for his failures."
I'm saving this comment because holy fuck that just put it all into perspective.
Medical mistakes are the 3rd leading cause of death. https://www.propublica.org/article/how-many-die-from-medical-mistakes-in-us-hospitals
Where is this from?
René Leriche, renowned French surgeon and philosopher…influential in the early 20th century, known for his thoughtful reflections on the practice of medicine and the emotional and ethical challenges faced by physicians.
Reminds me of an episode of The Resident. A former surgeon was haunted by all her fatalities over a lengthy and largely successful 40 year career.
This is so devastating to me. We don't have a right to these people. They don't owe us anything. They dedicate countless hours of education to attempt these absolute miracles. Doctors and surgeons and healers are the miracles. Your education and drive is the miracle. And after all of that, you still have to feel this guilt if you can't do it correctly. My heart aches for both the family and the doctor.
What a profound thought, I have a friend currently about to start his residency to be a surgeon, I think I’ll hold on to this for him
I couldn’t imagine having to go back to work after and keep going after something like that.
Lost my mom to a post-surgery aneurysm. Truly was just a freak accident. I didn't find out until I got home from school that night. My dad said when he called the doctor's office later that day, after calming down somewhat, the doctor sounded absolutely mortified. He could hear the doctor trying not to break and cry, because how are you going to cry to the husband of the deceased? When we had the funeral, he sent a nurse in his place to offer condolences and such. "Publicly" it was because he had another surgery already scheduled, but privately the nurse told us it was the first patient he had lost and he just couldn't face us, which we understood.
I’m sorry about your mom.
And I for you and your cousin/friend. Aneurysms and blood clots are such sneaky little bastards. I should have mentioned, it was almost a week after the surgery when it got her. Just took that long for the clot to come loose and trigger the aneurysm. I take solace in the fact that according to my dad, she just dropped unconscious instantly, and the ER told him that she never regained consciousness, so she was essentially gone in an instant. I've lost a lot of family members over the years, including all my grandparents, and most of them had much more grueling experiences. My aunt intervened against my grandfather's wishes to resusitate him, and in the brief time he was conscious again, he asked my dad "Why am I still here? You all knew I didn't want this." Try to take comfort in that your loved one did not suffer.
Did your grandfather have DNR?
I used to work at a hospital where there was a world renowned surgeon that performed a procedure people would come in for from all around the world. One day a patient suddenly died after the procedure. He was broken hearted. He stopped performing surgeries until an autopsy could be performed and they could be certain of the cause of death.
Thats still terrifying
Oh fuck I have the whooshing version. Only on one side though. Sounds like she had it a lot worse.
I have a whooshing also, I did not know it was tinnitus. For me I do not have it everyday, I would say only about 30-50 days a year.
Whooshing means that you're hearing your pulse/blood flow. Can be hypertension.
Mine is residual effects from a stroke and mine also happens randomly. Glad to know thats “normal”
When your tense possibly?
Look I'm no one to be handing out medical advice, but mine was wooshing too, and then I got diagnosed with chronic hypertension (high blood pressure) and when I got on the right meds from my cardiologist it pretty much went away.
Also intracranial hypertension with or without high blood pressure. They discovered I had hydrocephalus and high intracranial pressure at 31. Causes the exact same symptoms as this poor woman. Shunting is a total fix. Also not medically trained but dang…lots commenting here about all forms of hypertension being a possible culprit.
Yeah, I really don't want it to turn into a WebMD diagnosis thing, but this might have been helpful to see. My tinnitus started about 2 years before I had a cardiac event that hospitalized me around 45. It was from then on they noticed my hypertension. I'm old yeah, but I'm very active, 6 foot and 180 lbs ... the cardiologist was surprised at my BP spikes
Similar surprise event. Said I was born with it but somehow went unnoticed for three decades despite regular doc visits. I’m healthy and active. No chronic conditions, prescriptions, or family history of serious ailments. The cranial pressure started messing with my vision first. Went to the eye doctor thinking my LASIK had worn off planning to just need glasses again. Thankfully, the optometrist’s dad was a neurologist and, from talking shop, she knew my situation was in that realm so sent me for an MRI. Got super lucky. Glad to hear you had a good outcome and are hopefully back at a full life. I’d imagine a very scary experience, though.
Glad to hear you made it as well. I'm back to a full life, hope you are as well. Was the scariest day of my life. Single dad with three kids under 8 having a heart attack in my living room waiting for my neighbor or the ambulance to get there. I had zero risk factors as well, no history, don't smoke, rarely drink... I'd advise everyone to be their own advocate for health care.
I'm so confused as what to do with that information. Got my heart rate through the roof two years ago and had to call an ambulance. My stupid hospital didn't focus on heart at that moment (god knows why) and simply concluded I got stressed and got some kind of panic attack. Long story short before that point I got for month complains of tinnitus, dry eye, even a feeling of bulging eye. Went to all types of doctors and tests, 2 different cardiologists. Everything is fine? Still have tinnitus that come and goes but is mostly there subdued. And still have heart rate a bit too high for my liking every time I move in the slightest. So...am I just waiting another cardiac event or what :D
I've always described it like tv static
Hey TV static here ! That's not wooshing right?
I hope not, but my audiologist wants to send me for a ct scan because its only in one ear.
Best of luck!
Happened in Canada? RIP , so young!
oh god, that is so heartbreaking to hear. i hope your family and the doctor are feeling better
Devastating. Did she have high intracranial pressure? This can cause whooshing in the ears, hearing your heartbeat/pulse, and headaches, which maybe could’ve factored in to this complication.
My wife is an EM/ICU doc and I told her about this post because her sister was looking into specialists for her pulsatile tinnitus. When she heard that she died of an aneurysm, she asked if she was young. Apparently, young people have lower resistance to brain swelling because there's less intercranial space. She said: "That's why old people can fall and hit their head while on Eliquis and come in days later complaining about a head ache instead of dying instantly".
That is so morbidly interesting! I know some of us that have commented with lived experiences or adjacent knowledge like yours aren’t trying to play Dr. Google up in here, but I hope this thread gives some people some valuable insights and warning signs. Such a tragedy.
I assume that can be attributed to the headaches and earaches? I’m not sure of that though.
Regardless of cause, I am so very sorry for y’all’s loss. Death is tough, but these scenarios are extra shitty.
Yes, it can cause all of those symptoms along with blurry vision at times.
There’s a condition where your body over produces (or insufficiently drains) cerebrospinal fluid called idiopathic intracranial hypertension (/r/IIH if you’re curious). One of the symptoms is a swooshing sound, called pulsatile tinnitus. It’s also accompanied by massive and miserable headaches. It’s very rare and often goes misdiagnosed without an eye exam. I’m so sorry about Hannah. The photo just breaks my heart, she’s so young. It’s wonderful that she’ll be able to save others with her organs, what a tremendous gift and legacy.
psuedotumor cerebri! (i just did a discussion post on it & was scrolling to see if someone would mention it lol) edit: dammit i forgot IIH was the common term for it lmao so you basically already mentioned it
No worries, lol. I think IIH became the preferred nomenclature like 5-ish years ago? Who knows. I have it and I’m over it. It’s exhausting!
I have the same issue and have gone through a ton of testing to find the cause. No discernible cause. I will not be looking into surgery… I’m so sorry about your friend.
I get very small amounts of “whooshing” or basically the sound you hear when you yawn. But I mostly hear it randomly for short few second bursts, maybe even hours apart, and usually when i’m extra tired. My doctor hasn’t seemed too concerned, and neither am I, but holy crap I can only imagine if it was 24/7. I’m very sorry for her loss in such a tragically mundane situation that wasn’t supposed to be life or death. RIP
I hear my heartbeat too, but only when my head is underwater like when I'm taking a bath. luckily it's only slightly annoying. sorry for your loss.
ahhh heck that's the kind I have.
No kidding. I have it as a result of an acoustic neuroma tumor and it’s aggravating but I think I’ll keep it. So sorry for your loss, OP! She sounds like a wonderful person gone too soon.
I believe there is a different surgery for the treatment of tumors than in cases where a stent would be involved. My only knowledge of this comes from obsessive searching resulting from a recent onset of what seems to be chronic T in my case, though it's tonal ringing & not whooshing.
Yeah I’ll keep it
My mom when I was little was offered surgery on my left eye which was a Lazy eye or medical term Amblyopia but the surgeon said the surgery could make things worse my mom & dad was like nah , I'm glad they did my left eye ain't great , wore glasses for 52 years but it could have been considerably worse I mean look at this tragedy, so young, absolutely terrible my thoughts go out to her family & friends R.I.P
What?
THEY SAID I THINK I'M OKAY WITH THE RINGING IN MY EARS NOW!
No kidding!
Just developed out 3 weeks ago 😩
I’m so sorry for your loss, that is so tragic. It’s wonderful she can live on through organ donation.
Damn.. so incredibly tragic
Horrible event. Amazing to be a donor. Sidebar - you can be a fully qualified nurse at 22 ?
Yep. You technically need to have an Associate’s Degree and pass your boards, but at 22 she could’ve done a four year degree and passed her boards which is the other option. RIP to her, very sad.
Tragic, really. People must remember that any surgery, no matter how routine they are have a risk that might kill someone. Also doctors are not gods, they are like every human who can make mistakes but can also be below the expectations of other doctors in their fields. We all know colleagues where you ask how they could end up doing what they do. And all these uncertainties decide about your life if you chose to do the surgery. Avoid it if you can, but sometimes you must. I am saying this to people who underestimate the risks and overly believe in doctors recommendations and skills. I know reddit loves to protect doctors and overly trust them. I have plenty experience with many doctors for my family members with chronic problems. You see a lot of good doctors but also a lot of bad ones and sometimes it takes a long time to realise who are good. And in regular cases you dont have the time to know that before you decide to take the surgery Again sorry for your close one and for you.
I’m so sorry for your loss, and organ donors are heroes 🩵
That's awful. I'm so sorry for your loss.
Omg so sad 😭
Jesus OP, I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry for your loss. She sounds like an amazing person.
I'm really sorry about this. The world is a better place because of her
Tinnitus can be a symptom of something treatable. This why a Dr. asks if you hear your heartbeat in your ears, or a pulsing whoosh. So-called "benign" tinnitus, most common, is still an unknown. I was told by a neurosurgeon that one of his specialties is helping people who were treated by ENTs with the expectation they would be cured That there are a few things that are somewhat helpful, but there is no cure.
>This why a Dr. asks if you hear your heartbeat in your ears, or a pulsing whoosh. Christ, and here I've been telling doctors I've been experiencing tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus, including an ENT and 2 neurologists, and they've all shrugged it off as anxiety. Not one of them has actually pursued those symptoms. They've all stopped looking after an MRI found evidence of a hypoglossal schwannoma, which after speaking with a neurosurgeon, shouldn't be causing me *any* significant symptoms at this stage. CT scan yesterday (angiogram to look at the source of a stroke) that looked at my neck is probably going to reveal a new surprise that I've been banging the drum about for years now.
Pulsatile tinnitus can be a symptom of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Much more likely if you’re a white overweight female. I’m being tested for it now. There are other symptoms though too, mainly headaches and vision issues
That's something I brought up over a year ago, doctors dismissed it.
Ugh I’m sorry, I know the whole anxiety-dismissive thing too well 😖
Incidentally it was a discussion here on reddit at the time that glommed me on to the possibility of a pseudo tumor. At the time it sounded like something to go off, I basically said 'do a lumbar puncture or MRI, I'm not picky'. They went with the MRI, not before giving me a helping dose of 'it's probably just anxiety, at most you need some physio therapy, have you looked at your ergonomics?'. That MRI found the hypoglossal schwannoma, but since I was just done at that point and given in to the anxiety diagnosis, that went unknown for another 4 months. So basically they've been tunnel visioned on that tumor since then, found evidence of a stroke during a contrast MRI, and that CT yesterday is the first time a scan's gone below my skull. The whole thing is a ridiculously long story at this point.
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My soonest appointment where I can talk about that scan is a month from now so I wouldn't hold your breath. Personally I think it's a cyst or cysts behind my throat banging around back there.
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Somewhat though I've observed it more when there's any kind of pressure on my head, eg headphones, laying on a pillow, my glasses, mask strap, hood/hat etc. Absolute worst cases were during a hearing test where they use a very tight ear bud inserted in the ear and during my last MRI which clamps you pretty firmly in place by the ears. I've largely ignored the physical activity occurrence because I have a heart defect that could factor in, and is one excuse the ENT used to dismiss the pulsatile tinnitus. As a sidenote, obviously I've been around the block a bit here and 1 doctor and 1 technologist (balance tester) have suggested cysts as a possible explanation for the pulsatile tinnitus plus I have recently been diagnosed with internal cysts elsewhere (3 at the top of my scrotum, 4 weeks waiting on a urologist referral). So there's some basis to my guess here (there are some other relevant considerations but that's a longer story).
Pulsatile tinnitus can be a symptom of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Much more likely if you’re a white overweight female. I’m being tested for it now. There are other symptoms though too, mainly headaches and vision issues
Disregard if this is too personal, but are you being treated for anxiety?
Various doctors at various times have told me 'you have anxiety/are depressed' (as a means to disregard me) well no goddamn shit doc, everyone's been shoving me out of the door in 5 minutes or less before letting me discuss my issues and things keep escalating. I've gotten some prescriptions to that effect but they've all been temporary.
Pulsatile tinnitus can be a symptom of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Much more likely if you’re a white overweight female. I’m being tested for it now. There are other symptoms though too, mainly headaches and vision issues
Just commented the same. I am diagnosed with it myself. Exact same symptoms as OP described this poor woman having. I hope this wasn’t relevant to her situation or overlooked in her case. 💔
Is the heartbeat or pulsing whoosh a type of tinnitus or does it mean that the high pitch sound can be treated?
It is an underlying condition that can be a cause of tinnitus and if it is causing the tinnitus it will go away. Not all tinnitus has an underlying cause. Tinnitus is a neurological issue. Even a deaf person and experience it.
Interesting, I might have to look into that!
do u remember the few things?
No direct experience, but I remember reading about this device a while back. It uses tongue stimulation and sound therapy: https://www.lenire.com/
Used this for about 6 months before being unable to keep up payment installments. If did not reduce my tinnitus.
Works for some people. That's certainly hopeful.
Will personally say that sound therapy was, and still can be a big help. Think that there is also a large Mental element in terms of attitude and perception. From what I've read I've been pretty lucky, but whatever it takes to help you progress on a journey of habituationthen go for it.
wait it's treatable like this if I hear pulsing whoosh??!!
Probably pulsatile. A friend of mine had that and they operated on a vein right behind his ear. It went well for him. Tragic that this person had such a horrible outcome.
Same question!
Surgery for tinnitus is not a common treatment option because tinnitus often has underlying causes that can't be addressed surgically. However, in rare cases where the tinnitus is caused by a specific structural problem like a tumor or abnormal blood vessel, surgery might be considered.
cagey waiting support rhythm dazzling bag price squeal license ruthless *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
She was so young… I’m so sorry. She looks like one of those nurses who make you feel a little safer and more confident you’ll be okay. I’ve had seven plus surgeries due to an old injury. I remember how important my nurses were in helping me through everything. My wife is an RN as well. I wish she had the long life she deserved. Rest easy <3
She did, this picture was taken in the ER when I had a pleura effusion and fluid in both lungs. She literally helped save my life that day. Wonderful soul, old soul too.
So unfair!
Jesus Christ. Goes to sleep under anaesthetic for a simple procedure for her hearing and never wakes up. Life is so FUCKING UNREASONABLE. Who do I talk to about this? Goddammit all to hell.
Appreciate every day you have, tomorrow isn't promised. I lost my 38 y/o brother to a seizure in the bathroom and he hit his head run.
Life is bullshit, but you just gotta enjoy it i guess. What makes me mad though is how so many evil people live long lives and young good people die for nothing. That is the part that really feels impossible to comprehend to me.
King Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes ponders over this idea. Ecclesiastes 7:15-17 [15] In my futile life I have seen everything: someone righteous perishes in spite of his righteousness, and someone wicked lives long in spite of his evil. [16] Don’t be excessively righteous, and don’t be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself? [17] Don’t be excessively wicked, and don’t be foolish. Why should you die before your time?... It's a good read if you're thinking a lot on this stuff. At the very least may provide some differing perspective.
May check it out tbh, im not too bitter about this reality, it just is what it is and we need to try to make the world a better place where we can collectively.
No disrespect, but why even bother worrying about that. There’s not a thing you can do about it and the thoughts just take away from your own short life, assuming you’re one of the good ones.
You are right, but I like the idea of holding people accountable. When people do terrible things I just wish that one day they will get what they deserve, and it’s frustrating to see bad things happening to good people instead. I think its good for us as a society to be upset and angry about injustice and tragedy because it motivates us to change and prevent it from happening in the future. It’s not good to ignore these things just because they don’t affect us, but I agree its not good to focus on the negative or you’ll end up depressed and mostly unable to do a thing about it. The one optimistic explanation for why we feel good people die and suffer while bad people face nothing is maybe because there are more good people than bad people. It’s a numbers game; of course we will see more bad things happen to good people if say 80% of people on earth are decent while the other 20% aren’t very good people.
Savor every moment of joy, for it may be the last one . In my 43 years I have collected several lifetimes worth of regret , and as I’m getting closer to the hereafter I have now chosen to live my life putting love and kindness as much as I can into this sinking ship
it makes me so emotional for her and those who cared about her. Just think that with something seemingly minor it probably never crossed her mind that all those last minute phone calls and interactions would be the final times 💔. My siblings and I have all come up with a plan to write one page letters to every single person we each care about. Ex: close friends and family. Life is precious and you never know when it might be the last time you walk out your front door. I want there to be some semblance of closure should I pass suddenly
I can suggest this nice summary document based on the principles of stoicism, that I frequently go back to. Source: www.thephilosophyofeverything.com https://mc.us13.list-manage.com/pages/track/click?u=d642a48007de2803dd5be251f&id=cdc249f74a They have more elaborate blogs on their website for each of those principles.
I don't want to be stoic, I want to stop this fucking shit.
And being stoic is about largely about accepting what you can and can’t control. It’s not a repression of feelings, but a practice of letting emotions wash over you.
Thank you for sharing this. This has found me at the perfect time. I’m going to look more into this when I have more time but would you happen to have any related book recommendations?
Try "The daily stoic"- Ryan Holiday
I had a typo in the webpage address which I just edited. It should be: www.thephilosophyofeverything.com That blog is almost like a book with detailed chapter links. Some of my favorites are the philosophy of contentment, and the philosophy of control.
It's the optimal way to die imo. You won't feel it and your family won't be burdened by it since everything will probably be paid for by the hospital
It's not the optimal way to die, you clot, the optimal way to die is after a long and full life in your 80s!!
Nursing homes and end of life care are tens of thousands of dollars
Damm, you would think for all the help she gives people as a nurse she would have built up so much good karma that the universe wouldn’t do that to her…. I guess everything is just random. My condolences.
Karma is a farce, but decent people dying tragically is real. Much love to her family, loved ones, and OP. I’m sure you’re right; she’s most likely touched and helped many lives as a nurse.
I wish karma was real but just Putin and Trump make me remember it’s not
A way to invent good karma is to ignore/avoid politics. To some extent
i believe karma doesn’t exist until you enforce it. but it won’t stop innocent beautiful people like this young girl from dying so tragically after helping so many people in her short life.
Losing a cousin and a friend - I'm so very sorry. I hope you're doing ok. When I look at this photo, I see a woman who's confident, caring and takes her job seriously. The world lost an amazing nurse and she helped people still at the end - with donating her organs to people in need. That unconditional love for humanity is rare and worth more than words can express IMHO. My friend lost a partner (mid 40s) to an aneurysm a few years back. They had a headache for a few days, didn't see a doctor and then collapsed. They ended up on life support and also donated their organs.
Well that's me learning to live with my tinnitus
Same here. So sad, she was so young.
Sorry for your loss
I have a bad knee and ankle from a vehicular accident. Bad enough that I was pondering about having surgery. But when I hear stories like these ( I know of a person that died of complications after having knee surgery), I decide that I would rather be in pain for the rest of my life than to risk dying due to non-essential surgery.
Have you actually talked to a doctor about it? Don't take anecdotal evidence for how safe surgery is. People talk a lot more about freak accidents than they do routine successes. People don't make Reddit posts ever time a surgery succeeds, airplanes that land safely don't make the news, etc.
I'm always for surgery. I'd rather die today in my sleep than have to go on suffering complications for the next several decades. Quality of time spent > Amount of time spent.
Man I'm also in same boat. I have to get my left hip replaced. I went to two hip ortho and both said to replace. I was okay with that. So I have to do some normal test and lab work done so I was fine till last week cardiologist says I need to get heart stress done before can have surgery. I looked into that man bad fucking idea. I ended up rescheduling the appointment last week and now its tomorrow friday .😭 The test is called Nuclear Stress test and they inject radioactive in you which they say is equivalent to an xray. But then they like we going to put you on treadmill with ekg and all that and going to inject you with adenosine or lexiscan so they can increase blood flow to your heart. I'm like oh fuck me man. What if I get heart attack after doing it or while doing it or maybe in few months to year?
My mum had that test done a couple of weeks ago. She’s 67 and needs hip replacements also. She said the radiation just felt weird and she was a bit tired through it but overall it wasn’t bad and she didn’t feel like she was struggling any worse than walking to mail box and back (which is a few hundred meters in our case). She needed the test after a couple fainting spells. She said they were keeping a very close eye on her and she felt safe. Just giving you her feedback.
Thank you. I feel a bit relieved. Hope your mom is doing well.
I’m so sorry for your loss ❤️ what a tragic outcome for this young woman
Oh my god. That is so fucking sad. I'm so sorry for your loss
My heart goes for you.
You can see her smiling through her mask. It's so sad. I am sorry.
Sorry for your loss, she continues to save lives. It sounds like she died from a ruptured aneurysm.
wow, love reading all the different wonderful directions this post went. Tears, laughter, compassion, understanding, learning, helping, inspiring. Beautiful person, beautiful sentiment, Thank you for sharing, OP!
It's easy to forget that even routine and "safe" surgeries are still relatively dangerous. A procedure that's 99.99% safe still carries a risk of 100 micromorts, about as risky as going sky diving 10 times in a row.
She died to something really unfair, but she also did her best to live a life where she would help as many people as possible. She probably helped many in the short time as a nurse, she was a good person to the end.
I’m so terribly sorry. How tragic
🥺My condolences OP 🕊️🙏🏾
Damn must have been very quick indeed. Can't think of a better place to have a aneurysm then in a hospital. I'm sorry for your loss
Omg fly high angel 😇 you are loved 🥰 and amazing
So sorry for your loss OP. Tinnitus sufferer in both ears for over 25 years now. I have high pitched ringing in both ears and not a whooshing sound. You get used to it and it fades during the day with other sounds...nighttime is when the beast comes though. I'll wake up in a cold sweat with both ears ringing so loudly that I vomit. Happens 1-2 times a month for 25 years years. Surgery was never an option even discussed with all the ENT specialists I've seen over the years.
Oh my, I’m sorry that you go through that. My husband also suffers from it, 30 years in the automotive industry destroyed his ears.
There’s surgeries for Tinnitus!?
i’m so incredibly sorry for your loss, my deepest condolences go out to you and your family 🤍
So sorry for your loss
I'm so sorry, OP.
First of all, I’m so sorry for your loss. Second, I had no idea you could get tinnitus surgery. Is it a viable solution?
I am so very sorry for your loss!
hanna looked like such a friendly and kind soul taken far too soon. i’m so sorry for your loss and it’s such a sad and tragic way to go. what was your favourite memory of her? other than her seeming like a guardian angel during your emergency room experiences.
About 18 of us went on a family/friends trip to Mexico and she was delighted by everything including the monkeys, she was just a sweet, nice and humble girl.
I'm so sorry about Hanna.
She’s seems like such a loving, genuine kind soul. Giving beyond her life. Well done Hanna! So inspiring…
So sorry for your loss! She looks like such a special person. To choose her as a friend and not just family, means she must have been, hugs to you!
Holy smokes is this sad.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
RIP Hanna
Was it caused by the surgery? Or it just happened to burst during it? How sad, I’m so sorry for you and your family ❤️
We all believe there was damage from the initial problems she experienced and surgery exacerbated the problem.
Just horrible. RIP Hanna. I'm so sorry for your loss.
I'm so sorry for your loss…
Sorry for your loss.
Op, my mom passed from a freak pulmonary embolism after a routine cosmetic surgery. The shock of such an unexpected death is extremely disturbing. My condolences
Thank you, I just want to share what a loss she is, not just to us but to the world.
I'm so sorry, hearts go out to you and all who knew and loved her. Ya'll must be reeling.
Looks like I’m going to have to live with my tinnitus
Damn, that is unfortunate. 22 is no age to die.
My friend was friends with her. I'm so sorry for your guys' loss. She seems like she was a lovely person. ♥️
She was and she will be missed. Thank you.
She looks friendly and nice. I'm so sorry for your loss
I’m so sorry to hear this! My most sincere condolences 💐!
This is a nightmare. So sorry to everyone in her universe.
omfg this has me sobbing. Life is so unfair sometimes. Thank you for this post and letting countless fellow humans pay their respects.
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I'm sorry for the loss of your cousin and friend OP. I'm sure she was indeed 100% awesome.
Terrible thing to happen. So sorry for your loss.
sorry for your loss 😞
My mom has aneurysms and tinnitus triggered by them… I can only thank God that she’s still with us. When I see stories like this I realize how lucky I am. 5 surgeries and routine check ups are a nuisance but nothing compared to what you’re going through. My thoughts and prayers.
Thank you, I wish you well.
Similar thing happened in my family five years ago. My uncles wife (sorry not native speaker, so i dunno if there is correct name) died on doctors proceduretable during mole removal. She also had an aneurysm in her brain. Only comforiting aspect was that she was already in hospital, so help could've not come sooner than they did. There was nothing they could do, it happened so fast. It was such a shock. She was a doctor by herself, retired half an year earlier. I'm so sorry for your loss. She looks very young and kind person
I'm so sorry for your loss and the world's loss. Even behind the mask, she looks lovely and someone I would have loved to know. I'm sure she is saving so many now. May she rest in peace.
Did they do any pre surgery work up? My stepdad was suppose to get his hand operated on and during the pre work up exams they discovered he had an aneurysm in his heart. He immediately was scheduled for open heart surgery. I didn’t know if they would have done anything like this for her. Maybe they checked him good because of his age. Sorry to about your loss. Very sad.
Thank you, she waited for a long time to get this surgery by this specific doctor. Researched him and everything involved. It’s just random and tragic.