.  .  .

Brain aneurysm—HEALED ...Chris Pusateri

A few days after my MRI/MRA's, I picked up the faxes at the clinic. Reading them, I didn't understand them – the significance of them. Yes, it said I had a brain aneurysm, so??? What does that mean to me? I emailed both my brother and my doctor friend, then called and immediately reached my brother, Steve.

Steve's delay returning my earlier call was due to calling his friend, an experienced neurosurgeon, whose recommendation was open brain surgery for the “3mm aneurysm arising from the anterior branch of the right A1 segment.” Steve explained that the surgeon would cut a hole in the side of my skull, move my brain over and put a clip, sort of like a clothes pin, on the aneurysm. Also, that with this type, coiling was not an option.

This conversation happened just as I was about to sit down to coffee with my husband, Mark, on December 27, 2006. I told him. We were both matter-of-fact and calm discussing it, that is, until I was driving home. The reality and significance of this hit me, and I fell apart in a panic – a reaction I repeated often over the next few weeks – faith bringing calmness and peace, then waves of panic, doubt and 'what if's?'

For those of you who don't know much about it, as I didn't at the time, a brain aneurysm is a bulge in an artery in the area under the brain, posterior to the eyes, medial to the ears. If it ruptures, fatality is very high, and if you live, permanent, serious complications are very likely. After talking with my neurologist, I was scheduled for a diagnostic cerebral angiogram.

The evening I learned of needing brain surgery, I went to my Church's service. Afterwards, a friend asked how I was doing. When I told her, she asked if I had told Pastor Joe. Since I hadn't – this news was only 4 hours old to me – we went over, and I told him. He laid hands on me, praying for healing. He finished and told me I was healed. I believed I was healed, yet there was a part of me that doubted.

A few weeks later, the interventional neuroradiologist stated he'd see how big it was, what type it was, the type of neck it had, and that there was a 2/5 chance more aneurysms would be found.

The nurse escorted Mark to the waiting room while I was being prepped, telling him she'd bring him back in when it was over so the doctor could go over the results with us. Mark told her we weren't worried because there was no aneurysm.

After the tests, she went out to get him and said "we all saw the aneurysm on the films, how did you know there wasn't one? Did she have a different test to show it was gone?" He replied "No, it was because we prayed over Chris, and God said she is healed."

I'm looking forward to opening my own massage business. I’ll be graduating on August 16th and then I take my boards. There are many benefits of massage; and then there are benefits in the laying on of hands. Because of the Lord, I'll be able to say to my clients, "Want to hear something amazing? My brain aneurysm is gone!"

- Chris Pusateri July, 2007

Back to Case Notes Index