Full Breakdown
Julie Nashawaty’s Sudden Brain Aneurysm and Ongoing Recovery
By Drooid · · How we work
Sudden Collapse: July 27 Incident
On July 27, 46-year-old Julie Nashawaty, a cat sitter in Boston, was at home during her lunch break when she experienced an abrupt, severe headache and a rapid rise in body temperature. Within minutes she lost the ability to speak coherently, prompting her husband to call 911. Emergency responders transported her to a hospital, where doctors identified a ruptured 3-millimeter brain aneurysm.
Medical Intervention and Immediate Treatment
Nashawaty underwent an endovascular procedure in which a catheter was threaded through an artery in her arm to place coils inside the ruptured aneurysm, sealing it and redirecting blood flow. The Brain Aneurysm Foundation (BAF) notes that roughly eight per 100,000 U.S. residents suffer a ruptured aneurysm each year, while an estimated 6.8 million live with unruptured aneurysms. After the procedure, she required intensive care for 25 days, during which she developed vasospasms—narrowing of cerebral blood vessels—treated with medication delivered directly via arterial access.
Recovery Journey and Ongoing Care
Following discharge, Nashawaty engaged in physical and occupational therapy and received regular home-visit nursing. She described post-intensive-care syndrome, including muscle weakness, brain fog, emotional stress, and sleep disturbances. More than three months after the event, she reports steady improvement but notes that a second, unruptured aneurysm was discovered. Physicians plan future imaging and anticipate treating the second aneurysm with a flow diverter, a small device that redirects blood flow away from the vulnerable site.
Aneurysm Prevalence and Risk Factors
BAF explains that most aneurysms develop silently, often linked to factors such as smoking, hypertension, family history, age over 40, certain genetic disorders, substance abuse, infection, or severe head trauma. Because many individuals are unaware of an existing aneurysm, sudden rupture can present as the first symptom.