I’m going in on may 8th for embolization number 6. 
It’s becoming exhausting after years of this over and over but I’m hoping that maybe after this procedure I can have a break for a while. This sucker of mine is stubborn, lol!
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Well, I assume you’ve got insurance coverage, so that’s a great place to be compared with some time ago (a year or two? I lose track!) and I know you had a difficult time last time, so I hope it goes nicely.
One of my favourite people on the planet, the late @TJ127 had something like 18 or 19 embolizations, so I hope you get sorted much quicker than that!
Given how difficult last time was, are you doing anything to distract yourself from the upcoming date? It strikes me that keeping busy, keeping your mind from being too free to think about the harder stuff would be a good idea.
Sending you lots of love and very best wishes for all of May!
Richard
I still don’t have any health insurance but I’m very lucky that the hospital has been able to put me under a financial assistance charity to get the cost of my surgeries covered. Mainly I’ve just been at work a lot which definitely helps to distract me. But I’m looking forward to getting this next surgery done and over with and hopefully getting a break for a while.
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Ok, well that all sounds great 
Hi there. I am going for number 5 in July. My IR said I will need one every year to keep on top of it since the MRI after number 4 showed no significant changes. It’s a matter of keeping it contained. I didn’t get one last year because I had heart surgery and I wanted to heal but I am starting to feel it. So keep positive, every single embolisation helps even if they don’t cure it and they don’t all hurt. Number 2 and 3 were su***ers but number 1 and 4 were a walk in the park. Best of luck from a fellow pelvic AVM fighter.
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I’m so sorry to hear that you have to get them so often. It really is a battle. The only “decent” one I’ve had so far was number 4. 1-3 were extremely horrid and traumatic, and with my most recent one last fall my body just couldn’t handle all the medication and the recovery as well and I stayed really unwell for a few weeks. Hopefully this next one is a lot smoother.
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I am wishing you the best! We are all behind you, support you and here for you! John
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Thank you!!
I hear you. I have had the Gamma Knife three times for my brain AVM and two failed attempts at embolization. I still don’t know if the last Gamma Knife worked, and I’ve been dealing with my AVM for over 19 years.
I hope you get a long-term solution soon! 
Love, Julia
I’m so sorry that your journey and struggle has been for so long. I wish for a better solution for all of us one day!
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Good luck with your embo. I’ll tell you I was so relieved after I got my craniotomy done. The AVM was finally gone - no more risk of rupture. I’ve got a gnarly scar and my left hand doesn’t work anymore but I’m happy to say I will not be dying from a rupture. The surgery went off without a hitch. The only crappy part was getting the sutures removed. You should ask for the craniotomy if it’s an option for your AVM. it’s scary but it’s better than a rupture, which is also scary
Thankfully my AVM is not in my head, but unfortunately it is on my body 
which makes it tricky but in a different way. I’m hoping to get a break from embolizations for a little while after this one
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If you’re AVM is not in your Brain I’d say that makes you lucky. Sorry for the assumption. I forget there are other kinds sometimes
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No, it’s okay! I’m incredibly grateful that it is not in my brain as I’ve seen others on here with it located there and it’s horrific to hear their stories about the struggle and risk with it. Mine is basically my entire left butt cheek, thigh and left side of my pelvis, so that portion of my body is like double the size of my unaffected side. It really sucks big time but I know things could be worse and I’m grateful for my doctors and the surgeries, as hard as the surgeries are and the side effects of those surgeries.
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