57-year-old Linda Inglett was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm in December 2006. She went to an ENT in Savannah because she was having trouble with her vocal cords.

After running test Dr. Fred Daniel told Linda that she needed to get to the hospital because she had a possible brain aneurysm. Turns out Dr. Daniel was right and it’s amazing that he caught the BA by accident. Dr. Jay Howington of St. Joseph’s/Candler peformed a procedure called Edovascular Embolization (platinum coils and stents were inserted in Linda’s brain). She survived the ordeal. If the aneurysm had ruptured, she may have been debilitated and left in a nursing home for the rest of her life, or worse - she could have died.

There was a bigger risk that Linda could not see. "When I was sitting in there he told me I had a possible brain aneurysm. And I thought he got me mixed up with someone else", Linda says. MRI and MRA results proved positive. Linda's aneurysm in the middle of her brain had been caught by accident. When I got diagnosed it was like I'm gonna die." Dr. Fred Daniel suspected she had an aneurysm while reviewing her test results.

Days later Saint Joseph's/Candler and Neurosurgeon Dr. Jay Howington became her source for hope. "She was lucky that her aneurysm had not ruptured", says Dr. Howington. Wasting no time, Dr. Howington used the best technology to keep her alive. Dr. Howington relied on Endovascular Embolization, a familiar procedure which has advanced to become the perferred treatment for many patients with brain aneuryms.

Linda Inglett recently went back to Dr. Howington for one of a series of follow-up cerebral angiograms to check her progress. "For Linda Inglet we checked at 6 months. Then we checked at a year which is what this angiogram is . Then we will do one at 24 months. If at that point there's no further aneurysm on angiography we consider that cured", says Dr. Howington.

Today Linda bravely shares the story of her battle with local stroke survivors. Part of her mission is to raise awareness and hopefully prevent brain aneurysms and illnesses associated with them. "If I could get on top of a mountain right now and scream to the world to wake up people with brain aneurysms that you can be fixed with a brain aneurysm before it ruptures lord somebody help me get there", says Linda.

And her testimony has touched the hearts and minds of people like Ann Farr who was born with an aneurysm and has suffered from a stroke. "We need help to get the time to go in it so that the stroke belt can slow down and get down. so many people here do not have the knowledge that they need", says Ann. Linda's work even has her husband excited about what she's doing.

"We've got to get more awareness out about what to look for and doctors...like she was saying earlier they can't read your mind. If you're having a problem tell them. If something doesn't feel right tell them, and then it may be something they can do about it", says Wyman Inglett.

Dr. Howington says there are few places in the country offering screenings for aneuyrsms, and Linda is trying to change that. "I'm trying to start brainograms. We've got mammograms..why not brainograms to look for ba's, brain aneurysms..bs's. But yeah that needs to happen...needs to happen. save your life."

Linda is pushing to get Brain Aneurysm screening in Savannah. There is only one early detection screening program in the country that doctors know of. It's in Austin, Texas sponsored by The Missy Project. It's in memory of Missy Magel. She died from a brain aneurysm in 1999.

A brain aneurysm is a bulge in an artery in your brain. The most common type of brain aneurysm looks like a round berry — attached to your artery by a tiny neck. As long as the aneurysm is small and doesn't rupture, it poses little risk to your health. Such aneurysms may go undetected indefinitely and produce no signs or symptoms.

But some brain aneurysms are large enough to put pressure on surrounding brain tissue. Others may rupture at a weak spot in the artery wall, flooding an area of your brain with blood. A ruptured aneurysm may quickly become life-threatening and requires prompt medical attention.

In the United States, between 2 percent and 5 percent of the population — up to 15 million people — have or will have berry-type (saccular) brain aneurysms. But fewer than 30,000 of these aneurysms rupture each year. Most aneurysms, particularly small ones, don't rupture.

People of all ages can have a brain aneurysm, but they're more common in adults than children. Women are slightly more likely to develop an aneurysm than men are. How serious an aneurysm is depends on its size and location and on your age and health. Small unruptured aneurysms are often best left alone, though treatments are available for larger aneurysms.

FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION...

VISIT: http://www.mayoclinic.com/

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS:

An unruptured brain aneurysm may produce no symptoms, particularly if it's small. However, a large aneurysm may press on brain tissues and nerves, possibly causing:

Pain above and behind the eye
Numbness, weakness or paralysis of one side of the face
A dilated pupil
Vision changes, including double vision
Drooping of an eyelid

IF AN ANEURYSM ERUPTS THESE MAY BE THE SIGNS & SYMPTOMS:

Sudden, extremely severe headache
Nausea and vomiting
Stiff neck
Double vision
Loss of consciousness

WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE:

A ruptured aneurysm is generally considered a medical emergency. About 40 percent of the people whose aneurysm has burst don't survive the first 24 hours. Another 25 percent die of complications within six months.

Seek immediate medical attention if you develop a sudden, extremely severe headache — particularly if it's accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

If you're with someone who complains of a sudden, severe headache or who loses consciousness or has a seizure, call 911 or emergency medical help and get the person to a doctor immediately.