Probably 13 years ago my husband had an ultrasound checking for kidney stones. He didn't have any but was told he had an abdominal aortic aneurysm. We didn't ask what size. Through CT scans and ultrasounds, we've learned that in 13 months time it has grown from 6.4 cm to 7 cm. They say there are blood clots around the inside of the abdominal aortic aneurysm. He doesn't have pain. I wonder how long he can live with it that size. Surgery is out of the question. He is nearly 80 and has dementia.

A month ago my 78 year old Caucasian cousin was laying on the couch watching TV with his hand on his stomach. He felt his heart beating under his hand which he though was odd because it had never been there before. He went to the doctor's office the next day and 2 weeks later had surgery for this a-a-aneurism right near the branch to the kidney. He is recovering now.

In 2004 my sister had an abdominal aneurysm. She was in her 40s. While talking on the phone she suddenly felt intense pain, boring pain in her abdomen. She went to patient 1st clinic after delaying about 6 hours, they were closed. The next morning she went back and white cell count was high so they transferred her to emergency room. Finally she was diagnosed 24 hours after her abdominal aneurism had burst. A blood clot had lodged in her intestines and she lost most of her intestines due to sepsis, miraculously she is still alive today. She has never been healthy since but she is still alive. So if something feels wrong don't delay getting checked out.

I had a serious pancreas surgery done and was recovering at home. I had been out of the hospital for two weeks. For a couple days, I was not hungry and forced myself to eat for my recovery's sake. In the morning, I had eaten a waffle when all of a sudden I got very nauseous and started throwing up without being able to stop. My sons were going to take me into the hospital, but I knew somehow that that was not going to work, and they called 911. I started vomiting blood in the ambulance. By the time we got to the hospital, my blood pressure was really low and they were having me sign forms for blood transfusions. Within the hour, I had an abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture. I lost 10 units of blood and coded. I am very blessed to be here telling my story, hoping to save someone else. Instead of surgery, they used these coils that they put into the artery to close it off, and it worked. It took seven coils. If you feel as if there is something not right, there is nothing wrong with getting a doctor to look at it. It's better to be safe than sorry. It's been seven weeks, and I am getting stronger every day.

I have been swelling just below my navel on my left side. I have had extensive lower back pain on both sides of my spine. I went in to have an MRI of my lower back and they told me I may have an aneurysm. I think a blood clot could have broken loose from a previous ankle sprain and has traveled up my leg and lodged in the aorta. I'm awaiting my CT scan results as I type. Hope I catch it before it ruptures.

On 14th March this year, my father woke with pain in his groin and abdomen. This then moved to his lower back. He became concerned and called 911 and was taken to A&E dept. He was listed as having abdominal pain (why didn't they recognize the symptoms?) and made to wait on a trolley for 2 hours because the unit was busy. The aneurism finally ruptured and all hell broke loose with Nurses and doctors everywhere. Unfortunately it was too late and dad didn't survive due to massive blood loss. We were not aware he had this or we would have insisted on a scan when he was admitted. Please make a noise and don't allow this to happen to your loved one!