I never thought to ask my doc at the hospital an General Practitioner has already said she knows nothing about AVM. The schols holidays are coming up and i was maybe going to take my son on a flight somewhere nice. Does anyone know if there is any prolems with flying and what would the insuance be like?
My doctor told me not to fly long distances. Having heard that though, I’m not going to fly at all. I think it has to do with cabin pressure causing a bleed and I just don’t want to take a chance.
Thanks for the advice Liam i will google now, i really want to take my son away as feel we need it and i feel this has put a strain on him even though he’s only 7 he is constantly asking me how i am and thats just not fair
I’ll let you’s know but it won’t be till summer as we are going up nortyh for Easter and thats just a train
Thanks AmandaG
I’m maybe just thinking of Euro Disney at summer cause for Easter we are going up north - niceand cold NOT!
Just want to do something nice for wee man as he is only 7 and always asking how i am which i hate him doin as feel he shouldn’t be in that posotion Bloody AVM Grrrr
My neurosurgeon’s opinion was that I should live a completely normal life while my AVM shrunk from the gamma knife. During the following year, I flew 10 times probably, including a flight to/from China. If it a bleed mid-air that you are worried about, consult your airline’s customer service for their policy on mid-flight medical emergencies.
–Ben
Hi Amanda, My doc. also told me not to fly until 6 months after my surgery. he said the pressure would cause me pain. This was after surgery.
Thanks Ben
I have decided to g come rain or come shine, my wee man deserves it.
Stay Well, Amanda
Hi Donna
it will be six months around 15 April so I’m going come summer as we could put our life on hold for ever waiting on the next bleed so it can buggar off - i must be feeling brave today haha
Hey Amanda… my surgery was Nov 6th and i flew the first week of December and i was fine!!! I think you will be ok!! I didnt have any problems what so ever!!! i agree with Ben … LIVE A NORMAL LIFE!!!
Tara
Hello! As background about me: I have a cerebral AVM, it has not bled, I had gamma this January. I fly all the time. I flew more than 100,000 miles in the last year and a half. I have never had a problem. Since being diagnosed in December I have flown to Detroit probably 5 time (1.5 hours), Miami (about 3+ hours), New Orleans (2+ hours), Amsterdam (too long-- 8+ hours) and Israel (even longer).
Ben,
I got the opposite advice – keep the air travel to a minimum, especially those long polar flights where there is no possibility of getting help if needed. I was supposed to spend spring semester teaching in Mongolia and my neurosurgeons and neurologists were in agreement – don’t go.
Marcia
Yes, I guess there are so many differing opinions. I was even cleared to exercise at the local gym, which I did for a while. I guess the key takeaway is there are so many variables and so many opinions. I would suggest doing whatever your neuro and gut tell you. Now, I avoid flying, decongestants, and most any exercise.
–Ben
Hi Amanda
I’ve also been told I can travel as normal. I found ‘more than’ travel insurance very good and they were OK about insuring me with the AVM. You can do the medical bit online as well.
Soili x
I think there are a couple of issues here.
Is flying in an dof itself dangerous? – I don’t think so; as others have pointed out, cabins are pressurized and most of us do it so often we’re unlikely to have blood pressure spikes that could harm us.
The real issue seems to be that if you do have a bleed, how will you get timely treatment. Timely can be critically important to reduce the extensiveness and seriousness of the consequences of the bleed. Hence, polar cap flights, i.e. to China, are really not a good idea – you’re hours away from land throughout much of the flight.
The other related issue is where can you get good treatment? Anyone with a brain hemmorage needs to be seems at a hospital where there are neurosurgeons actually physicaly present, not just on staff, and preferably with someone who has some experience with AVMs. It’s not a bad idea before you travel to check out possible medical care at your destination.
Then, it’s always a matter of how much risk are your willing to take. I’m taking my sister (who’s dealing with a neurapathy following a 2004 serious motorcycle accident ) for a week’s vacation in Jamaica, but I chose not to spend 4 months in Mongolia (where I was supposed to teach this semester). I’m willing to risk no care for 1 week, but not 17!
Marcia
Hi Amanda,
I will say that the only problem i had on a recent flight to Mexico was that there was some pressure but it was not bad especially when you are coming down, the altitude change. I also on the way up, did have an aura for a migraine. This was my first flight post surgery. I think that it is a personal decision and one that only you can make. If you have flown before, you know what to expect. If you feel ready, then maybe you are.
hi there Amanda how are you? Well just to let you know I was told by a few doctors to carry on living a normal life and dont let having an avm change anything that I would like to do . Hope you and your son have a lovely hoilday .
I agree with you and Ben or we’d be in limbo for ever, maybe talk son to euro disney in summer as he’s 7 and would prob luv it. And as we knoe life is to short…
Hi Marilyn
Cool you must be racking up the airmiles 
I’ll be flying this summer holiday with wee man, thanks
Hi Soili
Yeak i’ll check out insurance with them. i’m just thinking of euro disney as its near and paul 7 now so will love it. i’ll let you know final destination
Hi Emma
Will most likely go euro disney as its close to uk. the docs are right or we’d spend the rest of out lifes wrapped in coton wool - i hate touching that stuff!