October 31, 2025
This past week, Kim Kardashian was on social media about a brain aneurysm issue that doctors found in an MRI scan. She described it as a “little aneurysm” and said doctors attributed it to stress. A brain aneurysm is a bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain, which can leak or rupture leading to bleeding. But the Brain Aneurysm Foundation estimates that 1 in 50 people in the U.S. have an unruptured brain aneurysm and many remain small and don’t cause problems.
The revelation was emotional for Kardashian, who I am told was crying in the new Kardashian’s episode upon revealing her trauma and expressing frustration about the stress she’s been under. She indicated that Kanye gave her Stockholm Syndrome and that led to the aneurysm. Stockholm Syndrome is a real thing in relationships but the connections here stretch. And I’d just comment as one who has divorce experience, you don’t trash the father of your kids in front of hundreds of millions of people because your kids are among those hundreds of millions of people.
Boy, did it get complicated! Me, I’m kind of a simple person so my arterial issue (see below) wasn’t as much of an adventure.
Production Manager: “Whatya you guys think this year to start the season?”
Assistant #1: “I’m still voting a new tequila…”
Well, I’m channeling here. I recently had an artery ultrasound scan, checking for artery blockages. It’s a self-pay; at my age you check boxes to be sure.
Which included this. Hello!
Me, Kim, Kim, me.
Well, I pinged my guy:
Whoop! Nevertheless, close the loop:
Given that stroke and heart attack are the primary killers in my family we pay extra attention to these things. But as you can see, it’s time to move along, artery-wise.
Something I learned at the test. The technician said that you can actually take your blood pressure almost anywhere. That’s why the test includes the ankle area. Checking for blockage in the legs.
Well, two patients, same thing, different reactions.
But I make a couple of points here.
I know people are very sensitive about their health issues, but I am just not that way. I think maybe all those years dealing with client illnesses and then as you age, you can’t begin a round of golf until everyone catalogues their most recent medical issues. I fight cholesterol and fats and weight…the industrial afflictions as I call them. OK, now you know. Do you care? Of course not. Join the industrial disease affliction society, which mostly includes everyone.
But the real purpose here is to encourage y’all to ask your physician what tests might be beneficial for you. It is my guess that testing involving self-pay is not high on the patient-request list, but perhaps they should be. Do providers shy away from self-pay testing as mostly fruitless because people don’t want to pay for them? In the case of this test, it was all of $175…skip a dinner out. But look at how important it is!
Coming up, I have a calcium scan. We tried to get that when I had United Healthcare, they turned us down. I am now with Medicare and Cigna, having happily waved goodbye to United Health. Just parsing that for you.
Now it’s all worth this mention as well. Kardashian’s reaction to her issue is not all that helpful. I can imagine a certain number of people, observing her angst will mutter to themselves, “Hell no. I’m not going through that! I don’t wanna know!”
And so, this pushes people away from getting themselves tested, when they should be encouraged to get various tests done. Sure, she raised awareness, but was that helpful? Was that her purpose?
I found my own experience was reassuring…I worry about stroke and to learn that you’re under control is a big plus. And if they found something that needed attention, attending to it beats the inevitable tragedy of not dealing with it. Give them a chance to get to the problem early.
My oft-repeated retelling of what my Doc told me are the keys today to maximizing life expectancy with the genetics dealt to you (which are hard to beat):
See your doctor regularly.
Do what he/she says.
Take your medications…they really do work.
Eat but moderately.
Drinking is OK, but don’t pickle your brain with it.
Get your heart rate elevated, weight-bearing exercise (including walking) is best.
Of course, you’re then not supposed to get in a NASCAR stock car, but I can be a slow learner.
Final footnote on the Kim saga. She evidently took the California Bar Exam a couple of months ago and is waiting for her results. Sez Kim:
“I hope to practice law,” she said on Graham Norton. “Maybe in like 10 years I’ll give up being Kim K and be a lawyer. Like, a trial lawyer. That’s what I really want to do.”
Well, like, we wish her, like, well.
Thoughts, questions, or reflections? I’d love to hear them. You can reach me anytime at anthony@workingprofit.com
