It is estimated that 1 in 15 people will develop a cerebral aneurysm during their lifetime - but the majority will never rupture! The Brain Aneurysm Foundation says, “50% of people who experience an SAH die within minutes of a massive hemorrhage"

What kind of Karma God did Brett Michaels anger? The man cannot catch a break. The 47 year-old former lead singer of the 80’s hair band Poison and reality TV star (Celebrity Apprentice/Rock of Love) seems to be having one major health scare after another. The life long Diabetic was admitted to the hospital on April 12 after suffering from uncontrollable vomiting and stomach pains. That night he underwent emergency surgery to remove his appendix. He was later transferred to a diabetic after care facility where he blogged to his fans while he recovered.

Michaels said, “They told me that if I had gone on stage like I wanted to, [my appendix] likely would have ruptured and I could have died. When you're not planning on having a body part ripped out of you, it can be a shock to the system.'' And as recently as Wednesday, Michaels said on a scale of one to 10, he was feeling about a 5, and was concentrating on getting his blood sugars back to normal. ``I'm not 100 percent now, but I'm sure as hell not where I was when it happened.'' Sounds like he’s on the road to recovery, right?

Wrong… On April 22, Michaels was rushed to the hospital again after complaining of a debilitating headache. Several CAT scans, MRI’s and an angiogram later the news was not good.  According to his reps, Michaels suffered a brain hemorrhage, which they described as a “massive subarachnoid hemorrhage - bleeding at the base of his brain stem. He is in the ICU and his doctors are running more tests to determine the cause of the rupture.  He is currently in critical condition and his situation will be touch and go for the next few days.” 

A subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) occurs when a blood vessel ruptures in the area between the brain and the thin tissues that cover the brain called the subarachnoid space. SAH affects more than 30,000 Americans every year and typically occurs rather suddenly. Only 40% of people who experience a major rupture, experience the warning signs: localized headache (known as the 'thunderclap headache' and often described as the worst headache of their life), nausea & vomiting, stiff neck, blurred or double vision, sensitivity to light and loss of feeling.

SAH can occur at any age and is slightly more common in women than men. Of the 50% who survive, 25% will suffer delayed death, and the remaining 25% usually survive with varying degrees of brain damage.” When dealing with brain hemorrhages, location and severity are key factors in survival, recovery, and treatment.

Michaels, the father of two young girls, is very lucky to be alive. The most likely cause was a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. It is estimated that 1 in 15 people will develop a cerebral aneurysm during their lifetime - but the majority will never rupture! However, the incidence of rupture is about 10/100,000 annually. The major risk factors include HBP, which is also one of the complications of diabetes, smoking, and drug use.

As of today, Michaels’s doctors are still unable to locate the source of the bleeding. The Brain Aneurysm Foundation says, “There are a small percentage of subarachnoid hemorrhages where sometimes the aneurysm has already ruptured and you can't find it. Or it's so small and covered by the blood that it hides the aneurysm from being seen by an angiogram. If located, doctors typically treat such hemorrhages either with surgery, in which the source of the leak is clipped or with "coiling," in which slivers of metal are inserted through a catheter in order to clot the blood.” 

Clearly, Michaels isn’t out of the woods yet and the next few days are critical to his survival. I have one question though; do you think we’ll finally be able to see what’s under that bandana/cowboy hat combo?

Stacy Matson is a health enthusiast from Southern California and regularly blogs on Celebrity Health for A Healthier World, as well as contributing to the Best of the Best.