Mamalaa, Hi. I haven't had these problems, but my mother did. And she was NEVER Dx'ed with lupus. After I was Dx'ed, well into my 40's [eeek! Old! And even older now!
], I really started to wonder about HER, minimally that she may have had antiphospholipid syndrome, plus quite possibly lupus. She definitely had Raynaud's, migraines, & heart problems. She was put on a blood thinner in her 50's. Her aneurysm, which came in her late 80's, was a subarachnoid, in her brain; her surgeons were neurosurgeons.
My mother did have several surgeries during her decades on a blood thinner: gall bladder was the big one, plus several minor procedures. She was weaned off the blood thinner then put back on afterwards. She did well, even with the gall bladder procedure, which happened in her 70's.
Anyway, you're in an area with great doctors. I think at this level of medicine, your vascular surgeon & rheumie (or GP) should be quite willing to communicate freely. And have you found any written info on carotid surgery? Reading in advance could help you develop more good questions---and maybe good answers will help calm your worst fears.
Hang in there! I hope you keep posting here. Best wishes, from Vee
Re: Brain Aneursym and Pulmonary Emboli 
i really hope you have things work out well. and i want to stay in touch with you i think you'll be great support for me... hee hee
