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Today is my 16th year SAH Anni-versary ! Wow time sure does fly ! Feeling very blessed in everyway to still be here, so much i would have missed out on with my dear husband. My children getting married, my gorgeous grandchildren, they bring so much joy and happiness. Love them so much and so proud of them all xx Here's to many more anni-versaries 🥰 Thank you all, my BTG family, that have always helped me through when needed ❤️ means so very much xx Take care Love Tina xx

Celebrating my 12 year point mark today. Still regaining and changing and my landscape so different to the one that I lived through back then. I still have growth, I have a new relationship now , daughters almost grown but BTG is such a part of my story that I think I’ll always come and say thank you here to Karen and the moderators and also I think of the lovely folk who helped me along the way and who are no longer with us .wonderful Win and the marvellous Macca whatever you find yourself doing today find the joy in some of it love and healing to all

Thank you all so much for your lovely replies Christmas did not happen 16 years ago as was in hospital for over a month. I dont remember much, my lovely hubby and family have filled me in with alot of the details. I do remember that my Consultant Marios and all the Doctors and nurses were amazing. So grateful they saved my life after 7 hours craniotomy surgery. They told me i survived by a hair. So very blessed and lucky. I really do appreciate all the caring helpful support i received and still receive from my BTG family. Gave me so much comfort with my ongoing journey of recovery. Knowing that what i was going through was normal and things would get better. Thank you, forever grateful and to those we have lost along the way will always have a special place in my heart ❤️ Yasmin, Lizbeth, Win, Macca & Sarah ( Kempse) ❤️

It's with tremendous thanks to all the Staff at the PRH Telford and the old North Staffs Hospital in Stoke that I'm here today to celebrate my 14th Anniversary. I haven't posted on here for several years but the support I received in 2010 from all over the World helped me cope and understand what had happened to me. I'm now 66 years old and happily retired.

I had my SAH due to ruptured aneurysm the morning of Saturday, November 1, 2008. Seems a lifetime ago. Sometimes seems like last week. For all the short-term survivors out there, take heart. It does get better with time as the brain heals and the body learns to compensate. Here’s to the future! 🍷 Colleen

Yesterday was 24 years WoW!!! I got quite a surprise the other day when Ronnie said ‘coming up on your 24 years I thought it was 23yrs so there you go ‘lost a year’ so to speak. 😉 Honesty here I guess the last 4/5years have been a turmoil in some ways Pandemic sort of was like the weapon that crashed it all for me…. I thought at first well I’m in the house on my own a lot so ‘Lock down’ should be a breeze how wrong was I like my hair I never noticed it coming I didn’t realize the impact it would have. My independence hasn’t really recovered even now. I went through quite an emotional time found out Ronnie was ill and I turned into the carer for him for a time which was an emotional challenge, at that time I missed Birthday’s Christmas and maybe other things too I don’t remember but my focus had to be on Ronnie after all he’d been with me every step of my journey it was my turn now. So if I missed your birthday or anything that’s why, I wasn’t not speaking, I wasn’t in the huff was simply my focus was on Ronnie… The Brain Haemorrhage has made me who I am today I’m no longer the timid person I used to be, some would say they couldn’t believe how I was SO different now those are the ones that ‘floated out my life’ those that have stuck by me for the long haul I appreciated that more than words can ever express so I’ll just say ‘You know just WHO YOU ARE’ and Thank-you from the bottom of my heart… Add in the pandemic and lock down getting Jabs and Boosters that throw me into Bah-humbug stuff usually a re-action of some kind, all the time wondering if they’re really are OK and knowing that without it the Covid I had in Apr2022 might have been worse than it was, and it was pretty horrid the Neuro stuff lasted about 3months so that was a challenge. My Auntie Lynn passed so no longer was there someone that could engage those memories of my past, Of times, places and most of all people that were around that was and is very hard. Now I have had 24yrs of learning about the ‘new me’ adapting to her, working with her – has it been easy far from it but (in the words of my Uncle Bud) ‘it is what it is’- it’s with me 365 24/7 I get no time off from ME, and 24years on I am still learning, still adapting to thing but ‘I wouldn’t have it any other way’ I am who I am now and embrace it… BTG: was a life-line for me in those exact words I found I wasn’t alone in how I felt or things able to achive, Karen, Sami, Keith and others all similar but all so much different… I know there’s those that can’t get used to the new ‘you’ it took a long time for me to get used to her a very long time I would say find one thing that is ok’ish and go with that & build on it….Dont let what others think of you Define you, and they definatly don’t deserve a place in your ‘awesome life’ you’ve been given such a gift (a gift of life that many don’t get). ******* To Ronnie without the help and support you have given me over the years I don’t know where or how I would be now, without your help and support and sometimes constant pushing has given me something that in early 2000’s I thought I would never have I owe you so much the me I am today, ok so I constantly talk when you’re doing your crossword, or watching a Movie or TV, I ask questions usually at the wrong times, I’m at times a Thorn in your side I know all that ‘it’s me – its who I am’. You and I started of at work as Friends the true friendship isn’t about being there when it’s convenient, it’s about being there when it’s not. And True friendships are the ones who lift you up, when no one else has noticed you’ve fallen…. You are all that and more you will forever be my BFF I’ve tried with this post to be as frank as I can BE ups and downs of it..

Morning 🌅 all xxx Cannot believe 21 years have gone since the day of my bleed it feels like a lifetime ago but occasionally can feel like only yesterday xxx I still get bad days but they aren't as often. I have done alot in 21 years but the two things I am most proud of are my two boys 19 and 15 (16 in a few days) xxx Life does go on after it you get a choice to either live it or live in the past. I chose the past for quite a while after it caused me to live with fear and worry over it happening again which is horrible, then I had the fear of not seeing my children grow up (it will come back again no doubt when my first grandchild arrives) but I will get through it like I always have xxx In 2020 I found out I had 3 more aneurysms but it was also the year we found out my mom 👩 had cancer. I decided to live the rest of my life worry free from that point on as I had always hidden away to cry on bad days didn't want my children to remember me crying and frightened wanted them to have Happy memories of holidays days out me smiling I haven't cried about my health since my mom died in April 2021and I am living my best life now working full-time, my eldest lives at a castle (he got a job there working with kids) only for a year until uni (he says I'm not so sure he'll want to leave) but whatever makes him happy as I know (we know) how suddenly life can be over so I just want my children to be happy xxx Enough about me thanks to everyone on btg for sharing their good and bad times as it all helped me through I will always be glad I found this group and hopefully I shall be here for a few more years to offer support and advice xxx

Count my blessings every day, grateful for support of my family, friends and BTG xx

Hi there CSmith, you'll find lots of really helpful stuff here as you go through the next part of your recovery. I've found that the best way is to look at all the posts regardless of whether they seem to apply to my situation or not, and just roam freely - I've found some amazingly helpful stuff here. You will see that nobody will offer you specific advice, but without exception they will support you. It seems like your incident was a few years ago now and that you're coping with the new you, but I've found that it never really goes away completely and small things trigger a bit of a fear response from me and my imagination can go into overdrive. Like you, I didn't want my family to worry when I was having some discomfort or struggles with fatigue and didn't want to trouble my GP with it all as it seemed a bit weak, but once I got myself over this and owned up, I found my GP helped immensely, the stress lifted. I start to feel better fairly quickly now I've learned to delegate some of the management of my tiredness to my family and I've found that de-stressing helps me cope better than before and the pains, while still there, don't seem as threatening and don't last as long. I'm sure you will find a solution that helps you personally, but do get medical advice and share with your family if you are able to.

Hi Rose and welcome. You'll find loads of good information here that's for sure. You'll have realised by now that you are in for the long haul as far as recovery is concerned although probably like me you thought at first that people were being pessimistic with their estimates of recovery time scales. I remember my own determination to get back to normality, and the surprise when it didn't happen as soon as I felt a little better - I still struggle with sensory overload even in a small gathering of family and friends. I've learned not to beat myself up about it and recognise it's all part of my recovery and just walk away for a while to get my head back together. Definitely delegate ! It's not a sign of any weakness on your part, in fact it takes real courage to admit you can't do everything, especially to yourself. Enjoy your party.

Hi there, warm welcome to the site, YES so relate to all that... as others will do too... 8wks is early in your recovery even for a NASAH I take my hat off organizing a family do, it really will take it out of you and what you would have enjoyed maybe wont, (that's me honest and it gets me into bother) but been there did that because 'I thought I could and it would be fine' If you can delegate - delegate most of it.... take care..

This is a very helpful forum. I had a NASAH about 8 weeks ago. After struggling with pain, low appetite, balance problems I felt I was improving and offered to host a big family party. I’m now stressed and having problems organising myself. My sleeping and eating are still off key I have various strange symptoms but I’m struggling to accept these limitations. Can anyone relate to this?

Sat here crying! What a lovely message to read. I am approaching my first year anniversary (Christmas Day!). No idea what caused my NASAH so the fear and anxiety have been huge. I have just seen a title on here called “NASAH - will it happen again?” - I am too scared to click into it for fear of what I may read. I clicked on your story instead, thank you for the fantastic, positive post. X

Thank you so much Tina, that is so kind of you. I'm so glad that I can chat with people who understand what I'm going through. Thank you Thank you thank you ❤️❤️❤️xxx

Today is my one year anniversary of my SAH on May 25,2022. I remember it most as I spent the long memorial holiday in Intensive Care. It has been a long year and taking two steps forward with only one foot back. Celebrating this Memorial Day with family and friends. It has been a tough week with many original pains coming back just to remind me it is still around but I am blessed to be here. Thanks to this website knowing I am not alone in the struggle. Thanks to everyone who posted and replied. GB

Hi everyone I wanted to hop back on here and say I got married 2 weeks ago and it all went really well, soo much better than I was expecting. I was definitely worried in the run-up to the wedding that my fatigue would be overwhelming, or my head/ears would hurt a lot, and I wouldn't be able to enjoy the day, but in fact it was amazing. Obviously I was exhausted afterwards (I'm sure most people are after a wedding, regardless of recent brain haemorrhage!) but all things considered I am so pleased with my recovery and that I was able to have the wedding which we planned for without too many adjustments. I wore my earplugs as loud noise is still difficult for me, and the tinnitus seems to be fairly permanent now since my bleed. I did have some quite extreme ringing in the days after the wedding but I was expecting that, and it's slowly subsiding. The exhaustion hit me heavily a couple of days after the wedding but definitely not as badly as I was expecting. I realised that I got married 5 months to the day after my bleed. It was a pretty great way to mark my recovery! I'm also now nearly back at work full time, but still finding long computer days tiring (more tiring than a wedding!) so am having to think longer-term about work patterns and whether I may need to shift into a role which is less screen-based before too long. Hope everyone is doing well. All the best to everyone on this forum Karin x

Hi everyone, Today, I finally reached 10 years. What a journey. In the beginning, there was pain and the fear of not knowing if I would live or what kind of life I would have. The weirdness in my head and if I’d ever feel anything other than pain and dread. My brain was a filing cabinet full of knowledge and order that tipped over and made a mess all over the floor and I was incapable of picking any of my files up. However, something happened along the way and slowly my files started finding their way back. It takes time, hard work, a lot of crying, and it takes hope. The folks on this site helped me tremendously to see there was and is hope. I sit here today 10 years later to tell the “newbies” to have hope. One week leads to one month, which leads to three months, six months, one year, and the next thing you know you are sitting in my spot 10 years later hoping for another 10 years. Xoxo iola

Hi Michelle - I am new on here so not sure if I am replying in the right place. I am sat here crying as I read your post. I am a year post NASAH and seem to live in huge fear of it happening again (happened Christmas Day 2022 for no reason, I was dancing to goofy music and kapow, it occurred). I have had really good counselling but today has been tough due to quite strong head pains, I have been so scared. I have also been scared of looking at this particular chat feed on this forum - but I did and I am sobbing because of the positivity! Oh my Lordy - having a NASAH and full on menopause is fun! Anyway, I won’t ramble on but just want to say thank you for your lovely, positive post. Anne xx

Thank you so much for your kind words - it’s so hard to process. We are all very fortunate for sure and I think that’s what really hit me… I have had a lot of therapy this year to cope with the guilt and the anxiety.. and I’m feeling like I am having to go through it again, alongside the loss of my friend. She was one of the strongest people I know and the fact that she helped me so much this year is what will get me through. I hope everyone is doing OK and having a lovely festive period ❤️ Thank you again for the lovely messages xx

Aw so sorry to hear that - I had survivours guilt for many years (long story) but try not to let it get to you try to find postives and comfort and most of all if this goes on seek help take care.

I can imagine how devastated you must be feeling. Take comfort in knowing that she has given others the gift of life through her donations. Please accept my deepest sympathy for the loss of your best friend.

With many thanks to Subs and Mrs Subs for their very generous and kind donation.🙂 x Many thanks also to all who are donating monthly. x

Welcome back John. How lovely to hear from you after all these years. Congratulations on 14 years and enjoy your retirement. Freedom from the daily grind.

Hello Louise and well done 24 years on. You and Ronnie have so much to be proud of as you've both negotiated so many years of recovery. You are right, it is very much a joint effort to live through the highs and lows of these early years and beyond. Coping and adjusting to the changes SAH has forced on you takes courage, determination and sensitivity beyond your wildest dreams. Patience and relationships are often stretched to breaking point. So glad you were there too for Ronnie. Puting together your post (so well written) shows your amazing recovering when you consider the difficulties you faced posting in those early days as a BTG member. Over the years your input, advice and support to others have been such a valued part of what the BTG community is all about. Thank you for your frankness and keep on keeping on. 😊 Subs

Hi Holly sounds like you have had a really rough time. But how amazing that you have come through it all! You must be really strong. You are still early days in your recovery and to be honest it’s probably fortunate that you don’t have a job to think about returning to. That was my worst experience post bleed as it took so long to accept I couldn’t do the work I did before. Hopefully you will get back to doing the things you enjoyed before the accident. I’m fitter now than I was before as I have gone back to running and gym. I can’t help with your dizziness but hopefully someone on here will face some tips to help cope with it. Have you tried the charity Headway for some support? Congratulate yourself on coming as far as you have in such a short time. Clare xx

With many thanks to Super Mario for her very generous and kind donation.🙂 x

With many thanks to members for your continuing monthly donation ... You're very kind and it's much appreciated. 😘 Also many thanks to Catwoman23 for her generous and kind donation. x

Thank you to all of our members who continue to donate each month....It's very much appreciated. 🙂x Many thanks also to Catwoman23 for her very kind donation. 🙂x

🎉12th Anni-versary to you Daff postive attude is the way to be well done (and many Thanks for all your info) ❤️ Louise.x

Hi all, this forum has been the most helpful in everyone's kind sharing of information and experiences for me to better understand what actually happened to me. The emergency care was amazing, (UK resident) but feel like there is minimal follow up support and just left to find own way with symptoms and management after discharge. I feel so lucky with having a bleed without the anneurysm - although there was an extensive bleed, no cause found. I had 3 lumbar punctures for pressure management and was restarted briefly on nimodopine for vasospasm during my 2 week inpatient stay. I think I am recovering really well but having major sleep issues. I have developed ongoing issues with jerking limbs everytime I fall off to sleep that start with a single limb - usually an arm/leg but progresses to all my limbs and sometimes feels up my back and neck too. Then the affected part feels all tingly for a bit. It doesn't hurt, but they can be quite powerful. I don't actually have an issue with wanting and falling asleep but he jerks wake me up every time. I often can't finally get to full sleep until around 4am. So this impacts on everything else the next day. It also makes my tolerance for frustration and petty annoyances at an all time low - yikes! I have been practising all the good sleep hygiene advice and over the counter antihistamines and chamomile teas etc. I have noticed that if I drink a glass or two of wine I actually sleep better, but don't want to end up medicating this way. It is really difficult to speak to a GP and the neuro nurse has told me I am discharged from her service and these symptoms aren't from the SAH just coincidental timing. Has anyone else had issues with their sleep and managed to resolve them? Thank you for taking time to read this, wishing every single one of you positive vibes and the very best in your recovery.

I'm nearly 6 years since my NaSAH I've got 2 shunts, 1 in my back which is tied off and a programmable shunt in my head, due to complications with Hydrocephalus. I've suffered quite debilitating sensory flooding issues since my stroke. I Use many coping strategies to get me through as best I can. I'm now finding after several years of changeable weather conditions, all year round that its affecting me. Changes in barometric pressure I seem to be very sensitive too and it knocks me for six. Heavy head, fullness in head, nausea, headache, can't think straight, cognitive sluggishness. Sensitivity gets highlighted to bright lights and noise etc. I find keeping well hydrated, take anti sickness and pain med if you need them. Plenty of rest/sleep helps, also keeping your surroundings quiet and close your curtains. I'm finding any storms we are getting I'm being affected by them. I've checked with my hydro nurse and it seems quite a lot of us are experiencing these symptoms with changable barometric weather conditions. Really feel for you all. We've had at least 3 storms over the past month with flooding etc and snow is on its way today. Keep warm, everyone, I'm wrapped up with my fleecy hooded pjs, don't know about anyone else, but my shunt does let me know when it's cold, so I keep my head covered which helps. Lots of love to everyone Bev x

Happy New Year everyone Thank you Louise and DigglyDog for your replies. It's incredibly reassuring to know that what I was feeling isn't unusual. In the end it was a much simpler do than planned but it did exhaust me and I would have felt awful but reflected on the points made here and the reality of what I had been through. The challenge is feeling like I'm over the worst but then suddenly get a reminder that I'm still recovering. Onwards and upwards for the New year hopefully. All the best,

With many thanks to Catwoman23 for her very kind donation.🙂 x

A lovely message indeed. It says it all. Congrats on your first year Mrsherring. One year is such a milestone. Many positive thoughts to you tonight, I too don't know what caused my bleed but 6 years have gone past. Great words in that message... xx Jean

With many thanks to Louise and Compostc for their very kind and generous donation. 🙂xx

Hi Tina, Congratulations on 16 years Wishing you many many more anniversaries. Love how you always have warm words for those who need them, including me. Thank you and hope your day was wonderful. xx Jean

You are welcome and happy thanksgiving. I will give more as soon as things back home in Burma are better🙏

With many thanks to Catwoman23 for her generous and kind donation.🙂 x Many thanks also to all who are donating monthly. x

Louise congratulations on 24 years xxx

Congratulations on the milestone!

Hi Holly a very warm welcome to BTG As Clare has said, you really have been through it and you should be very proud of how far you have come in such a short time. It is very early days in your recovery. I also felt very frustrated i could not do what i did before. I had double vision and balance problems too. Still have balance problems and fatique. Have learnt to pace myself. I found using a walking stick really helped me, even though i felt everyone was looking at me, they weren't. I also wore sunglasess as was very sensitive to light. Felt like a right poser 🤣 😎 Joining BTG was the best thing i ever did. So many others here that had similar issues and helped me with their experiences. You will find lots of very helpful information on the Forum. One step at a time, your parents are right, just takes time. Sometimes i found i went one step forward and two steps back.Your body will let you know if pushing too hard, as you have found out If possible dont rush back to work and when you do, go back on a phased return and see how you cope. Please feel free to join in the daily banter in the Green Room, we are a friendly bunch and we understand the good and the bad days. Never say sorry for being a mopey moaner, we are here for you and totally get how you are feeling, sending hugs xx Dont be so hard on yourself xx Things will get better, just takes time and patience. Look forward to hearing more from you. Take care Love Tina xx

Morning everyone, just a semi regular check in to say that everything is stable as before. Headaches are rare, hearing is still sensitive to higher pitch, loud and reverberant noises, but a pair of noise cancelling headphones and earplugs are always by my side for such activities as might cause a meltdown! Fun fairs... yeah fun fairs are now on the list of activities of which to be wary and for which one must be prepared. Hope all of you are well, within normal operational parameters.

Wow thanks everyone for such practical responses! I’ll go through all these later and might make some suggestions to my ops manager who may be able to help me out with E.g anti glare or larger screens. I’m going into the office more now than working from home because I don’t have space for a good chair/desk/screen set up at home. I definitely think it is the work itself too, not just the screens - I definitely get fatigued so much quicker now doing anything that requires concentration, not just on screens! And everything is taking me longer than before. But I’ll get there I’m sure. In my ideal world I would change job and do something that doesn’t involve any screens ever again but that’s pretty idealistic in todays world!!

Hi Karin, a lot of my job involved computer screens but it wasn't just that that made me decide to cut my hours. I just couldn't cope with the overall fatigue which I'm sure you're suffering with. You may attribute it just to the computer but have you considered that it may just be work. Full stop. As others have said taking regular breaks may help but it may just be that you need to think if you can continue working these hours. Sorry to sound negative, but once I accepted that I just couldn't cope with full time work things did become easier. I still get fatigued but that's because I push myself so it's almost self inflicted. Good luck with whatever you decide.

To update my earlier post on physical therapy, I went twice a week for a month and it has helped my stiff neck and balance. I would certainly recommend it for anyone suffering from the same issues. Coming up on my one year anniversary so looking forward to passing that milestone. Take care Gary

Congratulations on six years Jean. Keep enjoying life with your grandchildren and live life to be full. Hope you have a wonderful trip to Mexico. Clive

Thanks so much Swishy, both you and Mario have firmed up some ideas I was playing around with but wasn't sure about, you have helped with my confidence to take the next step. Kind regards Majella

Like Super Mario I found volunteering to be a good up lifting thing. I sat on it for a while thinking what is something that I have always had a liking for but have put it aside for things like being busy with work family and such... Animals was my answer, I have always loved and been interested in animals. Became a zoo volunteer... I have moved now a bit of a distance from the zoo so I am looking for something new. Again the animals interest me so I have been watching birds all winter and just watched a owl mama and her babies grow. Just ordered a humming bird feeder will put it out first of May. I have some books and there is an app on the phone if I take there picture it tells me what it is. Sorry I don't mean to go on and on...hope it helps.. Jean

I filled my time by doing voluntary work. I did youth mentoring and went onto doing adult mentoring with local organisations. The beauty of volunteering is that I could fit it in as to how I was feeling able to cope. As much or as little and as and when I could.

Hi everyone, I've been meaning to do an update for some weeks now and have finally got around to it. I hope this will be useful for others who join our exclusive club! I was lucky that I was able to pace my recovery. I took things steady and listened to my body. But after about 9 weeks my builder phoned up offering to come and help me build my barn (this was something planned for January but I put it off after my 'incident'... he was now available so I couldn't say no!). I told him I was on limited duties but truth be told, I worked pretty much flat out for 3 days the first week and then 4 the next. I was so happy that we'd broken the back of the build but I was exhausted. I discovered from this activity that my energy levels were not back to 100% but found it reassuring that I could push myself a bit for a few days ... as long as I was prepared for the consequences: I was completely wiped out and spent the weekend recovering from what would previously have been just a moderately physical week. After that I was able to throttle back a bit but it gave me the confidence to steadily return to all my old activities and hobbies, 4 months on and I am now doing everything I did before. But I am doing these things a bit slower, more spaced out and steadier. The last thing I got back to was running. Only 2 or 3 miles at the moment but confidence is growing and I will be patient. I've had a couple of mental issues that I am working through: the first one is that when picking up tasks and hobbies that I previously had no problems with, I have found myself obsessing about strange details. When building the barn, I couldn't sleep at night because I was thinking about how to fasten the roof screws. They are straightforward, but I just found my mind churning it over and over again. And no mind games or relaxation techniques would get my brain to let go. That's just one example of these repeated obsessive thought patterns. My wife and family reassure me that they don't see any change in my behaviour, moods (or even my sense of humour🙂) but it's definitely something I need to work through. The other thing that I've found is that although I'm pretty much back to full physical health, I don't have the same mental capacity and energy for activities. I suffer a bit of brain fog and confusion so I have found it best to pace my social interaction and avoid doing too many social things on the same day. I plan my weeks more than I used to and sometimes I will avoid an activity or situation if I think it's going to overload my little noggin. I'm thinking that my brain has undergone a bit of rewiring and things are still settling down. But I'm fairly pragmatic about it: if I stay as I am then I'm still blessed with a reasonable set of faculties and I am thankful and fortunate to have come through this as well as I have. And if things improve over the coming months and years then that is a bonus (especially at my age!) Oh, and one little discovery this week, yet to be fully confirmed: I went to give blood (having been told by my consultant and my GP that there was no risk in doing so)... but after I told the Blood and Transplant service about my NASAH they declined me and I received a letter the very next day saying I could no longer be a donor. I'm surprised how quickly the letter same through as the nurse said they would have to contact my GP to get my medical notes and would need to investigate further before contacting me. So I won't be surprised if I get another letter in a month or two, either saying the same thing or telling me I am ok to be a donor... I'll let y'all know the final outcome. Best wishes everyone, Dave