Jump to content

Search the Community

Showing results for tags 'sah'.

  • Search By Tags

    Type tags separated by commas.
  • Search By Author

Content Type


Forums

  • Subarachnoid Haemorrhage/Stroke Discussion
    • Subarachnoid Haemorrhage Discussion
    • Non-Aneurysm SAH or Perimesencephalic SAH
    • Stroke Discussion
    • Carers Support
    • Untreated/Unruptured Cerebral Aneurysms
    • SAH/Stroke Anniversaries
    • Cerebral AVM's - Arteriovenous Malformations
    • Your Story
  • General Discussion
    • Advice & Tips/Healthy Living/Benefits
    • Introduce Yourself
    • Driving After SAH

Categories

  • Articles
    • Forum Integration
    • Frontpage
  • Pages
  • Miscellaneous
    • Databases
    • Templates
    • Media
  • Useful Websites
  • SAH Info
  • Your Story
  • General
  • Inspiration

Calendars

There are no results to display.

Categories

There are no results to display.

Blogs

There are no results to display.


Find results in...

Find results that contain...


Date Created

  • Start

    End


Last Updated

  • Start

    End


Filter by number of...

Joined

  • Start

    End


Group


Jabber


Skype


AIM


Yahoo


ICQ


Website URL


MSN


Interests


Location


Biography


Location


Interests


Occupation


SAH/Stroke Date

  1. Hi, On around the 26th April I woke in the early hours feeling very dizzy as I rolled over, I needed hubby to help me to the toilet, as I was very wobbly. Got back to bed and sleep. Got up ok, just had a bad headache, after 4ish days of the headache hubby took me to hospital, this was on Sunday 1st May 2022. They did some tests and a CT Scan, to find out I had a bleed on the brain. (SAH) I was rushed to a bigger hospital, lights and sirens to get a angiogram. They fasted me from midnight for the angiogram, Monday around 5.30pm they let me and the nurses know that it's not happening, so I can eat and drink. They fasted me again from midnight for the test Tuesday. Waited all day again, dehydration setting in, which made my headache worse, again sometime in the afternoon they said it wouldn't be happening today, so was allowed to eat and drink, but surprisingly couldn't do much of either. By now my tongue was covered with a white yucky texture. Fasted again from midnight to have the procedure Wednesday, same story, no procedure and fasted from midnight again. Thursday around lunch the nurse or myself (brain a lot foggy by then) was told I didn't even need to fast as it's a local in my arm. Grrrrrrr. Thursday afternoon I finally got the angiogram, than had to wait until the neurological team have their meeting, once a week on Tuesday's. They did tell me I did have spasms around the bleed. So I sat back until Tuesday. When they came in, it didn't really show if there was an aneurysm or not, so will need a MRI Monday, ready for their Tuesday meeting. So that happened Monday, then they could still see spasms, and won't send me home, even though I seemed ok(their words) To cut a long story shorter this continues for a few weeks, the last Monday before I was discharged I had another angiogram in the groin, after that I had to lay down flat on my back for 4 hours, which was torture. I was discharged Wednesday 1st June, I lost the whole of May, had Mother's Day and my birthday in hospital. The next day I had an appointment at the stroke clinic, we walked in and get told "you shouldn't be here yet, your brain hasn't had time to recover" coz they made the appointment when I was admitted, but didn't change it as I was in for so long. The doctors took me off my happy pills(could of caused the bleed) and withheld my RA injection(1 per fortnight) incase as well. So I wasn't feeling the best mood wise, and 4 days after I got home we had to have our 21 month old puppy pts due to NCL5, we lost her brother the year before with the same illness. I'm still not allowed to drive yet, I have an driving assessment appointment on the 15th August. Does anyone know what this involves in Australia?
  2. I had SAH with coiling and EVD 11 weeks ago. How long before I should get a follow up appointment? My GP says I should have one as does my contact from the Stroke Association and someone at Headway. I still have back pain although it’s not as bad as it was. What’s worrying me more and more are the auras. They are getting more frequent around 3 times a week. My GP knows about them and says to ring for a follow up hospital appointment. I keep trying but all I get is an answerphone and I leave a message but no appointment materialises. At a bit of a loss to know what else to do. It’s like a brick wall. Does/did anyone else have frequent auras ?
  3. I’ve previously posted about developing blind spots in my vision. I’m 4 months post SAH. I’ve had tests at the rvi. Newcastle and they found eyes looked normal. I’m going back for electrode tests on 28th to see if optic nerve etc is functioning. I’ve got flashing lights and blurry vision as well as blind spots. Every day is a challenge for me. Im not coping with this at all. I spoke to a first response counsellor who is referring me to the acquired brain injury people for occupational and psychological help. Im ruminating constantly over not calling an ambulance when the bleed happened as it was 11 at night and I didn’t realise how serious it was so tried to sleep it off. I was walking around quite conscious the next day when I went to a&e and it all went wrong from there on. Not treated for a further 5 days! All I can think about is I was so lucky to have survived the bleed and to be conscious it must have been a small one and if I’d got treated straight away then like many survivors on here I’d still have my vision. I look at photos of my life this time last year and I just cry. I’m can’t see a future and how I can be the partner and mum that I once was. Where do you start when every day you struggle to get out of bed and everything you do or watch on tv reminds you that you can’t do that anymore because you can’t see properly to do it? Im 47 and waited so long to have my little girl now I just feel I’ve let her down. I was a hands on mum doing everything I had the best life working part time spending the rest of my week looking after everyone else. Now all I do is walk her to school when it’s light enough for me to see. And cuddle on the sofa watching tv. Im so sad all I want to do is stay in bed as that’s where I can remember how good life used to be.
  4. Hi again everyone As the date draws closer for my procedure, on Weds 11th August, I just wanted to thank everyone who posted about theirs and who has been supportive and helpful throughout. I took great comfort in reading people’s posts before the op, and the natural anxiety and apprehension, but the relief to read the ‘hi everyone I’m back and recovering’ posts is something I’m holding on to and looking forward to being able to post myself soon! I had the pre-op tests a couple of weeks ago. Then I have to go for COVID-19 swabs tomorrow, isolation at home until I go in for the op on Wednesday. Please keep me in your thoughts and send virtual positive vibes on the day! xx
  5. Hi all My SAH was 2017 and I still worry about it happening again . I had coiling and worry it’s not as effective as other methods. Does anyone else feel like this? I’ve also noticed being irritable and cross about everything . Best Wishes Josie
  6. Hi everyone Firstly, I want to thank everyone for sharing their experiences and personal stories. I have many a time taken comfort and hope from reading posts on here but have never felt brave enough to post before. Apologies in advance if my first attempt is too long! I had a SAH caused by a small 2mm ruptured aneurysm in 2013. Thanks to the amazing medical team and surgeon who performed the coiling I survived. It has been a long journey and my life is completely different now but I have adapted as best I can. I have been regularly monitored with scans yearly or bi-yearly with minor neck residual fill detected and monitored, until a larger change in size/fill coil compaction was detected in 2019. After an angiogram to look more closely in November 2019 my consultant decided that I should have a recoiling due to be scheduled for March/April 2020. He said at the time there would be less risk doing the procedure than not. He also said if it was urgent they would not have let me out of the room. Then obviously it has been delayed due to COVID, which I fully understand. It is classed as elective surgery so therefore I assume not ‘urgent’. Although a telephone consultation with a neurologist I have never met (standing in for my usual) said it should be done within months not years. I have been trying not to worry and have had a call with the nurse who though it may be rescheduled in Sept/Oct 2020 until this third wave, which I know has hit the hospitals really badly, especially my hospital. It’s so strange, originally I was terrified by the prospect of another recoiling and was thinking I didn’t know if I could go through with it but now I can’t have it I feel very differently! I manage fine most of the time but then get a wave of panic wondering how much at risk I actually am now, at what stage does it become urgent, and what I would do if it happened again. I assumed that would be it and I would be unlikely to survive a second bleed but have read other experiences where thankfully this was not the case. I would be so grateful to hear of anyone’s experiences, opinions or replies in any capacity. I understand every situation is different and how long is a piece of string etc... Thank you for reading and thanks in advance for any replies.
  7. Hi everyone My Background: I had an SAH 9.5 years ago with 2 sessions of hydrocephalus- it was minor and I’m 95% back to normal now. My grandmother had multiple strokes. My uncle went blind in 1 eye following his stroke. My mum had a stroke (minor) last week following vertigo 1 week before her stroke. I read up on medical journals and vertigo appears to class as a warning sign for an impending stroke for a small percentage of the population. So...2 days ago I had vertigo (possibly brought on by stress of my mum having a stroke?). I just want to describe my experience to see if anyone here has had anything similar and then later went on to have a stroke. The doctors however won’t treat this as a TIA and didn’t see me but just send me meds for vertigo. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I had a sudden attack of vertigo the day before yesterday which went on from 7am to 6pm (ish). At first everything swirled around like being on a Merry-Go-Round, making me feel very nauseous and taking me off-balance. It gradually abated until I moved my head either up or down and then it started again. I was ok if I sat still and worked at my computer. After around 6pm I kind of went back to normal and the world just only seemed to move a little if I tested it by moving my head up or down or if I laid down - particularly if I laid on my back - but not full-on spinning. Today and yesterday I’ve had a few brief moments of the world spinning fast when I move my head up or down but mostly odd slow-moving spinning at other times followed by intense tiredness, as well as periods of normality. Today I went to bed at 2pm-7pm after waking up at 9am as I feel that tired. I was given meds for vertigo sickness which can make you drowsy so that could be the reason, but it’s unusual for me to feel soooo tired. My head feels only a little achey and dull pain across eyes and odd pain sensations in head. I’ve had high BP and blood sugars. Lately I keep having my arm, leg or stomach just spasm for no reason when in bed. I had eye tests yesterday and no haemorrhages spotted. I know that sporadic vertigo can be a sign of a TIA indicating a warning of an impending stroke. Has anyone here had a second stroke following an SAH (or a first stroke) where they had vertigo a week or so beforehand or can spot that they had a similar experience to me before a stroke?
  8. On April 15, 2021 I suffered a sub arachnoid hemorrhage. I was very lucky mine was small I spent four days in ICU And was discharged home. I am very fearful of this happening again, will my head ever stop hurting? I know it’s only been a short time not even three weeks, I’m so tired folding a load of laundry requires me to take a rest. Just looking for some support.
  9. Hi all, Just need some advice. In November I experienced a sah due to a fall off my horse. I've been back to work 5 weeks only doing mornings. I'm still experiencing tiredness, dizzyness and headaches, has anyone experienced this still after and if so for how long? I've been signed off for another 6 weeks to rest but I live on my own and can't afford ssp for 6 weeks. Hope to hear from you and any help accepted. Love shazza x
  10. Hi all, I don’t often pop in as it brings it all back to me , my SAH was in 2017 but to this day I’ve never quite felt the same . I get tired easier I don’t seem to have same energy levels and my mood is low a lot of the time and I cry at the slightest thing . Every night before I go to sleep I worry I will have another ruptured aneurysm. Is this normal after 4 years .
  11. My 75 year old mom had sudden onset of double vision, extreme confusion one day last summer. At first.. thought dehydrated or something.. after drinking pedialyte she was a little better.. took her to her dr, they sent her to neurologist and he found a meningioma on brain. Took her to eye doctor..eyes had no change from the previous visit. She started having pass out spells, thankfully the first two me or my son were right there and caught her so she didn't hit the ground.. the 3rd time she passed out she wasn't so lucky.. fractured skull and 3 brain bleeds..we are extremely lucky she's still here! Neurologist says she's having seizures when she has those spells. The reason I wrote all above is maybe someone has been through something similar .. I've told this to every dr and nurse that will listen.. all I get is.. that's odd. For the symptoms to just show up one day out of the blue.. it's just odd in my opinion. So, if anyone can offer anything .. I'd love to read! Mom's home now..I live with her because she can no longer live alone. I'm married with one child still at home.. work full time.. to say it's been stressful is an understatement. Times like these.. you find out you're all of a sudden an only child! Thankfully I have a wonderful mother in law and an ex sister in law that helps out a lot!
  12. I have a history of SAH with frequent headaches just want to check if anyone got a vaccine and how there health is going on? Bit scared. Thanks,
  13. Hi, wondering if anyone can just help settle our worries a little bit. I know every case is different would be great to hear what other people went through watching a loved one during recovery. 2 weeks ago my Dad (aged 51) suffered a very large SAH. The last 2 weeks have been such a rollercoaster from the point where we were sat in room with a doctor telling us there was nothing they could do as he was not responding, to the doctor coming back in saying scrap that, he has just started responding. He has been in Neuro critical care and the staff have been absolutely amazing. He recognises us all, he can eat and swallow, his eye sight seems ok as he can read big signs on the ward etc. 2 weeks on he is extremely confused and just rambles on his own little world about random dates. Each day he thinks he is a different country in a different situation. Is this confusion all normal? If we talk directly at him and ask him direct questions his memory is there and he knows the answers. But we just want the normal dad back, not the confused one. Is the confusion and being in your own little world normal and if so how long did it last for other people? Also the surgeons have said they have looked at all jis scans and stuff and stuff and they have decided they do not want to intervene or operate as the risks are too high. They have just said they will continue to monitor and it will take months and months for recovery. Is it normal for people to be untreated? Especially when it's a large bleed? Thank you, just looking for some re-assurance that the confused patient is normal and all part of recovery. Thanks Dotty
  14. The Brain and Spine Organisation publish a good set of literature on SAH which My family was given after my SAH , they run a helpline which I have called in the past and now they are organising their first ever conference solely about 'life after SAH' this November at the National Hospital in London which is where I was lucky enough to be treated. The agenda looks pretty good, I have personally met the Neuro physiologists speaking as they ran 6 group sessions I attended post my pysch testing over a year an a half on to help me develop some techniques to help cope with my cognitive challenges and they were very helpful and run this course throughout the year so will have picked ul a lot of experiences I am sure. It's a full day which might be a little much for any one in early days post bleed but maybe useful for a carer also? Anyway thought I would share. It costs £10 and maybe worth it for anyone within travel distance. http://www.brainandspine.org.uk/life-after-subarachnoid-haemorrhage-conference
  15. Hi - I've used Titanium as my 'stage name' as, along with platinum, it's one of the sturdiest metals and that's why it's often used to decorate (aka repair) our brains. Firstly if you're a fellow SAH survivor reading this I want you to pat yourself on the back as the quoted SAH death rates vary from 45% to 80% within a month, combine that with the fact there are only 8-10k cases in the UK every year so some GPs only have one patient during their whole career then I think we're doing well! Especially when people hear you've had a brain haemorrhage they always have a tale of a relative or friend who had one too but they weren't lucky enough to wake up again. I had my first SAH in August 2010 (no headache previous to it) - I was walking on a treadmill at the time so have realised that I shouldn't believe what they say - exercise is actually bad for you! The SAH was clipped and I went through the learning curve pretty quickly as I run my own business so had to be on the ball to pay my staff wages at the end of the month. Part of me wanted to be able to be at home to do a proper recovery but the other part of me knew that I could do that for a long time but going back to work would still exhaust me whenever it happened and by having to use my brain it got it back into the groove quicker. As I was only 38 at the time I knew I was lucky in that youth was on my side. I had my second SAH on Friday 13th (previously my lucky date) in 2015 - again with no headache prior and literally just heading off to work. This time they looked to see if they could coil and they were able to so I avoided having hair like a nest this time. Within 8 weeks afterwards I had a large seizure (again no warning and hadn't had one prior) but fortunately the ambulance arrived quickly and gave me an oxygen fix - since then I've been on Keppra although it's questionable as it delays brain recovery (anti-cholinergic drug). I have had 2 cerebral angiograms since and have refused to have another one moving forward. The last time something happened in my brain that the neurosurgeons haven't heard of before so given the high risk I don't think my brain will entertain it again whilst I'm awake (plus they damaged the femoral nerve artery so it was mega painkillers and unable to walk for a week). They discovered I need more metal in the second SAH by it hasn't grown since the previous CA and I now have a third unruptured aneurysm but we're just leaving it until next year - I've done a comparative on the last 2 CAs and it hasn't grown significantly so it's safer to leave it be methinks. (Especially as I'm reading 'Do No Harm' by Henry Marsh - an insight into the world of neurosurgeons (humorous in some places and a wake-up call in others). So, that's the harbinger of doom part written. Do I lament my misfortune and wrap myself in cotton wool? Absolutely not. Every day when I wake I smile because I've woken up on the right side of the grass; when I'm tired as I've been working on a screen all day then I put music on and do silly dances; I laugh internally when I express my opinions knowing that I don't really have many brain barriers now so that's my get out of jail card; I can't drive so I see and hear the tapestry of life when travelling on public transport and I appreciate everything around me when I'm on foot. I'm not married and I don't have children (as far as I know) - it's just me, myself and I but the three of us seem to be titanium when it comes to coping with these brain hiccups. So, in the grand scheme of things I think I'm actually quite lucky and long may the luck prosper! Sarah SAH August 2010 - clipped; SAH March 2015 - coiled
  16. Please help if you can. Is there anyone on here who has experience in residual aneurysm after subarachnoid haemorrhage with clipping as treatment. My mother had a grade 5 SAH with serious vasospasm and hydrocephalus 3 months ago was in a coma and on life support and told she wouldn't make it! Well she proved everyone wrong and has done amazingly! She was home, (after just a month) and is walking, talking and living fairly independently, with just memory, fatigue and mild confusion issues. However after an angiogram yesterday we have now been told that 3mm of one of her aneurysms have been left behind... We don't know yet what they will do about it or how worried we should be... has anyone had a similar issue? also she was flying to Cyprus for my wedding in August (5 months post SAH as she is well enough in herself for the trip) but now I don't know if this has risks? please help thank you xxx
  17. Hi. New to forum and would like to introduce myself. Had SAH on 4/13/2015 on a trip to Albuquerque, NM for continuing education. It was coiled. I am a self employed real estate appraiser in East Texas. 51 years old at the time. Male, was a smoker and fairly heavy drinker. No longer. Grade 4 SAH on the Hunt and Hess scale, out of 5, which means I had a 20% chance of survival. Then you figure in I had Torsen's syndrome, blindness caused by blood forced into the eyes from the bleed. I've read that Torsen's syndrome multiplies your chances of the SAH being fatal by 4.8. Sorry if these topics have been covered before or if my statistics are not accurate. Make no mistake, I don't know much medically. Anyway, apparently the odds were against me surviving but I did. Was blind in both eyes for about four months before having a surgery to restore my vision. The synthetic fluid used to replace ones natural fluid in the eyes caused cataracts. Then had cataract surgery a few months later. A breeze compared to what else we have been through. I don't remember the event or anything else for 5-6 weeks. Spent 26 days in Neurological ICU in NM, my wife says (My unbelievable caregiver). Flown on Medical plane to a suburb of Houston and spent another month or so in rehab before be discharged for PT in my hometown, 60 miles north of Houston. Went through 6 weeks of PT in my hometown. Another 3 months in another, highly touted, physical therapy institution in Houston. Made significant improvement but still had, and still have, physical deficits including balance, walking/gait and fatigue. Thankfully no depression, which is amazing, as I had major depression prior to the explosion in my brain, since 2001. All the improvements in the deficits continue, though at a much slower pace than I wish. I am, however, very grateful for any progress! I could go on and on. But don't know how much information would be useful. I, like everyone else, would like to know when, or if, I will fully recover? I don't think any human, knows. What I do know, is I will continue to strive for it
  18. I had a SAH on the right side of my brain 2 months ago. With a 100% blockage on the left side . This has been the worst nightmare. At least I am still alive, but the pain I continue to have is unbearable. Not only the migraines, but different pain in my legs and arms. No one seems to be especially concerned with the pain I am in. After the first angiogram in the hospital, they kept me in neuro ICU for 5 days. I had a second angiogram a 2 weeks after. The neurosurgeon said he wants to put in a stent and that he thinks this needs to happen sooner than later. 2 weeks later we go to an appointment, he states he wants to put me on Plavix, then he will schedule the angioplasty. I return a month later with no further tests and he tells me he is not doing the angioplasty (with no real explanation). The brain spasms(vasospasm) kept for about a month. I think I still have them. Best way to describe is squishy head. I have episodes where I lose balance, my vision will have a vibration effect, bursts of white stars where I almost fall. I take 10mg of Norco and the pain still will not go away. However, the neurosurgeon said the migraines have nothing to do with with the SAH and gave me Fioricet ( which does not work). I had migraines before, but nothing like this. Not to mention, these are WAY different than any migraine prior. I can't work full-time. I am so sensitive to all light, especially the sun. I cannot look at my computer at work for more the 4-5 hours. I sit in my home after work crying half the time. I am scared to do anything strenuous or exciting, bending over hurts my brain(blood rushing), being outside in full sun hurts my eyes(even with sunglasses on). I have had about a total of a week relief(combined days) in 2 months from migraines. Hopefully, this new neurology appointment June 1st will come up with a treatment plan. Can anyone help with any suggestions?
  19. Hi my name is Fay I'm 29, I suffered a SAH 2 years ago now, I feel I have fully recovered. I have recently found out I'm expecting (I'm currently 10 weeks, were over the moon) I am due an MRI scan in June to check on my other aneurysm which I have and my current one which was coiled off. I contacted my consultant and spoke to the nurses which have taken care of my after care and have been brillant. I spoke to them and they didn't seem to concerned they didn't want to see me and they said there is no link to pregnancy and brain aneurysm but they would let the consultant know about my news. They changed my MRI date till after my due date. I was just wondering if anyone has gone on to have a child and what care they got from there consultant? Or am I panicking over nothing? I worried when I push there's a lot of pressure on my head. thanks in advance xx
  20. Hi, on 25th January 2017 I was admitted to hospital after an MRI revealed two SAH's on either side of the brain. The past three weeks I had headaches and left side neck pain that would develop during exercise and then continue during the day. They were quite intense during the workout and would reduce in intensity for the rest of the day. I kept exercising and then I got a severe headache one training day. Convinced it was coming from my neck I did every type of massage and saw the chiropractor who said my neck was the best he seen it. Three days later, while exercising (all sessions were with medium sized weights) I had an explosive headache and couldn't turn my neck. I made an appointment for GP next day and she recommended, after I told her that my mother had an aneurysm in an artery of the brain, to have an MRI and gave me some migraine meds. They didn't help and the next day I went for MRI and was told to go directly to emergency due to bleeds. They couldn't find an aneurysm initially but with a subsequent angiogram they found an aneurysm in the internal corotid artery. They did not think it was responsible for the bleeds but suggested stenting it just in case ( it was small). They told me at first that they thought I had reversible cerebrospinal vascular spasm, a controversial diagnosis. Some doctors said they didn't think that was the cause of the bleeds. My question is what reasons have members been told as to the cause of their bleeds. I'm really quite scared that it will happen again if there is no reason for it. Also have many of you had a SAH during exercise? Have you been told not to exercise again except for gentle stuff? Thanks for reading my story.
  21. Hello everyone, My mother suffered a SAH in 2012 which was coiled. This site really supported her and my family throughout her initial recovery, so I'm really hoping for some advice. My mum has been doing fairly well up until recently. She gets the usual headaches and pressure feelings, but recently (in the last month or so) she started to get quite sudden headaches. They mostly subside after taking paracetamol but often can linger on and occur again later in the day. She says the come from nowhere and can be quite intense. I'm wondering if anyone else has every experienced this in the years post-SAH? The worry is always there as I would never want her to go through another SAH so any advice is greatly appreciated.
  22. Hi, I am new to this so I apologise if I am not writing in the correct forum. I already have a post in the SAH part. I am a 22 year old non smoking female. Looking for some advice from people who have experienced Permiesencephalic Sah ?? I have recently been to A&E for a severe headache, it started off as a bad migraine. I thought nothing of it as I had a cold and thought it was turning into the flu, I could not walk or bare any light I had pins and needles in my left leg and they would often feel weak. - diagnosis was sinusitis on my left side. However, a consultant noticed something on the CT scan and believe it to be a SAH on my right side. I have been referred to a neurologist and am waiting for an appointment to become available. I have been left in the dark, so to speak, with regards to what is happening and what will happen when I see the neurologist. It's on my right temporal area and I still get pressure headaches and sensitivity to light on the odd occasion, I have also become a bit ditsy and forgetful and zone out a lot. If anyone could tell me what to expect, or what could happen I would appreciate it. Would I be put on tablets? Is this very serious? Do I need an op? Can I travel abroad? Can I have a baby? Is this bleeding on the brain or an aneurysm? The letter from hospital stated this word for word, if anyone could shed some light as to what this means? Subtle areas of linear high density are demonstrated in the right temporal parietal region and could represent a small volume of SAH. Extensive inflammatory changes are demonstrated involving the left ethmodial sinus left sphenoid sinus and the maxillary antrum. GP to arrange urgent neurology appointment for SAH My first visit to a&e was on the 19th December, I was given antibiotics for sinusitis.
  23. Hello everyone. I'm Cassandra, I'm in my 50s, and I collapsed at work in June 2015 with a sub-arachnoid haemorrhage due to a ruptured aneurysm. The aneurysm formed at the site of a really small AVM on the right hand Anterior Inferior Cerebral Artery in my brain stem - an area of the brain one of my specialists describes as 'eloquent', meaning it was a sort of 'Grand Central Station' that basically ran my entire life. For 4-6 weeks prior to the SAH, I experienced a range of symptoms that could well have been related: double vision, dizzy spells, stabbing pains up the back of the head, a regular, rhythmic sound in my head and excessive fatigue and exhaustion. I was referred to a cardiac specialist by my GP but my SAH intervened! I had the aneurysm embolised during angiography, but from what I understand both cranial nerves # 7 and 8 (facial and vestibulocochlear nerves) were damaged through interrupted blood supply and the procedure. I had a 'tiny stroke' which contributed to mild and temporary facial palsy which has pretty well 100% gone away. I have no memory of the first 6 weeks, but I'm told that it was a miraculous recovery from a huge bleed and that I had no vasospasms. I did have hydrocephalus so got a VP shunt (the non-adjustable type which just uses pressure to modulate the flow). Sixteen months after the event, after steady incremental improvement I am mobile and can lead about a 75% normal life. I can't drive or work. The biggest issue i have (aside from the almost constant fatigue) is the continuous chronic feeling of numbness, congestion, heaviness and pressure in my head - largely on the right side. This is the one thing that makes me say ‘I can’t live like this’. My anti-depressant is helping me manage it short term to medium term, but long term, if there is no change, it stands in the way of what could be close to a 100% recovery. None of the four specialists who have handled my case have offered a useful or helpful prognosis or explanation for what is causing this numbness, congestion, heaviness and pressure, and I don’t think waiting to see if it improves over time is satisfactory. I can't help thinking that three years down the track, with no change, a specialist will finally pay attention and say, Oh, let's have a closer look.... I'd rather look now! My husband has done some research and I have found that there appears to be a connection between ongoing neural inflammation and ‘foggy brain’ and a significant ‘double-edge sword’ role played by activated microglia on inflammation I found two papers that support this but no-one in the medical field was impressed.. Norman Doidge, author of The Brain That Changes Itself and, more recently and relevantly, The Brain’s Way of Healing” talks about the role of the glia cells and, importantly, the production of toxic cytokines. He makes a strong case for positively influencing how the brain handles this activity - and others - through laser light treatment. I tried weekly treatments for 3 months, but at $70 a pop it was becoming a bit of a financial drain. Anyway, I've followed this forum for a while and with the help of my husband have signed up, and am hoping to get some insights from others!
  24. Myra

    Myra

    Hey! My name is Myra and I am from Georgia in the US. I have been so thankful I found Behind the Grey! I had a SAH September 22, 2016 while running on the treadmill at the gym. I was stabilized at our ER and then airlifted to Emory in Atlanta. They said I had a non-aneurysm SAH. I spent 10 days in the neuroscience ICU. They didn't really give me any information about SAH recovery at discharge, so this group has been very comforting to me to know I am not alone. I still have headaches daily, sometimes pretty severe ones, and have expressive aphasia and short term memory issues. The doctors say these things will get better with time. I started back to work, for half days, on December 1. I have been pretty fatigued since starting back but love my job and really want to get back to the life I had before. I am a RN. I worked in surgery for 7 years, and just went to work full time at a busy endoscopy center in July, while keeping my OR position at the hospital as well. Starting back to work seemed to push me back in my recovery but I am trying to push through. I just had my follow up cerebral angiogram yesterday. And it was normal! However, I have had a nonstop headache since and my expressive aphasia has worsened again. Has anyone else had any experience with this? Any thoughts are encouraged! Thanks! -Myra
  25. Hello everyone. I am a 55 year old male. Non-smoker all my life with a late developed asthma, (49 years old), as the only real medical problem I have ever had. It has been 6 weeks since my SAH. I spent 3 weeks in hospital and I have been out now for 3 weeks recovering at home. The consultant advised me that my bleed came from a vessel that was shaped in a fashion not conducive to being treated with coiling/embolisation. He therefore fitted a clip which has hopefully sealed off the weakened area of the vessel. It's a shame that things could not have been treated using a coil and via Angioplasty. Like many of you, I had my scalp cut from the middle of my forehead, along the (receding) hairline, and curving down to just in front of my right ear. The scar traces a kind of semicircle and where it travels down onto the side of my face, it becomes quite thick and noticeable. Being male, I guess I'm fortunate that it is partially concealed by my side-burn. Like most of you I expect, before it happened to me, I knew little or nothing about such conditions. My experience was lying in bed on a Sunday morning, raising my arms over my head and stretching and arching my back slightly, I felt an explosion of pain at the base of my skull. I stayed largely in bed for the next 4 days hoping that things would get better. I was experiencing, headache, neck pain and stiffness, zero appetite, occasional nausea, light sensitivity. All the usual things as I have subsequently discovered.Finally, I called an ambulance and was taken to hospital. I had not improved in the 4 days I had been lying up, and so decided finally to get a medical opinion. Like most men, I have no great faith or liking in Doctors or hospitals. Women are far more sensible in such matters. Even then, the main reason I called for an ambulance was only because a fall I had had 8 days before made me wonder if perhaps the pain was a delayed effect and maybe I had a cracked vertebra or something like it. I realise that I must have been in denial, as I couldn't really bring myself to believe there was anything seriously wrong with me. When my local hospital advised me they were sending me to a specialist Neurological hospital, this was regarded by me with a large amount of anger and annoyance. When I had arrived and been assessed by the hospital, then told they were actually going to have to cut open my scalp, cut a square out of my skull and operate on my brain, my anger only increased. Could this really be happening to me ? Could things really be this serious? Well...most of you know I guess. I can hardly be unique in my thoughts and emotions. I spent the next 3 weeks in hospital, mainly pushing for them to release me back home. I am not a good patient. I was almost at the stage of discharging myself and making my way home. I had never spent time in hospital before. Life in a ward is constant disturbance, lack of privacy and general powerlessness. A private room is quieter, there is less disturbance, but the experience soon turns into a type of solitary confinement. Its almost a toss-up which is the worse. They are both bad in different ways. Fortunately for me, they agreed that I could go home after 3 weeks. Many people may have had to stay in hospital for longer periods I expect. For me, that would have been positively hellish. Six weeks later, there is now only one small scab left on my forehead. The scar-line is clear but where it travels onto the top of my face it develops into a kind of welt. As I say, this is largely concealed by my sideburn. I am more conscious of the scar than I thought I would be. I have never thought of myself as overly concerned with vanity, but I have not gone out of my house without covering my head with a hat of some sort. Baseball cap or woollen hat. I don't experience much in the way of pain. The scar where it reaches my face tingles quite often. I have regular pain behind my right eye and discomfort on the area of my skull that was effected by the surgery. I rarely have to resort to any kind of pain relief fortunately. When I do it's simply a couple of paracetamols. I am not noticing any difficulties mentally. If anything my short term memory seems better that it was before. My speech is not slurred and I have no difficulty in conversation. I am convinced that anyone who knows me, would not notice any difference conversing with me on the telephone now and before my SAH. I don't want to do anything much. I limit myself to small amounts of housework, domestic items and correspondence or financial chores each day. I will do perhaps 3 such items in a day broken up by reading and sitting down and resting. Concentrating can be an effort and I am only wishing to watch TV programs of 30 minutes or an hours duration. The thought of watching a film and concentrating on it for 90 minutes or 120 feels too much trouble. Reading, strangely, is totally different. A good book will engage me totally for prolonged periods without any difficulty or mental fatigue. Regular sleep patterns are totally disrupted. I basically just sleep when I am able, normally only succeeding at about 7 in the morning to 11 or so. I lie in bed and rest a fair amount but normally resort to listening to the radio or other audio files as sleep doesn't come. I don't want to see friends or family particularly at the moment. I don't think I am turning into a recluse but I feel like I don't want to go to the trouble of having people around and conversing with them. When I got home from hospital, the 3 weeks I had spent in there had weakened my leg muscles considerably. I felt unsteady and weak. I had lost about 1 & 1/2 stone in weight. Now I am able to walk about the house fairly normally and will start to go for outside walks, weather permitting, any day now. I will start of with short distances and work my self up to a 3 mile local route on the flat. I worry about future possible occurrences. I worry about how my lifestyle may need to change and also I have a heightened sense of my own mortality. I expect this is normal. Not just for SAH sufferers but for anyone who experiences a major medical problem. Well that's enough of an introduction for now. Hope to talk to some of you later and possibly to exchange experiences and maybe give and receive some insights.
×
×
  • Create New...