What Do I Do?

[Pug_pappa]

7 months ago, I had a shunt installed after a SAH. I'm 49 and had a complete recovery without loss of function. Today, my wife woke me from a sound sleep this morning and asked me a question about our business and I couldn't answer her question. Earlier this week, my teenage son said thank you sincerely to my wife and I and I jumped all over him as though he was being sarcastic. I misread his tone and reacted wrongly without thinking.

 

There are other examples. My wife has said she is concerned about this level of confusion. I tried to get in for a neurology consult today and the next appointment is 3 months out. I'm not sure what to do at this point. I don't think I'm confused, but I did just notice I was less sharp than normal in a conference call. When I had my SAH, I had a distinct head ache and my BP was 174 over 147. I don't have a head ache now and my BP is 128 over 85 which is normal for me. 

 

Any suggestions as to what to do next?

[Skippy]

Hi there

 

Unfortunately you are going to have to wait for that appointment.  Is it worth calling them and explaining your situation and symptoms?  It may prompt them to fast track your appointment.

[Daffodil]

Hi there, 

 

firstly if you feel that you have a sudden deteriotation in cognitive function or feel nauseous or you or others notice a change in temperament these are all not to be ignored with a shunt and can be signs of a block or shunt malfunction so I would urge you to go and get this checked out. They may scan you, they may do a shunt series but either way don't  ignore a new onset of symptoms and the medical professionals I have met will alll say they prefer to check it out and find nothing rather than risk a shunt failure. 

 

Like you I have a shunt post my SAH and I have experienced what you describe many times now and it is worrying when it happens but more familiar to me now and hubby is now used to having to rouse me to waking most mornings. I no longer do mornings well.

 

You say you have made a full recovery and that is wonderful but equally you will not, cannot  have escaped this and your operations without brain injury and insult and it may be that some of the effects from the bleed are beginning to make themselves known. Hydrocephalus literally squeezes the brain shutting off senses like lights so recovery post bleed means some of those effects and deficits  don't show straight away, they didn't for me anyway. It was only about a year in that I actually began to realise ( and had help) to understand what had changed and that my limits and cognitive capacity  were now entirely different. 

 

So my personal theory is that the initial months are dealing with acute healing from the bleed and then you start to reveal what living with a shunt and hydro is like combined with what the bleed effects are and that can be clunky, that's my best description anyway. 

 

But simple answer from me as one shunt club member to another. 'Go get checked' and if that means going to your treating hospital A&E then so be it. 

 

 

[Winb143]

Hi Pug,

 

Welcome to the shunt club some of us have shunts others do not need them xx

 

It could be you and your under pressure but as Daffs said get it sorted as stress is bad for us.

 

When I get the rats/humpy I cry lol as my family have been through it,  and we can be hard work .  

So get it sorted as it might be something or nothing ..We can relax then and No Stress.

 

Wishing you all the best and try singing a happy song when you feel down xx (Win swears by music lol )

[Louise]

If someone woke me from a sound sleep and asked me a question - I probably wouldn't be able to answer it either.

 

even though its 7months you are early in the recovery its a slow learning curve I think anyway.

 

if your at all concerned speak with your GP.... 

 

and yep I'm a shunt-club-member too