SAH/Terson Syndrome by Gothicrosie

Greetings,

I live in the United States, Southern California to be exact and recently came across this site after surviving a SAH this March. I have been extremely lucky in that I have had no additional neural injury from the bleeding, the coiling (with induced stroke), or my current status of Multiple Sclerosis patient. The only immediate issue I had was blindness incurred from bleeding in both eyes. I have had a vitrectomy on my right eye and I can now see fairly well out of it (small distortion in my center visual field) and I will have the left eye operated on this Wednesday.

My SAH started with a strong migraine like headache on a Friday with neck pain. That Saturday I found out my dad had a heart attack and was in the hospital. I decided to drive the 45 minute drive to go see him and my mom on that Sunday. I woke up feeling as if the headache might have gone away. I walked out into the living room where my husband was and my head started to hurt again. I grabbed a big pillow and positioned it on the couch so I could lay my head on it in a sitting position (the position I had started using after the Friday headache). The moment I turned to then sit on the couch something changed and I remember saying to myself "now that's not right." The next thing I remember is seeing my husband holding the phone and firefighters next to me and an intense amount of pain in my head and neck. Then I don't remember much until I was in the hospital the next day, although my family tells me I was able to talk with them and the doctors-I don't remember a thing.

The blindness started with big blobs in my eyes that blocked my vision. Then on the 4th or 5th day they were gone and my entire vision was obliterated by huge floaters and an overall cloudiness. I was told I had Terson Syndrome, a rare result of a serious SAH. I was in terrible pain for days after the event and coiling. The hospital put me on some serious drugs (the names I do not remember) that made me hallucinate. They eventually took me off those drugs after a particularly bad episode where I tore out my IV and made a mess of my room.

I no longer have headaches but I do have lower back pain and my right leg sciatica is back in force. I understand that pain is from the blood in my spinal cord from the SAH. I am hoping it goes away soon because it limits how long I can sit in a chair.

Looking forward to seeing in stereo again after my next eye surgery and glad to have found someplace where there are others who have lived through a SAH.

Best,

Rosie

SAH/Coiling March 4, 2012

Multiple Sclerosis 2007