Search the Community

We're looking to raise at least £800+ per year to keep this site running.... Hosting alone and part management with Invision, is now costing us £600 per year, so that doesn't include any extras that we may need to put into place ... such as paying for up to date software upgrades every couple of years and new themes/skins that support the new software. Information technology changes like the wind and in order for this site to work properly and without any glitches, we have to move with it. If we don't, it results in areas of the website becoming "broken" and the website and forums would eventually fall into decay and not usable. Everything, that is carried out on this site is voluntary and carried out to a high standard and would cost us significantly more, if we had to employ people in a professional capacity to do the same. Therefore, we rely on the goodwill of volunteers to keep this website running at the high standard that it is, for the minimum of costs. If anybody would like to give a donation to help keep us running there is a Donate button on the site .... if you would prefer to send a personal cheque, then please contact me via Private Message or the website via email. With many thanks to all who've set up a regular monthly donation with the website and you know who you are! x A regular monthy donation helps the site to budget for the following year/s and to be honest, it's a bit of a relief and less stress for me when working out our finances or if we need to consider fundraising. I'm not good or at all comfortable with asking for money to keep this site funded and it goes against the grain for me, but I can see that it's often down to some individuals who donate the one off larger amount who've floated the site funds to take BTG forward for another year, after I've appealed on the website and without these members, BTG wouldn't be here. So, it's also with many thanks to those of you, who've donated a yearly donation over the years and you also know who you are ...x Thank you all for your kindness and giving support to future survivors.

I’m in the UK and had a Brain Hemorrhage when I was 18 years old, I was only in hospital for a week and came out fine. Or as fine as you can be. I had trouble adjusting afterwards as I was constantly on tablets for roughly a year I think. I don’t seem to be able to remember much at all. I get fatigued pretty quickly and over the last couple of days I’ve been getting small piercing pains behind my left eye where I had the anuerysm, I don’t know if this is just my brain overthinking everything as this happens 11 years ago on February 7th If anyone has felt the same pain or has any advice I would be very grateful, I don’t want to mention it to my family as they worry as soon as I say anything about it or any headaches which I suppose is understandable

Hi all,a question for the ladies, Merrill had her sah almost a year ago, and a month after the sah she had shunt fitted, because merrill suffers from excema there has'nt been a time untill this week that she has not had a minor infection somewhere in her head, well my question is that if you have a shunt fitted is there any problems involved with her having a colour put on her hair, does anyone colour their hair, and has anyone had problems with colouring their hair, Thanks Rod

Hi there my husband suffered what the doctors are calling a non anuerysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (because they couldn't find a reason for it) Oct 4 at about midnight. We had just finished being intimate when he started to have an intense headache the worst he's ever felt. About a couple minutes later he had passed out on me for 2 minutes. In that time I was screaming for him to respond as I was calling emergency. He came to as I was giving operator our address. By the time he medics came he was drenched in sweat. Sitting down his BP was 118/70 when he stood up for them it dropped to 96/60. They took him in and found a subarachnoid haemorrhage near the brain stem on CT scan. They transferred him to a different hospital that could better help him. They did ultrasounds of the brain and an angiogram as well as a second angiogram the same day he was discharged. He was in the hospital 7 days went home the 8th. It's now been 13 days since he first passed out on me and went to the hospital. He's on pain meds, nimodipine every 4 hours and his regular meds he was taking prior to for blood pressure and such. He had been on brilinta for 6 months prior to this happening due to a stent in his lad artery. They stopped brilinta and have him on plavix now because less risk of bleeding. I dont know if the brilinta caused him to have nasah but I have my suspicions. Not asking for medical advice on this just curious if anyone else was on brilinta when they had a sah or nasah. my reason for writing this is he's been having major severe pain in his lower back and butt and hip area.. also noticing he is having really bad sweats every time he goes to sleep. Has anyone else dealt with the severe pain in lower back, butt and hip area? And have you had really bad sweats when sleeping? What is your story? I'm still really shook up over the whole thing because it happened after being intimate. Any advice, testimony etc would be helpful. Blessings to all of you and I look forward to getting to know you and any help through this. -Crystal

Hi all, I have posted before and am so thankful I found this forum. I referred a wonderful young mother to the forum after she had a stroke because you are all so kind and helpful. Anyway, I am 2 years out from my bleed and I still get relapses where I am exhausted and have tinnitus/brain fog, usually after an event (Halloween party this time). Does anyone have recommendations for how they deal with this? Should I stop using my phone and computer? Should I take any supplements that might help? What’s worked for any of you? I feel frustrated but I am still happy and chugging along. I would ask my neurologist but according to docs, symptoms are gone in six months to a year. Haha. Maybe a dark room and listen to a book? Would love ideas. Thanks again for all the support.

Has anyone ever been tested for adhd as an adult after their SAH. I am currently having some testing done following some testing my occupational health department arranged for me which flagged up potential ADHD. It just seems to be one more thing that the ****** gift of a SAH gives. I'm now 13 years post SAH and this has hit me really hard. I think it's seeing all in black and white how my brain is failing me. I'm usually really upbeat and positive but not right now. I can't stop crying and doing the 'why me" which I know is useless. Any treatment advice would be gratefully received. Seeing my GP next week to discuss.

Hi all🌺 Thank you for sharing all your stories- you have NO Idea what a help And comfort It has been the past few Weeks. 2 weeks ago my husband- Sam-had a bleed. He is 56, fit and bit of a “health freak”. He was at the gym, early morning session, feeling great, when he felt a “pop” in the back of his head (while doing chest press ) followed by intense discomfort. It was quickly followed by dizzyness and nausea. He did not pass out. He managed to get a hold of me, telling me he had probably pulled a muscle badly in neck, and could I drive him home. As I got I him, the nausea, pain and dizziness was bad. But we drove home! Can’t really believe we didn’t go straight to hospital. At home this LOUD convulsive vomiting started. It Was different from normal vomiting. It went on and on. With so much neck pain every time he vomited. We were talking about what to do. Sam wanted me to examine his neck (I am a physio). I didn’t want to. Thought perhaps he had a badly herniated disc. Or meningitis. or even a broken vertebrae. I never thought he had a bleed. There was no neurological sign. No loss of strength. The GP came to our house. Pretty much took one look at him, and called an ambulance. At the local hospital they did a scan- and SO MUCH to our shock and surprise- it showed a subarachnoid bleed in the brainstem. Quickly he was airlifted to Much larger hospital. More Scans. And also an operation- which showed there was no aneurysm. After that everyone seemed a lot calmer. He stayed in intensive care till the next day-and in the hospital for a further 4 days. His early symptoms In the first days was nausea, still some vomiting , headache, neck pain, tearful, and pain in his buttocks. Over the next days he was given pain medication, fluids, rest and monitoring. Hospital was great. And it quickly became clear- that he was so so Lucky. He can think, and talk and move freely. For that we are gratefull. It has been a crazy ride. The first scare, supporting our sons, comforting my husband in this scary time. He was just SO brave and strong though. Back home he is still on painkillers. In the first days mainly for headache. But that is so much better. He forgets a few Things.. misses a word occasionally. .. struggles with too much noise or screentime. But.. we know it could have been so much worse. His absolutely biggest struggle right now is an INTENSE pain in his lower spine / sacrum Area. It takes his breath away. Makes him cry out in pain. Makes him uneasy in standing and walking. He is very anxious to find out what it is- but doctors don’t seem to agree. One doctor thought it was residue from the bleed in the spinal fluid. Another totally dismissed this, said it was the lying down/ inactivity. He DOES move around - Sits in chair, goes for short walks. Has any of you experienced this?? How long did it last? What did you do ? Hope someone can share their experiences and advice. Much Iove Tanja

Good Evening All, it’s been a long time since I’ve been on here. I’m recovering now from a Reverse Shoulder Replacement. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has had a problem with head jerking movements? My SAH happened 4 years ago this month. At first I thought it was me falling asleep, you know, the twitching before you actually go to sleep. But this, actually turns me over sometimes or makes my head go backwards etc. It’s crazy and goes on for hours. I’m going to go to the doctor as soon as I get a little further past this surgery. I was just wondering if anyone else has had something like this. I am getting headaches in the back of my head now too. And my scalp is very tender to the touch sometimes. It’s just crazy, no problems really until now, well the last few months. Thank you in advance for your help, if you happen to know what this might be. Have a wonderful weekend and I hope everyone was able to see the Eclipse, it was awesome.

Hi all, Two weeks ago, my mum suffered a sudden SAH, she was intubated and taken from the local hospital to an inner London hospital with a neuro ward. She had the drain procedure done straight away and the following day had the coil procedure. The first few days after the SAH, I felt like my whole world had collapsed, I felt so lost and empty. Three days ago she opened her eyes, I felt like I was dreaming. However, since yesterday her condition worsened, she isnt responding very well and has a bowel infection. Is this normal?

I seem to remember some discussion a few months ago regarding how yoga is not recommended for SAH survivors. I am presently reviewing my fitness ‘routine.’ I joined a gym a few months ago for no other reason other than I have always been a member of one and I wanted to get back to the person I was. However, my return to the gym is not as successful as I hoped. I find the crowds overwhelming and if someone starts chatting to me, it leaves me too mentally exhausted to train properly. I am easily irritated by the noise and music and the experience of attending is becoming unpleasant. This is supposed to be a hobby and I see no benefit in sticking with an arrangement just because I used to like it before my SAH. The fact is I do not like it now. In order to adapt, I have purchased a series of fitness DVDs and I am really enjoying them. I can exercise at my own pace, how I want and when I want. Not having to travel to and from a gym is a godsend too. One of my DVDs is a yoga one. I seem to remember a discussion a few months back that yoga is not recommended for us. (Was it Ern and Louise whom I had this discussion with?) Can anyone shine some light on this? I don’t want to end up in casualty locked in my ‘downward facing dog’ position!

I am considering getting a 2nd opinion for my SAH from May 2022 as I am still suffering from severe headaches, lightheadness, nausea and heavy ringing in my ears. I know there is no silver bullet to fix my issues and you have to let it run its course but I am getting at my limit for tolerance. Any thoughts on sufferers who have done this and is it worth the cost and time/efforts or do I suck it up and put on my big boy pants and muddle through. thanks Gary

Hi, Does anybody else suffer from dizziness post SAH and do you have any coping techniques? Mine is definetly worse when I'm tired and when I drive.....but then again, I suffered a Third Nerve Palsy to my right eye as a result of the SAH. My aneurysm was on the post right communicating artery. If my dizziness is really bad, I have to patch my wonky eye over and it does help.......but the depth perception totally goes and I'm liable to trip up etc. My Physio asked for some advice from my Brain Injury Consultant about dizziness and convergance problems when driving...... apparently I should keep one eye shut.......really useful on a dual carriageway eh!....doesn't fill me with much confidence. K xx

Hi All Big Al here! I posted a lot of discussions around 2007/08 and just stumbled across the group again on Google and thought I'd just let everybody know that I'm still ok and still got no real complications still and in March I will be 27yrs on from my first SAH! If anybody is still on the group from 2007/08 hope your all doing OK I'll pop into the group from time to time but please feel free to ask me anything if you've recently had a SAH and I'll answer you to the best of my ability? After all I am 27yrs in front of you! Take Care All

I find that I cry very easily. Anyone else?

Hey … my husband had a SAH due to an aneurysm 3 weeks ago ..it was coiled and he spent a week in icu due to low sodium .. he’s been home a week now and he says his head is very sensitive when touched and he is often very dizzy … can anyone else relate please xxxx

TALK GIVEN BY MARIE ALLEN - PSYCHOTHERAPIST TO THE CEREBRAL ANEURYSM SUPPORT GROUP NOTTINGHAM - May 1st 2008 1. What happens to us emotionally when we are traumatized by loss of any kind. The stages of grief are: • Shock – This is a natural initial response; we feel disconnected and may even be quite calm, as if watching what is happening from a distance. Unconsciously we are evaluating what has happened - Action; calmness, blank, as if in a trance, dreamy (often assisted by drugs) • Denial – “It can’t be happening”- Action; trying to ‘get back to normal’, avoiding facing reality. • Anger – “It’s not fair, no-one understands what its like, why me God?” – Action; lashing out at those closest, dumping anger on others. • Bargaining – “Ok God just let me do this…. If I am good/do it right, then I’ll get better? – Action; trying to control everything, looking for a way out. • Depression – “Why bother, I’m doomed, this is forever” – Action; throwing in the towel; eating food, alcohol etc., that you know cannot be good for you, retreating from the world and other people, feeling hopeless. • Acceptance – “It’s ok. I’m Ok. I don’t like it but I’m alive” – Action; re-engaging in life, appreciating small things, finding reasons to be grateful, allowing sorrow, finding a way forward. These stages are ‘coping mechanisms’, allowing us to take time to process what has happened. The stages are not necessarily sequential – most of us move in a cycle from one to the other in any order and we may spend longer in a stage than any other, depending on our character traits. So one moment you may be depressed, then bargaining, then angry, then denying again. We may have long periods of acceptance, only for fear to arise again and trap us in anger at our sense of being an unwilling victim. You may notice that you are more reactive than normal – small things upset you out of proportion, you feel panicky and anxious most of the time, needy around people. However, it is not a good sign when we are stuck in this cycle, it is evidence that we are not processing what has happened and a sign that we are still avoiding reality. 2. How it affects relationships. Unfortunately we may find ourselves caught in the trap of needing others to help us and not feeling we have the right to ask. We fear we will be judged stupid or lazy or not doing it right and so on. If we have always looked after and protected others emotionally it will feel very scary to be looked after. If we have never openly and honestly expressed our feelings, this is a tough challenge indeed! Whatever patterns have been operating in our relationships will be highlighted with a vengeance now, resulting in despair and thoughts such as – • Why isn’t he/she there for me now I need them? • I can’t tell him/her the truth about how I feel, it will do them in. • I’m on my own with this. • If I just pretend a bit longer, it will all work out. It is very common for the spouse or close relative to also go through the stages described above – but that doesn’t help you! Unless you can find a way to talk about it, and get support (both of you) from someone other than each other. At this time it isn’t possible for two grieving people to be there emotionally all of the time for the other. Your partner/spouse/relative/friend will begin to feel overburdened and resentful, because they too are coming to terms with this unexpected and shocking change in you and in their lives. They had an expectation, as did you that you would be growing old together in a particular way and all that has been shattered. They will be afraid too. It is absolutely vital that you find a way to talk about it. Open and honest communication is the only thing that will work. Even in relationships where honesty, openness and acceptance of feelings have been a foundation, there will be rocky times. All change brings up our fear – when we don’t know what is happening to us or what might happen next – it can feel like an earthquake has occurred. 3. The spiritual aspect of this illness – why me? Finding a refuge in what has meaning for us, a way to carry on living rather than focusing on fear. In truth an earthquake has occurred and you will never be the same again. You may recover physically to some degree, but emotionally the rug has been pulled from under you. All your certainties have gone. You thought you knew your body; you thought it was strong, that this kind of thing only happened to other people. This is why your confidence is in shreds. One minute you are going on with your normal life the next minute – wham! Where do we turn and to what do we turn when things like this happen? It feels we have to trust hospitals and doctors to save us and make us better – and they do their best with what they’ve got – but that is limited to the physical, mostly. They cannot mend our confidence; they cannot give us a way of finding meaning in what has happened, only physical explanations. Traditional sources of comfort have all but disappeared. Nowadays few people have faith in the Christian Church (and if they do and can find solace there, that is good) Most of us are lost in a culture that does not value the spiritual (by that I mean belief in a higher power). It’s a tough call to begin to explore what has meaning for you when you are struggling with an illness and trying to cope with disability, relationship difficulty and depression. But find refuge we must if we are to turn this around and find a reason to continue with our life and live it as fully as possible. Most of you will have experienced much relief and solace from simply being able to share with others what you are experiencing. That is a beginning. When we can feel safe and accepted with kindred spirits, that is where we can take refuge, lick our wounds and begin to rebuild our lives. It only when we reach the final stage of the grief process that we can move forward – and there will come a time when you are mostly there – because it’s only through acceptance that you can move forward. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it is liberating to let go of wanting something that is not coming back. Hoping and wishing and regretting only causes emotional pain, focusing on ‘should-have-dones’ is pointless. Suggested reading: Why Me? Why This? Why Now? - Robin Norwood Who Dies? - Stephen Levine Conversations with God - Neale Donald Walsch Close to the Bone: Life Threatening illness And the Search for Meaning - Jean Shinoda Bolen Suggested (safe) practices for managing feelings: Counselling – try and choose a Practitioner who can deal with feelings – not all of them can! Relate is an organisation available for couples to work through problems. Meditation – excellent technique for calming the mind and lowering blood pressure. Guided meditations or visualizations – can be as effective as meditation. (There are many types of meditation, try them out to see which works for you)

Hi everyone, I'm Karen's daughter, Lauren. Before last year, I never would've realised how much of an impact the SAH had on myself and the rest of the family. I think the worst thing about the SAH was knowing that everything was out of your hands and that you had no control over the life or death situation. That night I didn't think anything could possibly get worse until we suddenly had a powercut. I don't think somebody liked me that day! I coped by talking (probably far too much!) about it to my close friends but I also coped by taking my mind off of things - after mum's SAH, I hated staying in the house where it constantly felt empty and strange for a long time. Her SAH affected me deeply for a long time. I didn't like how my brother and my dad hid their emotions as it made me feel as if I was overreacting. I coped by crying, whereas my dad, knowing he had no control over mum, coped by over-controlling everything else, such as the housework. Mum's SAH has made me stronger as a person and has made me a lot more appreciative of the people around me. I also think mum coped amazingly with her SAH and I admire her for that. As a relative or a friend of an SAH sufferer, how did you and others around you cope? Are you still coming to terms with the great impact the illness can bring? Lauren x

A Dented Image Journeys of Recovery from Subarachnoid Haemorrhage Author - Alison Wertheimer Year 2008 ISBN 9780415386722 Format - Paperback - 296 Pages Quite a few of BTG's members have taken part in Alison's book. It's well worth the read, for survivors and their family...

Hi, Im Gemma and I'd like to tell you my mother's story and ask some advice from anyone out there who can relate. my mum had her SAH 6 weeks ago (7/3/17) My mum is 50, very fit, non smoker. She found out she had an aneurysm 8 years ago, as it was small she was advised to just have it monitored each year and was told it wasn't at risk from rupture. She had a seizure and went into a comma 3 minutes after the headache and sickness started. Her SAH was graded as 5 (highest grade) as she was in a comma with GCS 3 on admission and did not regain any consciousness for 4 days. scan showed 2 aneurysms, the new one (de novo aneurysm) was the one which had ruptured. She was put on life support to see if swelling would go down in her brain and 24 hours post admission coiling of the aneurysm via angiogram was attempted but unsuccessful. Clipping of the two aneurysms were later successful via craniotomy. Mum was in a comma on full ventilation for 4 days. She came round and was able to move all limbs and respond to simple commands. However on day 8 she suffered serverly from vasospasm causing her to become unconscious (GCS 5) and loose movement in her left side, triple H method was not enough to control the spasms even with her BP being maintained at 220 systolic so she underwent a chemical angioplasty. The spasms continued in a milder form up to day 20 when she was finally weaned off of noradrenaline. She also suffered badly with hydrocephalus (excess CSF/ brain not absorbing CSF) so she had to have her EVD (drain) in place for 20 days after surgery, She spent 3 weeks in neuro critical care and a further week on a neuro ward. she was released home with a carer. amazingly my mum is up, walking, talking, with only a 2% left side weakness remaining. Her only symptoms are extreme tiredness and substantial loss of short term memory/ lost ability to process/ sequence in the way she use to and moderate confusion. she has amazed everyone. She has no memory of the 2 weeks prior to her SAH or anything about the ICU My questions are has anyone experienced anything similar? What was your cognitive recovery like? I am meant to be getting married in Cyprus in 4 months (5.5 months post SAH) from me in the UK it's a 4.5 hour flight and it will be very hot this time of year. Do you think there is a risk of rebleed or any other complication from the flight or heat? Thanks in advance Gemma

ADAPTED By BTG member Subzero Onward sharing or publication by his permission only. There`s no going back To your previous abode. No, SAH has led you On a different road. There`s no going back You`ve a new life ahead Confusing, upsetting And at times full of dread There`s no going back There is no quick fix But you`re building your new life With different bricks. There`s no going back BTG wants to help you Their message is clear Rest-drink whatever else you do. There`s no going back We go forward together Each day in our posts We give help to each other. There`s no going back With these highs and these lows And our will getting stronger The end result who knows But we are going to adapt Our work may need to change Take account of our brain Our schedules rearrange But we are going to adapt House work can wait As I negotiate with my brain On how much it can take But we are going to adapt If I take too much on Fatigue will soon hit me And I won`t get it done. But we are going to adapt Each day helps I feel. I must not be impatient Give my brain time to heal. When will we arrive there? We are all different you see The road that you take May not be for me. When will we arrive there? I`ve come to accept That each day brings new meaning Things I didn`t expect When will we arrive there? Please..family…wait and see I`m confused and uncertain Please be there for me. When will we arrive there? There is no way to know Just hold my hand tightly Where ever I go

Hey everyone ! It's been a week since I've been discharged from hospital after my Subarachnoid Haemorrhage. I was in hospital for 10 days and I would say the first 3/4 days I suffered from massive headaches because of my Subarachnoid Haemorrhage and fractured skull. I was very sensitive to light for the first 3/4 days as well but after the 4th day I was able to start walking about and quickly felt fine. Every doctor I talked to kept bringing up the fatigue I would feel throughout the day doing basic things but I haven't once since I've started doing my normal daily routine. For example going to Uni and relying on public transport as now I've been banned from driving because of the haemorrhage. My question is am I the only one ? Because after reading a lot of other people's recovery posts I can't relate to anything? Okay I had the headache for the first couple of days in hospital but haven't had one since ? I don't feel run down or remotely fatigued throughout the day, I feel like i did before all this happened. I guess I've been lucky but I'm just really interested to see if anyone else had/has been through the same.

A letter from your brain Hello, I’m glad to see that you are awake! This is your brain talking. I had to find some way to communicate with you. I feel like I barely survived WWIII and am still not quite all in one piece. That’s why I need you. I need you to take care of me. As time passes and you and I feel better and better, people, even doctors, will tell you that we are fine, “it’s time to get on with life.” That sounds good to me and probably even better to you. But before you go rushing back out into that big wide world, I need you to listen to me, really listen. Don’t shut me out. Don’t tune me out. When I’m getting into trouble I’ll need your help more than I ever have before. I know that you want to believe that we are going to be the same. I’ll do my best to make that happen. The problem is that too many people in our situation get impatient and try to rush the healing process; or when their brains can’t fully recover they deny it and, instead of adapting, they force their brains to function in ways they are no longer able too. Some people even push their brains until they seize, and worse… I’m scared. I’m afraid that you will do that to me. If you don’t accept me I am lost. We both will be lost. How can I tell you how much I need you now? I need you to accept me as I am today… not for what I used to be, or what I might be in the future. So many people are so busy looking at what their brains used to do, as if past accomplishments were a magical yardstick to measure present success or failures, that they fail to see how far their brains have come. It’s as if here is shame, or guilt, in being injured. Silly, huh? Please don’t be embarrassed or feel guilt, or shame, because of me. We are okay. We have made it this far. If you work with me we can make it even further. I can’t say how far. I won’t make any false promises. I can only promise you this, that I will do my best. What I need you to do is this: because neither of us knows how badly I’ve been hurt (things are still a little foggy for me), or how much I will recover, or how quickly, please go s-l-o-w-l-y when you start back trying to resume your life. If I give you a headache, or make you sick to your stomach, or make you unusually irritable, or confused, or disoriented, or afraid, or make you feel that you are overdoing it, I’m trying to get your attention in the only way I can. Stop and listen to me. I get exhausted easily since being hurt, and cannot succeed when overworked. I want to succeed as much as you do. I want to be as well as I can be, but I need to do it at a different pace than I could before I got hurt. Help me to help us by paying attention and heeding the messages I send to you. I will do my part to do my very best to get us back on our feet. I am a little worried though that if I am not exactly the same… you will reject me and may even want to kill us. Other people have wanted to kill their brains, and some people have succeeded. I don’t want to die, and I don’t want you to die. I want us to live, and breath and be, even if being is not the same as it was. Different may be better. It may be harder too, but I don’t want you to give up. Don’t give up on me. Don’t give up on yourself. Our time here isn’t through yet. There are things that I want to do and I want to try, even if trying has to be done in a different way. It isn’t easy. I have to work very hard, much harder, and I know that you do too. I see people scoff, and misunderstand. I don’t care. What I do care about is that you understand how hard I am working and how much I want to be as good as I can be, but I need you to take good care of us, as well as you can do that. Don’t be ashamed of me. We are alive. We are still here. I want the chance to try to show you what we are made of. I want to show you the things that are really important in life. We have been given another chance to be better, to learn what is really important. When it is finally time for our final exit I would like to look back and feel good about what we made of us and out of everything that made up our life, including this injury. I cannot do it without you. I cannot do it if you hate me for the way being injured has affected me and our life together. Please try not to be bitter in grief. That would crush me. Please don’t reject me. There is little I can do without you, without your determination to not give up. Take good care of us and of yourself. I need you very much, especially now. Love, your wounded brain ©1996 Stephanie St. Claire May be reprinted for personal, not for profit use.