bogbrush

Hi Adam.

There is no legal requirement for your employer to give you a flexible return to work, and unfortunately, a lot depends on their attitude to their employees. Most employers value their employees enough to be flexible, but it appears that your employer does not, which is sad.

The following is a guide for employers, a quote from which states that they should not "make assumptions about your employee’s situation or their medical circumstances"

http://www.hse.gov.uk/Msd/campaigns/pdf/managingabsence.pdf

The following link contains some general information:

http://www.areturntowork.co.uk/after-illness-can-you-work-part-time-during-recovery.html

Hope this helps.

Regarding the driving, I didn't have to surrender my licence after SAH. The DVLA made medical enquiries and gave me the all clear to continue driving after three and a half months. My recent "holiday" from driving was as a result of a TIA which carries a fixed penalty of one month off driving.

Hi Paul and welcome to behindthegray.

You've come to the right place and there are other carers here who have experienced just what you have described. Holly is right, it can take a long time to come to terms with what has happened and I know that it has changed me in all sorts of ways. I had a few family issues early on but I didn't realise until much later how much it had affected and was continuing to affect my family. Thankfully, I received some wonderful support from the people on this site and I've come through the other side. SAH can be a devastating illness and whilst the surgeons and doctors can sometimes fix the immediate physical stuff, a lot of people seem to be cast out of the system when it comes to recovery and left on their own to cope, but you can guarantee that you and Mandy are not alone here. Yes, Mandy has changed and it could take some time for both of you to accept that.

You might like to have a look at Headway, a very good organisation that gives help and support to people affected by brain injury. A few people on here have found them to be very beneficial in helping them to come to terms with the changes caused by SAH. You need to get Mandy to accept that you both need some help to overcome what has happened. Easy to say, I know, but not so easy to do and I don't really have any advice on how you might do that. It's definitely not a sign of weakness. I would never have believed that I would need any kind of support (being a bloke ) but I found it here.

Regards

Keith

Hi Anders,

Welcome to behindthegray. Fatigue seems to be one of the most common legacies of SAH. Most suffer with it even after many years.

Don't worry about your English, I can understand it perfectly.

Hi Debbie and welcome to Behind the Gray. Take some time to have a look around the site.

Best wishes and congratulations to you both.

Hi Rod,

You may also want to have a look at the Blood Pressure Association website. A UK based site with lots of useful info.

Hi Rod,

You are not wrong to monitor Merrill's BP. Even if the results are a bit skewed, which they can be, trends can be noticed which the doc can never see. When I first started on BP meds (ramipril), I checked mine twice a day and showed the results to the doc. It was quite useful, as it showed a lowering trend that indicated to the doc that the meds were working. Incidentally, I take my meds first thing in the morning (I take 2 others besides ramipril), as that's when the doc told me to take them. It seems to me that there's something else that's affecting Merrill's BP as the difference is very high. Record the data and show it to the doc, as there may be other tests that can be done to find out why it is fluctuating so much.

Regards

I asked my GP about it last week and he said "If you were my Dad, I would say definitely have it" Yes, he's quite a bit younger than me! I went for a CVA/Stroke check-up this morning and was given the opportunity to have both the normal flu jab and the swine flu jab there and then ... I declined the offer.

I know what you mean about "dole wollers" though, who get sick notes for nothing and all the benefits that are paid for by hard working people - sickenly these people are very rarely ill - just suffering from lazyitis.

And the reason that the GP has to see before issuing a sick note.

I feel the same. I hate going to the doctors when I'm not ill. I rang the docs yesterday to book an appointment for my 6 monthly BP check and new prescriptions (I'm only allowed 6 repeats before he has to see me) and was told there was nothing available for the next 3 weeks other than one the same day! Anyway, I've seen him and BP is OK (ish).

Hi Lyn,

Pain, fuzzy feelings, strange sensations in the head are all par for the course. None of them mean that he's going to have another SAH. It's all part of the brain healing itself.

It's only natural to be scared of it happening again. Every twinge or pain can make you think that, but soon you come to realise that it isn't going to happen.

Regards

Sam, that seems to be standard practice. My GP did the same. First one over the phone, second one, I had to see him - no choice. It is quite right that a GP should not be giving out sick notes without seeing the patient and I don't think he is just trying to make it difficult for you. As you say, you are not "hanging it out", but many will try, and I'm not just talking about SAH. Is there no way you can get to your GP? Your consultant has advised 12 weeks and more if you need it, but the one that has to sign you off is your GP, not the consultant.

Regards

Hi Michelle,

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500001801&langId=-1&searchTerms=V+PILLOW&Submit=GO+%3E

Regards

Hi Leo,

You're right about the piece of string. Everyone is different. Some return to work quite soon (not many) and some return to work much later or not at all, and then you have all those in between ...

I returned to work quite early - less than 4 months - and found that the headaches and tiredness increased quite dramatically. It was a few months before I could do a full day with minimal effects. Even then I would get quite tired if I was doing any intense work or doing too many hours. I know now that I probably returned too soon, or built my hours up too soon, but the feeling of normality that came with being back at work helped a lot. It does get better, but the time that it takes can vary enormously. Don't increase your hours too soon or maybe consider reducing your hours if you are able to do that.

Regards

Er_whatsename ?, welcome to behindthegray.

It would be helpful if you could post in the "Introduce Yourself" section. That's a very unusual username.

Regards

Keith

Hi Louise,

I hope something can be sorted out for your Auntie and Uncle soon.

I can understand your anger. This is not stroke related, but my Mum cares for my Dad who has Alzheimers and she's had a constant battle to get any care for him. She's no spring chicken and has really struggled to cope, both mentally and physically. She eventually managed to get some respite care for my Dad and he stays in a home every so often. She also managed to get social services to send someone in twice a day to help him get up in the mornings and get ready for bed at night, but like your Aunties situation, there were only certain things they would do, which was not ideal. I can't count the number of times my Mum's been on the phone in tears. She's ended up paying privately for someone to come in now and they are great. They help my Dad and even help with a bit of housework: washing up, cleaning the bathroom and floors, etc. as he's incontinent.

What makes me (and my Mum) really angry is that they've worked for 50 years paying into the system never claiming a penny in benefit, saved a bit for their retirement, and now when they really need help, they can't get it without a battle. Makes me livid

Hi Andi,

I had an Echocardiogram after my TIA. No injection though, it was just ultrasound. Sounds as though mine was the same as you're having, but without the bubble

Just wondering why they change to MRI?

I think it's risk vs. benefit. A cerebral angiogram is an invasive surgical procedure which carries certain risks, albeit small. An cerebral angiogram can give a clearer picture, but if they just need to keep an eye on things, then I think that MRI/MRA is sufficient to detect any changes.

Hi John,

Welcome to behindthegray and thanks for sharing your story.

The Hats Gallery

http://btg.myzen.co.uk/vbulletin/album.php?albumid=14

I believe that all coils are MRI safe as they are not ferromagnetic like certain older clips. I've had a few MRI scans and I've got coils.

Hi Louise,

Flu vaccinations, swine or otherwise, do not contain live viruses.

http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/winterhealth/Pages/Fluandthefluvaccine.aspx

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Pandemic-flu/Pages/QA.aspx#Willitmakeme

As far as I can find out from the NHS websites, both the seasonal flu vaccine and the swine flu vaccine contain no live viruses.

I'm not so sure that I am "at risk" as I have no serious medical condition. Maybe just because I've had a couple of CVAs, then it's standard procedure to put me in the "at risk" group. I'm still debating whether to have the jabs or not.

Well, I've just had a letter from my GP's surgery asking me to make an appointment for a flu jab and a swine flu jab. Apparently, I'm "at risk" News to me! I don't really want either of them neither the jabs nor the infections that they are supposed to prevent. I don't consider that I'm at any more risk than anyone else, so why should I have them? What do you think?

Anyway, I've had Man Flu. What could be worse than that?