bogbrush

Hi Caz, What most people know as a stroke is an ischaemic stroke where an artery in the brain becomes blocked. A subarachnoid haemorrhage is also a type of stroke: a haemorrhagic stroke. The terminology is confusing and it took a while to find this out after my SAH as my wife was told I'd had 2 strokes. It was much later that I found out that the strokes referred to were the bleeds. The stroke association explains if far better than I can: http://www.stroke.org.uk/information/what_is_a_stroke/types_of_stroke.html Hope this helps to explain things. Regards

Hi Helen, Welcome to behindthegray and thanks for sharing your story. Feel free to join in the discussions, we don't bite Regards

I have a patch on my right thigh where I get pins and needles, especially if I stand for long periods. It's fine if I'm walking, It's just standing still that seems to cause it. Regards

Since this topic has been dug from the grave, I'll add another Don't use a fork for eating soup ... unless it has many vegetables.

Andi, you don't have to inform the DVLA about a TIA, but you are not allowed to drive for a month or until your doc says you can. As for your insurance, it's best to be on the safe side and tell them. Regards

Hi Ray and welcome to behindthegray. Look forward to reading your story. No rush. Take your time. As everyone else has said, it's early days. Regards

Hi Andi, No stupid questions here, ask away. As I understand it, a TIA as opposed to a full stroke does no harm or permanent damage to the brain. The first word of the acronym gives it away - transient, meaning fleeting or temporary. I have made a full recovery from my own TIA which happened about 5 months ago. If you still have issues, then I would definitely get checked out by the doc. Even if the physical symptoms such as limb weakness have gone or are improving, it can leave you with anxiety or emotional problems. That's where talking to others helps a great deal in overcoming your anxiety. I'm sure that many people on here can empathise with the memory problems, me included ... sorry, what was I talking about? Most of us have had SAH (a type of stroke), which almost always causes some kind of brain damage and subsequent problems with brain and body function, anxiety and emotional issues, so you are not alone. I suppose I'm lucky that I have not really been affected emotionally, although I did suffer from a bit of anxiety following both my brain haemorrhage and my TIA, probably more than I like to admit! Having had a TIA, it's advisable to keep the risks of having a full stroke to a minimum: stopping smoking, healthy diet, losing weight, exercise, etc. I know some of those things can be hard, believe me, I do. I don't exactly practice what I preach ... not that I'm preaching of course As I said, mention everything to the doc and don't hold anything back. Keep talking.

Hi Kelly. Welcome to behindthegray. Look forward to reading more of your story whenever you feel ready. Regards

Welcome Andi. Glad you were able to get on the site. As others have said, the anxiety does get less with time, and talking to others who have been through this certainly does help. Regards

Hi Rod, Yes, the ups and downs are common, as most people on here will tell you. The main thing is that the "ups" become more frequent than the "downs" Regards

Hi Vicky What more can I say that hasn't already been said? Welcome to behindthegray. Regards Keith

Interesting article: Study Finds Low Risk in Treating Previously Coiled Aneurysm Regards

Hi Rod. Firstly, no one who has written anything on this site is medically qualified to say if Merrill should be taking Aspirin or not and it appears that the medical community is deeply divided on this subject. For the record, I take daily aspirin 75mg prescribed by a stroke consultant. I queried why I was being prescribed aspirin when my notes clearly indicated I had had a brain haemorrhage and was given a satisfactory answer, at least one that made perfect sense to me, so I continue to take them rather than believing what the newspapers tell me. As for taking Merrill off aspirin, you should get a qualified medical opinion on that. No one here can advise you. Regards Keith

Hi Phil, Happy anniversary. Glad that you've made a good recovery and been able to move on with your life. Hope that you find something worthwhile and enjoyable to do for the future.

Welcome to behindthegray. Take some time to have a good look around. Look forward to hearing more from you. Keith

Hi Rod, The only person who can make the decision to go back to work is Merrill, with your help of course. The rehab centre can help as well, but ultimately, it's Merrills decision. Going back to work is a huge step - a step which I made too early, but also one which I don't regret. As for it being a long job, yes, it can be and people on here are still improving after several months and years. There are also some on here with shunts. Don't believe everything you read on the internet. Hopefully, one of the "shunters" can re-assure you. Regards Keith

Hi Rod An angogram is nothing to worry about. It is a minimally invasive procedure which is usually carried out under a local anaesthetic and takes about an hour to an hour and a half. Everything should be explained before the procedure, including any risks involved. I've only had one (well, I've had more, but only one that I can remember) You can read my own experiences in this thread - the description of the procedure is on the second page. Direct link to the post here. I have written an article on endovascular coiling which you can read here. As far as the coils go, I think it's very unlikely that they would need to be replaced. very occasionally, the coils can settle and more need to be inserted. That's why an angiogram is done to find out things like that. Regards Keith

Hi Adam. That article was written some time ago and there is also some doubt as to the original author. I had one follow-up catheter angiogram at 2 months. The rest were all MRA. I think that the advances in imaging technology, That MRA is much better than it used to be. Generally, a catheter angiogram provides the fine detail required for the initial location and coiling of an aneurysm. It is an invasive procedure, and hence carries a risk, albeit a small one. I would think that risk vs benifit would determine that MRA is preferable unless there are other complications. I'm not medically qualified and these are just my opinions based on my own research and reading the experiences of others on here. If you have any concerns, I would ask the hospital for their reasons for doing an MRA instead of a catheter angiogram. Regards Keith

Hi Bobby A warm welcome to behindthegray. Nothing to say that hasn't already been said, except keep on going and you'll get there. Regards Keith

Hi Laura. No, I didn't receive it. Did I PM my address? I'll PM it again just in case. My memory is shot Regards Keith

The title of this topic says it all ... except who's it is. Thanks to GrahamG. Click the thumbnail below to view. Regards Keith

Hi Michelle. You are allowed to have a wobble now and again. It's normal, although not very nice, to experience this in the early weeks and months ... even years in some cases, but it does get better and the wobbles become less frequent with time. Don't worry about the spelling. We all know how difficult it can be. Hope you get on OK at the docs. Regards Keith

Hi Michelle Welcome to behindthegray and thanks for sharing your story. Regards Keith

Hi Paul. The three strikes thing just struck a chord with me (no pun intended). The Neuro intensive care consultant's words to my wife were "He's had two strokes and we can't afford a third" Regards Keith

There is certainly some interesting information coming out of this discussion. I agree Brian, that no two strokes are the same. Many people reading these message boards for the first time are often surprised and indeed comforted to learn that. When I referred to "normal" strokes, perhaps I should have said ischaemic strokes. SAH accounts for only around 5% of all strokes, but also around one third of all stroke deaths (depends on which statistics you read!). The vast majority of people understand a stroke to be of the ischaemic variety as it is the most common. My wife was very confused when she was told I had suffered from two strokes, not realising that they were referring to haemorrhagic stroke or SAH. It was only later that we both learned that SAH is a type of stroke. Aftercare following SAH seems to be very patchy around the UK, some areas being better than others, and that's not just from the medical follow-up perspective, so the work that you are doing in your area is very important to highlight the needs of SAH and stroke survivors and that a "one size fits all" care package is not the solution. (Sorry about the cliché, I normally avoid them like the plague ) Keep up the good work. Sites like this one and other SAH and stroke support sites are also very important, not just in supporting survivors and families, but also in raising awareness of people's needs. Regards Keith