kempse

Hello Holly and welcome, Like others have said, you are in no way to blame for what has happened to your boyfriend - I'm just sorry you have been made to feel that way when it has probably shocked you as much as it has his parents. Maybe in time they will see how unjust and unfair they have been. In the meantime, I hope he continues to do well - I'm sure the link that Karen has posted will be informative for you. You will get much support and advice on here - take care, Sarah

Hi Leonie, In answer to your question "has anyone else been diagnosed with migraines post sah" then yes I have - but fortunately for me, I do not get any headache. I too only get the aura of migraine yet have only had this since my sah, 20 months ago - the very first episode I had was either the day of the original coiling or the day after so I am convinced it is as a result of and not a coincidence of the sah. I have only ever had the health professionals say "it sounds like the aura of migraine" - never "it is the aura of migraine". When I was rushed to hospital 3 weekends ago with double vision, the hospital's conclusion, (after ruling out stroke/bleed by ct scan) was that I had suffered an acephalgic migraine. The aura that I have is black/white/silver/grey in colour, it is crescent and zig-zag in shape and continually flashes/flickers.. There can be between one and three of these images which usually start in the centre of my vision. They usually start quite small before inceasing in size and eventually moving outwards. They can last anything between one minute and 30 minutes - the most common being 20 mins. They always move towards the left of my vision. I only fairly recently started keeping an accurate diary of the these episodes which to me seemed to be increasing in frequency - eg. since the beginning of June I have had it on 12 occasions. I was told at the hospital on 27th June, following the double vision saga, that the neuro department would be contacting me with an appointment. I have today received that letter which has an appointment date on 9th August. I will be discussing all this with them then and shall see what they have to say. Leonie, I'm sorry that you suffer from such bad pain in your head, but I have read on your other thread that you have had the injection now and now you only have half a headache:confused: - hope you can feel some benefit from all this - I am so lucky not go get any headache with my "migraine" - think I would go potty if I did - so I do sympathise with you. Sarah

Hi Gary, hope the head is a little better today - surprising how much sleep and water can help. I think the follow up varies according to the individual's circumstances, but I am sure you will hear from them in due course. My first appointment with the consultant was 3 months after the sah, I had another angiogram a month later. (I think I had the angio because I had severe vasospasm at the outset and they had not felt it safe to fill the aneurysm up completely with coils so needed to check it out) . I think the "fuzzy" head is a good description - which again can vary from person to person - I can't quite remember how long it lasted for me, but on the whole I have had a "normal" feeling head for the majority of the past 20 months, so don't despair - you are still in the early days. Sarah PS Just seen that you posted while I was typing - I did not have stents fitted so again it is completely different to my case.

Hi Garyolly, Just thought I would say hello and welcome before retiring to bed! It's very recent for you so think you have done well to post - I wouldn't worry about the tears - it seems a common occurence - possibly due to the enormity of it all. It's good to hear you have an understanding boss. Anyway, I look forward to hearing more from you in the future and all the best in your recovery. Sarah

Hi Just wanted to wish you all the best for tomorrow - I think your idea of warning them is a good idea - I believe we do so much better with a bit of a break - hope you manage to sleep well tonight! Sarah

Aw Liz, No wonder you wanted to get it off your chest! I'm not sure if the emotional turmoil of it all ever leaves us - I think we get chance to put it at the back of our minds, then something comes along to bring it all to the fore again - no wonder you have been a little tearful. You have done amazingly well Liz - your strength will no doubt return especially as you do not have to go for any more scans - that must be a great feeling. Take Care, Sarah

A great achievement Lynz - well done:smile:

Wishing the very best Angela for the forthcoming angio next month. Can't say I found them very nice either and I can't see that I will get through life without having another one at some point! I would ask if you can have something to calm you down - I know I did when I had the coiling as I was in such a state. Don't think you would be normal if you weren't anxious - I hope it goes well and you don't have another bleed from your groin - that must be just another worry for you. Take care Sarah

Hi Ash, I know it will be a very anxious time for you - I realise that when you last posted, your Mum had not woken as yet, but her brain needs to rest and recover. I wish you and your Mum all the best over the coming days and beyond. You are doing the right thing by remaining positive which unfortunately can be a drain on your resourses, so don't forget to look after yourself. Take Care, Sarah

Hi Lin Lin, I believe many of us on here experience the teary episodes - I know I did. My sah was about a year before yours 8.11.08 and the first 12/13 months were quite emotional for me. You have not only been through the trauma of a sah, but you have added worries, like your job, car insurance etc. which would have an impact on you under normal circumstances.... so don't be hard on yourself, hopefully with time you will see an improvement like I did. I have had my fair share of turmoil and during that first year my hubby was out of work for 5 months and for 6 months of that first year I had the anxiety of further brain surgery. I sometimes wonder how I did get through it and although things still go pear-shaped from time to time, I somehow feel happier now and knowing that there are people on this website who are willing to listen and give up their time to reply to posts is something I find very humbling. I am sure coming on here with your concerns etc, will in itself bring some comfort to you - there is usually someone who has or is in the same boat. You sound like you are doing really well ,but keep your spirits up - you do have some genuine concerns at the moment so maybe talking to a counsellor would help - I did see one myself but didn't really gel with her but I am sure there are some really good ones out there . Best wishes, Sarah

Hi Lin Lin Welcome to Behind the Gray website - it certainly helps to learn about your own recovery by reading through other peoples stories. I hope you enjoy working at CAB - a worthwhile cause and a good choice for you - I hope that helps you with your continued recovery. You sound very positive which always helps - I wish you well for the future. Best wishes, Sarah

Was just going to suggest you contact DLVA and get their advice - the link Maggie has sent will probably help you with your query. I don't think the Doctors will advise DVLA automatically. Take Care, Sarah

Hi Blueday, Great to get an update .. you certainly put me to shame by the amount you write .. well done. You do not appear to have lost your sense of humour - that shines through in all your posts - it appears you have achieved an awful lot in the past four years. I have just had a look at your photos which are excellent - Izzy is the most adorable dog imaginable! Take Care Sarah

Hi Mel, Welcome to this site. I hope you manage to find your way to introducing yourself - I remember having a few problems to start with - look forward to hearing from you in due course. Best wishes, Sarah.

Hi Luisa, I'm sorry to hear you have found your first week back quite bad. If you are doing 4 hours each day it is a lot to cope with, I don't know what line of work you are in but I think any work can tire you out epecially if you are still suffering with your eye. I went back gradually, building up to two full days, so it wasn't so bad. Having said that I did one 4 day week last week and my body certainly knew about it. I don't think I could do that week in week out, so you must see how you are over the next few weeks and decide if you can continue - can they accommodate you doing part time work anyway - that way you would not wear yourself out and possibly not get the boredom setting in. It may be you are not quite ready to go back at all yet - especially as it is affecting your sleep pattern and you are feeling nauseous whilst at work. Sorry not to be more help to you. Sarah

Hi Willow, Welcome, - it's good that you have found this site. I think reading other's experiences and knowing you are not alone in all this, is a tremendous help following a sah. It's obviously very early days for you, so take it easy and look forward to hearing from you again. Take Care, Sarah

Hi Geogina, Welcome aboard. I have just read this thread and also your post today on another thread and think you ought to consider changing your name from Miss Moody to Miss Amazing! Recovering from such an event in our lives is not as easy or straight forward as we would like it to be. It appears that our brains need a lot more rest than we would wish to be the case. Being a Mum is tiring in itself and unfortunately parenting doesn't stop even when we are ill or recovering from illness. I think my nine year old will have memories too - memories of me always falling asleep during the day - this frustrates him, but I have to have the extra sleep otherwise I wouldn't function as a Mother at all - my two teeanagers seem to have accepted my strange sleeping pattern! So don't be hard on yourself - stick to your plan of speaking to the doctor at your next acupuncture appointment, as headaches are the last thing you need. I don't get headaches myself but I can relate to a lot of the other things you describe. Yes, let's hope the football is worth watching on Wednesday! Take Care, Sarah

I think Mark's answer to the question was brill - glad to hear he is doing so well and is enjoying being back at work - take care, Sarah

Hi Karen, A warm welcome to you. Not long ago since you had this awful thing happen, so I think you are bound to feel as you do. The enormity of it all takes time to sink in and can take a some time to come to terms with the new you. I don't think many of us on here were told how we might be, or feel, afterwards which is a shame as we might be able to cope better if we had been given more information. I don't think you are any different to many of us on here with how you feel and the type of thoughts that whizz through your mind - these are probably very common following sah, so try not to be too concerned - I 'm sure you will find that things improve with time. Don't forget to make use of this message board, as that in itself can help along the road of recovery. Best wishes, Sarah

Well done Kel on reaching the six month mark. You have achieved a lot in that time - not sure if the tiredness ever leaves - I still have a nap at least 4 days a week at some point during the day and I am on month 19:roll: Can't say I've experienced a hot head - do wonder sometimes how much I act as an aerial with all the coils in the old head:lol: Enjoy the Madhatters tea party - hope someone will be taking a few pics for us to see later. Sarah

Morning Zoe, It never rains, but it pours springs to mind. Well done for reacting so quickly with your son - I am so pleased to hear he is ok. I hope the assessment goes well today - fingers crossed. Take care, Sarah.

Hi Katie, Reading your last post brought a tear to my eye; please don't blame yourself, you have had such a sad event to deal with and possibly you didn't get the right kind of help that you needed at the outset. At least, as you say, the ball is rolling now even though you have been let down in the past. I do hope that things start to improve for you; you sound like a lovely person who deserves the help that will hopefully assist with your current problems. I too, am ignorant of what CBT and BPD stand for! It takes some courage to open up on a forum - I admire your strength in doing that. I wish you all the best for the future - try and keep us posted. Take care, Sarah.

Hi Maggie, A warm welcome to you. I hope you had an enjoyable day yesterday - I have had two birthdays since my sah and somehow they seem a bit more poignant now. I was born in Somerset (Wells) but moved up north soon afterwards, I have only been back there once since and that must have been 30 years ago! I do remember it being very nice though. I'm sorry to hear you are getting headaches - unfortunately I can't remember how long I had headaches for. Once they stopped after the initial blood had dispersed, I have not really had one since, but I gather this is not the case for everyone. I did however have weird, hard to explain feelings in my head for some time, but those too have disappeared now. I wish you well in your continued recovery, Best wishes, Sarah

Hi Katie, I'm glad you found this site - it took me quite a while before I came across it. It' a pity that hospitals don't give out details of this site as a matter of routine following a sah - in fact to receive any information would have been helpful! For many of us, it is probably only when we read on here, what others are going through, that we realise that we are not alone with our feelings, thoughts, problems, experiences etc. etc. Hopefully you will benefit a lot from BTG - it has a very supportive and understanding group of members who are always willing to help with any concerns you may have. My Mum too was a godsend; in fact it was my Mum that could actually see something was seriously wrong with me and got me to hospital, whereas 5 medical professionals did not! Maybe you would benefit from some form of counselling if you haven't done so already, it seems there are a lot of things you are having to cope with - your GP should be more understanding and refer you to see someone, I would have thought. Best wishes, Sarah

Hi Joan, Sorry to hear you were having a rough time of it right up until the end, I don't think they can possibly understand what they put us through when they make such needless errors like loosing notes etc. Small errors can make such a huge difference, like the time (about this time last year) when I had a message on my answer phone to call the doctors surgery. The girl on the other end told me that they had received a letter from the hospital saying the results of my angiogram were ok. What she should have told me was that a urine sample that had been tested was ok - I received a letter direct from the Hallamshire hospital around that time saying my angiogram showed that I needed to go for more brain surgery! So I can fully understand how frustrated and upset you must have felt. That aside, I hope you can now concentrate on resting and I hope that you soon start to feel less tired. Yes, the water does take some getting down - but worth it. Best wishes, Sarah.