Sasbo

I've put on LOADS of weight post-SAH. I was a smoker too but gave up, unknowingly, when I was in hospital so didn't/haven't gone back to it (although I still miss it - a lot!). Am now working on losing weight by trying to eat sensibly and not give in to cravings, which I also have.

Sasbo

Think I've had a relapse and reformed! But not for too long.....

Hi Donna

Don't worry. I had a ruptured annie (SAH) and was told straight after my op whilst still in hospital. The hospital would have told you whilst you were still in if you had another one at the time of your SAH as it would have shown up on your scans.

Please don't worry.

Sarah

Hi Janet

You've made the right decision and bless Morris, he's a treasure and probably knows you better than you know yourself at times! (I know Fiona does with me but I still have to battle against it!).

Skippy's right, we work to live, not live to work so go for it girl, you need it and you deserve it. Good luck on Monday

Sasbo xxx

If I told you on here you'd have to put your pin number in backwards......will tell you when we meet face to face!

Sasbo xx

Hi All

Donna - I've been on Citalopram since my SAH at the end of 2006. Started on 10mg, up to 20mg and am now weaning myself off them and am down to 5mg every other day. I took myself off them completely last Summer by just not taking any more, but that was definitely not the right thing to do! Sent me doolally and got me a serious telling off from the doctor! I would have come off them sooner but had a second annie clipped last October and have had shingles since January, both of which have not been conducive to psychological recovery! They have been really helpful in getting me through some seriously difficult times.

Yasmin, sorry about the car shenanigans. Such a pain and out of your control which makes it even more frustrating. Hope you get it all sorted out satisfactorily.

Sarah

Hi Dawn

I can fully appreciate what you're going through and it's not nice.

I had a ruptured aneurysm in September 06 which was clipped. It was then that they found a second aneurysm. It was only about 4mm and the surgeon left the decision to me as to whether to have it clipped or leave it. For me there was no choice - I'd been lucky once and couldn't count on being so lucky a second time should number 2 burst so I had it clipped in October of last year and am still here to tell the tale!

It is, however, different for everyone and you have to do what is right for you. Do remember, though, that you're not alone. There's always someone on here you can chat to as we're all well aware and fully sympathetic to what you're going through.

Sarah xx

Sorry, posted too quickly and forgot to say that I'm organising a North West get together at our place. Should have the date posted up in the next couple of days. Hope you can join us.

Sarah

Hi Lynn

Fellow SAH-survivor from Cheshire - whereabouts are you?

Sarah

Hi Phil

Welcome to BTG where you're now in the company of a fantastic group of people who will all be behind you and showing great encouragement and, above all, can identify with what you and Sharon are going through.

Wishing you and Sharon lots of love and day-by-day improvement. Above all, have faith in your beliefs and knowledge of Sharon and don't take no for an answer.....

Sarah xx

Hi Lesley

Hope you're mum's doing ok. What a shock and, oh the pain, just reading about it made me wince......

Love to you all

Sarah xx

Hi Kerry

I had something called the SOMIC procedure, which is only done at North Staffs hospital and is a variation on a craniotomy. I've had two ops, one for the SAH in 2006 and then a subsequent clipping of second aneurysm late 2007. Basically it's keyhole surgery, modelled, I would say, on Westminster Abbey's keyhole as the scars are about an inch and a half long(!), and skull is removed just like in a craniotomy. I still have lumps and bumps on both sides which seem to get worse after flying, when tired and also when there's an amount of pressure be it air or stress! I've got used to it now and, whilst it doesn't particularly hurt, it does feel strange. I still also get 'bruised' feelings on both scars. However, as I said, I've got used to these feelings now, they're just a part of what happened and serve to remind me how lucky I've been.

On another note, welcome to the site - it's full of fantastic people and we can all relate to each other to keep spirits up.

Sarah x

Hi there

I can only re-iterate what everyone else here says. I'm pretty much 18 months post-SAH now, although I had a second (unruptured) annie clipped just 6 months ago which I think has set me back emotionally/psychologically a little bit and I blubber at the drop of a hat for all sorts of reasons - not seeing the kids for a while, someone being a bit blunt with me, tiredness - you name it! Having said that, I'm confident that I will continue to improve. What we all feel is very real and part and parcel of what we've survived, which for me has to become the watchword - SURVIVED.

As I, too, have been finding it hard I've been back in touch with my OT whom I haven't seen since my last op and am going back for reassessment on Tuesday. It can only help. I'll let you know how it goes and pass on any tips she might offer.

Lots of love

Sarah xx

Hi there

Yup, me too with the pressure. Changes in weather, pollen count, tiredness all seem to lead to a general pressure build up.

Sarah x

Hi

I was 47.

Sarah x

Hi all

Thanks for your replies. I've decided to go and see the GP to see what he suggests - he's a really great GP and I have every confidence in him as he's very understanding and practical with it. I really do have to shift weight although I appreciate that a lot of it is down to the dratted shingles medication which I'm trying (and largely managing) to cut down on. This medication doesn't clear the shingles but makes the pain and other effects easier to bear so I'm being a very brave soldier!

Lesley a NW meet is a must. I'll post something on the social page to see who'd be up for a meet and then we can find the most central point for everyone. I'll post it now but will not be able to do anything for a week as we're heading off for some sun on Monday (Canaries) after we return from this weekend's Hen Weekend in Harrogate. Yum, yum Betty's Tea Rooms here we come - looks like I'll be starting the weight loss plan in a week or two then!

Love Sarah xx

No, definitely not going mad - I too get the 'creeping', tickling, trickling feeling and can be seen to be frantically scratching at times - rather like being in the ape house at the zoo!

Sarah xx

Hi there

I had a new kind of craniotomy style op called SOMIC - basically a keyhole procedure (using a ****** big key!) with a c. 2inch cut and some skull removed, then replaced post clipping. I had this done twice, once post-SAH and I still have a small lump where the stitches were tied off (sept 06) and then again, Oct 07, to clip a second aneurysm - no lump. However i do have a lumpy skull around both scars but mainly number 1, which can change daily - some days very lumpy, others not at all and particularly lumpy after flying. My consultant says he's never heard of this happening before but I am walking, talking proof that it does and quite visibly too! Wouldn't go so far as to say Elephant Woman but definite changes of shape. None of this causes any pain, though, and both scars hidden under a fringe......

Sarah

Cheers Karen

Think we might try the Elmers Court, see if they have availability as it looks v. lovely! Will let you know.

Sarah xxx

All the time! Didn't do it pre-SAH but certainly do now and also get words wrong for things, eg jam jars are now known as jigsaws.......just keep turning them into jokes or, indeed, a whole new language!

Sarah

Hi Karen

Thanks for the response. It's a council-owned/run gym that we're going to join. Hannah is a member there and says it's fine but the staff are mainly of the younger variety and possibly not too experienced. Will see my GP and then take it from there but really need to do something to increase stamina, lose weight (a definite must) and generally exercise to feel better.

On another note, am looking at hotels for 23rd August as we're hoping to make a long weekend of a trip to Dorset. Do you know of any McDonald hotels or Jurys around you as we have some special offers for those.

Cheers

Sarah xx

Hi All

Can anyone give me any advice on exercise post-SAH? I know that swimming is ok and am planning to do quite a bit of that but am also thinking of joining the gym. However, I do feel a little nervous about this as:

a) the people that do the gym initiation are usually quite young and, often, rather inexperienced particularly in health matters

and

I've heard that we shouldn't do anything that might increase blood pressure

I am going to book a GP appointment and have a chat to him about it (also need to talk to him about my state of mind, which is quite wayward to say the least) but wondered if anyone here had any info.

Thanks

Sarah x

ps - not keen on the gym but have to shift some weight somehow and the Special K diet isn't working quickly enough!

Hi Karen and everyone

Totally agree with everything that you've all said. My GP is very understanding as well as being totally sympathetic with what I've been through.

However my surgeon, to whom I will be forever indebted for saving my life, forever grateful and wondering how I can ever repay him, is not quite so good at aftercare as he is at brain surgery. My first appointment post clipping #2 was just a couple of weeks ago. He basically said that I, like others who have been lucky enough to get through such a life threatening condition, need to put it behind me now and move on as best as possible. I had written a list of questions and symptoms/conditions that I've been experiencing post-SAH. Didn't really get any answers and didn't have the wit or energy to push him. I went in on my own as others can be either, with the best will in the world, over-protective or a bit "does she take sugar" and I needed to try and find things out for myself. Didn't really work! So, I'm still feeling confused and unsure of everything and need to come to terms with it all.

Karen, this site really, really helps. We're not alone in what we're going through and we're not going mad, over sensitive or pathetic but are experiencing very real difficulties post-SAH and post-surgery that need addressing and understanding to help us move forward. It does seem that we'll have to do that ourselves with support from us all on this site so we're not alone at all.

Love and hugs

Sarah x

Hi there

I have a big twitch before I go to sleep - it's a real jolt and is not very pleasant, quite painful in fact. Apparently I twitch a lot in my sleep, far more than pre-SAH.

Conincidentally I had an appointment yesterday with my brain surgeon and mentioned this to him. He said he hadn't heard of this kind of thing being associated with SAH before. It has most definitely only developed since SAH though.

Cheers

Sarah

Hi

Yes, now you come to mention, I do seem to be more 'staticcy' than before...hmm, does that make us electrifying????

Sarah x