johntaras

It's with tremendous thanks to all the Staff at the PRH Telford and the old North Staffs Hospital in Stoke that I'm here today to celebrate my 14th Anniversary. I haven't posted on here for several years but the support I received in 2010 from all over the World helped me cope and understand what had happened to me. I'm now 66 years old and happily retired.

I want my wife to get a new Passport because it would be nice to venture abroad again. But can we fly safely with A VP Shunt fitted. Also does anyone know of a Travel Insurance Company who cover people travelling with a VP Shunt fitted?

It's been a while since I posted and a lot of water has gone under the bridge. Sadly I am now Ill Health Retired from my job as an Assessor / Trainer at the local College a job I loved because I class myself as a good people person. I did get back to full time working after my November 2009 SAH in March 2011 and felt really proud of myself. I had done the chasing to return to work not my Employers. But I soon found difficulty in maintaining a five day week and had to drop down to four days. This cost me £5000 salary. On I soldiered but found that the volume of work I was expected to complete in four days was nearly five days worth. I did not get a move to a campus based role even though this was reccomended by Occupational Health. In October 2012 I had a mental breakdown and went off sick. My employer sent me to OH after three months absense and again at six months. Their conclusion was that I would be unable to complete my duties now or in the future to a level of gainful employment. I was left with little choice but to accept Ill Health Retirement or expect to br dismissed on medical grounds. I was very unhappy about this and do not feel they helped me enough or understood the consequences of what had happened to me because luckily for me I looked normal. But it is the hidden things that affect me. Fatigue, multi tasking, driving. My intellectual ability was left intact, this worked against me as did my willingness to take on work. I was supposed to have been protectec from myself. I have used the title because I would have accepted what has happened more easily if I had experienced retirement in 2010 rather than three years later in 2013. I am still very grateful to have survived and will never say why did it happen to me? I found until recently after what happened to me in October 2012 that I had no desire or urgency to do anything and gained more weight. But about five weeks ago I began to go for a daily walk down to Morrisons for my daily newspaper, this gives me about 30 minutes exercise each day and I hve lost 1 stone and 3 pounds. I am now motivated daily to exercise and have found my mojo again.

Hi Lyn, I do not expect to have mine removed as I believe it to be a necessary addition since my SAH when one of the outcomes was the absorption of fluid in the brain stopped thus raising the inter cranial pressure and sending me into a state of non recognition and any ability to do anything. For the weeks prior to its insertion I was in a state of not recognizing being in hospital or the nurses, however I did know family members. I just have got used to it now and its part of me. I do carry a Card in my wallet that I got free from Shine with my details on and what to do if anybody finds me in a disorganized state due to a blockage in the pipe. Hope this helps. Kind regards John

Hi Liz, I had a shunt put in in December 2009 six weeks after my SAH because I was "away with the fairies", my system no longer absorbed cerebral fluid and my condition would not stabilise. I have had no problems to date with the shunt. It is fixed and not the adjustable type. What I have noticed is that I get headaches if I do not drink enough fluid. My logic is that as the shunt is fixed flow it is always removing fluid and I balance that by my fluid intake. It works for me. Good luck with yours. Kind regards John

Hi Everybody, confession time its been quite a while since I logged on. But I still feel among friends as soon as my log in is processed. As my heading states its three years this week since my date with destiny, and luckily for me the pearly gates were closed for new admissions! I have stated before how lucky I feel to have survived with very little visual difficulties but its the things people cannot see that cause so much trouble. I am sure when I write my update many people will have experienced worse but I am hopeful of some words of wisdom and similar experiences in replies. I find myself banging my head against a no response wall when asking for a change in my workload. Even though I was told categorically by Occupational Health that I was to be based in Campus I find myself travelling three days a week and being Campus based for the fourth day. When I made a request for changes I was summoned to H.R. and told that I had requested an Admin post which would of course result in a drop in pay of £7000, a sum I just cannot afford to take. Has anybody else experienced similar problems or pressure? Can they do this to you, what does the Disability at Work Act cover am I protected? I love my work I just feel that nobody is listening to me and because I appear fully recovered there is no need to look after my well-being. I have just joined the Union to try and secure some official support. All I want is to be treated with some consideration after what happened. I am currently off due to stress and anxiety due to the workload. My last day in I was updating a pile of fifty portfolios and my brain just went to mush. I could not concentrate and came home and went to bed. My brain was just frazzled. Hope I get some replies and possible words of wisdom. Its great to be back on-line. Good night everyone and thanks for listening.

Fantastic news Jess well done. Onward and upward with life! Still waiting on my scan results, no news is good news!

Good Morning Karen, isn't it great to be able to say that to you! I empathise will almost every word you put into your message. I am able to write to you this morning as it is my Friday off. I concluded after returning to work via a phased return and yes getting back up to five days a week that it was too much for me to cope with. Not physically but mentally. I like you do not have any outward signs of my SAH in 2009 but the problems are still there under the surface. I needed to return to work to feel that I was making continual progress post SAH. I kept on measuring my abilities against what I used to be able to do. But I realised that I was a different person now. Work were brilliant and they sent me to Occupational Health where I saw a fantastic Doctor who explained that he was there for my interests not my Employers. When I got up to five days a week but was suffering from fatigue it was him who told me that I may have reached my limit at four days. I spent a month on four days before realising myself that this was true. I requested a reduction in my contract down to four days which was quite a big drop financially but my health is the most important thing to me now. We are members of a very special club. We survived an SAH. I am sure you have looked up the statistics of survival or serious physical and mental disabilities as a result of having an SAH. I did not start back to work until March of last year and am looking forward to passing my 12 months mark. We have changed after having an SAH, sometimes not all changes are positive. I am lucky in that it has made me even more laid back than before. I do not get angry and frustration only brings me into laughter when I cannot remember something. Karen I know people on the site will say things like "it is still early in your recovery yet" but it is and you will have changed it is inevitable. But embrace the new you and look forward to many more years of quality time with your family. In answer to when will I be better? You may never be as you were! But you are here, you have already returned to part time working, you can have lucid fluent conversations on the computer with complete strangers! I would say you are well on the road to recovery. Fatigue may be a constant thing of the future I still get it after 2 years plus. I try to plan my seven days, not overworking on my days off! Sending you big hugs, take care and give yourself a huge well done!

Hi Michelle, don't know how long the coils last. I was not aware of my op until several weeks later as at the time I was away with the fairies and the decision to operate was granted by me julie. The Consultant told her that the two bleeds that I had had should have finished me off but if the third anni they found bled that probably would have been enough to do it. I can only go on what I was told last year by my doctor who indicated that after two years the bleeds should have been totally absorbed and the balloon shrivelled up. Hi Karen, just had a look at the link and that is exactly what I had done. Don't know why they want an MRA as well. Nite nite all

I did not realise I would raise such a question as to what happens to a shrivelled up anni? The note I made about the pesky anni maybe growing a tail was the one that got away. Or should I say the one that did not burst. The two bleeds I had were the ones the doctor implied would shrivel. The coiled anni was filled about a week later via an angio after a follow up CT scan discovery.

So near and yet so far. I thought when my 2 year anni...versary went by quietly in November that North Staffs MRI Department had forgotten me. I was a bit disappointed because I just wanted closure I suppose. The Consultant I saw after 1 year told me that it normally takes 2 years for the dreaded annies to shrivel up and become non existent. So I was looking forward to confirmation of the fact. Also just piece of mind that the pesky little anni they coiled was still behaving itself and had not sprouted a tail! So you could have knocked me down with a feather when arriving home this evening to see a letter from Stoke on Trent. I knew it was not a late Christmas Card but an invitation to the MRI Ball. But not content with an MRI they want to do an MRA as well. Each appointment three hours apart, both on Sunday afternoon. So I get my wish after all. No time to ponder as Sunday will soon be here.

Hi Dawn, I have been back at work since last April. But my return was carefully planned and supervised when finally agreed. I visited OH at the request of my Employers before returning and am glad I did. I like you was a bit wary, what are they going to do? what will they ask me? what if I cannot do some of the old things? the list was endless. The doctor I saw was brilliant and put me at ease right away. He explained that he was here to look after my interests not my Employers. It was his job to assess the situation and recommend the best course of action for me. He said that what ever was agreed was flexible and could be changed if I could not cope. He told my wife who came with me that it was her job along with my Employers to "rein me in" if I got carried away with my own enthusiasm. A plan was drawn up to start back on three half days a week, progress to four half days, then add one day and three half days until eventually I reached a full week. It was at this point that I found myself fatigued. I was sent back to OH and the doctor suggested I try four days for a month. He said that I may have found my limit and would have to accept my limitations. After four weeks I must confess I had adjusted to the regime and was not complaining of fatigue. However I did make changes to my new lifestyle at work. I used to be an NVQ Assessor Trainer involving daily travelling to Companies and then several hours onsite Assessing. Travel home and then several hours working on Admin in the Garage before repeating the routine the next day. I can no longer travel as far and am limited to working locally. I never take work home any more. I always have my lunch. I always stop for a mid morning coffee. If I am in College I have screen breaks. These are all new rules that I have had to incorporate into my working routine. My colleagues and line managers have been fantastic and are fully aware of my illness. I found OH very supportive and I know that even now as I approach 10 months in I can still contact them for support. Yes there were questions originally asked by the doctor that included did he think I would be able to return to work and perform a reasonable level of performance or should I be medically finished. Be honest with the doctor and you might be surprised how much support you get. Do not be afraid to speak up if you have any concerns OH are there to support you. Take care and best of luck.

I am so impressed with David's Thread, "3 Things I Miss" that I had to flip it over! It seems that every time I post I am so positive! I cannot help it. One of the biggest things I don't miss is being so Negative, every day is a positive day, I am still here. I don't miss being obsessed with work, when I am tired I have a rest! simple! I would never have felt this way before, pre SAH. I don't miss those feelings at all. I think I am a much better person post SAH! even with my problems. I am certainly a lot happier and more relaxed. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason.

Its been a long time since I posted a thread but I have just had the most satisfying day since my SAH. I returned to work last April and over a period of weeks managed to get back to full time only to find that this was too much to cope with. So before Christmas I took the big decision to request a formal reduction in my hours down to four days a week. But I never felt that I had quite returned to my old level. I had begun to get out and deliver Skills for Life courses again locally, due to my driving restrictions. But still felt that I was only partly participating. That was until today when I finally was able to visit a company to work with 9 Apprentices and start them off on their Key Skills qualification. It could not have gone better, all of them turned up, the brief presentation went well and the following three hour session was great and really productive with the work they produced. This afternoon I returned to College and while fresh in my mind produced a written statement of what had taken place and distributed it to all Attendees. My Diary is now full with planned Visits. Then this Evening I had the most wonderful experience, I have wanted to return the wonderful gift that the Hospital bestowed on me in November 2009 when thanks to their swift action and choices I managed to be sent to North Staffs Hospital at Stoke where they proceeded to save my life by their marvellous care and surgical abilities. So I joined the League of Friends at the PRH Telford as this was my local Hospital and first port of call on that fateful night. I am know a Committee Member but tonight went one further and performed my first Volunteer shift in the League of Friends Cafe. It was a wondrous experience and I cannot wait for my next visit next Friday. It may seem like such a trivial experience, when some of the Threads are messages of despair. But for me it is another tick of achievement in that long road to recovery. I will not say normality, because what is normality? We have all experienced different emotions and degrees of disability both visible and hidden. But I will repeat a message that I include once before in a Thread, the Brain is a marvellous, resourceful Organ that where possible will rewire itself and repair itself when possible. Try not to despair, it does take time and yes some things do not come back. But we are still here and have the chance to make a contribution. Take care and nite nite!

3 things I miss! I've tried so hard to think of anything I miss. But I can't think of anything. So 3 things I don't miss! What I don't miss is being stupid enough to bring work home pre SAH! Not taking a break at work pre SAH, now going for a coffee! Don't miss being so work obsessed! The only thing I miss is my stamina, now I have to plan things to ensure no fatigue. But is a small price to pay for still being here. Love the new me! Love the thread!