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My follow up Angio was the only Angio that I can remember, and boy was I scared. I was more worried about it than even the shunt insertion! The whole day went without a hitch tho, and really I don't know why I worried so much. You have to lie on your back for a while afterwards, for those of you with memories of SAH that shouldn't be a worry tho! The whole thing passed by really quickly, and I wouldn't worry so much if and when I have to have another. Scott

Hi Karen, You can't quote from me because I haven't received the royalty cheque yet! Worry, stress and depression are all things that we are more likely to suffer from. One doctor reading from a book wanted to put me on anti-depressents because it was a common factor in early recovery from SAH according to whatever he was reading. I turned the drugs down, I try and keep a positive outlook but sometimes it's more difficult than most. We both suffer from dizzyness and that is what REALLY bugs me, I know I'm never going to be the same physically as before and mentally as well. I've accepted my limitations but still try to keep pushing the barriers. BUT when I'm going through a spell of dizzyness that can last days it is very difficult to accept. The after affects are so varied from SAH, after all we have suffered an insult to the most complicated organ there is. Giving advice is really difficult because there is no specific answer to a lot of questions. The best we can do is offer a wide range of personal experience and lots of support. Scott

I've always been a little errr nosey, and a lot of people on here will tell you that the people who know most outside of a Neuro specialist are those who've either been through it or had someone close go through it. A lot of people who earn their living in the medical world know nothing about the ins and outs of SAH, and my GP once said to me that his knowledge was a very thin cover on nothing. He has to know a little about everything, a specialist has to know everthing about a very limited area. I hope your Mum keeps on recovering, there will be times when it will seem that nothing has improved but while there's life there's hope. Scott

Ok, now as far as I am aware there is only an elevated risk if two or more 1st degree relatives have suffered from SAH. There some genetic conditions like polycystic kidney disease and Marfan syndrome which increase the level of risk. 1st degree relatives are not cousins, aunts & uncles or even grand parents only really brother, sister, mother and father. There is also an inherent risk in screening and treatment of unruptured potential haemorraghes. Also the greater the number of aneurysms the greater the potential risk of it being passed on to or from a 1st degree relative. We went through this as I have two young children, and even with the highest elevated risk factor within the link you posted the chances of them having a SAH are still smaller than many other life threatening conditions. Worry, fear and stress will more than likely be more dangerous to people than the actual risk of suffering SAH. During a support group I attended on this subject a woman was convinced that she was at a raised risk because her mother had an aneurysm (burst blood vessel in the eye) and her husband had suffered a SAH. Nothing anything the experts could do could convince her otherwise. Ignorance is dangerous, but ignorance combined with the scary facts behind SAH is an explosive mix. Remember that for every "fact" you uncover via google someone else will find the opposite on yahoo. SAH is scary enough without the internet, although we probably have all gone and searched and found out things we wish we hadn't. Clinical reports have to be seen in context, and the facts behind the research are almost as important as the data uncovered. Still on a bright note...... errrr well I'll come back when I've recovered my sense of perspective. Too much negativity is way too bad for all of us. Cheers Scott

We were talking about "Medical Experts" in the chat room tonight. Its hard to know what to believe and what to dismiss when the people who are telling you these "facts" are supposedly experts. The "Six Month Rule" has been disproved time and time again yet some people perpetuate the myth by repeating it. Try going on the Different Strokes message board and asking about the "Six Month Rule". Scott

Hi Hannah, Quick answer to your questions is no it didn't clear up, and yes I have a shunt. My recovery from the shunt surgery was unusually quick, I was discharged before the other two people who had the same Op even came round. On the support side, try Headway as they are experts in ABI (Aquired Brain Injury) and they have centres all over the country. Different Strokes is an excellent organisation, and they can be a great help as well. Above all else try and find people in the same situation as you, there will be more than you think around. The support that I got from just being around people who knew what both me the patient was/is going through and most importantly the people close to me were experiencing was huge. There is always hope, and recovery is dependant on the person, don't let anyone fob you off with formulaic answers. The worst I heard was a friends doctor told them that there was a six month "rule", and 95% of recovery in SAH occured in the first six months. Utter rubbish. Others I know are still experiencing improvements five years on. So don't expect it to be over night, it's a long road and your mum needs you more than ever before, but don't neglect yourself. Cheers Scott

Hi Hannah, Whilst I was only 36 when I had my SAH, and I had only one and that was coiled I've had some similar experiences. I had a minor stroke whilst the emboilisation was going on and later developed hydrocephalus. The path is a long one but there can be a light at the end of the tinnel. Scott

Sounds like you have good taste in music ! Although a little too quiet for my taste....... (NuMetal,Punk etc) Although my wife realised a longtime ambition this year and saw Bon Jovi live and the concert even opened her eyes to the charms of Nickleback. Welcome to the world of SAH Scott

Like you Karen I could barely walk when I was allowed home, I won't say discharged because three years on and I'm still not officially discharged! SAH as is obvious affects the organ that least is known about, and even a couple of millimetres can make a huge difference in outcomes. I used to be suprised at the wide range of outcomes from a single illness until I got my head around that simple fact. The very best I've seen personally is a guy from B'stoke that ran the London marathon in the year following his event, but he is now realising I think that his life has been changed forever. As most of us have no outward physical signs of how serious our condition is/was/will be those who don't know us well can fooled into thinking we're fine. That's in no way the truth as many of us can testify. Memory, concentration, and far many more are problems that not only us but those closest to us have to live with. In many ways I'm not the one who had the worst deal in all this, my wife has had to put up with much MUCH more than I have. TV like this does SAH no service, it shows no concequences and zero long term effects. It blinds them with science and gives the impression that this is a condition that has a total cure. We all know different. Still every day I feel happy to be alive, and be able to help bring up my two young boys (10 & 12). There is an upside to such a life changing event, but until they do a documentry on those long term effects people are still going to believe that we are "alright now".

I'm not left with any major disability, I had a minor stroke during the coiling and suffer from a general right sided weakness (mainly a pain in the hip area). I needed the shunt and the dizzyness is still very much an issue with me, even worse when I'm run down and tired. Various other little niggles, but the people that see me are not aware that I have any issues.......

No not nosy at all Karen, I live in Bramley which is a small village between Basingstoke and Reading. Totally understand that the evenings can get a bit much, I still have problems three years on. The SAH support group at Southampton Hospital was a lifeline in the early months and we've made many friends at the meetings. I became a little bit tunnel vision about it early on (like many things if I am completely honest). As I've said elsewhere there is a small group of us that meet up in a pub near the hospital on the evenings of the meetings and have something to eat. The next meeting is on the first Thursday of December and will be an informal get together with no set topic. On getting more people on this site, I use the Different Strokes message board at http://www.differentstrokes.co.uk and there are many SAHees on that particular board. thanks Scott

We couldn't make the Oct meeting because Rosie and Rob (Rosie is a fellow SAHee) came to us the night before and funds/tiredness made it a bit too much. We're looking forward to the December meeting tho, shame it went to every other month....... Hope to see you there. We meet up in a pub before the meetings for a bite to eat and a quick drink if anyone is interested?

Hi, Stumbled across this site whilst looking for the Wessex Neuro. Looks excellent, and only wish something like this was around when I had my SAH. I am three years post haemorraghe, and still have a few issues. Having read a few things on here it looks as though you have a thriving community here! I'm male (you don't get that many female Scotts) aged 39 and married with two boys. I did have my own video telecoms business pre-event but now only manage a three morning charity non paid thing. I'm aware that I have changed considerably since it all happened and am now reasonably OK with who I am, a long journey but to travel badly is better than any cliche you want to talk about. I attend the SAH support group in Southampton and found that to be very useful, Leslie and Sarah are superb (the specialist SAH nurses). I seemed to collect complications on the way and have a shunt to be going on with. Can't think of anything else to say (you probably know the feeling). I'll be around on the message board..... Thanks for reading Scott