winter

Congratulations on good results!!! Rest easy now and celebrate

I was told to take it easy, do nothing strenuous, work, drive, sex, for at least 1 month. Drink plenty of water - 3 liters a day, sleep whenever you need to or feel tired. Those were the only instructions (or anything) I received upon release from the hospital! I was told to follow up w/a neurologist and my GP 3-4 wks. after release. I followed these directions, with no expectations of what was to follow. Saw neuro and GP - both said to continue on with normal activities, prior to bleed, as tolerated! There ya go... Hopefully, with youth on your side and good physical fitness already in place, you will do well. Sounds like you're handling things quite right... hang in there and just listen to your body! If you do hit a lull, or have feelings of exhaustion, just know it's your brain letting you know it's time to slow down and rest! Recovery is different for each of us - I wish you well in yours - keep on with a positive attitude!!!

It is unfortunate that many of us have lost some friends along the way, in our recoveries. Actually "they" are the ones who are losing out, not us. I've found that the people whom I no longer see were never really good friends to me, but I was a good friend to them! I've struggled with trying to explain the after effects of SAH - have informed people that it is a stroke, it does cause brain damage or varying degrees along with many other symptoms. Many don't want to understand or maybe just don't care... it doesn't affect them so why bother! I've got a small handful of loved ones and a few friends who "get it" and of course I'm thankful for that. But the biggest support I've received has been here at BTG!!! Thank you all so much for being here Truly I don't know where I'd be at this point without all of you! I am going to go to some of the websites/links from BTG and send e-mails to some local hospitals so they can see some examples of booklets/pamphlets some of you did receive before release from the hospital. My neurologist and GP could certainly use some insight as well! Might also be good to have for people fighting for disability income - since a good majority of the medical professionals don't seem to have access to these I'm sure the social security disability people in US don't have a clue! Good thread here - hang in there and know your 'real' friends are still with you, the others who've gone weren't worth your time or energy!

Nice to see your smiling face! Great read and helpful suggestions to manage each day, as we deal with fatigue! Think I have been grabbing forks when my spoons have run out Good job Jen! Thanks

Hi Eric! I'm so happy for you that you found this site so quickly!!! WOW - good for you! Sorry it's under these circumstances though. I'm in Florida and it appears that the US medical professionals seem to know very little about the after effects of SAHs! Honestly, the folks I've corresonded with from US, have all been told pretty much the same thing. Rest for a few weeks, drink lots of water and then resume normal activities as tolerated. I was told no driving, working, strenuous activity for 1 month, maybe more. I had expectations of going back to work at that 1 month mark. Spoke with neurologist who told me to go ahead if I felt comfortable with it and play it by ear. I wanted to get back to work (Lic. Massage Therapist) and went back at about 6 weeks. Started out very slowly - a couple days a week for only a few hours at a time. Over the next 2 months, I gradually increased the days and hours. Much to my dismay, I was having migraine headaches - almost daily, extreme fatigue - I would come home completely spent and sleep 3+ hours afterward, with little energy later to do anything. Constantly being bent over while doing massage and exerting pressure, would cause my head to throb and become full feeling along with ringing in my ears and sensitive to noise and distractions of machines beeping, etc... I became very depressed about how my body was reacting to all this, not to mention the extreme fatigue. I kept at it for almost 2 months. Then, our receptionist was fired and I offered to take that position, knowing the physical aspect of massage was not working for me. The reception work did ease some of the headaches, but I found it very taxing to multitask, constantly having to think ahead, and was easily distracted by the constant noise and disruptions. Headaches and fatigue kicked in again. I continued on for another 6 months, when the owner of the company decided to eliminate my position, saying she had to make cutbacks! So I was then laid off. SORRY to have gone on with all this. I am certainly not wanting to discourage you in any way, just sharing my experience and that for me - I went back too soon with expectations that, unknown to me at the time, were simply unrealistic. We all heal at different rates and there are many on this site who've been able to resume their previous work, athletic activities and have gone on to make astounding recoveries! Hopefully you will be one of those people Being there is little to no after care here in the US, read as much as possible, surround yourself with positive, caring people, and above all, listen to your body and what it's telling you. There is a wonderful post (somewhere on the website? somebody help with location please ) called A Letter to Your Brain. It's beautifully written and helped me to understand a little more about what the brain has gone through and how we should care for ourselves. Ok, I 've rambled on for some time here:shock: (always got in trouble at school for talking too much!). Congratulations on the clear scan for no anni! Do take care Eric, and wishing you a speedy recovery. Look forward to hearing more from you as time goes on! Hugs to you my fellow American, Carolyn PS: Love the mountains in NC, beautiful country

Michelle - Job well done, girl!!! You got through it and it's overwith now. Be good to yourself and don't beat yourself up for having feelings of fear or crying through it. You did what you needed to do and deserve a big hug and pat on the back:biggrin: It is scary going through these things that are unknowns and new to us - and you did it!!! You get the gold star for the day sweetcheeks! Hope you're having a good rest today and doing something special for yourself. Hugs from across the pond, Carolyn

Welcome Riane, You'll find the folks at BTG very supportive and full of information. I'm glad you found this site so early into your recovery! The people here have been my lifeline for the last 1 1/2 years I am always shocked at the way medical professionals seem to think those of us who've had SAHs should just go home and get on with life, as if nothing much had happened! I do understand that the majority of doctors (throughout their entire practice) will never actually have a patient who's had a sah. Wouldn't you think, though, they would take such an opportunity to learn as much as they could, when they are presented with such a case?! Ah well.... Hang in there sweetie! As the others have said, you're not alone in all this. We're all here to help each other get through these new chapters in our lives. Hope to hear more from you! Carolyn

Hi Samantha! Welcome to Behind The Gray I feel badly for you, that you've not gotten the proper support you need after a SAH. I'm sure it's been a struggle and of course it's so frustrating when people say hurtful things. It's hard enough just having gone through the initial shock of sah, but you've also got complications to deal with and you need helpful, positive people around. Behind The Gray is a wonderful place to be. Everyone here is kind, supportive and helpful. You'll find lots of information and if you have questions, ask away! Someone will be able to point you in the right direction. We're all here to help one another - so welcome! Take care and get the rest you need. Keeping you in my thoughts for a smooth recovery!!! Carolyn

Welcome Minan! Sorry to here you've been dealing with things on your own. Glad you're here now, as you'll get lots of help and support. I live a bit north of Tampa, FL. My partner is from upstate NY (Catskills)-beautiful country! Hope to hear more from you! We're all here to help one another through caring support, informational links, and in the green room - lots of general chat and comraderie Hugs to you, Carolyn

Hi Bill! Pretty sure I never greeted you properly when you 1st joined the site ! I am so glad you have joined us here, as it has been a lifeline for me, as well as many others. We are all here for one another - with empathy and caring minus any judgement! I did read your story, which was so well done and honest! Thank you for sharing your life and current circumstances now. It does take a lot of courage to let it all out, and once done, help seems to pour in on this site Thanks to everyone here!!! I've struggled with chronic depression since I was about 14 or so. Have had cognitive behavior therapy and counseling many times (which was always helpful and helped me "think" in a new way). I didn't start medications 'til I was 30 and OMG, what a difference it made for me. Realistically, it saved my life. I've had periods where I was off meds and did ok for 6 mo. at a time. Then the depression would sneak in and take hold once again. I've always functioned, while I had 2 children and a job and had to keep going. Hence, the meds weren't mind-altering for me, but allowed me to feel "normal" and not empty. After the SAH, my medications have needed to be adjusted several different times, and I now take several different ones. I still go through some major bouts where that horrible monster lurks all around me, and my life circumstances certainly haven't helped. My partner is an alcoholic, and I have 2 sisters who were also alcolholic/drug addicts (both of whom are now and have been sober/clean for over 25 years - there is always hope!!!) I, obviously, have been the co-dependant/caretaker type. I do understand the struggle and guilt that comes with addictions. It is the hardest thing to come to grips with and then take action to change. The after effects of SAH only add to the challenges in your life. I do believe you are a VERY strong man and you will get through the re-hab with positive results and a new outlook on life!!! Good for you - I admire your strength and courage to move forward with your plans. I wish you alll the best and look forward to hearing much more from you. Remember, you are not alone in this. We are all here to help and support you through these challenging times! Hugs from across the pond, Carolyn

Viv - I love the self portrait!!! It's brilliant - well done!!! Thank you for sharing it here. I'm sure most of us can relate to what you're saying through the portrait. I know I do - look normal on the outside, but still struggling with issues not so obvious to others. It can be challenging at times! Sounds that you are doing well having accepted where you are in life and have made huge improvements in the last 4 years. Gives me hope and assurance that things will and do get better. At times I feel I've accepted my limitations, then have a set back and find I've not fully accepted things! Guess that, too, is part of the process in our recoveries. I hope you're able to get some relief with the botox, if you choose to do it. Hugs to you Vivien ((( ))) Carolyn

Powerful and helpful thread going here!!! Great posts from everyone I'm still having trouble explaining things and have experienced the same frustration as many of you. Interestingly, I am always apologizing too! My daughter told me the other not I don't need to apologize for anything. I then said, "Oh, I'm sorry!" So no more of that for me either!!! I've found that people who are truly caring and can empathise, are patient with me and do listen. The ones that I have trouble with are the people who have no clue and don't really care to learn about brain injuries. They just want me to be the "old" me and move on. Unfortunately, it's made more difficult for us if one of those people is a family member or someone we thought was a friend - harder because of our emotional ties with them. When I'm tired or stressed out, it is almost impossible to express myself, especially to ones who just don't get it. I love the DNS letter. I did this with my son (he's quite thick headed!) and it did help a bit for a while. I felt better expressing myself through writing and he understood a little more. I think where we are in our recoveries and whether we're experiencing other health issues, also makes a difference as to our abilities to expess ourselves. When we feel heard and our feelings are validated, we feel better about life in general - at least I do. I think this goes along with having a good support system at home, work, with friends. If I'm lacking that support system, it leads to low times and depression. Many times I feel I'm just existing and I hate it. I'm hoping after my neuropsych appt., I'll be referred for some counseling - looking forward to that!

Evening Jen! I loved that!!! Thanks for sharing the exercise. I'm going to do this after I'm finished on-line tonight. I've always believed in the power of positive thinking - sometimes we get down in the dumps or are depressed and it's hard to be positive, but this exercise does re-train the brain to think and respond differently!!! No mumbo jumbo here! Sometimes I say affirmations (positive messages) even when I feel like . Eventually it does work. Fake it 'til you make it Big hugs to you, Carolyn

Hi Bill and welcome to BTG!!! So glad to have you hear with us. I look forward to reading your story - what you've posted already IS inspirational and gives me hope for the future. So, thank you!!! Hope to hear more from you! Hugs, Carolyn

Jan!!! Congratulations to you sweetie. I'm so happy for you that you're home and the anxiety has been lifted:biggrin: Get rested up for your holiday!!! Love and hugs, Carolyn

Hi Gina, Sorry to hear Theresa wasn't coiled after all! Hope they've come up with something since your last posting. Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers!! Jan, When and if you're looking in, been thinking of you today. Hope all went well and you're resting peacefully! love and hugs, Carolyn

Hi Tracy! Welcome to BTG - so glad you found us I too, feel for you in the facts that you've not had much after care on what to expect, what happens to us. Unfortunately this seems to be the norm that too many of us have experienced! Lots of great information and wonderful people here to help one another. I'ts been my lifesaver! I'm 14 mo. post SAH/stroke. Have to say there have been huge improvements but I too, like lots of the others here, have some issues I'm still dealing with. Fatigue, depression, anxiety, inability to do many things I did before. It's been emotionally challenging and hard to accept.... still working on it! The folks here at BTG have been my biggest help and I'm sure you'll find it nice to be able to chat with others experiencing many of the same issues you're dealing with. Hope to hear more from you! Carolyn

Hi Kate! Welcome to BTG, so glad you found this site. I have panic/anxiety attacks and currently I'm on several medications, which help quite a bit. Counseling is very helpful as it teaches you how to get through the panics when they happen. I'm 14 mo. post SAH and for me I think the emotional stuff has been the most difficult to deal with. Still working at it. I had an angiogram 6 mo. after my SAH. I was nervous and scared - it felt strange going into the hospital again. Some of the staff in the radiology dept. were the same as when I had been there during the surgery. The nurses were great, explained everything and all went well. I was under a twilight anesthesia during the angio. A little bit of tenderness at the insertion site, but nothing really bad! Will be thinking of you tomorrow - sending good energy your way!!! Hope to hear more from you. Carolyn

Hi Melissa! A warm welcome to you - so glad you found this site. I'm sure you will find lots of help and support from all the wonderful people here! You've been through a lot, sweetie, and we're here to help you get through the coming days Look forward to hearing from you. Hugs, Carolyn

Job well done Miss Sandi!!! So glad you were able to go to Vegas again and have fun AND listen to your body. It's great you recognize the progress you've continued to make. Thanks for sharing it with us:wink1: Huge hugs ((( ))) for all you've accomplished! Carolyn

John, Hi - As Karen said, there is a syndrome which causes syncope related to coughing, which is different than what I experienced. Very frightening all the same! This happened to me just a little over a month ago. I didn't have a cold, but had been coughing. The coughing stopped and then I started to feel strange and nauseated. Was trying to calm myself down by taking slow deep breaths, got up and went into the bathroom. My partner followed me in, as I told him I didn't feel right. The next I knew, he was asking me if I felt I could stand up now. I told him I was standing! I was actually sitting on the floor where he'd helped me down as I had fainted. I felt strange and had extremely loud ringing and what I thought sounded like crickets chirping mangified 1000x in my ears. Very scary for both of us. Went to my GP next day, who wanted me to go straight to ER or call my neurologist before leaving her office. Called neuro who sent me for a CT scan of the brain. Scan was clear and I followed up with neuro next day. I've had the symptoms before, but never fainted. He diagnosed me with neuro cardiogenic syncope and wanted me to have a full cardiac work up done. As I don't have health insurance, I've been unable to have the work up done. I've been told with this type of syncope, I'm to alert the div. of motor vehicles and surrender my license! Haven't done that yet either . I am currently about 25 lbs overweight and even though I've been walking regularly, I get out of breath when climbing stairs or have to walk quickly or have exerted myself physically (lifting things, bringing groceries in, etc...). I hope you will keep in touch with your dr. and maybe ask about a cardiac work up or why this may be happening. Not trying to scare you, just think it's better to be safe than sorry. In the mean time, my neuro has told me when I feel these symptoms coming on, to lay flat or seat myself in a safe place and put my head between my knees! Have been doing this a lot lately! Hope all goes well for you with this and you seek out more answers. Take care, Carolyn

Welcome to BTG Polyanna! Your journey has been a tough one, yet you remain so positive - very encouraging! So happy for you that you've received some excellent help and have come so far. You're right about support - I'm sure it makes a huge difference in our recoveries and outlooks on the future! Glad you're with us and hope to hear lots more from you! Carolyn

Good Morning Carolyn, from another Carolyn - also in the states! Glad you found this site so quickly. There is a lot of information to be found here along with many wonderful people to help with any questions and support. My SAH was due to a burst aneurysm, but there are many here who've had non-annie SAHs and I'm sure they'll respond as well. I had excruciating back pain while in the hospital and for a good 2 weeks after I was released. While in the hospital, the nurses thought the pain was probably from being in the bed and not able to move around much! It wasn't until the day before I was released, that the neurosurgeon came in to check on me and explained the pain was due to the blood being absorbed (from the hemorrhage) and was unfortunately part of the process. So, even staff (including dr.s) in the hospital are many times unaware of what happens to our bodies after a SAH because they've never dealt with it before. I was told after release I couldn't drive or go back to work for a month, possibly longer. I did go back to work at about 5 weeks after. For me, I know this was waaaaaaaay to soon. I thought I should and I wanted to get back to life and some sense of "normal". In actuality, this slowed my healing process. It was good to be among co-workers again, but not good for my brain/body. As the others have said, there is no definitive time frame for the healing process and we are all different in that, however; I would definitely talk with your dr. again before making a decision. Most of us weren't given any information regarding recovery at home and have had to search out the help through sites like this. Hope to hear more from you and how you're getting along! Carolyn

Welcome Simon! Good for you for coming to BTG! There ARE so many great people here. Tons of information and help! A real life-line. Glad you're still with us!!! I am always shocked by mis-dianoses/neglect on medical staff's part. Seems it happens all too often! So happy you were finally taken where you got expert help! I'm in the US, so no help regarding your coverage - but def give it a go! Take advantage of any help you may be entitled to! Good luck with your phased work return! Wishing you well and hope your recovery continues without any hiccups! Look forward to chatting with you more. Hopefully you'll join us in the Green Room at some point! Do take care of yourself!!! Hugs, Carolyn

I am a smoker. Started when I was 14 or 15. I did stop for both pregnancies and then took it up again! Before I left the hospital, after the coiling, I was told under no conditions should I be exposed to 2nd hand smoke, let alone ever pick up a cigarette again! This came from the neurosurgeon and other dr.s attending to me. On the way home, after being released, I lit up a cigarette in the car!!! My daughter was so angry with me, she refused to talk to me the rest of that day! When I had my 1st 6 mo. post angio - I was asked if I smoked and said yes. The dr. asked me if I realized that this could cause another anuerysm, my reply: I guess so (as the guilt just kept pouring in!) I was told one of the arteries in my brain is much smaller than the others and THIS is what has contributed to the formation of the aneurysm. The malformed artery has probably been there since birth. While we all know that smoking isn't good for us and nicotine is a vaso constrictor, some of us continue to smoke. I know for myself that this is crazy behavior. Perhaps a denial of some sort on my part, that I can still live and it will be ok. I feel ashamed and guilty that I still smoke. I haven't yet mustered up the courage to stop. I have used the gum, patches, meds, and even a counseling group at one time. All worked for a short while, but in the end, I've allowed the addiction to remain!Until I am truly ready to face the things that keep me smoking, those other things will not work. Hopefully some day soon, I'll get there! In the mean time, I will at least refrain from blowing my nose too hard