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Hello Deb,  well done for sharing with us one year on from your SAH.

I sympathise with your struggles during the past year as you have tried to deal with recovering from your SAH and having to deal with the other issues in your life. You have had a tough time.

It would be great and  a benefit to others if you could summarise the highs and lows of the past 12 months.

However if you want to leave this for a later time that is ok.

Take care Deb, and always remember that BTG is always around to offer you support. `As they often say, `A burden shared is a burden halved`.

Subs

Good morning and a warm welcome to BTG.

You are in good company. There is a wealth of members` experiences over 10 years within the various forums. As you search for cases that you feel are relevant to you I am sure you get much encouragement finding how members have dealt with the challenges of their SAH.

We only offer support, we do not give medical advice.

As you mention in your post, your life has been totally turned upside down by your bleed. No work for three years must have been so hard given the type of work you were involved in. How did you cope?

Often, the tendency is to try and get back to normality too soon and your body and brain just don`t get the time they need to adjust and recover. This can lead to frustration and disappointment as you discover that it is all these items on your list become very relevant and prevent you getting to where you want to be.

Patience and listening to your brain and body are so important.

Do you have family and friends around you?

Your list of issues affecting you are common to most but in varying degrees of seriousness.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience on this site.

Wishing you well as you try live your life post SAH.

Subs

Hello Lori

A warm welcome to BTG.  You will receive valuable support from the members who share their experiences in the different Forums, and comment on how they have faced recovery following their SAH. or NASAH.

We do not give medical advice.

First of all you and your family have faced an incredible challenge given that no sooner had you returned home with your newborn, when you experienced your bleed.

As a carer since my wife`s SAH 6 years ago I can understand how your husband felt in these early days. Although with the added responsibility of a newly born son, and his employment to think about, he must have had so much pressure to deal with. Hopefully there was family around to ease the burden. 

Understanding the challenges of recovering post SAH is a new world for most.

You have not mentioned when your bleed occurred, but you have dealt with your recovery well.

You will find much on this site relating to returning to work. A teacher`s job as you say, is full of pressures everyday. Most jobs these days are pressurised. It is wise when thinking about returning to work, to ask your employers for a phased re-introduction to the classroom environment. Puting your body and indeed your brain under too much stress is likely to be detrimental to your recovery. Patience and listening to your body and brain is so important. Fatigue is also an issue that has to be faced realistically.

Of course you have your family responsibilities to deal with too.

The cause of an SAH is very difficult to establish. This also is covered within the Forums. There are members who have extended their families post SAH with no complications.

I wish you and your family well as you face the challenges of recovery.

Please keep in touch and I am sure other members will offer their support in the days ahead.

Subs

Hello Tori

Thanks for your update.  Hopefully your mum will show sings of greater recovery with time.. In these early days her body is so weak and tired and as we have said, her brain will be trying to readjust to the bleed. At this stage rest is all important. Her hours asleep are so crucial to her getting stronger.

Hope you and your family are adjusting ok.

Subs

Hello Tori.   A warm welcome to BTG.  Great that you have found the site so soon after your mum`s SAH.

You are in good company with members who are eager to share their experiences with you, and support you when needed with answers to your questions. There are also over 10 years of historical cases within the various forums. As you find your way about the site these will prove most helpful.

We only offer support, and do not give any medical advice.

You and all your family have been on a traumatic journey since your mum experienced her SAH five weeks ago. She has obviously suffered so much as the medics tried to stabilise and treat the bleed.

The anxieties during that time you will never forget. You are no doubt physically and mentally exhausted.

It is very early days in her recovery. It will be several months before you will get some indication of what longer term damage has been done because of the bleed. Every SAH recovery is different. You have done so well by being there for your mum. Keep talking to her even though you may feel she doesn`t hear you. Keep encouraging her.

Also please make sure that you and your family take time to look after yourselves.  Eat and rest well.  Talk about your own worries.

Mum`s brain will take many months to heel and during that time , especially at the outset, you may find that her personality has changed and her reactions are out of character. This may change with time. Memory and fatigue issues will also be very evident.

She will be in great hands with the neuro staff.

Please keep in touch and don`t hesitate to share your concerns with us.

Subs

Hi Kris ....hope your angiogram went ok yesterday.

Subs

Hello, thanks for getting back in touch.

As a carer I will never fully understand what it means to have the 24/7 pain you describe in your post. Having such debilitating pain for almost two and a half years must be so hard to endure.

I know that you will receive comments from members who have dealt with their pain. Meantime, have you researched the posts already logged within BTG site?  A search for `headaches`  on the home page search box will give you much information.

Subs

Hello Sairah, also a warm welcome to BTG.

As SM says, you will get much support on this site from people who have dealt with the challenges of recovery... some like you for a few months, and others for many years. Their comments on the various threads are so helpful to others.

I do hope you and your family are adjusting to life after SAH. It is not like many injuries where a full recovery can be made after a few months.  SAH affects everyone differently and the on going issues such as fatigue, headaches, mood swings, memory and temperament are constant challenges along the way.

Getting back to work is never an easy decision and should always be phased depending on how much your body and brain can handle. Don`t rush it.

Re television, for my wife it was the `shouting`  She has not watched her favourite soaps for six years because of this. 

We would welcome your own story in the Introduce Yourself section, if you feel you wish to share what happened to you.

I wish you and family well as you come to terms with SAH.

Take care.

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Michelle, well done on three years post SAH.

Thanks for being such an active member of BTG both in the GR and in helping others with your posts.

I think we all have a very clear picture of life at the caravan and Verdun`s fishing trips, and wish we were around as you share out these lovely cakes.

Wishing you well as you settle in to your new home.

2 hours ago, Chelle C said:

I`m looking forward to the next 12 months, cant wait to see what it brings

With so much happening in your life in the past twelve months .....great to read that this is your positive attitude to the future.

Subs

Hello Jan, well done two years on from your SAH.

I also think you have much to be proud for in your recovery. You have raised many interesting discussions for all of us this past 12 months, and added your own personality to BTG.

I know it has not been easy for you but keep positive and keep moving forward.

Thanks for `bearing`  your soul along the way.

Subs

Jan, I`ve done a spell check on Macca`s post and it should be ......   B&**%  

Subs

Hello Jan, I am sure you will agree from the responses, that you are valued as a member of the BTG family.

Twelve months since you shared your first post with us, and since then you have brought your own personality to the site. Always willing to support others, and not frightened to really open up about your own fears and and struggles post SAH.

During that time you have been trying to cope with life in a different way and also challenging SAH because of how it has dealt a nasty hand to parts of your life.

As a carer I don`t fully know how devastating that can feel, however since I joined BTG 2 1/2 years ago and have read most of the posts since then, I do know that you are indeed not alone. When Winnie pointed me to this site in December 2014, Mrs Subs was 3 years on from her SAH, and for that time we had not faced up to the fact that our lives were not back to `normal`. We had been told when she was discharged that everything had been fixed ...the coiling was a success ..... goodbye. 

So BTG helped our recovery emensly when I shared our story. With help and encouragement from many members and Mods in their posts,  and for some by PM,  after 3 1/2  years Mrs Subs and I found we were understanding each other and SAH,  knowing that we were not alone in our challenges to rebuild our changed lives.

As others have said .....progress is still being made, and for us too 6 years down the line.

Like probably all other members, we have also had to face issues with work...family...and `friends`.... (as if SAH recovery wasn`t bad enough!! )

It`s ironic that sometimes when you want family to be close and understanding, they can be so distant. The relationships you so badly want to be right are sometimes the most awkward and challenging. Be proud of who you are and the relationship you have with John. Let no one from the outside change that.

Jan, I do hope you take on board the advice from your friends on BTG, and seek help through your GP to get the kind of therapy/ medication that will help you through this. As Sami says, your wedding later this year must be a great opportunity to look to the future with that new commitment to your `soul mate`  John..... and of course your BTG friends raising all their glasses to your future.

Subs 

Great to hear your good news Shobs.

Positive message for all of you.

Subs

I wish you well Ian.  You will find much on this site about returning to work experiences. Your brain may tell you that it needs time to heal. It usually wins if you fight against it  Glad you have an understanding employer.

Subs

Hello Ian, and also a warm welcome to BTG. Great to hear that the site was recommended by one of your clinicians.

You will find a wealth of helpful information and support as you read the various thgreads that you feel may be appropriate to you.

So many agree with you that once diagnosed with a bleed, the standard of care is so professional.

You are almost four months post SAH. and say you feel 100%. You are very fortunate. Most survivors of SAH have issues such as headaches, fatigue, poor memory and as you say, the worries that another bleed may occur.

I am a Carer for my wife who had her SAH six years ago. Other members will offer you their experiences of how they felt about the anxieties of a bleed recurring.

Many have to stay off work for three to six months and even then have a phased return. Are you employed ad considering returning?

As Louise mentions,.... listen to your body and keep hydrated.

Please keep us updated with your progress.

Subs

Hello Ruth

Thanks for your post.

So sorry to learn that you have been diagnosed with Trimengal Neuralgia. Has this condition just recently affected you. Dealing with recovery from NASAH and now this must be so hard for you. I do hope the medication starts to ease the pain soon.

Neuralgia pain wherever it occurs is so debilitating. My wife suffered from postherpetic neuralgia in 2012 6 months after her SAH) It occurred following a second bout of shingles and affected her left arm. Every three or for hours, she would experience an incredible burning sensation which would last only about three minutes... but she screamed and cried with the awful nerve pain. I felt so helpless as I could only watch and hold her until it passed. She was prescribed medication which brought the pain under control. A few months later she was hospitalised due to a medicine error not related to the neuralgia. All her medication was halted and incredibly the neuralgia pain did not return.

I do hope your GP can help you and I sympathise with your suffering

Subs

Good morning MelJam and a warm welcome to BTG.

So glad you discovered the site. While we do not give medical advice, you will receive invaluable support from the members who share their different experiences. There is a wealth of information from threads by members who have  openly shared their experiences as they have dealt with their recovery from SAH.

You say `at least I am still alive`, and you are right ... SAH is a life threatening event and many unfortunately do not survive.

Your brain has suffered serious trauma, and it needs time to adjust and make corrections as it tries to deal with your everyday demands on it.

It is only two months since your SAH. Time to recover is so important. You need to accept that trying to get back to life as it was as quickly as possible will result in frustration, fatigue and even depression.

However busy your previous life style was... now you need to accept that your body and brain need that time

.

Do you have family to support you in these early months?

It is important that you discuss your conditiuon with your employer. Return to work in most post SAH cases requires a phased return after three to six months.

How you approach your return to work has a tremendous effect on your recovery.. Push yourself too hard and your brain and body will not cope. You will not win this fight to get back to normal. Your brain needs your respect ... please treat it with respect.

Are you resting sufficiently, and keeping hydrated by drinking plenty water?

In these early weeks, both you and your consultant are finding out how you have been affected by the brain trauma. They need to help you understand your pain and help you find relief. Keep in touch with them until you get the help you need.

I wish you well as you deal with your recovery. You will find that you are not alone as you find your way around the BTG site.

Subs

Hi Neil, good to catch up on BTG again. How are you ten years on from SAH.?

Subs

Hello Kerryn, and also a warm welcome to BTG.

Delighted that you are finding the site so helpful following your return home from hospital. Unlike you, I did not find the site early ...(3 and 1/2 years after my wife`s SAH on May 2011)

Great to hear that you are so positive after such a traumatic event in your life. Your wife did so well to get prompt attention following your headache. How is she and your young family? Your coiling and 10 days in HDU must have been such a tense time for all of them.

While it is so early in your recovery, I am sure it is evident that family life is already adapting to your SAH.

You have not mentioned the big `W` word.              (work) , although no doubt in reading the many threads available on the site, you will already have come across so many comments about returning to your employment.

Please respect your brain trauma and be prepared to take time to discover any limitations in your `new` you. Don`t fight the fatigue when it comes to working.  SAH is likely to win every time.  Always better to set yourself a controlled phased return to work.

You are absolutely right when you say there was so little support information provided when you were discharged. Something that is repeated regularly on BTG. The Brain and Spine Foundation in the UK have a very helpful leaflet for download from their website.

Take care you and your family ............ 

Subs

Hello Fay

As Super Mario says, our members will share their experiences with you.

Meantime you can use the `search`  on the Home page.,  Key in `pregnancy after SAH`  and in the content drop down box on the left.. opt for `topic`  This will give you access to some comments already on file.

Subs

Hello and thank you for your update on Sandeep.

We look forward to hearing of the consultant`s advice following Sandeep`s recent angiogram. Waiting for a reply is always such a tense time given the possible options.

Well done to Sandeep on reaching the six month milestone.  So much has happened in that time, but also so much still happening.

I remember well when with Mrs Subs, each day was another step in the recovery, and before you knew it...it was 6 months...then a year.............and now here we are coming to 6 years on 8th May this year !

Hope you are all adjusting well as you help in his recovery.

Please keep in touch

Subs

Hello Gemma and a warm welcome to BTG. So glad that you have found the site so early.

You will find it a great support as you read how others have faced the recovery issues following SAH.

Six weeks from your mum Joanne`s SAH. She and all of you have been through so much in such a short time.

Given that her other aneurysm was already being monitored it must have come as an added shock.

It is very early days for your mum in her rehabilitation. It is so important that she takes time to let her body and brain start to recover. The obvious feeling is to make every effort to regain normality as quickly as possible. However the reality supported by the many posts you will read here; is that patience, rest and listening to her body and brain is what will give her the best chance.

Joanne has done very well so far.

As others have said, advice from her medics is essential when deciding to make that trip for your wedding. It goes without saying that she simply will not be able to `keep up` with all the healthy members of your wedding party. Take every step to make her conserve her energies and ensure she rests well and does not get dehydrated. Keep her shaded from that hot sun. Knowing how mum`s think, she will possibly try and hide her exhaustion from you all so think ahead and `insist` she takes frequent breaks during the wedding day proceedings.

Thanks for sharing and I do hope that your mum continues to recover well.

Subs

Hello Liz.... also a warm welcome to BTG.  You will definitely receive much support from the members and also from looking back on previous posts.

As has already been mentioned, it is very early in your recovery and time and patience are so important.

It is good that you have close family around you to help.  This will also be such a difficult time for them. They have experienced the anxieties of your time in ICU, and continue to see how the NASAH has brought so may challenges to your life as you struggle to carry out even the ordinary daily life duties.

Wishing you the strength to face these challenging days ahead. Please keep in touch about you progress.

Subs

Hello and a warm welcome to BTG.

So glad that you have already found the site a support as you have read through some of the earlier threads. You will get so much help and information from the experiences of those who have shared their journeys.

While we do not give medical advice, you will find the support invaluable as you and your family cope with the readjustments you have to make to your lives as you help Sandeep in his recovery.

Those long weeks in hospital with the uncertainty of what is happening, and with so many issues, and the added complication of the stroke to try and understand;  is indeed a time of great trauma for you all. The mental and physical demands of coping with hospital and family life while caring for your young children leave you exhausted. I am glad you had the help of your family during those early weeks. How are you all six months on ?

You are right, you have started not a sprint, but a long journey with Sandeep.  Six months is early days for him given what he has been through. He has done well to try and return to work so soon. It is understandable that he wants to be back trying to support you all financially, however you will read time and time again on this site that a slow phased return to work is so important.

Always reassessing based on how his brain and body are coping. Fatigue and tiredness can be a longstanding post SAH issue for most survivors. Everyone`s recovery is different. Please ask Sandeep to be patient. Ensure that he keeps well hydrated.

How are his kidneys now.  Did he have any kidney problems prior to his bleed? Kidneys can be very resilient.

Please keep in touch with us often and ask any questions. Our members will make every effort to share their experiences with you and support you in the days ahead.

Subs

Hello Heather, your recent update about Rebecca`s great progress is truly heart warming reading. As a family you have come through so much in  the past 24 months, and seeing how your young daughter has tackled her recovery,  must fill you with so much pride and joy.

What a wonderful touch that she is helping others who have suffered from SAH.

Please pass on our best wishes to her as she continues to shape her own life, build up her independence at university and get to grips with her studies.

Thanks again for keeping in touch.

Subs