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Hello Fiona and welcome to BTG.

Like so many you are beginning a journey and a learning curve about NASAH/SAH. Like so many, you are discharged and have many questions you want answered.

Every case has it`s own traits, and recovery and back to work have different challenges for everyone. Your pregnancy is an additional factor in your situation.

I wish you well as you tackle life post NASAH.

You have already had some helpful comments. As far as work is concerned, please tackle this carefully. To many people on the `outside` including your employers, you will appear to look fine. The truth obviously is that they cannot see how you really feel...and only time will tell, as over the coming days, weeks and months you find out how debilitating your life has become.

Please do not rush back to work. Take advice from your consultant about your return. Does your employer have an OH Dept. ? When you do discuss return to work, ensure that your first few months are phased in your favour. Perhaps for example Mon/Wed/Fri mornings for the first few weeks giving you a chance to assess what return to work does to your body. You already know to expect fatigue. It is far better for you to start slow and not find you have taken on too much, than have to either reduce hours or stop working again indefinitely because you are exhausted.

Keep in mind that your employers may know very little if anything about NASAH and its effects.

Also, when did you expect to be off on maternity leave? This obviously adds to your thinking, and when baby arrives your home life workload changes to another level.

It is so important that your employers give you a chance to recover, please put your recovery first.

Take care and keep in touch.

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Hello Deb

Thanks for sharing.......  remember you are not alone ... and you are discovering the daily battles SAH poses in your efforts to make sense of it all.

Deb... keep taking that long term view. You are not expected to be finding the road easy just three and a half months along the way.

Also Deb.... you need hubby with you on this difficult journey. Can I ask about his employment?  Is his work very stressful ? I ask this because your SAH has just added considerably to his stress levels...and it`s not your fault ! Neither of you asked for this.

You are reeling from what SAH has done to your body and brain... you say led a healthy life.

Hubby is reeling too. He is seeing his healthy wife struggling so much and believe me, he is trying to work out what is happening and his mind is also trying to see what the future holds.... and he is probably very scared and uncertain. He is trying to cope with a changed you and he`s not sure how to deal with it.

Deb, you both need each other...and SAH can test your relationship to its limits. Do keep trying to talk things over together. Sometimes facing such uncertainty head on can be so difficult, and avoiding tackling your issues can often seem the easiest route to take.  

Also, how is our daughter`s recovery from her anorexia ? How did you and hubby face this? It must have been a tough time for you all as a family. You said she took up so much of your time. Bearing that in mind, it is not easy to see how you can cope with your recovery if she still has such demands on your time. You need extra help Deb.

Please do not feel you have to answer any/all of these questions. I just pose them so you can ask them of yourself.

Take care and keep positive.

I do hope you can arrange that second GP appointment very soon.

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Hello Deb

So sorry to hear of your concerns with your recovery post SAH.

Deb, you say you have nobody to talk to. Have you expressed your feelings to your husband and family? What is their reaction to your recovery ?

Everyone recovering from SAH has their own immediate circumstances to cope with... family....work.....housework....and friends., not to mention financial aspects and age.(whether retired or employed). When we suggested that you need to have much rest in these early months.....it can be so hard to find where `time to rest`  is coming from.

From your comments I do feel that you need to be able to concentrate on you and your recovery.... and somehow your family must try and find a way to make that happen if mum is to have a good chance of getting stronger. I do hope that together you all can make this happen.

You mention your referral to an Ophthalmologist.... my wife`s vision was affected following her SAH. When she was referred to her Opthalmologist she was given a thorough eye check which revealed that there were several small haemorrhages behind her eyes. She was told that these would heal and her eyesight would improve. After three months this was indeed the case. No treatment was necessary...just follow-up appointments to confirm healing was in progress.

As others have said.... please don`t just accept your recent appointment with the locum.  Try and get another meeting as you really do need to feel your GP has listened and acted on your concerns.

Deb...please don`t give in..... do try and get support to help you in these early months, from your GP and family.

Please keep in touch.... we want to get you finding a recovery plan that is positive and relieving the stresses that are around you just now,

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Hello Heather....a warm welcome to BTG. 

So glad you found this site

Unfortunately, being discharged with little support information is a common grievance from most SAH survivors.

So sorry to learn about your husband`s SAH. back in April.  It will have been such a stressful time for you during his five month recovery in hospital. If  the SAH condition was something you had little knowledge of, I am sure that you have spent much time trying to find out more about it`s short and long term effect. The truth is that each one is different, and as you say, now that he is back home, you are finding out how he has been affected physically and also how the bleed has traumatised his brain from functioning normally.

It would be helpful for you to give some information about how the SAH happened. Were you both in employment or retired? What support if any do you have at the moment ?

For me, my wife had her SAH in May 2011...... there are be many Carers and SAH survivors on this site who understand your situation and will be willing to help you. Please try and read some of the posts in the many Introduction threads. There is a wealth of information from live situations which will help.

I understand that both your lives have changed dramatically and each day brings its new stresses and frustrations and of course hope.

It is important that you somehow find time to rest well, eat well and have time out for yourself.

Also, recovery is not a quick process. Over these past five months you will have been desperately willing your husband to improve. His body needs time to recover and his brain need time to adjust to the trauma of the bleed. Please look longer term as you help him get better. Many are left with long term issues such as memory, fatigue, balance and headache issues and these have to be managed. From your comments, you are finding out some of your husband`s limitations caused by the SAH. This can be most distressing for you, in particular if his personality is also affected.

Heather..there is much that can be said, but just take time to call on us at BTG to help with all the situations that you want help with.

We are eager to give you support in going forward. Of course we cannot give any medical advice which you will get from husband`s consultant.

Take care and please keep in touch

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Hello Luke....so sorry to hear your news about your mum. You can be assured that she will receive the best attention and staying in hospital does mean prompt attention should she require it.

Also hoping your dad is ok during this very stressful time for all of you.

Take care and make sure you look after yourself over the next few weeks.  Rest well, eat well and talk about your feelings with friends and here on BTG

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Hi Colleen.....well done on 8 years after your SAH.

Thanks for your comments from across the waters. Great that you are pleased with your progress, and dealing positively where SAH is still a challenge in your daily routines.

Take care

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Oh !!!  Where`s that draft coming from ?

Louise, well done on a remarkable 17 years.  I can`t begin to imagine the amount of ups and downs you have had along the way, but one thing is certain, you are here and making such a great contribution to the BTG support forums.

A big thank you for all the encouragement you have given me as a carer over the past two years.

And............. from Caveland

Give Ronnie a big pat on the back from me too for his 17 years...... hope you both readjust to these shifts.

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Gemma.......so pleased that everything went well, and that you are back home again.

Well done to you both.

School next week ! I admire your resolve.

Rest well `til then.

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Hello Brian....thanks for getting in touch. Great to hear that you are making good progress.

Take care, and as always, be kind to your body and brain in these early days.

Oh...and make sure your `good lady` is well looked after too!  She has had her own emotions and anxieties to contend with during your hospitalisation and recovery.

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Hello Gemma, many thanks for your update. You must be so glad that your wait is almost over.

I am sure all our thoughts will be with you and your husband next Tuesday.

Glad you have found the earlier comments helpful and encouraging.

Take care

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Hello Deb, and a warm welcome to BTG.

So glad you made contact with this site that has so much to offer you by way of support and guidance. Any medical advice is of course left to your own medical advisors.

Deb, you don`t need me to tell you that your SAH has changed your life and lifestyle. I am a carer for my wife who had her SAH in May 2011, so my comments come from seeing how she has recovered and from reading the experiences of others on this site.

I think it is fair to say that with three children, one of whom is anorexic, your life pre SAH was extremely busy. Three months after your SAH, from your comments, it does seem that you are trying to make it `life as usual`. One of the most debilitating options you can take is try and maintain the status quo.

Your brain has been traumatised and needs time to recover and adjust.  To give yourself a realistic chance of recovering, you do need to accept that your brain and your body needs that time. Many on this site have initially felt that six months was a realistic time, however on hindsight, most would tell you that a year is more realistic. 

Even then, during that year you will be finding out the challenges SAH has left you with, and for many, longer term adjustment and acceptance plays a large part in your quality of life.

Winnie has said…`No Stress`  was her consultant`s advice from the outset, and plenty water. So important. My advice would be to have a chat with your family and maybe close friends to see how you can achieve this `no stress` so that you have the best chance to recover.

You do seem to have been granted permission to drive again very early post SAH. Perhaps you can comment on the original acknowledgement you received from the DVLA.

How are your daughters and husband adjusting to what has happened to their mum ? You mention that you just haven`t had time to come to terms with your illness. Please talk this over with your husband because you really do need to have that time.

You will find so much help from looking at the posts that are similar to your own situation, and feeling part of a community that understands your challenges will be a great help to you. I am sure your husband will also benefit from looking into the site.

As far as your husband is concerned, he too will be feeling his world has rocked. It was so good that he was around when you experienced your SAH. He too is trying to come to terms with how life has and will change because of your bleed.

Please keep in touch, and I wish you and your family well as you all adjust to what has happened. These early months are traumatic, but with patience and rest you will give yourself the best chance of progress.

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Hello BigE ....thanks for posting on BTG. A warm welcome to the site.  It is clear that you are looking for support and guidance about your SAH. Was it May 2010 ?

You will find the various Forums on this site a great help as you take time to read in more detail. Also, the members of BTG will be in touch to share their thoughts and their experiences.

I am so sorry to learn that some of your closest friends have failed to give you their support at the time you needed it most. You are not alone in finding this. I do hope that you are not alone in dealing with your recovery. The issues you describe are experienced by many recovering from SAH to a greater or lesser extent and I am sure these will also be discussed as members read your comments.

Can you say a little more about your therapy ?

Please keep in touch, and don`t hesitate to continue to ask questions, and I am sure your experiences during the past six and a half years would also be a great benefit to BTG members .

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Jan, that is simply great news.

Well done to you and John.

That Italian and the naughty vino will no doubt be well received and of course well earned.

Worth all these anxious moments earlier this week !

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Hello Jan

Wishing you all the best for your meeting tomorrow afternoon.

Just say it as it is.  Don`t rush to answer the questions. Take a deep breath and think about what they are asking. With John at your side you will be fine.

Sleep well tonight, and of course be there with time to spare.

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Hi Chris, well done one year on.

Chris, it`s been a pleasure to have your frank input as you`ve moved on in your recovery.

So glad that you have been able to get back to your work in what seems to be a demanding job.

Also thanks for introducing us to your lovely family. Your participation and humour in the Brain Games help keep us all challenged, and your helpful comments in the various  Forum discussions have been a great support.

Hope you continue to make good progress and enjoy clocking up the miles on the `beat`.

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Hello Chris

Many thanks for sharing your concerns post SAH. You certainly have found in BTG a site with friendly people who have so much experience to share, and help you understand what your recovery journey might mean.

You say it is not easy for you to concentrate on reading, however we will try and give you some help along the way.

I too feel it was rather harsh for you to be told that `the issues are in your head` !

When my wife was discharged May 2011 and we were told that her coiling was a success. We misunderstood that to mean that that was problem solved ! How wrong we were... and our journey was just beginning.

Take care and heed the advice already given about taking time to adjust.

Do you have any help from family or friends ?

Dogs usually know when their owner`s nature has changed. How is your `best friend`?

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Hi Luke

So pleased to learn of your mum`s progress. It must be particularly encouraging for you and your dad to see the positive signs in her recovery.

You have done well in helping her reach this stage. How is your dad keeping?

Supporting close family post SAH can be so demanding and so rewarding along the way.

Thanks for keeping in touch and wish you and your family well as you care for your mum.

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Hello Teresa

Welcome to BTG.  So glad you found out about the site. You will find so much information here to help you in your understanding of what recovery might mean for your son.

Eight months on, you have already been coming to terms with the emotional struggles as you try and be there for your son. SAH, has changed his life dramatically, and he will be finding out the limitations resulting from the bleed.

I do hope you are all coping well as a family.

You specifically mention his memory.... recently there were some interesting comments from various members on the subject of `memory`   I hope you find the link helpful

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

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Hello Jen.. great to hear that your husband is making good progress. It must be hard to believe that he was only discharged ten days ago.

It is only natural for him and indeed yourself to try and get back to how it was pre. his NASAH,  as soon as possible. His time in ITU was because he had potentially life threatening trauma to his brain. Please try and convince him that the best way to ensure a good outcome is to take things very slowly and accept that rest is essential in these early months.

You will have seen from the replies to your initial contact with BTG , that time and patience are so important in the first year of recovery. A rush to get back to work, even on a phased return will only add to his fatigue.

The DVLA is the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency for those in the UK.

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Thanks for sharing your results Clare.

So glad that you are feeling positive about the experience and comments and well done for accepting their recommendations regarding OH.

Hope you are successful with your checking reaccreditation.....take the time you need to ensure you get there.

No mention then about curtailing your `pounding the beat`  to a mere half hour Subs power walk ! 

Well done.. you have come a long way and faced up to the challenges of your SAH well

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Hello Luke.............welcome and thanks for getting in touch with BTG following your mother`s second bleed.

It must be so challenging and demanding for you and your dad to have supported mother since September and then be faced with another devastating blow.

You say that your mother was a very strong person and since her second bleed in April, it will be very difficult to know exactly what damage has been done to her already traumatised brain, and what the after effects will be.

You also mention that she can get really frustrated at your dad as he tries to help her. During the early weeks of my wife`s SAH in May 2011...I found that her ability to control her patience had been affected and she showed out of character frustration with me too. This can be quite hurtful and difficult to accept and it is important that you and dad are not deflated by some of the things she might say and do.

Don`t take these comments personally as in many cases post SAH, a degree of irritability is a common factor. Please be patient with your mother as she does not mean to hurt your feelings...she is just struggling to cope with her brain injury caused by the bleed.  You may have to deal with this for some time and as time passes, all three of you may find ways of coping with this personality change.

In our case, time has helped ease this...and when under pressure and my wife lets her control slip.. we now can laugh and `jokingly`  blame it on the SAH.

You do say that she is now very much herself...apart from the tiredness. 

My wife was often sick in the early days of her SAH. Often I was concerned that she might not be getting the benefit of her medications.  We found that eating smaller portions was a great help. I would make up very small sandwiches and some crisps on a saucer rather than a big plate.... it looked better that way. Also.....definitely be very choosy about the type of food she eats so that her stomach can get used to processing food again.

For personal hygiene, because my wife was so weak...I bought a bath bench which could be placed across our bath. This enabled her to sit while she showered....and gave her a degree of independence.

Please keep in touch often and you will get much help as you and Dad cope with mother`s recovery...

Make sure you and Dad are well fed and rested.  Also share your feelings together about Mother`s progress and your own concerns.

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Hello Jen, and also a warm welcome to BTG.  I am so glad you found the site so soon. My wife had her SAH in May 2011 and I did not discover BTG until December 2014. (thanks to my great friend Winnie)

You mention that your husband has been in ICU for eight days. That brings back so many memories...all of a sudden your lives are turned up-side-down. You are trying to come to terms with what has happened to your husband-the hospital has become almost a home for you and you have spent much time in the cafeteria trying to come to terms with his brain bleed and what it might mean. You are trying to juggle your life to cope with your time spent in hospital, looking after your children and keeping in touch with friends, family and work colleagues. And you are exhausted.

You have definitely found the right place to get the help and support you need from people who `have been there` both SAH sufferers and carers. That is evident already from the earlier posts....and you will find yourself searching the various forums to help you understand what you and husband can expect in the days-weeks and months ahead.

As has already been emphasised.....your husband will need time....and it is so important that you accept this in these early days.  Pressing for `back to normal`  is something to put on hold as you patiently wait for him to show signs of improvement. It will be great if he returns home next week.

Take care of yourself.. eat well and get plenty of rest and sleep......talk things over with a close friend.

And please don`t hesitate to ask your new BTG friends for help and support.

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Many thanks for your responses to Jan`s question.....

Just on the %`s of something going wrong during a procedure. The medics know that there are potential risks in all medical procedures and find it their duty to make this clear to their patients.

I recall five years ago when Mrs Subs was awaiting her coiling....the neurosurgeon mentioned that in addition to the possibility of a stroke during the coiling, even with the angiogram prior to the coiling there was a one in a thousand chance of blindness.  Small odds, but I remember being concerned about this too in `my`  fragile state ! 

Thankfully all went well.

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Hello Nicky

A warm welcome to BTG...so glad you found this site quite early in your SAH  recovery.

Please  take time to work your way around the various threads and posts. There is  wealth of information, shared experiences and of course support which you and your wife and boys will find invaluable in the days ahead.

My wife had her SAH in May five years ago aged 54. Like you she had never been off work ill prior to that.

Your SAH will have changed your lives to some extent and each day you are discovering just how much that change is. Your work and family life is now very challenging as you all come to terms with the consequences of your SAH. It is good that you mention how you are already trying to adapt to the changes in your self confidence and emotional control.

One important point to recognise and accept in these early days is that there s no quick fix. Patience in returning to work, and patience in accepting that your brain and body need time to heal are so vital.

Please don`t hesitate to share your concerns and fears when you visit the site . You will find that your new BTG friends are very willing to guide you along the way.

If you visit the Green Room it is a place where members can share some light hearted banter .....a place to help ease the seriousness of what SAH recovery can mean.

Take care

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Hello Lucie.....welcome back to BGT.  Thanks for getting in touch and well done on ten years post SAH.

I am sure other members will be in touch to offer their advices on your concerns about proceeding with natural child birth.

Meantime I wish you well in these important few weeks ahead.

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