goldfish.girl

Hi Bev, I think but am NOT absolutely sure, that the pregnancy & labour risks are due to unruptured anneurysms? Due to the chance of raised blood pressure in pregnancy & the strain of pushing in labour putting further pressure on them. The obvious problem of child birth after any brain injury would be the fatigue problems coupled with looking after a young baby. I don't think anyone would say that it would be easy? Your doctor will be able to advise you better when you next chat to him/her about any bleed risks involved. Good luck. Michelle x I

Macca, never feel guilty for feeling well. We are all really happy for you and hearing positive stories always gives others hope that their turn will come too Michelle xx

Lots of HUGE steps forward for you Dawn It's so good to hear success stories & even better to hear how well one of BTG is doing with positive changes in their life. Congratulations Dawn! You should be very proud of yourself for these achievements. Michelle xx

Aw Macca, That is brilliant news I had a few tears reading that, I can only imagine how emotional that moment where you realised that you are getting your life back was - evenings and all I am so happy for you & I probably don't need to wish you a happy Christmas, looks like that's exactly what you will be having now! Keep us posted. Michelle xx

Hi Doodles, I have only just seen your post. It's worth holding onto the thought that the SAH itself can cause fits/epilepsy to develop, as can any injury to the brain or surgery involving the brain. It may not happen even after the clipping surgery takes place. Also, recovery from surgery without the initial bleed complicating things does seem to be a lot easier. I do understand that clipping is a big operation and, as you say, a very scary one but this time around you are having surgery from a far better starting place than your first coiling op. I hope my two points will help you to find some positive thoughts in what you are facing and would like to wish you well and good luck when the time comes. Stay positive, you are going to be fine. Call in all the favours you can to make life easier for you afterwards while you recover. And enjoy a fabulous Christmas with your little one first! Michelle x

I've had a few giggles reading this thread too. Like Keith, I quite like a 'lemonade' but I prefer my lemonade to be cola (with some spicy rum in it ) I was told by the brain injury support worker that alcohol has a more profound effect on people after a SAH i.e 1 pint to us is like 3 pints to someone else. I was also told when I left hospital that drinking post SAH should be in moderation only. Like Keith, I put my own slant on 'moderation' I have also noticed a similar effect with pain killers - they can knock me out for hours, where others might just feel a little bit drowsy on the same dose. I have also noticed that what I used to drink (vodka) is not a drink I can have any more. It makes me feel very, very drunk after 3 or 4 & affects my balance & memory of the night quite severely. I tend never to touch it now apart from occasionally in cocktails on the rare occasions I go for a night out. Baileys, or at least the cheaper version of it, also have a pretty drastic effect so it was interesting to read what others have said about it! Tongue in cheek, I would recommend spiced rum, it cures colds, sore throats and EVERYTHING I did notice though, that this thread is on the untreated aneurysms page and it might be worth keeping in mind that alcohol does raise blood pressure so it would be good to have that in mind if you are in that situation? (Sorry, I am such a Christmas kill joy for pointing that out ) Michelle xx

Good to hear all is well Win. I was worried about you. Michelle xx

Hi Lin I know I would not be able to cope with a young baby either (my youngest son was 7 when I had SAH and that was hard enough!). It's lovely to hear that you have so much support & that it is coming from family who love Osian as much as you do, rather than professionals. It will get easier eventually Hopefully you will soon get answers and treatment for your painful joints which must make everything even harder at the moment. Have a lovely Christmas! Michelle xx

Aw lovely Win, You have answered your own question - go to doctors! What do Al & your daughter think? Get to docs, and back home in time to enjoy the good Christmas you so deserve. And change those glasses as they are giving you swellings Keep well Windy Pops Michelle xx

Scoobs, you have come a long way in this year. It's been challenging, it's been hard, but you have got there. A few tears are absolutely allowed. Tomorrow when you wake up, remind yourself how far you have come and look forward to how much further you will come in the next year Michelle x

Bev, I think I am on the same lines as Mary here. The spaced out, off balance, dizzy feeling has been a regular feature for me since SAH. I was prescribed anti epilepsy medication after a few events that could have been (but were not) seizure related. After reading all the side effects of the medication, I realised that they would cause or make worse all the feelings I was already struggling with. I'm just wondering if this would be the reason that you feel these symptoms are worse since you had your seizure? I think you said before that you had been put on medication since then? I don't know from personal experience as I never took the medication but is it something that will settle as your body adjusts to them? It's harder when you don't feel that you can trust what the doctors are saying to you. There are epilepsy help lines & support groups around the country that you could contact. They will have far more experience & advice you can trust as this is their ONLY field of expertise. I had an epilepsy support worker who was amazingly well informed and would have carried on with her help if I had epilepsy, luckily, this was proved (eventually) to not be the case for me. It would be well worth you contacting these people - their help is in every area of life - home, work, benefits, emotional support etc Michelle x

Have a brilliant night on Friday Kel and make sure they have champers on ice ready for your arrival Michelle xx

Congratulations Kel! You are the Super Woman of BTG Hope you are planning a lovely treat to celebrate all you have achieved. Michelle xx

Hi Lisa, I think you have to remember that you are only 8 weeks in. I know that is so frustrating to hear and I know I used to go to bed each night thinking the next day would be better - I was expecting the recovery to be a bit like the flu or some other bug, where it might take a while but you feel better each day. I have learnt that it really isn't like that. I was very frightened in the early days with the dizzy, spaced out feeling - like you were in a dream (as you say, hard to explain). Often people would be talking to me & they might as well have been speaking in Russian. I just wasn't understanding what the words meant. This was along with massive bolts of pain in my head and my legs regularly buckling beneath me with no warning. All of these things have got better over time, apart from the legs buckling, they hardly ever do that now, they just don't do what I expect them to very occasionally.The bolts of pain still happen but not as often and I often get what I can only describe as like an electric shock to my brain, where it feels like my head stays still but my brain gets banged over to one side for a few seconds leaving me confused for a few seconds. What I am trying to explain (quite badly!) is that things may never be perfect but it is very, very unlikely that they will remain as severe as they are for you in the early months. It's also good to remember that other members on BTG have got very much better, live normal lives and go back to work full time! Even those who have been this lucky would be able to reassure you that, in those early days, they also probably never thought they would get this much better. Hang in there and rest as often as you can. Things ARE going to get better Michelle xx

If I'm being honest Louise - I am pretty floored today I woke up early and stayed up for a couple of hours, then went back to bed and slept for another 6 hours!! I still feel this has been an improvement though. I would not have managed to do that much in one day before without having to stop before I collapsed. It feels good to have been able to do a full day instead of just having a few good hours in a day. Perhaps these full days will become more regular. Michelle xx

When I first joined BTG over 2 years ago I was searching for people who got better and answers to when this would happen. There was no question in my mind that it would not happen After all the help & advice I have received from others on here, it would be rude not to post my improvements in return....... I can't say I am better BUT my need to sleep every day, in the afternoon, has lessened in the last few months.Most days I still need to but some days I don't. I went Christmas shopping on Wednesday, leaving my house at 9.30am and getting home at 3.30pm after travelling more than I like to (but by public transport not driving myself). I was getting a bit muddled & my friend noticed things that I wasn't doing well, my head was sore by the end of it, but I DID IT! Today, I went to my voluntary work for 2 hours (half hour drive on the way there - dull, wet, busy road which tires me out really badly) busy, noisy supermarket after, half hour drive home, stopping at a relatives to drop paperwork off, busy post office que,then in to the bank. Then I got home, unpacked my shopping, hoovered my house & washed my floors. And did not rest or sleep in between But I did have no memory of where my handbag was and no memory of asking someone to put it where I eventually found it I also had a 2 hour period feeling very stressed and of being bad tempered & impatient (mostly in ASDA where I swore badly but mostly under my breath) and found it hard to drive home, but again, I did it. Six months ago, this would not have been possible! I might not be able to get up & do anything tomorrow (same as after the shopping trip 2 days ago) but the fact that I did the two full days I have managed this week is an improvement I never thought would happen. I know I am not 'better' and tomorrow might hurt really quite badly but these things would NOT have been possible before - so, while it is not a perfect outcome, I really hope that this will be a positive story for others. Who knows what next year will bring in improvements? M xx

Hi Claire, I'm sorry to hear that you had a bit of a break down this morning - an aneurysm is a scary diagnosis to hear, especially if you are searching the internet to learn more Sometimes it is not as bad as you are led to believe on there, especially with an aneurysm so small that often treatment will not be required but obviously, that does not mean you won't be offered treatment or have side effects. None of us are neuro doctors and it's hard to be able to give advice on your personal situation regarding what symptoms could be caused by the one they have found. For most of us, we only have experience of recovery from a bleed rather than pre-discovery experience. It's good to hear the neuro Dr is looking at your previous scans again and I hope he/she offers an appointment soon to discuss this with you and either give you a choice of appropriate options or put your mind at rest. Hopefully it is a very good sign that they are not screaming for you to be admitted immediately? I had a further post bleed surgery to treat a 3mm anneurysm but this was offered as a choice, not an emergency situation. I think Sarah also said to you before that she has one the same size & it is being monitored regularly. I hope this helps to keep a lid on the panic you are understandably feeling at the moment. As much as you are able to, try to keep calm until you are given information on your own situation by the experts. Take care, Michelle

Hi Claire, I don't know what a fusiform aneurysm is???? I haven't heard that term before. Hopefully you will get an appointment very soon & get some answers from them. Try not to panic as it sounds like it is very small? Obviously, I am not an expert but do know there are others on here with small aneurysms which are regularly monitored rather than needing urgent intervention. Hopefully you will get the answers you need and things may not be as scary as you imagine - but I know it must be hard not to panic until you do get the full facts. Good luck, Michelle

Brilliant news Vanessa. Good luck Remember not to put any pressure on yourself either (as you say the others won't). Take it easy and enjoy starting back to what you love! Michelle xx

Hi Bev, Having gone through both (the SAH without doubt and the seizures, 'suspected' on paper only). I don't think any of us have had an easy ride applying for SAH related benefits but I'm led to believe it's different with confirmed epilepsy. Have you been diagnosed with post SAH/Stroke epilepsy or are the doctors treating what happened as a one off episode? I believe the 'epilepsy' diagnosis changes things benefits wise? I had access to an epilepsy field worker, these people are trained to help with benefit applications (although I didn't use her input as I was sure I did not have epilepsy). Also, you can ask for help from local council run welfare benefit advisers (in Scotland but there may be something similar in England) - I did use their services to claim for brain injury related ill health. If this is not available in your area, Citizens Advice also provide help with benefit claims. The forms are a total nightmare so it really is best to get help from someone with training in this field. I think it would be fair to warn you though that even if you do qualify for help the help is nothing like as financially rewarding as being able to work and take home a proper wage. I am not trying to put you off, just advising that a proper wage enabling a reasonably comfortable life style is not comparable to living on benefits (despite what public hype would lead you to believe!) Your health has to come first and it's better to be prepared for any life style changes that you may need to make while health prevents you from working as you used to. Good luck, Michelle

Hi Jeanhelen, I had a 2nd op but it was coiling, not craniotomy, so my experience will not be the same, other than to say the recovery without an added bleed was a totally different experience. Really I just want to wish you good luck & I hope the coming appointment will help to answer any questions for you & your family. Michelle x

Hi Jord, Being back home alone with your children has been a massive achievement, I'm not surprised that you feel a bit anxious and that may be making your headache worse. Can you ring someone to come round to sit with you, just to help your peace of mind? No-one is going to get fed up with you posting here. I think we can all remember those early days & how scary it can be until you regain confidence in your body (& head!) being ok again. Like me, you will get to a point when you struggle to remember how you felt right now. When I read your posts, it triggers memories of how it was for me in the early days but, honestly, you will get past all this worry & fear as time goes on. Be very proud of what you have achieved but also ask for help & reassurance if you need it. You are not going to need it forever so don't be too proud/independent to ask for it just now. Take care, Michelle xx

Sounds so much better for you Dawn Congratulations & GOOD LUCK!! Michelle xx

Jord, it is going to be such a great moment to back home, in your own routine The worry does fade in time. I even had my ex husband staying for several weeks after SAH. I takes something to really scare me to let that happen My best advice to you has already been given above. I took my mobile EVERYWHERE with me for 2 years, even to the toilet because I was anxious. I could see my phone but was unable to get to it when I had the SAH & I think I was probably a bit paranoid because of that. When my mobile needed to be charged I'd carry the house phone around and at night, I'd take both upstairs with me, just in case one didn't work...... Now, I often turn both off because I want some peace!!!! I also got to the point when I would be annoyed that someone who had sent a text which I didn't reply to would then continuously ring the house phone (which is downstairs so not easy to get to if you are having an afternoon snooze), then contact a neighbour who would start banging the door - honestly, it will not be long before you want to tell them all to 'go away', you'll ring them if you need help! As Daff has said, I spent a lot of time explaining to my son how to ring an ambulance & give our address. I realise that your little one is only a baby but 999 will respond even if it is a silent call. If they get no reply to their questions on the phone, they will send the police round - my son was a bit of 'nuisance caller' as a toddler so I know they will follow up an emergency call Do you have your mobile registered in your name, at your address as that will help too (pay & go phones are sometimes anonymous to the service provider). I am sure you will not need any of this but if it puts your mind at rest it is a good thing. Good luck & enjoy this step towards getting your old life back in your own home Michelle x

Hi Steve, I'm another one who likes to know why something happens, not just being told that it does. I have had constant headaches & head pains since my SAH 4 years ago. The headaches build as the day goes on, they are worse if I have to concentrate too hard or I am upset or angry etc. The random stabbing pains (as you said like a ice pick to the head) are the ones that worry me most. However, they have happened for so long now that I have to trust they are not a bad sign that something will happen again. Sadly, there seems to be a lack of knowledge or research to explain these things and often we are dismissed in our quests for help to understand the pain or deal effectively with it. I have even been told that it may be 'learned behaviour' After 38 years of not 'learning' to be in pain, I am pretty sure I could've un-learned it over 4 short years!! The only pain that really frightens me now is the specific pain behind my left eye where the burst anni was when I have a cold/cough or sneeze hard. I know that at these times I am feeling the pain of pressure on the area where the bleed was. I am hoping that one day doctors will learn my behaviour as well as I have and accept that these things happen & also know when it is a worrying problem & when it is an unexplained happening. Good luck with your further research! Michelle