garyolly

A new shiney bike

Hi Nic, All DVLA are worried about is insurance. If your Consultant has said that you are ok, then get out there. I also contacted my insurance and they said that it didn't make any difference to my insurance because DVLA have said it's ok. Just take it easy, you tend not to realise that driving does take it out of you. Good luck

Done, it's all about the bike :biggrin::biggrin:

Never used to cry (at all) now I cry at everything. Me and Sharon watched "Arthur Christmas" the other day (yes, very late) and i sobbed. Never used to like Christmas either.........WEIRD !

Hey Teechur, Welcome to BTG. In the immediate weeks following my SAH, i didn't feel bad at all so i thought that everything would be ok to start exercising again. Boy was I wrong, after one short 6 mile cycle ride I was wiped, I felt bad for days afterwards. So I started from scratch. Two 15 minute walks a day, got to get the paper That soon increased to 30 minutes, after a month I ventured out on my bike but was extremely careful. I did 5 miles and felt ok, so once a week that's what I did. After a month, I was soon at the stage to go for a bit longer. 4 months after my SAH I managed a charity event of 42 miles. I took my time and stopped for fluids, rested when i needed to and everything was great. Yes I felt drained after but that was to be expected. Just listen to what your body says and act accordingly, everyone is different, so we all have our own recovery stories BUT one thing we have in common is that we all have had our bad days, sometimes weeks. Learning to cope with what has happened is a very big part of the recovery process. Take it easy.

May 31st, 5 other peeps on the same ward......I blame it on having to work the Bank hols....

Hey Debbie, Welcome, It's good to hear that you are keeping in touch with people that are going through the same things as you. It will help you greatly to know that you are not alone. You are not useless, you just need time to recover. Things will start to get better, be patient.

I miss not doing miles and miles on my bike BUT now i get to do a more leisurely cycle enjoying the views I miss my little Vespa scooter, sold her thinking about protecting my head ! BUT i don't miss the cold mornings I miss not thinking about the slightest headache without worrying BUT i like the thought that I have family and friends who have my back

Good for you John, a very good post and a wonderful update.

Done. I have to say it did remind me of things, good or bad?

I find myself going through stages. I was fine for about three months and then i seemed to relapse. I never got in the shower with my boxers on again though....

Hey Sicknote, I had the same problem. I cannot prove any permanent neuro damage. I have since stopped my policy as i read the conditions on some other issues and you have simply no chance of getting anything.

I asked my consultant when i could return to physical activities (cycling) and he told me to trust my body and listen to it. When you think your ready, give it a go. I started very very slow walks and progressed back to the saddle, best thing i ever did....but i must say that a few times i didn't listen and suffered for it. My SAH was a dissection and not an anni....

Can't eat apples anymore, they give you cancer.................

Hello and good luck with that claim. I have the same cover and filed a claim, got nowhere fast. Like every other insurance, the devil is in the detail. The word "Permanent" is their get out clause, how do you prove anything is permanent?

You get turned down Sandi because of one thing only.............you cannot see your injury ! It is sad but it is also the truth. Do you know that in this country, people that are diagnosed with bad backs will get more advice, treatment and benefits than someone whose head has basically exploded, and whose life has or is falling apart !!!! This, unfortunately, will always be the case because they is no way of mapping the brain and the human emotions that go with it. Stick with it lady....

Nessie, what a star. My emotions have been all over the place since my anni but this TRUELY made me cry. As they say in Blighty " Good on ya girl"

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/medical.aspx All the rules and regs are here, what ever you do don't surrender your licence unless told to do so. It will create massive problems for you.

Hi Momo, I had a vertical Arterial Dissection. It burst so bad that the artery just fell apart. There was no way to coil it as the artery was in two halves. They put stents in instead, kind of like new pipe work, and over lapped the artery. You are right that it is very rare and the mortality rate is very high indeed. Guess that we are made of tougher stuff than we realise eh? I had been at work all day and was sat having a well deserved cup of tea, never got to finish it...

Sandi, don't fret it will get better. I am an I.T engineer and when i started back to work i couldn't remember the most basic things. I even told my boss that i would be carrying manuals around with me. As i got back into the swing of things, i learnt to relax and trust myself again. Sally hit it right on the head. Try not to put pressure on yourself, you will get there. Tortoise NOT hare !! Yes, i still forget some things but now i take a minute and visualize what i want to do and carry on. Treat it like losing your keys, take stock and go though possibilities. You are definitely not alone in this.

I have had my claim cancelled be cause of the small print............. "Upon diagnosis of a cerebrovascular incident resulting in permanent neurological damage". Thats the crux of the matter, how can you prove permanent damage? Explaining that your head feel as though it is cotton wool, swimming in water does not wash with these insurers. Have cancelled my policy, what a waste of money. Just take a look at some of the conditions for other illnesses. Like all insurance, what a scam...............

I wasn't before but i am at present. Had some problems recently, so gp put me on them, going for angio next week, so might be taken off them.

Good morning Ian and welcome to BTG. What we have gone through is a frightening experience and it is natural to be worried about the future. You don't say what kind of SAH you had but you will find lots of information and support on here. Look forward to reading your posts in the future. Welcome

Can i just say that having experienced both "WAR" and "SAH", the wording of this article is disturbing to say the least. Listing common factors as war/ conflict and sex attack victims is scary in itself. What we have gone through is scary and life changing. Yes it does make us think very differently BUT we (exceptions) have not experienced the horrors of war / conflict. Believe me, it is totally different. I am not saying that ptsd does not exist but "ANY" traumatic event can be labeled in this way. Every person has a very different way of dealing with stress (that is what ptsd is). It is by no means a new thing but because of popular terminology, things "must" have a label. (thanks america). Everyone has "painful flash backs, bad memories and chronic fatigue" after an accident or tragic event. " A lot of doctors and clinicians are now going to be able to prescribe accordingly now they know what symptoms to expect from someone who has suffered a brain haemorrhage" Instead of prescribing, shouldn't the word be "DIAGNOSING" , a vast majority of SAHers are mis-diagnosed and far too many die because of this. Lets stop doing studies on things that we already know and start getting back to preventive and diagnostic medicine.

I don't think that anyone will recover 100%. My last appointment was with a Dr that i'd never met. He gave me a total clean bill of health, yet i'd already got another appointment for an angio because i've been having problems. I think that our only hope is to achieve a new "normality" and just go with what weve got.