Gill C

The new me is less outgoing, more anxious going places that previously I would never have thought about. I guess time has made me friends with the new me & I get less frustrated with my shortcomings. On the upside I discovered a few things about the new me I like better so its not all bad news! I really think time is the greatest healer (its a cliché I know but its really true) & I'm less angry all round than I was 12 months ago. I do think it takes time to go through the five stages of healing to get to acceptance so maybe it is really all down to time?

Gemma I'm an older mum, I had my anni at 43 (my son was 4). Yep my hubby had a very busy schedule with nursery & coming to see me & then telephoning people in the evening to tell them how I was. Fortunately his work were amazing & allowed him to work part days & then when I was discharged he worked from home for 2 weeks. I couldn't drive for 4 months so he was still taking Nathan to nursery & picking him up, the nursery was only charging us for half days as normal due to the unusual situation (they were amazing to us).

Hi gemma & welcome to BTG Your story is pretty similar to mine, admitted to hospital after the pain behind my eye & then sent home with it being a migraine!! The main difference for me is that I didn't pay to be scanned privately (although we had considered it) as I don't have health insurance. My anni didn't rupture either (I think you are the only other person I know of) & I was clipped 6 weeks after the anni grew. It def pays to take things slowly as its a massive op & a big GA for it. Lots of water will help with the headaches & sleeping when you need to, resting when you can. Lovely to be able to have cuddles with your son, I lived for that moment in hospital! Have a lovely Christmas & heres to a better 2014 for you xx

Hi Emma & welcome to BTG. Most of us have been sent home with little or no information about what to expect but commonly rest & drink lost of water will really help with the fatigue & headaches. Its very early days for you so try not to overdo it too soon, quiet time is a good thing as is sleeping when you need it. As for follow ups I think most of us are seen again within 3-6 months of discharge. I saw my registrar at 3.5 months post op (clipping) & was discharged then. I was still under the eye clinic for my double vision up until early this year. I think the reason no one will state how much better your vision gets is simply that no one really knows. I know Karen (Hyder & owner of the site) had double vision which has mostly cleared up & some can be corrected by the use of prisms. Driving is another difficult one & provided that you don't have any fits etc it should be up to your gp to make the final decision (for me I had to get the eye clinic to write to my gp to say my vision met the DVLA standards before she would say I was ok to drive). They may write to your Cons but the gp has the final say. You must notify the DVLA of your anni & also when passed fit to drive you must let your insurance co know (even though they don't keep that info on file or use it to increase your premium) Take it slow & steady & if it helps keep a diary of how you feel as it will help in the days when you feel you're not making progress. xxx

Fab news Dawn, sometimes these things are so much easier than we expect them to be. Thankfully the people you work for are some of the good ones

happy anni versary to you Lin I didn't know the old you but I can say that the new you has had a profound effect on my recovery. You were one of the first people who pm'd me when I joined & made me welcome. Your eloquent posts have certainly helped me come to something approaching acceptance and helped teach me to be happy with the 'new' me. I know there have been struggles for you but I think you are doing an amazing job with Osian

Lee its not unusual to be more sensitive to noise after an sah. Its like out filter has gone wonky inside so all the information we normally ignore can't be filtered out & our brain is bombarded by visual & auditory stimulus. Remember how a new born gets with overload, they turn their head away & get very tired, that's how I feel we are. Some people try ear plugs to lessen the impact of noise, I didn't & it has got better over the last few years though I still need quiet time to recoup my energy. My vision went through fairly big changes within the first few weeks , I regained movement & eyelid movement. For me as my situation is unusual the damage done by the pressure of my anni on the nerves to my eye means I will never regain single vision or pupil dilation/focusing. Did you have any coiling or clipping or was your bleed unexplained? There are a few NASAH'ers on here too who may be able to give you more info

Hi Lee & welcome to BTG Your story has some similarities to mine except my anni didn't burst but it was in the same place. Hopefully your vision will get better as the blood disperses, are you still under the eye clinic for them to keep an eye on it (excuse the pun)? In the early days its hard but you need to rest as much as you can to enable your brain to heal, drinking lots of water will help with the headaches (which are normal). fatigue is a big issue early on so although you may feel ok pushing on until you hit the fatigue wall will only slow down your recovery. Sleep as much as you need & make your family aware that you will need some quiet time to recoup your energy. Take care & ask away , there's always someone around to help xxx

I had a tooth removed a while back & was warned that nerve damage was a possibility & I did have a numb lip & part of my eyebrow felt numb too. some of that was from my op too (I felt like a rubber band was stretched from my eyebrow to behind my ear) Fortunately it wore off, it took quite a while but is totally back to normal now. I'm not on keppera so I don't know if its a side effect of the drug. If you're at all worried you should speak to your neuro. Take care xxx

I do tend to stress less although I'm not completely 'cured'! I get a lot less anxious too but I still get anxious about changes of routine particularly if I have to something for the first time. I also tend to let most drama's go over my head as cannot be bothered with the hassle and most drama's I see (on Facebook) are pretty pointless in the grand scheme of things. I've given up trying to please all of the people all of the time, its just not possible. Dawn its a long journey to acceptance but I reckon with the help of BTG we are mostly there

Hwy progress is progress hon. Sound like hubbys bleed was similar to my Dads, he never used the F word until the stroke & at a family meeting (with nurses & care givers present plus me!) he asked outright about his sex life!! I have never been so embarrassed but the nurses assured me it was quite common & they'd heard it all before!!

I asked our neuro nurse about this at one of the meets. Her response was that although has been used in the US & Canada its not used here as the benefits are not proven. She also advised that long term the benefits are outweighed by the risks in her opinion. I'm no expert though so others may have a different view.

I did almost 4 hours work on the computer on Monday, am suffering for it now but it was worth it to be using my poor old brain again!

I've put on lots of weight since my op & have just recently joined a weight loss programme. They have given me a list of 100cal snacks so I'll tell you some of those (you're allowed 2 a day) 2 small pieces of fruit (apple. orange, ) banana 12 grapes 5 tomatoes unlimited cucumber, pepper, carrots celery or cherry tomatoes 1 choc digestive or hobnob 2 bourbon creams or ginger nus 2 finger kit kat 1 bite sized brownie 1 mini dairy milk bar 5 jelly babies 1/4 tin rice pudding 1 pot yoghurt 1 pot choc mousse (small) 2 ryvita or rice cakes topped with low fat cheese spread 2 oatcakes 5 breadsticks 1 small pack low cal crisps 8 pringles 22g mixed dried fruit & nuts 22g sweet popcorn 1 slice toast with marmite (no spread) 100g cottage cheese 2 mini babybel light I do love my choc too & I've managed not to eat any this week. If I do buy a bar I eat it over a week, one strip a day isn't too bad & you have to have some treats. You could try having prepped carrot sticks etc in the fridge to munch on & have a low cal hot choc drink if the craving gets too bad Good luck hon, its not easy for sure

Hi Catherine & welcome to BTG You will find lots of help & support on here, there's usually someone around who can help with most questions you might have (although if its medical you really need to speak to your GP or neuro nurse) I found BTG quite early on & it was a massive help to me, I'm not sure I would be this sane if I hadn't!!:crazy: The best advice for the early days is to rest & drink lots of water. Take care & fire away with the questions xxx

OMG you hit the nail on the head. I feel guilty for not being a saint & I feel guilty while others (better people than me) didn't make it. I am trying to be a better person but hell its hard!! Some of my guilt makes me angry at everything (hubby, son) & they don't understand why I take it out on them . Almost every day I feel guilty I am not the person I used to be & the mum I used to be and if I could change that I would in a heartbeat. All we can be is the best us we can be now x

I love this, so well expressed & I understand every word & you have my empathy I won't offer sympathy as that does you no good but I feel your pain & frustration. I am lucky in that my gp & hubby have been pretty understanding, it took a while for hubby to 'get it' on the fatigue thing. My friends still don't get it but they do try. Most of us look fine but aren't & people forget what you;ve been through cos they can't see the scars or in your case the damage. Be assured we 'get it'. I don't know if you are planning on showing this to other people but if you do I hope they understand a little more Take care & it will get better xxx

I have balance issues but it is more to do with only having single vision than the anni itself. I was at an appointment on Friday & he was standing me up & sitting me down & turning me round! I fell against the door at one stage!! I still can't do a toe heel walk! Win you've done amazing x

Hi Susan & welcome to BTG I have to say a bleed is still a bleed & should be treated as a major event. Blood that is not supposed to be in your brain will cause damage wherever it touches so no wonder you still feel all at sixes and sevens at three months. Fatigue is so common but most hospitals/neuros seem to say that is only for a few months however most of us will say fatigue remains wherever down the line we are, with that fatigue comes headaches, slurred or slow stuttering speech & dizziness which then affects your walking/gait. I didn't have a bleed but I did have surgery & problems caused by vasospasms afterwards (like mini strokes where the blood vessels dilate). Almost everyone here will tell you you are normal & its only to be expected. Lots of water should help with the headaches & rest when your brain tells you you need to. You need to be cautious about your future health but not scared to live. I so wanted to send you a big hug when I read your post so here's a virtual one ((()))

I am happy as I have a great gp who tries her best to get things sorted for me, she is always booked up & running late but that's cos she spends time with every patient. I'm grateful to be here taking my son to school ever day, he pushes every one of my buttons but hey I love him to bits I am grateful for my hubby whose patience knows no ends, he is an amazing man.

Hi there I didn't have any noticeable dents straight after my surgery but I went to have my hair coloured a few months later. They put my hair in foils & all went to plan, went to brush my hair back from my face & found a really noticeable dent in my right temple. I am 100% sure it was not there before but it is still there & hasn't changed since then. I think some changes along the scar line are to be expected but if you are at all concerned I would contact your neuro dept or as a minimum speak to your gp & get it checked out

I had an epidural when Nathan was born with no problems. My sah was 4 years later.

Looks good, better than the Brain & Spine foundation one which is pretty thin!

Hi Debz, I've always been terrified of banging my head since being clipped. I did bang it on the overhang of the worktop & it really really hurt but that was over a year post op. Being only 15 weeks post op I would contact your neuro nurse or your own gp to have it checked over. Chances are it will be fine but I think its best to err on the side of caution when your op was so recent.

Win I don't have a shunt but I really hate noise, especially repetitive stuff (like dogs barking or children screeching) really winds me up so bad. I have had occasions on holiday where I just wanted peace & quiet, the beach was extremely noisy one day & one child in particular was screeching. I had to ask to leave & felt very tired & tearful when we got in the car. I think its an sah thing not just a shunt one. Sending you big huggles & a big snotrag to wipe your tears away x