HeatherH

Hi Sophie, my daughter had SAH aged 17 years, she has since completed her A levels and is in her second year of university and loving every minute of it! It hasn't been easy, she still suffers from chronic fatigue, but she has great friends who support her when she's away at university. She knows her own limitations and has developed strategies to cope with her fatigue. We both still attend a monthly support group at the hospital where she was treated which helps us and also gives the opportunity to support others who have recently suffered SAH. You sound as positive and determined as my daughter, SAH definitely gives you a different perspective on life, be happy and fulfil your dreams! Heather

Hi All I just thought it was about time I gave you an update on Rebecca's progress; she is amazing and has made a fantastic recovery, we are so proud of her. She completed her A levels, albeit a year later, and started university in September. She has moved into a student flat and has made lots of new friends. She is doing really well, managing to keep up with her studies and enjoying student life. We still attend a monthly support group for SAH, Rebecca now offers advice and support to others who have recently suffered SAH. She still struggles sometimes to cope with the stresses of university life but has coping strategies to help her; the university have been so supportive and work with her to make sure she achieves her goals. The last 2 years have been hard, but she is a determined young lady who won't let what has happened stop her getting where she wants to be. Best wishes to you all Heather

Thank you for your kind words, I knew from the beginning that university in September was unlikely but Rebecca had to realise that for herself and come to terms with what has happened. She is still keen to try to do some of her exams this year and the school has been really good, offering 1:1 sessions and home visits (even for the exams if she gets that far). I don't put pressure on her to study, she asks for her books and we read together, discussing the topics she finds interesting- I've learned a lot from her about A level psychology and sociology! For me, her recovery is the most important but I don't want to stop her doing what she wants - her body tells her when she has done too much and she knows now that she has to have lots of rest and quiet time, I take my lead from her. On a positive side, we have become even closer than we were before, I have taken time off work to care for her so we spend most of our time together. We have comforted each other, laughed together, cried together, she is my best friend and I only want her to be the wonderful person she is. If it was up to me I would keep her at home forever, but I know she has dreams and I will always be there to support her. Little steps each day, we can see how much she is improving week by week, she has been out with friends a couple of times during the holidays; she knows she has to maybe do things a little differently now - parties, loud music and flashing lights are out for now, but enjoying a lazy afternoon with friends on the beach or in the park is good, as long as the sun keeps shining! Heather x

Hi All My 17 year old daughter had SAH on 19th January - a great shock to us all! She had surgery and fantastic care in hospital and was home after 2 weeks. She is recovering well but as you can imagine, at 17, she is finding the tiredness and recovery process infuriating. Her friends have been amazing, but are understandably getting on with their lives - studying, socialising, 18th birthday parties......... I'm sure you remember what it was like! My daughter feels she is missing out so much, she was determined she would finish her A levels and go to university in September but last weekend she came to realise she has missed so much she will need to redo this year and aim for university next year. This has been so hard for her, she has always been a grade A student, working hard to achieve her goals, we have had lots of tears this week! As her mam, I am there to support her, a year in your life is so small, but at 17 you don't see that -maybe when she's older she will understand. It's difficult for me to know how she is feeling, is her tiredness teenage laziness (she never liked getting up before!) or is it SAH recovery? How much do I push her? How can I make things better? We go to the SAH support group at the hospital monthly which has been a great help for both of us, listening to others and discussing problems makes you realise you are not alone. This site has also helped in my understanding - I knew nothing about SAH before January, thank you