Xmartz

Thank you Sarah. Did you also have a craniotomy? And, if so, how was the surgery to put things back together?

Hi! My name is Mandie. I am 46 yrs old and I am 2 months post SAH. The only symptoms I had leading up to it were nausea and vomiting. I had a very large bleed. I was originally taken to a local hospital where I spent one nite before being airlifted to the University of PA Hospital where I underwent 6 hrs of brain surgery. The blood was removed, but the source of the bleed was never found. I remained in a coma and on a vent for 5 to 6 days following the surgery. After two weeks, I was released to an inpatient rehab hospital. Unfortunately, during my recovery, I encountered obstacles including several blood clots to the legs and one large clot that traveled to my lungs making my total hospital stay time 2 months. I am home now, glad to be with my husband and two teenagers again, but it is so difficult to be 46 and not have my independence! I forget things often AND, altho I am extremely grateful to still be alive, I am still feeling quite depressed. I'm not my old self, I have a new fear of death and we are going broke trying to pay my hospital bills! I know I am incredibly blessed to have gotten thru all of this, but I have huge mood swings and can cry over anything, especially the thouht that my children aged 15 and 13 could have grown up without me. Does everyone else have this depression, and how long should I expect it to last? I still have to return to the Univ of PA HOSPITAL FOR ANOTHER SURGERY TO replace a large piece of skull that was removed to make way for the brain swelling. This makes me quite nervous as well. Also, does anyone know what the chances are of this happening again? Thanks for any advice/ support you can give!