Janet

Hi Diane Great news for you both hopefully will set Marks mind at rest.

Hi Diane Wishing Mark all the best for tomorrow and hopefully the news will be good.

Hi Mike Welcome and thanks for sharing your story with us. I'm not surprised you feel so tired after working but can understand the wanting to feel normal. It is very early on in your recovery just remember to rest as much as you can in between working. You wont be on your own with having your SAH in your "twenties" we have quite a few members who were only in their "twenties" so plenty of advice should be available from people in your age group. Look forward to hearing more from you soon.

Hi Kel I agree with Tina don't rush back into work before you feel ready. I hope that when you get the scan it puts your mind at rest. Anxiety does make everything seem worse but it does get easier to manage with time. The first year is definitely the hardest learning to accept the person you have become and the limitations the SAH has left you with.

Belated congratulations on your 1st Annie-versary Neil. Sounds like you and Tammy had a good day. Will look forward to seeing you both once you arrange the "Amazingstoke" meet.

Hi Momo Bit late but a warm welcome to you and thank you for sharing your story like Vivien it took me a fair few months after my SAH to find the site but it has been a godsend to me over the past couple of years. Look forward to hearing more from you once your ready. Any questions just ask there is always someone who can help put your mind at rest.

Hi Norma In the first few months bright lights were a real problem it will get easier with time. I also found my headaches were worse at night but think it was the anxiety that made them worse in the first few months. I now find that bright lights only bother me if I'm really tired but I do find going to the pictures or Theatre quite hard and any type of strobe lights still hurt my eyes and give me bad headaches.

Hi Karen I haven't been through a carwash since my SAH but the feeling you describe was the way I always used to feel going through one anyway, they used to make me feel quite ill. Luckily Morris' Taxi is too big to go through one

Welcome Norma I think the others have just about said it all. Look forward to hearing more from you and any questions just ask there is always someone around to answer them.

Hi Paula As some of the others have already said recovery is a very individual thing the first 12 months are perhaps the hardest but it will get easier with time. I hope you find the site as helpful as I always have and any questions just ask....there is always someone who can answer them. Look forward to hearing more from you.

Hi Geraldine A warm welcome to you and look forward to hearing more from you soon. As Sami has said make sure you're getting plenty of rest and fluids.

Hi Sarah Welcome to BTG and thanks for sharing your story with us. Unfortunately misdiagnosis happens all to often still. I spent almost a week in my local hospital before being diagnosed even though the nearest Neurologial Unit is only a few miles away from us. Its good to hear that despite all that life has thrown at you since your SAH you have managed to make such good progress with your recovery. Look forward to hearing more from you.

Hey Liz They were very understanding at first but are now keeping a file on my absences so after my latest bout will probably be on a formal warning for my sickness. We are only officially allowed 8 days due to sickness in a rolling year I have an extra 7 days because of SAH totalling 15. Even with this I will probably have breached amount allowed so as I said will be going back to a formal written warning. Anymore time off in the next 12 months may lead to my dismissal.

Hi Liz Sorry to hear that those who should be giving you the support on your return to work are being so unsupportive. I think Mel is right if you have a Union Rep now is the time to be sounding them out. Your employer has to adhere to the Disability Discrimination Act when considering your circumstances. I had very understanding employers when I returned to work but unfortunately due to the permanent nerve pain I only ever managed to get up to 30 hours a week. I then had to cut back twice and now only work 20 hours over 4 days.

Hi John Welcome to the site you've come to the right place to help you with the answers to life post SAH. What you're feeling at the moment is very normal and something that most of us have been through. It is quite natural after such a traumatic event to worry at all the different twinges and pains that you feel. Hang in there it does get better with time just try to listen to your body and take as much rest and fluids as you can as this will help with the headpain. Look forward to hearing more from you. Take care.

Hey Phil good to hear that Sharon has her voice back again, what a great start to the New Year for you both.

Hi Jan A warm welcome to the site glad that has helped you any questions please ask there is always someone around to answer them. Look forward to hearing more from you.

Hi Debbie What wonderful news you must be so pleased, just remember to take it easy when you do start your return to work as its lovely to be able to go back but can be very tiring the first few months.

Hi Caroline Yes the extreme cold is playing havoc with my head/eye and face been that bad haven't been well enough to work. I also have oesteo-arthritis in both hips so feeling a bit stiff in most joints as well. Hope apart from the bone aches alls fine with you.

Hi Kellie Welcome to the site I'm sure you'll find all the help and support you need here. It is quite natural to be feeling the way you do at the moment, the first few weeks the enormity of whats happened doesn't really sink and when it does as you are experiencing the emotions go into overdrive. You are very early into your recovery so try to remember to listen to your body and get plenty of rest and fluids. Things do get better unfortunately never quite as quickly as we'd like. Look forward to hearing more from you.

Nurianna in low doses anti-depressants are some help to relieving the nerve pain. I have been taking a low dose of Amytriptiline (spelling) on and off for over 2 years and they do help quite a lot.

Ali so glad you now have John home and great to hear he is doing so well.

Hi Nurianna Happy New Year to you also and nice to hear from you again. Its also good to hear that you are helping to provide support to other SAH survivirs in your own country. Like yourself I also had a craniotomy and I am now just over 3 years into recovery. I also still have the constant numbness around the operation site and have difficulty with mobility of my head. It does not like being moved to quickly from left to right or up and down. You mention insensitivity I suffer with constant nerve pain in the left side of my head that can extend into my neck and also my cheekbones eye socket. I discussed this with my Neursurgeon who has stated emphatically that :- a) The numbness is a result of the surgery and may or maynot ease with time. The pain I get is nerve pain probably caused by a trapped nerve in the brain itself. The only treatment is with low doses of anti-epileptics or anti-depressant drugs which in low doses can ease nerve pain. Basically I have to live with the pain as I'm not a suitable candidate for MRI scanning which would allow proper diagnosis. and show if it is indeed a nerve trapped. I can so empathise with the way you are feeling but just remember that recovery although slow at times does still continue. Its like most things learning to adapt your lifestyle to the altered you it is hard at times but I'm really thankful to still be here to do it. Best of luck with your website and hope to hear from you again soon.

Hi Debbie A warm welcome to BTG and thank you for telling us a bit about yourself. Look forward to hearing more from you and any questions feel free to ask there is always someone who can offer advice.

Hi Laura I don't have a solution for you I'm afraid the inhalers do cause headaches as they open the airways allowing more oxygen to flow through the blood which I believe my Asthma Nurse said makes it flow slightly quicker. My "preventer" doesn't give me a headache its the steroid one that is causing me problems at the moment headwise but it is really helping my chest/breathing so will just have to put up with the bad heads as a side effect. Laura give it a few more weeks and the headaches should get better as your body gets used to the preventer.