luke

Hi Clare, She has noticed her memory isn't too good at the moment. I'm going to buy her a little pocket book so she can write down anything she needs to remember. Suggested to her that she should try to remember the info she wants first & fall back on it only when she can't recall it so she doesn't get too fustrated.

I thought about phoning the Dr's as soon as I heard she was vomiting. Later found out she had a cheeky cigarette when she found where I hid her old ones! Happened 10 mins after she smoked apparently so putting it down to that for the time being. If it happens again I'll be phoning the hospital. I am following all your excellent advice. I've pretty much told her she is the foreman & controls what goes on. I'm making sure to ask her advice on various things so she doesn't feel like she's not helping but insist she doesn’t have to physically help if she doesn’t feel up to it. She is content on laying in the new room we had done so she's happy resting for the time being.

Hi Daffodil, You hit the nail on the head. I think the excitement of coming home was chemical. Sad to say but she's now incredibly tired, hasn't slept & has vomitted a few times. I think she tried to do too much too soon.

Update: Mum is back home today! She is doing great & incredibly happy to be finally home. We chatted for quite sometime & she explained how she feels like home doesn't feel, well, like home. She is bringing up feelings & worries that are very similar to what I've read here. I'm happy I found this place as I have been able to tell her what she is experiencing is very normal & I'm able to allieviate the fears she's experiencing. In terms of energy she has a ton! Almost like a manic state...I am wondering was it common to experience high energy for any of you guys during the early recovery? She has been full of energy for about a week even in hospital & it doesn't seem to be letting up so wondering if she may be an exception?

Agree Win that she can't have negative energy around her. I better keep her Mother away as she likes to moan about anything & everything which drives my Mum nuts at the best of times! Yeah I think you are right Louise. Don't want to add any additional stress. Update: Her headaches were gone today for the first time in days after taking a different pain med which was good. Down side is her sodium levels are still dropping so she is back on the high dependency ward. She has been complaining to me about how much water she has been told to drink. She has to drink 3 litres which is a hell of a lot for a lady who is 5 foot 2 & weighs nothing! Her Dr said it could be too much water diluting her sodium but they are monitoring her for vasospasm just in case. Quite scared that vasospasm could occur this late after the initial SAH. It has been almost 16 days & I thought the risk period was over at 14 days. Fingers crossed her sodium levels are back up tomorrow!

One thing I'm worried about is the length of recovery. Not just the recovery itself but also telling her it will be a long time. How do you break it to someone that she may be suffering for a long time? I'm not sure so early on is the right time...

I appreciate all the advice. I tried to put it into practice & had actually had good day today talking with her. Her mood was really improved & she accepted that she can't come home till she's better. I think she is now realising just how serious the SAH was & that she needs to take it easy for a while. I am encouraging rest & saying that anytime she needs to sleep we will leave. We travel up everyday but made it clear to her our joy comes from seeing her, if only for a little bit. If she needs time she has it. She seemed to agree & cheered up I think when there was no pressure on her. Taking some time off work & I'm going to be taking over all of her jobs when she gets back. Me & my Dad are sprucing up the house & getting the spare room painted/furnished. She has wanted that for a while so I'm hoping she will enjoy the surprise when she gets home. Also think she will need a place to rest on her own as my Dad has some pretty serious snoring which could be an issue! I think a proper spare room could be good for her. It's actually quite therapeutic writing this out so can see why people write diaries!

Thank you both for the kind words. I'm trying to keep positive at the moment. From what I have read on here she seems to have been on the lesser scale of severity. It was 5 days before she went into hospital & during that time she was conscious with a fever, headache & stiff neck. You wouldn’t have known from chatting with her that something was seriously wrong. She thought it was just flu. After convincing her to book a DR’s appointment when the symptoms wouldn’t go, she was then admitted to hospital. She underwent surgery 5 days after being admitted as the surgeons felt she was well enough to take their time & plan the procedure. Friday was her surgery & she is now up & about. The anxiety I felt waned a bit as the doctors said she could go home on Tuesday. Unfortunately she wasn’t allowed as blood tests showed her sodium levels were fluctuating. She was really hoping to come home & it hit her hard. On visiting her yesterday she was very depressed. I haven’t seen her like this before. She was very distant & short to me & especially my Father. This was markedly different than the last few days where she has been laughing & happy. I understand mood swings especially during early times will happen. I’m really hoping I can help cheer her up during these periods. Yesterday I thought the best course of action was to just leave her be for the night. She was adamant she was going home the next day even without the Dr’s permission. I explained to her that she was strong & close to coming home but it was important to take her time. I don’t think she liked me disagreeing & was quiet after that conversation. I don't think she will be allowed home today either as they will need a few days to see if her sodium levels stabilise. I'm hoping it doesn't hit her too hard If any of you guys have any words of wisdom I’d love to hear them? What things did you appreciate from your family during your recovery?

Two weeks ago my Mother was diagnosed with a SAH. She has since had the op for coiling & is currently in hospital soon to be released. I am incredibly grateful she is alive & now I'm thinking about how I can help her in her recovery. I've joined the forum to help understand what she will be going through. I'm hoping I can learn from your experiences & make her recovery as smooth as possible. Cheers to what seems like a wonderful & caring community. Luke.