Yep, it's a 10 minute appointment at the GP's down here too or you have to book a double appointment if you want longer....that's if you can find a double appointment available. x

Hi Dee, it might be worth having some blood tests done? Not sure of your age, but certainly worth to see if you're defiecient in anything .... I was found to be be lacking in Vit D, Calcium, Iron etc ... don't give up! xx

Bill, it's lovely to have you back! You shouldn't feel guilty for the decisions of others ... If somebody is going to commit suicide, they've already made up their own mind and I would doubt that you could have saved them, unless you were there at the actual time. I know of a few people who've done the same and the devastation that it causes. However, you also need to have some self preservation for yourself ... if you're not personally in a good place, then you can't help others, so be kind to yourself first and the rest will follow. Take care Bill. x

Bill, forgive my short term memory, but you came to the Nottingham SAH meet ... at Donna's pub? I know that you left early-ish ... I also think that I can remember how much it took, for you to attend...and I remember your honesty on these forums. Over the years and since you left the forum .... I can see how anxiety and depression affects us post SAH... I've witnessed a lot more honesty and I know that it's hard to say that you're struggling .... I'm still on a learning curve and pretty much have the same fallout as you have. It's a tough ride ... I still don't have the answers to any of it and it's literally just putting one step forward and seeing what tomorrow brings... I'm sure that you bring comfort to your family, as in still having you around .... Life chucks lemons at us ... in many ways... I'm a couple of years further on from you post SAH .... it is tough when you have a massive fallout, physically and mentally and all depending on what part of your brain has been affected and what's going on in your current life...and what you have to manage. It doesn't matter what you've been in control of previously ... it's a sense of bereavement and I feel that too ... I don't feel anger, but perhaps a sense of frustration when I can't juggle all of those balls that are expected of me ... I can't do what I used to do, but I feel that I'm still here .... trying my best to manage it all and also trying to be the best that I can manage, with my family and children and having this extra time with them. Sending hugs and love to you .... you're not alone. xx

Pat, it may be worth your while to discuss with your Doc about having a range a blood tests to rule out any other underlying cause. I know from myself that I used to put everything down to the SAH, however it wasn't. After a range of blood tests, I was found to be Calcium Vit D deficient and also Folate....both can cause problems with fatigue and memory. I was put on to supplements. I also hit pre-menopause, which also caused problems and menopause symptoms can actually mirror the SAH fall out. I would say, that go and see your physician and rule out what you can. Over the latter years of running this site, I know that some people post SAH are now treated with Aspirin....I think that it depends on your own personal medical history and it's something that you need to check out as to the reason why. Good luck. xx

Macca, you're well loved on this site for your kindness and compassion. You have a wonderful way with words and where you convey honesty, empathy and are so helpful in every way! Thank you and congratulations on your 8 years! I'm so glad to have you in my life and BTG's too! Thank you for all of your help and support! xx

Win, I think that I was still doolally when my kids thought that this site was a good idea at 12 months post SAH! Little did I realise, that it would still be running in 2018! Think that I would have run a mile to be honest! It's been run on a wing and a prayer and when I was still recovering myself and still going through all of the issues that I see from members now. It's been a combination of good, sometimes not so good lol and steep learning curves with running the site... but it's been great therapy for me, to see how each of us, have passed on our own experiences, info, support and love for our fellow SAH'ers and their carers and family. That's why I continue with it. xx

Bless you Win! Wow! I was only one year into my recovery when Lauren started this thread....it's brought back memories of how my SAH impacted on the whole family. I'm glad to say that we've all come a long way since 2006! xx

Hi Joe, it's not unusual for smell and taste buds to be altered. I always had a sweet tooth before the SAH and then afterwards? Everything tasted sugary to the max and would make me gag. I couldn't eat chocolate, cake or puds, where as before I would have devoured them. Even minty fresh toothpaste would do the same... I had to find a toothpaste that didn't taste "sweet" or "salty".... it's been trial and error to be honest... I found that my gag reflex went into overdrive, sense of taste and smell also...where I often smelt "bonfire" and stil hate the smell of burnt toast! I'm now quite some years down the line .... but happy to say, that I no longer experience it....(apart from the toothpaste scenario!) Personally, I think that you're still early days ... it's taken me quite some years to re-educate my taste buds or perhaps brain to find new pathways .. However, perhaps not a bad thing not to like MacDonalds or KFC! Find what you like to eat and stick to it for a while .... gradually re-introduce small portions of food that you haven't been able to tolerate....but 19 months is still very early days.... It took me a lot longer. x

Oh wow! That's really good news Tara! xx

Hi Tara, No I've haven't personally experienced an infection post op. I'm presuming that the medics are going to remove part of your Mum's skull to relieve the swelling in her brain, which I'm also presuming caused the seizure yesterday and hence the CT scan. If you think of it logically, when the brain swells, unlike other parts of the body, that swelling has no where to go because it's surrounded by the hard bone of the skull and hence the pressure builds up, as it can't escape elsewhere. I know of a few people that have had to have a craniectomy to reduce pressure and also quite a few who've had a craniotomy to access their aneurysm for clipping surgery. I believe that once all's okay and things have settled down that the piece of skull taken away can be kept to repair the skull or a metal plate put back into the skull at a later date when the patient is stable. This is all stuff that you need to ask the Neurosurgeon. Yes, it does sounds pretty scary, but the main thing for your Mum is to get relief from the brain swelling which is causing her the problem right at this minute. Tara, you can only take it one day at a time and tackle what needs doing for your Mum ... it's a huge amount for relatives to take in and I feel for you all, as it's quite a shock to hear this sort of news and I know the procedure sounds pretty barbaric to anybody that hasn't heard of it, but it's the way to go to try to relieve the pressure from your Mum's brain. Sending love and hugs to you all...xx

Anxiety and depression can accompany a SAH and is very common. Try to find out what part of your sister's brain suffered the damage? It does make a difference to understanding how that person is feeling ... When I first came out of hospital my only venture was being taken out in the car for a ride in the countryside .... not stopping off anywhere, but it really helped. The weather has been exceptionally hot, so your sister needs to make sure that she's hydrated. I'm quite some years down the line now and even I've found the last month or so, quite difficult to deal with. xx

Mandy, it's not an easy one to answer. I had the bleed on the right hand side of my brain...Which affected the left side of my body and often, my right hand side would be more dominant and it would pull me over, when walking or doing anything else. The bleed also caused me balance issues ... I've had to work on my left hand side a lot! .... At first that involved a walking stick to help my balance and also to regain confidence, as I had sight issues which involved depth perception too. I've also had problems getting in and out of a car ... it also depends on what car it is and I still loathe getting into the back of a two seater! If you have balance issues, it may be worth asking your GP for a referral to the hospital for Physio or for a balance check. I've not personally heard of anyone suffering a physical problem with the the bruising post coiling or even with a check up via the same procedure. The bruising isn't nice, but I've not heard of a long term problem. You're very early days post SAH... keep exercising that leg, whilst doing it in a safe place.xx

Well done Clare and hope that you manage to get out for a meal later and celebrate life! ?? xx

Good luck for Thursday Joan! I'm still being monitored for my coiled aneurysm (it wasn't fully occluded) and I perhaps know that I will be in the same position as you at some point. I also have another artery that may or may not turn into an aneurysm needing treatment. I would much rather have treatment before a bleed, rather than after ....as it's the bleed that causes the damage. I wish you luck my lovely ... I know that it's scary .... I also hope that you have good family about you, who will look after you post op. My late mum in law had an aneurysm coiled (without the bleed) ... she was pretty much okay after the op, apart from the anaesthetic, which always takes a few days to get out of the system. Take care lovely and when you're feeling up to it, let us know how you're doing. Huge hugs and much love. xx