Karen

From Donna -

Chris, I can totally understand that you're worried about the angiogram ... I've just popped on quickly as on holiday, but I asked for a sedative before the procedure and will ask again if I have to have another one. They won't offer it as the norm, well that's what I found, as a Doc has to administer it and it's probably just a case of time etc ... but it does help to take the edge off the anxiety, so ask them, if you think that this will help you ... Wishing you well. xx

Have any of our newer members read this book? Would be good to hear what you thought of it.....xx

Behind The Gray Forum Rules 1. Be polite Members should post in a way that is respectful of other users. Flaming or abusing others in any way will not be tolerated. 2. Keep it clean Posting pornographic or offensive text, such as swear words or their abbreviations, images, links, etc. will not be tolerated and will lead to the post being removed and may lead to the offending member being permanently banned without warning. Inappropriate posts can be reported to the Team Members by clicking on the "report post" icon which appears on every post . 3. Do not offer medical advice. Advice of a strictly medical nature should only be given by a medical professional. Whilst it is acceptable to mention any drugs that you take, or your treatment and your experiences of them, they should not be recommended to other users; this also includes herbal remedies, as many have side effects and can interact with prescribed medicines. 4. Do not post Spam This includes promotion of any type of commercial service. Users promoting commercial services may have their posts or links removed. It may, however, be acceptable to post such links when another user has requested information. 5. Advertising of other websites Behindthegray is not a platform to advertise or promote your own or other websites/chat rooms/forums. If you would like us to add a link to your website, please contact us and we will consider each individual case on its own merit. Should a website be of particular interest to a user in a forum post or chat discussion, BTG has no objections to you providing a link on occasion as long as it is not done to excess and is of full relevance to the context of the discussion. 6. Do not post copyrighted material This includes the text of articles from other websites or sources. If you think that information from other sites may be useful post a link to the source. Short extracts or phrases are acceptable, but please do remember to quote the source or acknowledge the rightful author. 7. Formatting of posts Members should post in a manner that is consistent with normal writing, ie. entire posts should not be all bold text, all large text or ALL CAPS. Those members with visual impairments should use their browser controls to enlarge the text or contact a member of the team for help. Smilies should only be used where appropriate and should not be overused. No text speak please. Different font styles/coloured fonts are only acceptable in the Green Room. When you post on the other BTG forums, we expect members to use the default font style, which is Verdana and black text, which is automatically set. 8. Personal information For your own personal protection, please do not include your private telephone number, email address or home address on a post. If you need to pass on your contact details, please use the private private message system (PM) or e-mail. 9. Stay on topic The place for general chit chat, jokes, poems, etc. is in The Green Room. All other posts should relate to the forum and topic in which they appear. Posts that appear to go completely "off topic" will be edited or deleted in full by our Moderators. Please remember to start a new topic, when appropriate. ---------------------------- The administrators and moderators (the Team Members) reserve the right to edit or remove any post at any time. The determination of what is construed as acceptable or not as noted in these rules is up to the Team Members and not the users. Repeated violations of the above rules may lead to the user being warned or banned from the forums. Whilst any links in posts will be checked for suitability, Behind The Gray cannot be held responsible for any external content linked to from these forums. We’re a relaxed and friendly bunch, so by following these simple rules it will ensure that your experience at Behind The Gray is a happy and supportive one. Behindthegray Admin Team

Behind The Gray Forum Rules 1. Be polite Members should post in a way that is respectful of other users. Flaming or abusing others in any way will not be tolerated. 2. Keep it clean Posting pornographic or offensive text, such as swear words or their abbreviations, images, links, etc. will not be tolerated and will lead to the post being removed and may lead to the offending member being permanently banned without warning. Inappropriate posts can be reported to the Team Members by clicking on the "report post" icon which appears on every post . 3. Do not offer medical advice. Advice of a strictly medical nature should only be given by a medical professional. Whilst it is acceptable to mention any drugs that you take, or your treatment and your experiences of them, they should not be recommended to other users; this also includes herbal remedies, as many have side effects and can interact with prescribed medicines. 4. Do not post Spam This includes promotion of any type of commercial service. Users promoting commercial services may have their posts or links removed. It may, however, be acceptable to post such links when another user has requested information. 5. Advertising of other websites Behindthegray is not a platform to advertise or promote your own or other websites/chat rooms/forums. If you would like us to add a link to your website, please contact us and we will consider each individual case on its own merit. Should a website be of particular interest to a user in a forum post or chat discussion, BTG has no objections to you providing a link on occasion as long as it is not done to excess and is of full relevance to the context of the discussion. 6. Do not post copyrighted material This includes the text of articles from other websites or sources. If you think that information from other sites may be useful post a link to the source. Short extracts or phrases are acceptable, but please do remember to quote the source or acknowledge the rightful author. 7. Formatting of posts Members should post in a manner that is consistent with normal writing, ie. entire posts should not be all bold text, all large text or ALL CAPS. Those members with visual impairments should use their browser controls to enlarge the text or contact a member of the team for help. Smilies should only be used where appropriate and should not be overused. No text speak please. Different font styles/coloured fonts are only acceptable in the Green Room. When you post on the other BTG forums, we expect members to use the default font style, which is Verdana and black text, which is automatically set. 8. Personal information For your own personal protection, please do not include your private telephone number, email address or home address on a post. If you need to pass on your contact details, please use the private private message system (PM) or e-mail. 9. Stay on topic The place for general chit chat, jokes, poems, etc. is in The Green Room. All other posts should relate to the forum and topic in which they appear. Posts that appear to go completely "off topic" will be edited or deleted in full by our Moderators. Please remember to start a new topic, when appropriate. ---------------------------- The administrators and moderators (the Team Members) reserve the right to edit or remove any post at any time. The determination of what is construed as acceptable or not as noted in these rules is up to the Team Members and not the users. Repeated violations of the above rules may lead to the user being warned or banned from the forums. Whilst any links in posts will be checked for suitability, Behind The Gray cannot be held responsible for any external content linked to from these forums. We’re a relaxed and friendly bunch, so by following these simple rules it will ensure that your experience at Behind The Gray is a happy and supportive one. Behindthegray Admin Team

Behind The Gray Forum Rules 1. Be polite Members should post in a way that is respectful of other users. Flaming or abusing others in any way will not be tolerated. 2. Keep it clean Posting pornographic or offensive text, such as swear words or their abbreviations, images, links, etc. will not be tolerated and will lead to the post being removed and may lead to the offending member being permanently banned without warning. Inappropriate posts can be reported to the Team Members by clicking on the "report post" icon which appears on every post . 3. Do not offer medical advice. Advice of a strictly medical nature should only be given by a medical professional. Whilst it is acceptable to mention any drugs that you take, or your treatment and your experiences of them, they should not be recommended to other users; this also includes herbal remedies, as many have side effects and can interact with prescribed medicines. 4. Do not post Spam This includes promotion of any type of commercial service. Users promoting commercial services may have their posts or links removed. It may, however, be acceptable to post such links when another user has requested information. 5. Advertising of other websites Behindthegray is not a platform to advertise or promote your own or other websites/chat rooms/forums. If you would like us to add a link to your website, please contact us and we will consider each individual case on its own merit. Should a website be of particular interest to a user in a forum post or chat discussion, BTG has no objections to you providing a link on occasion as long as it is not done to excess and is of full relevance to the context of the discussion. 6. Do not post copyrighted material This includes the text of articles from other websites or sources. If you think that information from other sites may be useful post a link to the source. Short extracts or phrases are acceptable, but please do remember to quote the source or acknowledge the rightful author. 7. Formatting of posts Members should post in a manner that is consistent with normal writing, ie. entire posts should not be all bold text, all large text or ALL CAPS. Those members with visual impairments should use their browser controls to enlarge the text or contact a member of the team for help. Smilies should only be used where appropriate and should not be overused. No text speak please. Different font styles/coloured fonts are only acceptable in the Green Room. When you post on the other BTG forums, we expect members to use the default font style, which is Verdana and black text, which is automatically set. 8. Personal information For your own personal protection, please do not include your private telephone number, email address or home address on a post. If you need to pass on your contact details, please use the private private message system (PM) or e-mail. 9. Stay on topic The place for general chit chat, jokes, poems, etc. is in The Green Room. All other posts should relate to the forum and topic in which they appear. Posts that appear to go completely "off topic" will be edited or deleted in full by our Moderators. Please remember to start a new topic, when appropriate. ---------------------------- The administrators and moderators (the Team Members) reserve the right to edit or remove any post at any time. The determination of what is construed as acceptable or not as noted in these rules is up to the Team Members and not the users. Repeated violations of the above rules may lead to the user being warned or banned from the forums. Whilst any links in posts will be checked for suitability, Behind The Gray cannot be held responsible for any external content linked to from these forums. We’re a relaxed and friendly bunch, so by following these simple rules it will ensure that your experience at Behind The Gray is a happy and supportive one. Behindthegray Admin Team

Behind The Gray Forum Rules 1. Be polite Members should post in a way that is respectful of other users. Flaming or abusing others in any way will not be tolerated. 2. Keep it clean Posting pornographic or offensive text, such as swear words or their abbreviations, images, links, etc. will not be tolerated and will lead to the post being removed and may lead to the offending member being permanently banned without warning. Inappropriate posts can be reported to the Team Members by clicking on the "report post" icon which appears on every post . 3. Do not offer medical advice. Advice of a strictly medical nature should only be given by a medical professional. Whilst it is acceptable to mention any drugs that you take, or your treatment and your experiences of them, they should not be recommended to other users; this also includes herbal remedies, as many have side effects and can interact with prescribed medicines. 4. Do not post Spam This includes promotion of any type of commercial service. Users promoting commercial services may have their posts or links removed. It may, however, be acceptable to post such links when another user has requested information. 5. Advertising of other websites Behindthegray is not a platform to advertise or promote your own or other websites/chat rooms/forums. If you would like us to add a link to your website, please contact us and we will consider each individual case on its own merit. Should a website be of particular interest to a user in a forum post or chat discussion, BTG has no objections to you providing a link on occasion as long as it is not done to excess and is of full relevance to the context of the discussion. 6. Do not post copyrighted material This includes the text of articles from other websites or sources. If you think that information from other sites may be useful post a link to the source. Short extracts or phrases are acceptable, but please do remember to quote the source or acknowledge the rightful author. 7. Formatting of posts Members should post in a manner that is consistent with normal writing, ie. entire posts should not be all bold text, all large text or ALL CAPS. Those members with visual impairments should use their browser controls to enlarge the text or contact a member of the team for help. Smilies should only be used where appropriate and should not be overused. No text speak please. Different font styles/coloured fonts are only acceptable in the Green Room. When you post on the other BTG forums, we expect members to use the default font style, which is Verdana and black text, which is automatically set. 8. Personal information For your own personal protection, please do not include your private telephone number, email address or home address on a post. If you need to pass on your contact details, please use the private private message system (PM) or e-mail. 9. Stay on topic The place for general chit chat, jokes, poems, etc. is in The Green Room. All other posts should relate to the forum and topic in which they appear. Posts that appear to go completely "off topic" will be edited or deleted in full by our Moderators. Please remember to start a new topic, when appropriate. ---------------------------- The administrators and moderators (the Team Members) reserve the right to edit or remove any post at any time. The determination of what is construed as acceptable or not as noted in these rules is up to the Team Members and not the users. Repeated violations of the above rules may lead to the user being warned or banned from the forums. Whilst any links in posts will be checked for suitability, Behind The Gray cannot be held responsible for any external content linked to from these forums. We’re a relaxed and friendly bunch, so by following these simple rules it will ensure that your experience at Behind The Gray is a happy and supportive one. Behindthegray Admin Team

Behind The Gray Forum Rules 1. Be polite Members should post in a way that is respectful of other users. Flaming or abusing others in any way will not be tolerated. 2. Keep it clean Posting pornographic or offensive text, such as swear words or their abbreviations, images, links, etc. will not be tolerated and will lead to the post being removed and may lead to the offending member being permanently banned without warning. Inappropriate posts can be reported to the Team Members by clicking on the "report post" icon which appears on every post . 3. Do not offer medical advice. Advice of a strictly medical nature should only be given by a medical professional. Whilst it is acceptable to mention any drugs that you take, or your treatment and your experiences of them, they should not be recommended to other users; this also includes herbal remedies, as many have side effects and can interact with prescribed medicines. 4. Do not post Spam This includes promotion of any type of commercial service. Users promoting commercial services may have their posts or links removed. It may, however, be acceptable to post such links when another user has requested information. 5. Advertising of other websites Behindthegray is not a platform to advertise or promote your own or other websites/chat rooms/forums. If you would like us to add a link to your website, please contact us and we will consider each individual case on its own merit. Should a website be of particular interest to a user in a forum post or chat discussion, BTG has no objections to you providing a link on occasion as long as it is not done to excess and is of full relevance to the context of the discussion. 6. Do not post copyrighted material This includes the text of articles from other websites or sources. If you think that information from other sites may be useful post a link to the source. Short extracts or phrases are acceptable, but please do remember to quote the source or acknowledge the rightful author. 7. Formatting of posts Members should post in a manner that is consistent with normal writing, ie. entire posts should not be all bold text, all large text or ALL CAPS. Those members with visual impairments should use their browser controls to enlarge the text or contact a member of the team for help. Smilies should only be used where appropriate and should not be overused. No text speak please. Different font styles/coloured fonts are only acceptable in the Green Room. When you post on the other BTG forums, we expect members to use the default font style, which is Verdana and black text, which is automatically set. 8. Personal information For your own personal protection, please do not include your private telephone number, email address or home address on a post. If you need to pass on your contact details, please use the private private message system (PM) or e-mail. 9. Stay on topic The place for general chit chat, jokes, poems, etc. is in The Green Room. All other posts should relate to the forum and topic in which they appear. Posts that appear to go completely "off topic" will be edited or deleted in full by our Moderators. Please remember to start a new topic, when appropriate. ---------------------------- The administrators and moderators (the Team Members) reserve the right to edit or remove any post at any time. The determination of what is construed as acceptable or not as noted in these rules is up to the Team Members and not the users. Repeated violations of the above rules may lead to the user being warned or banned from the forums. Whilst any links in posts will be checked for suitability, Behind The Gray cannot be held responsible for any external content linked to from these forums. We’re a relaxed and friendly bunch, so by following these simple rules it will ensure that your experience at Behind The Gray is a happy and supportive one. Behindthegray Admin Team

Behind The Gray Forum Rules 1. Be polite Members should post in a way that is respectful of other users. Flaming or abusing others in any way will not be tolerated. 2. Keep it clean Posting pornographic or offensive text, such as swear words or their abbreviations, images, links, etc. will not be tolerated and will lead to the post being removed and may lead to the offending member being permanently banned without warning. Inappropriate posts can be reported to the Team Members by clicking on the "report post" icon which appears on every post . 3. Do not offer medical advice. Advice of a strictly medical nature should only be given by a medical professional. Whilst it is acceptable to mention any drugs that you take, or your treatment and your experiences of them, they should not be recommended to other users; this also includes herbal remedies, as many have side effects and can interact with prescribed medicines. 4. Do not post Spam This includes promotion of any type of commercial service. Users promoting commercial services may have their posts or links removed. It may, however, be acceptable to post such links when another user has requested information. 5. Advertising of other websites Behindthegray is not a platform to advertise or promote your own or other websites/chat rooms/forums. If you would like us to add a link to your website, please contact us and we will consider each individual case on its own merit. Should a website be of particular interest to a user in a forum post or chat discussion, BTG has no objections to you providing a link on occasion as long as it is not done to excess and is of full relevance to the context of the discussion. 6. Do not post copyrighted material This includes the text of articles from other websites or sources. If you think that information from other sites may be useful post a link to the source. Short extracts or phrases are acceptable, but please do remember to quote the source or acknowledge the rightful author. 7. Formatting of posts Members should post in a manner that is consistent with normal writing, ie. entire posts should not be all bold text, all large text or ALL CAPS. Those members with visual impairments should use their browser controls to enlarge the text or contact a member of the team for help. Smilies should only be used where appropriate and should not be overused. No text speak please. Different font styles/coloured fonts are only acceptable in the Green Room. When you post on the other BTG forums, we expect members to use the default font style, which is Verdana and black text, which is automatically set. 8. Personal information For your own personal protection, please do not include your private telephone number, email address or home address on a post. If you need to pass on your contact details, please use the private private message system (PM) or e-mail. 9. Stay on topic The place for general chit chat, jokes, poems, etc. is in The Green Room. All other posts should relate to the forum and topic in which they appear. Posts that appear to go completely "off topic" will be edited or deleted in full by our Moderators. Please remember to start a new topic, when appropriate. ---------------------------- The administrators and moderators (the Team Members) reserve the right to edit or remove any post at any time. The determination of what is construed as acceptable or not as noted in these rules is up to the Team Members and not the users. Repeated violations of the above rules may lead to the user being warned or banned from the forums. Whilst any links in posts will be checked for suitability, Behind The Gray cannot be held responsible for any external content linked to from these forums. We’re a relaxed and friendly bunch, so by following these simple rules it will ensure that your experience at Behind The Gray is a happy and supportive one. Behindthegray Admin Team

Behind The Gray Forum Rules 1. Be polite Members should post in a way that is respectful of other users. Flaming or abusing others in any way will not be tolerated. 2. Keep it clean Posting pornographic or offensive text, such as swear words or their abbreviations, images, links, etc. will not be tolerated and will lead to the post being removed and may lead to the offending member being permanently banned without warning. Inappropriate posts can be reported to the Team Members by clicking on the "report post" icon which appears on every post . 3. Do not offer medical advice. Advice of a strictly medical nature should only be given by a medical professional. Whilst it is acceptable to mention any drugs that you take, or your treatment and your experiences of them, they should not be recommended to other users; this also includes herbal remedies, as many have side effects and can interact with prescribed medicines. 4. Do not post Spam This includes promotion of any type of commercial service. Users promoting commercial services may have their posts or links removed. It may, however, be acceptable to post such links when another user has requested information. 5. Advertising of other websites Behindthegray is not a platform to advertise or promote your own or other websites/chat rooms/forums. If you would like us to add a link to your website, please contact us and we will consider each individual case on its own merit. Should a website be of particular interest to a user in a forum post or chat discussion, BTG has no objections to you providing a link on occasion as long as it is not done to excess and is of full relevance to the context of the discussion. 6. Do not post copyrighted material This includes the text of articles from other websites or sources. If you think that information from other sites may be useful post a link to the source. Short extracts or phrases are acceptable, but please do remember to quote the source or acknowledge the rightful author. 7. Formatting of posts Members should post in a manner that is consistent with normal writing, ie. entire posts should not be all bold text, all large text or ALL CAPS. Those members with visual impairments should use their browser controls to enlarge the text or contact a member of the team for help. Smilies should only be used where appropriate and should not be overused. No text speak please. Different font styles/coloured fonts are only acceptable in the Green Room. When you post on the other BTG forums, we expect members to use the default font style, which is Verdana and black text, which is automatically set. 8. Personal information For your own personal protection, please do not include your private telephone number, email address or home address on a post. If you need to pass on your contact details, please use the private private message system (PM) or e-mail. 9. Stay on topic The place for general chit chat, jokes, poems, etc. is in The Green Room. All other posts should relate to the forum and topic in which they appear. Posts that appear to go completely "off topic" will be edited or deleted in full by our Moderators. Please remember to start a new topic, when appropriate. ---------------------------- The administrators and moderators (the Team Members) reserve the right to edit or remove any post at any time. The determination of what is construed as acceptable or not as noted in these rules is up to the Team Members and not the users. Repeated violations of the above rules may lead to the user being warned or banned from the forums. Whilst any links in posts will be checked for suitability, Behind The Gray cannot be held responsible for any external content linked to from these forums. We’re a relaxed and friendly bunch, so by following these simple rules it will ensure that your experience at Behind The Gray is a happy and supportive one. Behindthegray Admin Team

Behind The Gray Forum Rules 1. Be polite Members should post in a way that is respectful of other users. Flaming or abusing others in any way will not be tolerated. 2. Keep it clean Posting pornographic or offensive text, such as swear words or their abbreviations, images, links, etc. will not be tolerated and will lead to the post being removed and may lead to the offending member being permanently banned without warning. Inappropriate posts can be reported to the Team Members by clicking on the "report post" icon which appears on every post . 3. Do not offer medical advice. Advice of a strictly medical nature should only be given by a medical professional. Whilst it is acceptable to mention any drugs that you take, or your treatment and your experiences of them, they should not be recommended to other users; this also includes herbal remedies, as many have side effects and can interact with prescribed medicines. 4. Do not post Spam This includes promotion of any type of commercial service. Users promoting commercial services may have their posts or links removed. It may, however, be acceptable to post such links when another user has requested information. 5. Advertising of other websites Behindthegray is not a platform to advertise or promote your own or other websites/chat rooms/forums. If you would like us to add a link to your website, please contact us and we will consider each individual case on its own merit. Should a website be of particular interest to a user in a forum post or chat discussion, BTG has no objections to you providing a link on occasion as long as it is not done to excess and is of full relevance to the context of the discussion. 6. Do not post copyrighted material This includes the text of articles from other websites or sources. If you think that information from other sites may be useful post a link to the source. Short extracts or phrases are acceptable, but please do remember to quote the source or acknowledge the rightful author. 7. Formatting of posts Members should post in a manner that is consistent with normal writing, ie. entire posts should not be all bold text, all large text or ALL CAPS. Those members with visual impairments should use their browser controls to enlarge the text or contact a member of the team for help. Smilies should only be used where appropriate and should not be overused. No text speak please. Different font styles/coloured fonts are only acceptable in the Green Room. When you post on the other BTG forums, we expect members to use the default font style, which is Verdana and black text, which is automatically set. 8. Personal information For your own personal protection, please do not include your private telephone number, email address or home address on a post. If you need to pass on your contact details, please use the private private message system (PM) or e-mail. 9. Stay on topic The place for general chit chat, jokes, poems, etc. is in The Green Room. All other posts should relate to the forum and topic in which they appear. Posts that appear to go completely "off topic" will be edited or deleted in full by our Moderators. Please remember to start a new topic, when appropriate. ---------------------------- The administrators and moderators (the Team Members) reserve the right to edit or remove any post at any time. The determination of what is construed as acceptable or not as noted in these rules is up to the Team Members and not the users. Repeated violations of the above rules may lead to the user being warned or banned from the forums. Whilst any links in posts will be checked for suitability, Behind The Gray cannot be held responsible for any external content linked to from these forums. We’re a relaxed and friendly bunch, so by following these simple rules it will ensure that your experience at Behind The Gray is a happy and supportive one. Behindthegray Admin Team

Rachel, just in case that you think that I'm just being kind to you, I just remembered that it's in my SAH story on the site - http://www.behindthegray.net/vbulletin/content.php?234-Karen-s-Story which is rather long winded, so I've found the paragraph below. xx

Hi Rachel, So very sorry to hear of your loss. I'm happy to say that when I was slipping into unconsciousness I felt nothing at all, no pain, no anxiety and I can't remember hearing anyone ... I felt totally at peace and extremely calm, it was a good feeling.... and that feeling still gives me a lot of comfort. xx

No worries Dave and yes, I am the same Karen! Warm welcome! Thought that the question that you asked me via email, was an interesting one and something that hasn't been brought up here before .... so I thought that I would do a quick post! Daff, I know that there are a few of us on here, that are in a similar situation with an aneurysm being monitored, but allowed to drive ... I think that Kempse (Sarah) is another one of us. Re: Car Insurance, I was told that they can't discriminate by increasing the cost of the policy if you've been declared medically fit to drive by the DVLA? ... if they did, I would probably go elsewhere with my money. However, it's better to declare it, rather than give an Insurance Company the excuse not to pay out if you need to claim. xx

Hi Guys, As many of you will know my medical history and that I have a neck left on my aneursym post surgery (which I'm being monitored for any change) ... but, I'm allowed to drive. Out of interest, as it's a subject that has cropped up over the last couple of days, how many of you are driving with an untreated aneurysm/post SAH, as in being too small to be treated, but are being monitored?

So pleased for you Daff! Happy motoring! xx

I do the same ... xx

Hi Tulip, That's really good news and your Dad is a fighter! .... I can only advise, as to just focus on the day ahead, as each day can be very different. Drifting off ... well, I did that, but knew who was around me and could hear them talking ... After the SAH, some of us are on quite a bit of medication, so a bit of "drifting" isn't too unusual. Can I ask how old your Dad is? xx

I can't say that I experienced this .... but interesting thread! xx

Hi Mat and welcome! I would say that you really need to keep the lines of communication open with your wife and don't shut her out. You both need each other, as she will have her worries too. Talk to her, tell her how you feel and don't bottle things up until they become explosive. If tears flow in front of her, let them, as I'm sure that she will have some to shed too...it's a natural process after what you've both been through. My kids were teenagers when I had my SAH .... dealing with teenagers isn't easy when you feel okay, let alone after a SAH. Is this a problem that can be fixed by sitting down and talking to them? Emotions post SAH are all over the place, dealing with the trauma and what's happened, will it happen again and feeling totally vulnerable and frustrated are pretty common. I know that a lot of people on here, have experienced some type of post traumatic stress .... looking back, I can see that I should have probably asked for help, but recovery information just wasn't available or it didn't cover what I was going through. You're not turning into a horrible person, as you've taken your first step to try to do something about it, by posting on here .... honestly, life will and does get better. The following video link may be of help to both you and your wife and it may be something to watch together so that it can open up the conversation as to how you're feeling....it may also be good for your children to watch. It's called Patients Experiences of SAH - http://www.uhs.nhs.uk/OurServices/Brainspineandneuromuscular/Neurovascularservice/Neurovascularconditions/SubArachnoidHaemorrhage/PersonalExperiences/Videopatientexperiencesofsubarachnoidhaemorrhage.aspx

Hi Wem, I had the opposite of you and had pretty prolific dreams heading towards nightmares just after the SAH... None of them made any sense and they were particularly weird/bizarre, so I often had to "wake" myself up from them. After this point, I went through a phase of not being able to sleep until 4am, even though I was dog tired and it nearly drove me to distraction! Once I regained a pattern of sleep, many months later, I stopped dreaming completely or just couldn't remember them. Again, it was months before I started to dream "normally" ... It does make you wonder whether it is part of the healing process? It's something that I've always wondered. Over the years since the SAH, I still have a pattern of sleep, where I can have prolific dreams, not remember anything or times where I just can't get off to sleep or wake many times during the night ...I'm 50 and menopausal and I believe that disturbed sleep can also be a symptom of menopause, so now, I kind of don't know whether it's the hormone factor also coming in to play? xx

(Topic split and added to the SAH forum)

Admin Note: I shall add this to the SAH forum as it's a different topic, so please respond by clicking on the following thread: http://www.behindthegray.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?8624-Sleep-pattern-post-SAH&p=90669#post90669

Okay, I have read this thread and would agree that I wouldn't have taken Ibuprofen in the early months or years post SAH, as it also causes stomach problems in high doses/long term, plus I wouldn't have wanted to have taken anything to increase my blood pressure or pose a risk to my post operative state. This was through my own research and not by any advice from the Doctor, as there wasn't much advice at all! I was always told to take Paracetamol and to only take Codeine/Opiate based painkillers in the short term, due to physical dependency factors or basically, getting "hooked" on them, plus there's the complication of having re-bound headaches. I don't and never have had high blood pressure or problems with *high cholesterol, which is a stroke factor (*which is may be why some people are told to take Aspirin?) This is something that you need to ask your Doctor about, as each patient case post SAH will vary and there seems to be varying opinion within the medical practice itself and I've seen people on here who have been advised to take Aspirin, as their Consultant believes that Aspirin may be beneficial to the patient post SAH. http://www.neurology.org/content/54/4/872 If you "Google" Aspirin and SAH you will probably find more info on the research. I used to take Panadol pre SAH for classic migraines/with aura ... I believe that Panadol Advance is faster working than normal Paracetamol, but it's a lot more expensive, but it did hit the spot faster than non-branded Paracetamol. https://www.panadol.co.uk/All-Products/panadol/panadol-advance-arthritis/ I think that it's a bit of a lotto situation ... you get conflicting advice/opinions from all over... and as per usual, not enough research has been carried out, so we kind of don't know, which way we should follow or who to follow? I can only say what works for me and this isn't a recommendation at all!... and that I take a dose of one non-branded/Supermarket 500mg Paracetamol and one non-branded/Supermarket 200mg Ibuprofen and I find that this combination works well for me, over a short period of time...even if I get a classic migraine. It's been a bit of a trial and error thing with me over the years, as I do suffer from occasional nerve pain around my affected eye at times and this combination hits the spot and takes the edge off it. I was asked if I wanted to take a daily medication for nerve pain, which came with a lot more side effects than the pain killers and after having to take anti-seizure medication and the side effects that I experienced + withdrawal, which were horrendous, I said "No" ... You need to consult your GP, as one size doesn't fit all when it comes to pain relief, especially if you have additional health problems to the SAH which need to be taken into consideration. Interesting thread though and one that I'm sure that will keep rumbling on throughout the years with varying professional opinions!

Sorry, but this is a support group and none of us on here are qualified medics who can give you advice as to medical procedures. As far as I'm concerned, members have responded very politely and reasonably to this thread and have given you their time and personal advice by replying to you. However, I do not like having to referee/moderate a thread that looks as though it's about to turn confrontational, as that's not what this site is about. If medical/procedural advice still needs to be sought then please contact the Neuroscience Nurses at the Brain and Spine Foundation and they will be able to help with any questions that you may have. They can be contacted by phone or via email. http://www.brainandspine.org.uk/ Therefore, this thread is now closed and thank you to all that have participated.