Karen

Hi Sarah, I think that you know in your heart if you're ready to go back to work. I didn't listen to myself and went back at 3 months post SAH ...... as you probably know from my other postings, I wasn't fit enough physically or mentally and I only lasted two hours. I near enough ran out of the building and can remember being in tears when I got in my car. I think that I sort of felt like you did and that I should have been able to return to work, as I read somewhere that most people returned to work at the 3 month stage! Looking back, it's quite funny, think that I must have been having a loony moment when I made that decision! Oh well, 18 months on and I'm still not fit enough to return to work, mainly due to my eyesight problems. I think that when you first start recovery from a SAH, you tend to think that everybody recovers at the same pace and you don't realise that recovery is such an individual thing and very dependant on how much damage that your brain has received. Love K x

Hi Hannah, What a battle you're having ....... Have you tried getting any advice/info from any of the other online stroke/brain sites? What a shame that you have to struggle like this, in order to get your Mum the help that she so desperately needs. It would be interesting to know what sort of criteria one has to meet in order to get into a rehab centre. I have often read from other stroke survivors, that in a lot of cases it's a "postcode" lottery as to what help you get. It may be worth giving some of the larger charity sites a call, as I very much doubt that your Mum is the first to experience this. Wishing you the very best of luck Hannah in your endeavours and hope that your Mum can get the care that she needs. Hope that you will let us know how you get on. Love to you and your Mum and sending big hugs, like I said before, keep on keeping on and don't lose faith. K x

Hi Sarah, Sorry, but I didn't receive your story........hopefully you might have saved it? If you want to try again under "submit Article" then please do so, or you can e-mail me if you prefer. My e-mail address is in the "Memberlist" at the top of the page. Love K x

Sorry Sarah, forgot to say, that follow up care seems to vary, depending on where you've been treated and the type of bleed that you've had. Everybody here seems to have had scans/angio's at different times, so not sure whether it's a "postcode" lottery situation or whether it's because of individual circumstances. Love K x PS: Just about to check for your story, but if I haven't received it, I will let you know by posting.

Welcome Sarah! There are some great guy's on this site, that will give you any support that you need. I was a little like yourself and with the first site that I joined, it took me about six months post SAH to post a message! That site was then closed down and as there wasn't any site specific to SAH, I decided to set one up. At first I couldn't talk about my SAH, I didn't feel the need to either, but as time progressed and I wasn't recovering as fast as I thought I would, I needed to chat with others in the same boat and found it therapeutic to discover that I wasn't that only person to have problems. It's certainly does you the world of good to talk about things, just wish that I had done it earlier! I will have a look to see whether I've got your story and if it's there, I will post it on the board. Glad that you have found the board helpful in the last few months and will look forward to hearing more from you! The board is fairly quiet during the weekend, but weekdays it's quite lively! The Green Room is a good place to visit, where we just have a general chit chat about day to day stuff and it doesn't haven't to be SAH related. It's just good to have daily contact with others and have a chat! Lovely to have you with us, Love Karen x

Hi Paul, My daughter is now 16 and my son will be 20 tomorrow and I know how much my SAH has affected them. I'm very proud of them both! It's great to have input from relatives and friends of survivors of SAH and sometimes we tend to forget that they also need support. Thanks for Chelsey's contribution to the site and yours also. Hope Jacqui is keepng well, Love Karen x

Hi Denise, I have asked quite a few questions in the past and a lot of times they haven't been able to give me the answers that I've been looking for. After suffering something so devastating, you seek answers, look for reassurance, peace of mind etc. "Will this happen to me again?" .... the million dollar question ........ Well, I've been told that it's highly unlikely. To be honest, it's taken me a long, long time to realise that every headache or twinge isn't the start of anything awful again ...... I got so fed up with constantly worrying about it, that I thought I would drive myself mad. I got to the point where I knew that I had to stop stressing, as it makes life miserable and let's face it, what can you do about anything that you haven't really got any control over? Since that realisation, I've had less and less headaches and my anxiety level has decreased. It's not been easy, but time is a great healer. Hope that you get your appointment soon Denise and that they can give you the answers that you're looking for. Love K x

New Story on the Home Page - written by Paul Collins

Hi Denise, Really sorry to hear about the problems that you are having. It sounds to me as though you are experiencing anxiety attacks due to the stress and worry. I know that it's not easy to stay calm, when a panicky situation takes hold. I'm still on medication (Beta blocker) for anxiety, but anxiety for me causes headaches, tension type spasms in the head, tremors. If you are suffering bad anxiety, you really need to see your Doctor and hopefully he/she will be able to suggest something for you. Again, it seems to be quite common to suffer anxiety attacks post SAH, but you need to find a way to help keep you calm. It's a vicious circle with anxiety.... stress causes the anxiety, then the headaches start up again, which causes even more worry and sets you into panic mode as you think that the SAH is going to happen again. Can your Husband take over from you with sorting out your medical bits and pieces? You need to be able to step back from this and have your load lightened, as your coping mechanism seems to be in overload. Lots of us post SAH, find it hard to cope, nobody should expect you to be "Superwoman" after the physical and emotional trauma that you've been through and are still going through. Disturbed sleep patterns seem to be a common thing as well.....I still have them and I'm 18 months post SAH now......it does drive you nuts, but the more you worry about not sleeping, the more of an issue it becomes. Try to stay calm Denise and see if you can get some help with the anxiety. Take care and sending you a big hug, Love K xx

Annie, I pretty much say the same thing to my friends as well. Good friends of mine understand this now and they know how much I value them and wouldn't let them down unless there's a very good reason. Think that they've adapted to me pretty well now and so I'm blessed. However, I still feel guilty if I have a "crash" day and have to cancel. Love K x

Hi John, My advice would be the same as Sami's ...... it is hard for some people to understand about the impact of brain injury when you look well on the outside. Although, I can understand your frustration, as I've been in similar sorts of situations myself......most people do understand.....but there's always odd people that don't. Take Annie's advice and ask your friends to take a look at this website, as it will give them a better understanding of the ongoing recovery period. Don't let it get you down and don't lose friends over this, even though you're feeling frustrated with them at the minute. Keep well, Love K x

Welcome to the site Recrut! If there's anything that we can help you with, please post again. Hope everything is okay. Love Karen x

Hi Amanda, I'm very glad that you've been able to take some comfort from this support site and there is always hope. The medics don't always know the exact outcome and with brain injury it's very hard to predict. We would all like definitive answers as to how we are going to end up and whether we are going to stay this way, but to be honest with you, I know now, that it's something that can't be predicted and recovery is so very individual and depends on lots of factors. The situation with your Sister is sounding more positive from this posting and she's made it through another day. Hopefully, with each passing day she will start to get stronger and you will notice the little changes in her. Take each day as it comes, it can be a long journey and any support you need you will find it here, some good guy's on this site who will look after you. Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, Keep in touch, Love K x

Hi Hannah, I was also told that the majority of improvement is made at the 3 - 6 month stage, then after this point it slows down. To be honest and speaking from my own experience, I have slowly improved as each month has passed. I'm definetly not the same as I was before the SAH, but my quality of life is now pretty good and I believe that I'm still improving and will continue to do so. I haven't been able to return to work and I'm limited with driving, due to my eyesight, it takes a long time to come to terms with the fact that I'm not able to do all of the stuff that I used to and run around at 100 miles an hour. I don't think that you're burying you head in the sand Hannah, I think that it's good to have faith in your Mum and I really wouldn't be surprised if she's able to achieve so much more in the coming months. If she's able to do the crossword in the newspaper, she's doing pretty okay in my books! It sounds as though your Mum has a loving and supportive family around her and I think that this is paramount to her further recovery. You're doing good Hannah! Take care and remember to look after yourself as well, Love K x

Hi Hannah, I'm sure that your Mum must be really proud of her daughter!! Keep on keeping on!! Whatever you do, don't lose faith that your Mum won't get any better. It must surely be dragging her down, so maybe with the right nursing support, she will be better off leaving the hospital. I don't think that some nursing staff realise how their comments can affect you. My SAH didn't affect me as badly as your Mum, but I certainly wouldn't have been able to live independently in the early months. Even now, on odd occasions when I'm having a bad day, I still rely on the help of friends and family, even if it's just a lift to hospital for physio etc. There's alway hope Hannah and your Mum is still young enough to make more recovery........I'm 44 and 18 months on, I'm still continuing to recover......I'm slow, but sure! I've had plenty of setbacks and hard knocks, but I haven't given up.....too ****** stubborn! I have found that certain drugs have played havoc on me and I believe that these have instigated a lot of setbacks ..... especially the anti seizure drugs, which thankfully I'm no longer on. I get confused when I'm tired or stressed ..... get my words messed up or forgetful etc .... but again, that's improved with time. I'm sorry Hannah that you're feeling so low, support is so vital, as is the correct information. A lot of the medics don't seem to know too much about SAH, but there's a few of us on the board that are proof that recovery is ongoing and that there isn't a definitive cut off point. Hope that you are able to stay positive. Lots of Love K x

Hi, Really sorry to hear about your Sister and my thoughts are with you all. We are all living proof that you can survive a Subarachnoid Haemorrhage, we all have similar stories to tell, but our recoveries have been different and some of our recovery journeys are longer than others, due to the extent of bleed and what part of the brain has been injured etc. It sounds encouraging that your Sister is responding to your Mother's voice, keep talking to her. The brain seems to shut off after injury and I can remember barely being able to keep my eyes open, I was so sleepy. The only thing that you can do at the minute, is make sure that you support one another, as you've all had one hell of a shock. Try to talk to your Sister's Mum and explain that you need to know how your Sister is progressing. I would think that she needs to share the burden and not carry the load by herself. You don't say how old you are? I know from my own family's point of view, how upsetting it was for them. Emotions run riot during this sort of time and it's better to express them, than to keep it all in. Take one day at a time, as each day can vary so much when the brain is recovering. Every small step forward for your Sister is a bonus and view it positively. Brain repair does seem to be one step forward and one step backward etc...it's something that a lot of us have experienced......but it does get better, albeit it at a very slow pace. Love to you and your family, Karen x

Hi Guys, I you get 5 minutes to spare, take a look at the Val Hennessy Trust website. http://www.valhennessytrust.org.uk/article4.html The website has been updated and there is an article about "Screening" which is very interesting and something that we've talked about on this site. Love K x

Hi Aine, (Lovely name, by the way!) Thanks for relaying the background to your SAH. Hope that you didn't mind, but it helps when we talk to each other. I notice that you come from Scotland, the same as Louise, who's a much valued regular on the board. You're very young to have experienced this, however, recovery when you're younger seems to be pretty good from what I've read. I was about 38 when I had a "warning" bleed and it took me about a year to fully get over it. My story is on the website. Due to mis-diagnosis, similar to you own, I went on to experience another SAH in 2005 and 18 months on, I'm still in "recovery" as such and I have some remaining problems such as balance, dizziness and eyesight problems. I also can get pretty crabby when I'm tired, it's a lot to deal with at times, especially when your brain and body have had enough......I expect that the other guy's on the board would say the same. It's funny saying that you thought you were in Australia during your hospital spell......at one point, I thought that the Nurses were Air Hostesses, weird how the brain works! My brain also played up, when I was trying to find the right word to say and my short term memory is still pretty bad, but it has improved over time. Sometimes I would say stuff that just didn't come out right. Even now, when I get really tired, I can still struggle with it. Think that you sort of learn to live with it and recognise that tiredness is normally the trigger. Anyway, I've spent a small fortune on "post-it" notes, as it's the only way that I tend to remember stuff! How did you find this site? Catch you later, Love Karen x

Hi Slim, Welcome to the site! I'm extremely nosey, so are you able to give us some info to your background? As Sami suggested, it would be good to hear your story, but only if you're up to it. Love K x

Hi Sami, If in any doubt, go to your Doctor. For me personally, even at 12 months post SAH, I was getting very bad headaches.........it can be quite scary when the heads are bad and it brings back some horrible feelings, that are stressful and upsetting. Again, mine came in spates and could be with me for quite some days, I'm not sure how normal this is though. It's only in the last three months or so, that these spates have subsided and headache frequency has got less and I'm nearly at the year and a half stage. It's taken me a long time to realise that nothing bad is probably going to happen to me when I get these spells, it's not easy to cope with and again, it comes with the passage of time. Just make sure that you're not overdoing things though, but you should go to your Doc if you're feeling really anxious and ask him if he can refer you to your Neuro Consultant? Love K x

Hi Annie, Happy new year to you as well! It was looking as though I would be put on a Vit D intravenous drip, if the 2nd test showed the same results as the first......luckily they didn't though. I've been getting cramps in my legs and feet, also some "pins and needles" in my left hand, but mainly when I'm asleep. I also had some "twitching" in the muscles below my eye for quite a while, but nothing horrendous. I used to get a lot of this weird sort of stuff way before I had the SAH, so didn't think much of it until the Doc asked me. Hopefully, it's sorted itself out, but should have some more results on Thursday re: Thyroid. No offence taken about your dog ...... I certainly wouldn't mind taking a pill, if it makes me feel like a "new" woman!! I haven't got a clue about the Thyroid range......it's all new to me....I wonder why it's so different between our two countries? I haven't read my horoscope for 2007 ... what star sign are you? Anyway, your horoscope sounds very apt for your line of work.....perhaps another book? Catch you later, Love K xx

Hi Annie, Happy new year to you as well! It was looking as though I would be put on a Vit D intravenous drip, if the 2nd test showed the same results as the first......luckily they didn't though. I've been getting cramps in my legs and feet, also some "pins and needles" in my left hand, but mainly when I'm asleep. I also had some "twitching" in the muscles below my eye for quite a while, but nothing horrendous. I used to get a lot of this weird sort of stuff way before I had the SAH, so didn't think much of it until the Doc asked me. Hopefully, it's sorted itself out, but should have some more results on Thursday re: Thyroid. No offence taken about your dog ...... I certainly wouldn't mind taking a pill, if it makes me feel like a "new" woman!! I haven't got a clue about the Thyroid range......it's all new to me....I wonder why it's so different between our two countries? I haven't got a clue what my horoscope for 2007 is ... what star sign are you? Anyway, your horoscope sounds very apt for your line of work.....perhaps another book? Catch you later, Love K xx

Hi Guy's, A happy new year to you both as well! I had a "tired" New Years eve, which lasted most of the day, so had to put my feet up for a bit in the afternoon, before doing some cooking. Managed to get a second wind later in the evening and ended up watching a film until about 1.30am.......I seem to have a blip every few weeks with my body clock and my sleep pattern goes a bit haywire for a few days, not sure why this happens though. I don't expect many of us SAH'ers ended up with a hangover this morning...looking at my kids today, after their partying antics last night, I felt quite grateful! Anybody made any New Year's resolutions?? Must admit that I haven't, as I never stick to them.....will just be glad to eat the last of the chocolates though, as I've piled on the weight. Take care all, Love K xx

Hi Louise, You did pretty well to last until that time with your night out! I must admit that some of the "newer" music, drives me mad.....perhaps it's also a combination of old age + brain haem! We're also going to be having a quiet evening and new years day....the kids are out to parties tonight......it's only 6.10pm now and I'm tired out....just hoping that there's some good tv on later, but I won't hold my breath! Thanks for the Scottish greetings! I think that a few of the firework displays down this end of the country will also be cancelled.......the weather has also been foul.....heavy rain and high winds in the last couple of days, last night I thought that the roof of our bungalow was about to cave in.....think that I would prefer it to be colder but brighter. Anyway, a happy new year to you and Ronnie, lets hope that it's a healthy one! Love and hugs, K x

Hi Denise, I haven't heard any other stories about Whiplash being a cause for a SAH. I read about back injury or unsuccessful back surgery causing a condition called Arachnoiditis (hopefully, I've spelt it correctly!). Can you remember any injury that you've had to the neck or back that might have given you whiplash? Well, it will be interesting to hear what you say. I've slipped the odd disc in my back, which seemed to start after my first pregnancy, when I slipped on the stairs. I must admit that over the years, I've been plagued with sciatica and it doesn't seem to take much to start if off. May be I'm going in the wrong direction here...but it's interesting to know if there's any sort of link. I get the pressure sensation in my ears when I'm in the car and I have to keep yawning so that I can "pop" my ears. It's definetly worse since the SAH and it doesn't take much of a hill to start me off. So, you're not alone with that one, but it did used to make me feel quite uneasy, as that was one of the sensations that I had, before the SAH struck. I have got used to it now and it seems to happen in the same place on regular journeys......it's weird! Really glad that you've found some peace of mind with your results, which is great news...............I don't think that stress is at all helpful with your recovery. Anyway, wishing you and your family a very Happy New Year! Lots of love, K x