Anne Fleming

Hi Perry I hope it all goes well on Thursday. Do you have to go to RVH or do they do neuro at Coleraine? Best Anne xxx

Hi Sasbo You have been through an awful lot in a short space of time. I think it would be good for you to have the chance to speak about it all with someone who's a professional and not family nor friends. I had cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) after my SAH. It was specifically to help me cope with my severely distorted sense of taste after the bleed. I had about 4 sessions with a neuropsychologist and it really helped me get things in perspective. Another thing I find really helpful is keeping a diary/journal. I've been doing this for the past 25 years and it really helps me to write down how I'm feeling on paper though I know this won't work for everyone. Wishing you all best Love Anne xxx

Hi Louise yes keeping well. Finding it hard to concentrate in this heat, very muggy here, could do with a big thunderstorm to clear it. Hope you doing well too. Love Anne xxx

Hi Louise yes you're right, they are different. I just meant that for me having the SAH was how I imagined a brain injury would be - sudden and severe pain, that knocked me off my feet. When I had the vasospasms after my coiling, those felt like how I imagined a stroke would be with my losing feeling on one side, speech slurred,etc. For me they were very different experiences, from what I remember! Best Anne xxx

Hi all I've just been reading this thread for the first time. Although the Chest, Heart and Stroke nurse visited me at home after my SAH, I've never really felt I had a stroke. I did read once that when classifying strokes, that intracerebral haemorrhage is a type of haemorrhagic stroke and SAH has been added to the list as a subset of haemorrhagic stroke for the sake of classification. I've kind of identified my SAH more as a head injury type of condition. When I had it, it felt like being hit hard over the head with an iron bar. Best Anne xxx

Hi There's an article about Jill Bolte-Taylor and her new paperback in today's Independent health section. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 14050.html Best Anne x

Hi I'm 18 months post SAH and I was just wondering if people have noticed physical improvments continuing after the first 18 months or so? I was speaking to someone at the weekend whose brother had a SAH and she said it took him 10 years to gain his full strength again, energy wise. I'm still hoping for an improvement in my distorted taste though no idea if I'm living in false hope! Warm wishes Anne

Hi Thanks everyone for your replies. Yes it's not something I've thought about, whether I'm disabled or not, it only occurred to me when I was asked about it in work context. I think in my current job I would tick the box to say I'm disabled as I feel ok about saying so. I'm not sure about when I apply for a new job, will have to think that through but would probably tick yes. warm wishes Anne

Hi Leo I had sore ears and a sore throat/catarrh, flu like symptoms - all put down to chronic sinusitis - ongoing for about 20 years prior to my SAH. I've had operations on my sinuses but they didn't help very much. I was also on daily doses of steroids and would need antiobiotics every couple of months when the condition became acute. These symptoms have completely disappeared since my SAH and I no longer need any medications. My GP and neurologist say it is impossible there is a connection between their disappearance and my SAH. I'm not convinced. I think overall I am in better overall health now than before my SAH thanks to these symptoms going as they were very wearing. I just hope they don't come back. All a bit of a mystery! warm wishes Anne xxx

Hi Karen My rupture was at middle right cerebral artery and aneurysm burst just in front of right ear lobe, affecting temporal lobe (18 months ago, when I had just turned 44). The main physical things I've been left with are - loss of about half my hearing in right ear, constant tinnitus in right ear (though am used to it now) also distorted taste. I had a very strong sense of smell after my SAH but that has calmed down a bit. I've not had headaches nor eye/balance probs. I had a lot of fatigue in first 8 months but it has improved greatly and stamina now reasonable though about every month or two I do get very tired for a few days at a time but then it goes. My memory and concentration were also affected but I think they have also improved. However I don't have a good memory for faces. I've lost some left side awareness though not sure if it's better or I'm more used to it. I had at least 2 vasospasms after my coiling and I think they caused a lot of my probs. The thing I found hardest to cope with at first was the distorted taste. It really got me down and I felt very isolated with it as my GP, neurologist etc had never met anyone who had it. Oops sorry for rambling about my ailments, look forward to hearing the results of your research. Love Anne xxx

Hi everyone I just thought I'd post this question as I've just been asked it at work as a colleague is filling out a questionnaire on work stats for one of our funders and I was asked if I consider myself disabled? I wasn't sure. I think probably not. After my SAH I did consider myself disabled for a while and definitely I have been left with slight brain damage (am slower at doing things, memory not so good, get confused at times, also hearing loss and taste and smell distortion). Now I feel I'm getting used to the new me and don't really consider myself disabled, just a bit slower at doing things. Has anyone else come across this question re jobs etc? Thanks Anne xxx

Hi Melissa Like you I had my SAH 18 months ago though I'm sure the fact you were pregnant as well made it doubly traumatic for you. I've seen various neurologists at different times since my SAH and they all seem to give slightly different answers when I ask how long I can expect improvement to continue for (from one year after rupture to three years) so I guess the real answer is that they don't know. I'm definitely quite a bit better than I was 6 months ago (less tired, memory improving a bit) so I've not given up hope of continuing to improve but it can be difficult to know for sure how much is improvement and how much is getting used to things. I think both of us should be hopeful of more improvement over the next year or two. Love Anne xxx

PS meant to say in my last posting, I like the Leonard Cohen lyric - There's a crack in everything, that's to let the light in. I think of myself as cracked after my SAH (various "deficits" according to medical profession) but it's maybe taught me a lot too.

Hi Donna and Karen My rupture was in front of my right ear lobe (middle right cerebral artery), affecting my temporal lobe apparently so it's left problems with loss of hearing in right ear and taste/smell problems and various cognitive issues, especially recognising people I've only seen once. There seems to be some kind of connection between the part of the brain it ruptures in and the symptoms people have afterwards but everyone seems to differ. Anne xxx

Hi Laura I discussed this issue with my Occupational Therapist when I was getting rehab following my SAH. She advised mentioning briefly my SAH in future job application forms but stressing that I made a good recovery & returned to work etc. I tend to think organisations which hold things like past illnesses or disabilities against a candidate instead of considering the candidate fairly on their abilities, would not be ones where I'd fit in particularly well or want to work for anyway. Hope it goes well whatever you decide to do. best Anne xxx

Congratulations Donna. You've come so far this year. Enjoy today. Love Anne xxx

Hi everyone I noticed an article about SAH and post-traumatic stress disorder in the Good Health Section of today's Daily Mail (07/04). I've not had P-T S D myself, as yet at least, though have been very wobbly at times. I thought it might of interest. Having a SAH is compared to being knocked down by a car or something similar and it claims that more than 30% of people who've had SAH then go on to develop P-T S D. Best Anne xxx

Yes Louise am keeping well. Was in hospital (Western) overnight last week for a check angiogram and all seems to be ok - my other little aneurysm hasn't grown any so hopefully no further action required for now. Hope all well with you Love Anne xxxx

Hi Cyberhorse Mel Yes your experience is a bit like mine. I have to follow a very bland diet and never really vary from it as most things taste very strong and horrible. For the first six months after my SAH I had a really heightened sense of smell but that has died down a bit and so I think my taste has improved too. I did try to fight it at first and kept trying things which I used to like, like pasta, toast and curries, but it really got me down and now I find I'm much happier sticking to dairy products, unlevened bread, fruit, potatoes, porridge etc. Yes Karen, my GP did a blood test recently to look through the results for anything I could be lacking eg zinc, which might be contributing to taste problem but all my vits/mineral fine. She is pretty sure it was damage done to my taste/small centre during the SAH. It may still improve especially as it has already started to improve a little. On the plus side, my shopping bills have gone down and I haven't much need to do any cooking. Best Anne xxx

Hi Debbie I was told I had a small unruptured anni. I found out about a year after I had my initial bleed from another one. I'm going into hospital next week to have a cerebral angiogram to get the unruptured one looked at. They are monitoring it and if it increases it size, I'll have to decide whether to have it coiled. I was shocked when I first heard about it. I'll let you know how it goes next week. But I've tried to think positive as I'm being monitored and they have saved my life once already so I think I'm in very good hands. Best wshes Anne xxxxx

Hi Lesley Yes I've had similiar experiences. After I got out of hospital following SAH I noticed that I would drop things out of my left hand (especially if they were light things) and this would happen when I wasn't concentrating. I also don't always notice things to my left. The doc said it was all due to a slight loss of left side awareness. I notice it hapening less now though it still happens but it's just one of the many wee changes I've noticed about myself since my SAH. I also tend to overfill cups when making tea and then end up tipping some out to make room for milk. Warm wishes Anne xxx

Hi Vivienne The one which ruptured was in front of my right ear lobe (middle right cerebral artery) and I have another small one right between my eyes apparently, in frontal lobe. They are keeping an eye on it and I go for another angiogram on 13 March. I always thought of the brain as the area covered by the scalp so I was quite surprised when I was told my aneurysms were more at front of head (ie where face is), if you see what I mean?! I really hope my other one doesn't grow and I never have to decide whether to get it treated or at least not have to decide for a long while. I'm still gathering strength since my last one ruptured about 14 months ago. Warm wishes Anne x

Thanks everyone I'm trying to change my outlook on my taste. (New Year resolution starting 1 Feb!) I'm going to try to put the problem to one side and try to focus on other things. My fatigue and even my memory have improved quite a bit over past 6 months and I think that if taste improves it could take a long time. Meanwhile am going to enjoy the few foods I can. Best Anne x

Hi Karen Yes I'm 45 now, 44 when I had my SAH (14 months ago). Rupture was on the bifurcation of my right middle cerebral artery. I had it coiled. I have another aneurysm which they are monitoring and may treat if it gets any bigger. Warm wishes Anne x

Thanks everyone. I'll look forward to hearing more about your project Karen. I was coping quite well mentally with my taste problem last autumn but when I went to stay with family at Christmas I found it very difficult to cope with eating normally and I must have seemed like the house guest from hell though everyone really understanding. I dread going out for meals as the taste can be so hard to withstand though I'm fine when I'm at home where I can stick to bland food/dairy products. I would say this is the ongoing problem I find most difficult to cope with since SAH but I think I'll just have to change my outlook. I asked the neurologist about a way to prevent me tasting or smelling anything as I thought I could handle that better but apparently no such treatment. Sorry for moaning on but I feel quite isolated with this. Best Anne x