Macca

Thanks for letting us know. Glad you got that sorted. Good luck.

Hi Pat, Six and a half years on, I find I have to manage my good times to get the things done that I need to, and then rest and rest properly. It is now about time management and realising that I am thankful to still be here and that all I have to do now is be a bit more organised than I was before. Look forwards not back, the positives not the negatives, the ups not the downs - half full, not half empty. Look at what you can do, not what you can't. Things could be worse and even now all this time later, I still feel that I am improving. As the song says 'Always look on the bright side of life.' Full of clichés, I know, but it's how I deal with it all. Good luck, Macca

Hi, You tend to get these things in the early days when your body has had enough and it needs to rest. It is usually a sign of tiredness setting in and is your body's way of telling you to slow down or stop. In my case these things got better with time and as I got fitter, almost without me realising it. What I would say is eat regularly, (little and often, rather than large and far apart) and as Super Mario says, stay hydrated and go to see your doctor if the problems don't recede.

Hi Lauren, I have flown many times since SAH and have had no problems. Check with your own doctors that you are ok to fly first and then go for it. Cabins are pressurised so that you feel like you do when you are on the ground. Take out travel Insurance before you go and declare the pre-existing condition. Some airline insurances won't insure you but there are plenty of companies that will and it isn't very expensive. You can take out single trip insurance or take out yearly insurance if you want to go away several times. Make sure you know what they will pay out for and more importantly, what they won't. Also make sure you take your EHIC card as European countries have a reciprocal agreement with the UK.. You can get one by going onto GOV.UK and it's free. (Do it in good time - it's a government department, remember, and they aren't the fastest at processing things) Then go and have a good time.

All I know is that I was told to refrain from contact sports where my head might be at risk of being hit. Now I don't know about the effects of the deep and increased water pressure the deeper you go, but I do know that you may need to be extra careful that you don't crack your head on any rocks, or the bottom of the boat, or steps climbing in or out of the water. I have done some scuba lessons a few years back but they don't take you very deep and I was under supervision at all times so I was ok. I didn't keep the lessons up as they felt claustrophobic and I didn't have the necessary physical strength to be able to enjoy it fully. My head felt fine, but it might be different for you. The best advice is to follow that of your doctors, as Supermario says. Best wishes Macca

Keep your spirits up Tori. Eight weeks is still very early in brain recovery terms but already you can see real progress, just as we said you would. Hopefully, Mum will be ready for that wedding and will be able to take it all in! The trend is upwards now, but it will still be a long hard road. Just take one step at a time. Keep a diary and in six months you will be able to see exactly how far she has come. You can already see progress so think what it will be like in another six months. You will see a measured increase in her abilities, and for her that road will have been an immense journey. It is vital now that you continue to support Mum and let her know that you are doing so. Internally that will be a tremendous lift for her. even if she can't fully express it yet. Thanks for the update - keep posting! Best wishes, Macca

Well done - congratulations - and good news about the scan too! Have a lovely day Macca

Hi, Please stop beating yourself up about this. Ten weeks out is nothing. This is a brain injury you are talking about, not a graze on your finger! Forget everything else except your health. That is what counts. What you are experiencing is fairly common especially so soon after your SAH. When you get your tablets changed, the first thing you should do is check the leaflet that comes with it. Your doctor will only have an idea about the main effects of the drug, and by taking it you are giving your consent to take it. The leaflet will explain about the side effects possible with that drug, so make sure you know what they are because your doctor is not obliged to tell you them all. People often mistake them for the effects of SAH and so if you get any 'funny feelings' you will have an idea what is causing them. Any worries or doubts, or any things that don't fit in with the leaflet, then get straight back to your doctor's. GP's often have little knowledge of SAH, so the people who treated you are the best ones to go to for help and advice. After ten weeks, you haven't even given yourself a proper chance of recovery - so patience is the order of the day. You are trying to get back to what you think is 'normal' but doing it far too fast. Stop being in such a rush to be a hero to your own consciousness. Slow down and be a coward, like me! I'm still here over six years out! It sounds like you are doing great but in my opinion, you are expecting too much too soon. Just rein it in a bit and you'll be fine. Even Superman has to re-charge the Kryptonite! Do things in bite-sized chunks, don't eat the steak all in one go! Best wishes, Macca

Hi Elaine, Docs words make sense. If your hydrocephalus is producing more spinal fluid then your body has more to absorb, I guess, so hopefully over time, albeit a slow process, you will begin to improve. So the fluid trend is downward and therefore your health is on the upward! Keep monitoring how you feel and if there is anything out of the ordinary, get back to your doctors, pronto. Don't wait to see 'if it will go away.'

Hi Dave, My Post SAH leaflet "Subarachnoid Haemorrhage and the Return to Daily Life" from the NHS says that "headaches are caused mainly by tiredness, tension or viral illness." If you are back working full time you are probably more tired towards the end of the day and if you are in a stressful job then that may also contribute. Logically, that would mean worse headaches towards the end of your working day and that is what you say is happening to you. So, you have two of the three things mentioned and if you are concerned then you are right to seek professional medical advice since none of us are doctors, so we cannot give medical advice. So get checked out to re-assure yourself. Probably, you worrying about it is also adding to the mental pressure affecting you currently. If your doctors can re-assure you then that is one less thing to worry about. You are also only two years out and brains are notoriously slow in recovering fully, so don't beat yourself up about it, you are doing really well, but don't sit there thinking everything's all right, until a medical professional tells you so. Good luck and please let us know how you get on.

Do what you need to do, not necessarily what you want to do. There's a difference. Listen to your brain. Pushing too hard, too soon could set you back a bit, so instil a bit of discipline into what you do, but when your brain tells you to - stop and rest - and rest well. It's no good going one step forward and two back. Discipline and control is what you want. Before you do strenuous exercise programmes, you should only do so with your doctor's approval. Good luck and let us know how you get on. Macca

Hey Yoyo, First - welcome to BTG! Nobody is going to, or wants to, judge you for making mistakes - we all do it - this is mistake city and nobody cares about that. We do care about you and your wellbeing. They always say that to know how you're feeling we should all walk a mile in your shoes! Well, Yoyo, we have walked that mile, and more. Many of us have had these 'problems.' How we deal with them though is very different because we are all individuals, with different likes, dislikes, outlooks on life and so on. But we all recognise what you are going through. You are not useless, and you are not alone. Your husband is with you and we are here for you now, too. You are only eighteen months into this and brains take a long time to recover. They're not like any other part of the body and are a law unto themselves and won't be told what to do. In fact, it will tell you when your body has had enough and wants you to rest. And it will keep on doing that until you get better, which you will, over time. You've taken a short sharp rap (SAH), that has long term effects, and it has thrust change upon you abruptly, that normally would have happened gradually over a long period. How you now deal with it is what counts. You have to try now to think rationally, and not emotionally, about how you are going to combat this condition. It's not easy at first because SAH carries an emotional payload that is hard to shake off, nobody knows that more than me. Yes, you will be emotional at times, but when you are more able to think clearly, is when to should plan your response. That must happen in your own time, no-one else's, when you are ready. And you can do it little by little. So carry a diary, a notebook and start to write things down. Use the notebook/diary as your memory bank as a kind of temporary substitute for your brain. Let them take the strain off you a little bit. Take regular breaks, and don't try intense concentration for long periods. Do it in short bursts - then rest. Stay hydrated, this usually helps minimise the effect of headaches. Try and start to do somethings for yourself, independently and see them as stepping stones and achievements towards better things. As for your relationship, the best thing you can do with your husband is to talk to him about the effect the SAH has had on you. What are your hopes and fears? How can he help you? And then let him speak and tell you the same things form his point of view. Importantly, don't cut him off, mid sentence by getting all defensive. What you need is a frank admission of all these things and then together - I'll repeat that - together - you can work out a joint plan of how things are going to be tackled. This can actually draw you together more. Has he felt left out, have you told him how you truly feel and vice versa? He has stayed with you this far, why wouldn't he see the battle through until the war is won? You say you don't know where to turn. Turn to your husband, and let him in, to help you deal with these issues. You can both get through this. Brain injuries aren't easy to deal with, nobody says life will be easy. Yes, some things may change from the way they were before, but they are just different, not better or worse. It's how you view them that is important. Look forward, not back. Learn from the past, don't dwell on it or live your current life through it. Talk, talk, talk! And don't forget to keep posting on here. We are here for you too, typos or not (they don't matter so don't worry about them). Macca

Hi Deb, Congratulations on reaching that milestone. The first year is always the toughest in my opinion. That's because you are dealing with the enormity of what has happened to you mentally and physically - and because you don't know what to expect. Sometimes that creates a fear all of its own, but on the other hand we get positives like you, who says to themselves 'If that's the worst you can do I'm going to live my life and get on with it the best I can.' That's a great attitude to have! Well done. Poor memory, headaches and fatigue - three 'popular' themes that get many of us especially on muggy days like these. Atmospheric pressure varies and seems to cause a few of us problems when it is high or low! Keep doing what you can to deal with the changes that have happened to you. Look forwards, not back, and you'll be fine - and don't compare yourself to the past 'you'. That's like comparing Sarah Millican with Judie Dench - they're so different (not better or worse - just different) and you are not comparing like with like - so don't do it, otherwise you'll just upset yourself. SAH puts life in context and makes you re-evaluate your values in life. Nothing wrong with that, just a bit miffed that it took a SAH to make me do it. Six and a half years later and I am much better now than I was but I still have my moments! Glad you made it through! Macca

Hi Wayne, Welcome to BTG. Remembering things can be difficult so here are my tips for doing so. 1) Keep a diary and write things down. Then all you have to remember is to look at your diary every day. 2) Keep a notepad with you all the time and then transfer things you need to your diary on a daily basis - that is a repetition that will help you to remember 2) Use the alarm clock system on your cell phone to remember appointments by making it go off early enough for you to make the date. 3) For things you want to remember repeat them, repeat them, repeat them. Eventually they will transfer from short term to long term memory, which is generally much better. Keep a note of things going on with your family. Time and date them, they may help you in any legal battles. The fact they are made at the time will count in any proceedings. Don't let anyone else have access to your notes or know that you have them (other than your lawyer if you have one). Stand your ground - that can be difficult after SAH, but don't get walked over. Try and get advice from friends and non hostile family, and get a good lawyer if you can to deal with the legal stuff. If you speak to family, though, be careful what you say in case that person is still in touch with the hostile members. Your health has to be your top priority. Do what is best for you and look for opportunities coming your way, rather than being down and out about things. Try to show you are getting on with living your life and that those who are not on your side can either come along for the ride or get off the boat. Life is hard enough after a SAH, so you can do without the extra baggage - so travel light to make yourself more adaptable to the changes that seem inevitably to be coming your way. Be positive, stay positive, and you will get through all this. Hope this helps. Keep talking to us Wayne Good luck Macca

Tori - great news, thank you. The submarine is coming off the sea bed and will surely rise slowly to the surface! Keep us posted! Macca

You're welcome Jan, I just hope it helps! We all need a lift sometimes!

Hi Jan, I think you have been suffering form a build up of events and you've just blown a gasket! Your organising skills are still in there somewhere, you just need a bit more time to plan and prepare than you did before, that's all. Get used to writing things down and use a methodical approach to get through the various tasks you set yourself. Tiredness doesn't help, so stop when your body tells you to and rest. You only make mistakes if you try to go on. Take a day out where your only task is to go and buy that dress and maybe stop for a coffee with whoever you choose to go with you. Enjoy the day! Start to enjoy the preparations for your wedding rather than seeing it as a job. What matters is that you and John enjoy that day. What everyone else does and says is irrelevant. It is your day, not theirs, and if you want to go dressed in a bin bag and John turns up dressed like a village yokel, chewing on a straw, then so what? Have you read the leaflet that comes with your drug? What are the side effects - are they contributing to your feelings, rather than relieving them? For instance, does the drug cause drowsiness, when you are already suffering fatigue as a result of the SAH? (therefore potentially doubling the effect of tiredness and therefore affecting your mood?) Can it cause you to be irritable? I don't know, because I am not a doctor, but if anything like that can occur then maybe you should chat with your GP about changing your prescription. If you have been prescribed anything like that, then arise Doctor Alfie!!! Good luck Jan! Macca

Hi Jan, You're seeing your glass half empty, not half full. Your feelings are real and they're not nice at all. I think most of us have been there at some time or another. How do you know you're not in a bout of depression? It can recur just like anything else. Go and see your doctor to re-assure yourself and let off some steam and yes, to get some medication if that will help. SAH affects you mentally, as well as physically and not everyone sees that because there is no plaster cast for your brain! You state your apathy is relentless. I would dispute that, to some degree at least. Why? Because if you were apathetic you wouldn't be arguing - you are arguing because you care! And you are closing the windows so the neighbours might hear - that is because you care, not because you are apathetic! You resent the 'normality of their lives' - because you care, not because you re apathetic! You also wouldn't have said to John to go and find some happiness if you thought he would go anywhere! You said it because you knew he could take it and because you care about his happiness and thought you weren't providing it. That is not apathy. That is frustration. No, Jan, what you are is not apathetic. You are angry at the perceived lack of support from those around you and you have taken it out a little on John - the one true source of support you have, because you care about him and because he is the nearest thing to you to vent your spleen on without doing too much damage. I agree with Keith - you need to get your sisters in a room, sit them down and tell them your true feelings. They are not, from what you say, supporting you in the way they should. But have you explained to them what it is you want, need and expect? Have you told them what it's really like to have a SAH and how it affects you? Can you expect them to do what you want them to provide, if they don't know what that is? Are they more frightened than you because they haven't gone through this before? You all need to sit down and talk if you ask me, not only to clear the air, but to fully understand the others point of view. Not only that, but to prevent the situation getting any worse than it already is (as you see it from your point of view, of course) Louise's idea of letting your sisters see this site is also a good idea. Would they be receptive to that - or is this a place you see as a source of refuge to let off steam? In which case, don't, especially if it would have the opposite effect on you and stop you coming to us? Maybe the pressure of your upcoming wedding is adding unseen weight to the pressure you are feeling - can you delegate some of that to your sisters - or John? Now, look an the bright side! You've got a wonderful bloke and you are getting married, I understand. You've got your sisters. What is normal? Normal is what you make it. Probably different from what you experienced pre -SAH, but who is to say your sisters' version of normal is better - maybe they resent your lifestyle? Have you asked them? What about sitting down with John and telling him how you feel and discussing what you can do differently to come to terms with how you are feeling and what you can do about it? Then perhaps you can go to your sisters together and present a united front. Undoubtedly, things need to change a little bit, but what are you going to do about it? You need to establish what's wrong, what it is you really want and then formulate a plan to make it happen. In order to do this you need to communicate effectively, so write a plan and go through it methodically (trying to keep the emotion out of it as best you can) and be willing to compromise if you can't totally agree. You cannot change the past, Jan, but you can shape your future. I'm not criticising you Jan, just trying to be objective and help you see what I see from the outside looking in. It's like going back five years for me and I came through it. You can too. Jan, your SAH hasn't won, you're not even at half - time yet! Good luck Jan, bless your heart. I wish you luck - let us know what happens, keep talking to us too. I hope this helps, Macca

Hey Tori, Good news that they are moving her from ICU. Also that she is responding. Like I said progress is progress. Sleeping a lot is natural after SAH and some take longer than others to recover but the trend seems to be upwards from what you are saying. Overwhelming tiredness is common, both physical and mentally. It is just the body's own way of telling that it needs rest. Some need more than others. Her brain has taken a fair old knock and as it is the control centre for her very being, it needs a lot more nurturing and care during recovery. It isn't a race, her body will recover in its own time. That may be frustrating for you, but believe me, as one who has been through it, time is the greatest healer, but you can't just pull it off a shelf or out of a pill bottle. You have to be very patient but if you go back just to the start of this thread you can already see the progress your Mum is starting to make. You just need more of the same, but it will be a long hard slog at times. With determination and perseverance, there is every chance of success. Good luck, Macca

Hi Rick, Go and get yourself checked over by a doctor. I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'blood has increased with the pain.' Do you mean blood pressure, or are you actually losing blood from somewhere? You need professional medical advice, either way, and we cannot give you that as we are not doctors. You are still in the very early stages of recovery and headaches are not uncommon, but if you are worried talk to your doctors. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Progress is progress, no matter how small the step. Hopefully she'll keep making those steps and they will get bigger and more frequent as time goes on. Make sure you keep supporting Mum as best you can and that she can see you there doing it. Then she will know that you love her and that you haven't given up on her. That will be all the encouragement she needs to keep on fighting. Keep on encouraging and talking to her. Let her rest when she needs to and then just be there for her. Good luck Macca

I think that is great advice from your doctor. As I understand things, generally, people are most at risk of re-bleed from the same aneurysm in the hours and early days after your procedure and the risk declines over time. So your doctor obviously thinks you are well on the road to recovery. You should follow your own doctor's advice and stay in touch with them in case you have any worries. So do as he says and live your life, but don't be reckless, live sensibly and hopefully you should be fine. You can't change what has happened but you can shape your future. Yes, you may have to make some readjustments, but you can live with those after being given a wonderful second crack at life by your medical team. Reward them by showing you can live a quality and meaningful life. Make sure you rest well before making further demands of yourself. Avoid getting into stressful situations and enjoy yourself. Take this opportunity to re-evaluate your life and take stock of things. What is important, what can you change, what can you discard, what can you replace? Find your own route to happiness and contentment, that is the true value in life. Money isn't everything, it is a bonus, but is the pressure to get it worth the hassle against your health and wellbeing? Talk to people and find out what it is you really want out of life and then formulate a plan to get it. I hope you find this helpful.

Hi Blue, Welcome to BTG. My SAH was the 'left anterior communicating artery' and I was coiled, some 6.5 years ago at the age of 54. I am 61 now. I'm glad you are getting so much out of the site. There is plenty of information in all the different subjects on here and you will see that although there are many similarities, there are also many differences. The brain is complex and so many differences in experiences means there is something on the site for practically everyone. However, if you have any medical problems you are best going back to the professionals who treated you, as we are not doctors and cannot give medical advice. What we can do is tell you our own experiences. Have a good look around the site and feel free to post when you wish. If you require help then shout up and someone will assist. Once again, welcome to the group. Macca

Hi Kristen, I can't answer your question on this occasion and I notice nobody else has answered as yet. What I would suggest to you is that you click on any of the forum discussion topics on the left of the forums page ie "Subarachnoid haemorrhage/stroke discussion" and then enter a key word or phrase into the search box to the right of the yellow toolbar near the grey Q press search and see what comes up. Then do the same for each of the topics you think may be relevant. It maybe someone has raised your issue before, but I can't guarantee it.. But it's worth a look! Hope you find what you're looking for! Macca

Hi Tori, Although it might seem like a lifetime to you, five weeks is very little time at all in terms of a brain injury. I don't know if you ever watched the old series of 'Life on Mars' (with Philip Glenister) about the detective who was knocked down by a car and mentally transported back in time to 1973. The undercurrent was that he was lying in a hospital bed in a coma whilst these adventures from 1973 were going on in his mind. The objective for him is to get back to the current day. Eventually after 8 episodes of lying in bed, he was aware things were going on even though he could not communicate to those around his bed, he came round. (There is also a second series.) The point I am trying to make is that your brain can take things in even when seemingly unconscious, and so you should continue talking to your Mum and reading and singing to her. She has taken a tremendous knock and it will take time to recover from it. At the moment, you can see the car (your Mum) but can't hear the engine (brain) ticking over but you know it is running because you can see the exhaust (breathing). With patience, determination and perseverance, and showing her the love you have for her, that will give you all the hope, and strength, to beat this thing. Hopefully she will improve enough to take part in your wedding day and I am sure that subconsciously she is fighting to be there for you. She will need time to recover and will have to make small steps to progress, and rest well in between. It's a long hard road that many of us have been down, but once progress has started, you soon reach a point where you are nearer the end than the beginning. It is also important that you are in a position of strength to be able to help her, as if you let yourself be dragged down you will be in a position to help nobody. So, continue to prepare for your wedding, then tell your Mum what you have done. If anything is going in, that will be the top of her list. Best wishes, Macca