Macca

Hi, and wel come to btg. I suffered chronic fatigue. In coiling me, the surgeon damaged my pituitary gland which then failed to produce growth hormone, hence the fatigue. I now have daily injections of this hormone and am ok, but still not 100%. I am not saying this has happened in your case but if it can happen to me it is worth exploring if all else fails. It could just be your brain needs more time. In either case you need professional medical advice. Good luck Macca

Hi, Welcome to BTG! There's no easy answer to this. The fact is, there are many variations on the after effects of SAH. This does include slurred speech and balance problems. I suffered with both in the early days. I am over six years out now and I still have the odd balance problem but it is hardly noticeable now. My speech is fine. It is early days for you and it probably will settle a bit over time, but you should stay in touch with your doctors and take professional advice from them if your problems persist. Your brain is a complex organ and it recovers in its own time, not just when you want it to. A SAH is a serious event and you should not underestimate its effects. Keep monitoring your progress but give it some time to repair itself. In the meantime try not to worry too much. Keep reading aloud to yourself from newspapers or magazines to try and improve your speech, but only in short bursts. Don't try to do too much too soon. Use a walking stick if you need to and always use the handrails on stairs and get someone to accompany you if you need to. Good luck, let us know how you get on. Macca

Perhaps you can list what you do each day that is stressful and see what you can reduce or cut out completely - remember the old saying "If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got!" So change things a bit, de-stress and get some 'chill' into your life! Let others take the strain a bit. Be intelligent and fashion a 'new me' that will emerge older, wiser, stronger and smarter! You are probably so conditioned to going at 100mph, it might not be easy at the beginning but also remember the story of the tortoise and the hare - you still get there in the end! Sorry about all the clichés! Good luck!

Yes - get to your GP and get checked out. Vertigo is unpleasant and needs to be dealt with. We aren't doctors so medical advice is out I'm afraid. The best person to see is your doctor - it may be related but it may not but either way we can't tell you. So the best way not to worry is to get a professional diagnosis as soon as possible. Please let us know how you get on - and good luck! Macca

Brain injuries are internal and you can't see them from the outside. It's like looking at a car - it still looks like a car and feels like a car, but if it's drive doesn't work it won't go! That's what has happened to you. So you have to educate those around you by telling them and keep on telling them. Sounds, too, like you have what we over here on this side of the pond call 'barometer head' which affects us when the air pressure fluctuates, and more severely than the average person would experience. So you're not on your own there. If I were you, I would go back to the people that treated you for your SAH for explanations and advice. If not successful get a second opinion from somewhere else. There probably is an answer out there to relieve your pain, but you maybe need to be more pro-active to find the right one for you. All our experiences are different and there is no easy answer, so it is vital that you seek the best professional medical advice you can get for yourself. Are there any medical teaching hospitals or Universities that could assist? Good luck and let us know how you get on. Macca

Change happens - it's how you deal with it that counts. Nothing ever stays the same in life. Don't lie down, get up and at it and face it down to make the most of your second chance at life. Easier said than done, I know, but at least you will have given it your best shot and you will never then regret it and say "What if...?" It comes at you from different angles, internal, external, fast, slow, surprise, anticipated etc. Your response to it also has to be as flexible to be able to deal with it as best you can! Good luck, Macca

I agree with Louise above - it is very important for you to stay strong - it is very difficult to keep helping others if you are weak yourself, you can only be of great benefit from a position of strength. So please don't let yourself be dragged down, even when the chips are down. Watching is more difficult than being the subject, especially when the person you care for is unconscious and unaware of what is going on. Nevertheless it can be difficult for them if they are awake and suffering pain and frustration. Either way it is difficult for the carer and if the patient is aggressive, that can be upsetting too. And that is why this group is so good - because there are both sides of the camp on this site, with a real understanding gained through bitter experience, who can give you meaningful help.

Hi, Welcome to btg! My surgeon told me lots of people walk around with aneurysms and don't even know it, but it's the chance of rupture that is important. He said in most cases it is minimal and no one knows for sure what triggers it. Research into causes is also very low and poorly funded due to it's low occurrence per head of population. That is just his opinion and his guess is as good as yours or mine. Sensible living is the way I choose to live now. I avoid sport with head contact, keep blood pressure down, avoid stress as much as I can and stay hydrated. I don't smoke and I drink in moderation. Good luck

Hi Riorita, Welcome to BTG! Of course, you are very welcome! You are still in very early days yet. Many of us had to be re-taught how to do things in recovery. it is important that you keep talking to him, even though you might feel you are talking to yourself at times. It is amazing how much the brain takes in even when you think it isn't listening or isn't understanding. Keep doing the things you are doing and when he gets angry or upset, just back off a bit and give him the time and space he needs to calm down. Don't forget, you are not dealing with the same rationale at the moment, so you need to adjust, as he does. Brain injuries take time to heal and there isn't any set time limit for it to happen, it will do it in its own time. Try reading short stories from the newspapers too, to see if they trigger any reaction.. Carers need support too, and we can provide some of that on here. We can't give medical advice as we are not doctors, but many people have experienced the journey you are both now on. One thing you can do is to keep a diary of your husband's progress. This type of thing, if you don't note it down, can make it look as though little or no progress is being made. If you do write it down, then over time you will see that big strides are being made. It's good to read back through the diary and remind yourself that there is progress, there is hope, and there is aspiration. If you have a look at some of the threads on this site you will see some of the stories that have preceded yours. When you have appointments with health professionals, plan for them. Write down any questions you want answering and take them with you to the appointment. As soon as you get the chance, write down the answers so you don't forget them! Any time you want to ask for advice or just have a rant - well that's what we are here for! Please keep a note of your thread 'Hi from Riorita' so you can enter it in the search box if it isn't immediately visible. Once again, welcome to the group, Best wishes, Macca

What you describe sound like classic symptoms of SAH, but we are not doctors and cannot give medical advice other than to say: Get to hospital without delay and get yourself checked out. It is too risky not to. If it is a SAH they will deal with it. If it isn't, you have lost nothing. You are right to be concerned. In my opinion, doing nothing is not an option. Just go, now. Good luck - and let us know how you get on!

Thanks Michelle, Life has to go on and the best way to celebrate the lives of those who have passed, is to live your own life to the full as they would have wanted you to. So enjoy it, fill it with smiles, and laughter, and love. Yes, there are sad times that weigh heavily on our minds at times, but the good times also need to be celebrated and hopefully there will be more of them than sad. Raise a glass to your Mum, Michelle and then have a great time - and thanks for your kind words also! Good luck, Macca

Andrea, Change has been thrust upon you abruptly. Normally, as you age, there is a gradual change, where you slow down over time or adjust to new ways of working in a natural way. Now your body has told you in no uncertain terms that it's had enough of that and it wants immediate change, and so you now have to plan out what you want to do and find those new ways of working and do them in a way that your body finds acceptable. So you are doing things now about face to the way you would normally do them. No need to panic, it's just a different approach you need now and support from those around you to achieve them. Part of life's rich tapestry but as my Mum used to say "there's always more than one way to skin a cat." (No offence to any cat lovers) Macca

Hey Michelle, Congratulations on reaching three years - well done! We've just suffered a bereavement also which is why I haven't been on site lately. However, when my own mother passed some years ago, she had been suffering the onset of Alzheimer's. I felt a mixture of guilt and relief. Guilt because you automatically think 'could I have done more?' The reality is probably a little bit, but not enough to make a significant difference or affect the outcome. I also felt guilty at feeling relief! Relief because, although sad for myself, her suffering was over and I was saying goodbye to her body, not her mind, because in many ways that had already gone. It was pitiful to watch her, helpless and trapped within herself, and me powerless to help her be well again. It was probably the saddest time of my life until this last one, which was the passing of my stepdaughter on 28th May at the age of just 34, after a short illness, in hospital. She was an organ donor, and we also raised over £1000 for a well known charity that sends terminally ill and sick children on holiday. We, like you do, have to move on now, which won't be easy. Don't beat yourself up, you can only help people from a position of strength. You did the right thing for your own health. You would only have dragged yourself down and surely the others should have recognised that they should have stepped up to the plate a little more, instead of criticising and trying to cast blame onto anyone but themselves. Look in the mirror Michelle and hold your head up - you did what you could - can they truly say the same? The only way is up - go for it, enjoy life and grab those opportunities - life ain't a rehearsal. Macca

Hi, Very early days for you yet. Fatigue is common and if you don't want to let it overwhelm you, then you must find a way of managing it. A phased return to work is a must in my opinion. Second, go through all of your current duties and write them down. Use the time you have to take stock of your duties at work. Just do a little each day, you don't have to do it all at once. Then put them into three columns - can do, would like to do, can't do. For those you can do -great. For those you would like to do - Do you need help to manage them? Can you do some, but not others? Can you adapt the way you do them? Can you exchange them for ones you can do? For those you can't do - delegate them, get rid, or change them. Discuss with your managers - and above all - don't bluff, because if you say you can do them when you can't, you will soon be found out. So start easy and build, don't start too hard and fail as that will be taken the wrong way. Don't be in any hurry to move too fast either. Take your time in re-building your competencies - remember they want to see you succeed, or they have to train someone else. So go about it in the right way. It might be frustrating at the beginning, but the end result will be worth it. Good luck, Macca

Great post Greg and useful information - thanks for posting! Macca

Two years already Jan? Berlimey!!!! It's great to have you on board and know that you are able to pass on your own experiences to help others. I wish you and John all the very best for your wedding and beyond. I hope too that you continue to participate on this site. I am also eternally grateful for the support of all the fabulous people on here. It is a fantastic group and provides so much help to folks for whom there was previously very little information or resources to use. It's never easy coming round from an SAH but one of the greatest things that helps is knowing that you aren't on your own. That is this group's greatest asset and it's people like you that help make it what it is. Good on yer Jan! Macca

Hi Andrea, Welcome to BTG! You've had the wind knocked out of your sails alright and sometimes that can be a bit hard to come to terms with. You need to rest, take stock of things and re-arrange them a little to re-gain that feeling of control. You have much to look forwards to. One of the most important things you can do is talk to other sufferers - ie us, or anyone who is a good listener. Just try not to dwell on things on your own, where your imagination can blow things out of proportion. Reality is often less daunting than perceived vision and talking is the best way to combat it. You need interaction with others and a gradual return to health, through a steady programme of improvement, one step at a time. It can be a long slog, but before you know it you will be nearer the end of the road than the beginning. You need a dash of determination, a sprinkling of planning and a pinch of love from those around you to help you make the journey but you can do it. Keep in touch and good luck, Macca

Hi Jan, We all have our ups and downs don't we? I think the best way to deal with this is to set context. You say yourself it's a new day and the sun is shining - Exactly! That is the key. You have a new day to look forward to. Some people don't. You still have the opportunity to do many things with your life. Subconsciously, I think you are still yearning for the yesteryou! Sadly, it is gone for now and although you are a couple of years down the line that is still early in recovery terms from a brain injury. You can see from what some of the others have said that they are still improving several years down the line and continue to do so. You have to work with what you have, not what you had. If you dwell on the past, it will drag you down. What you must focus on is the here and now - and the future! Don't let your imagination run away with you. When you feel these down moments coming on, that is when you must talk to someone and open up to them. I would also advocate keeping active and doing the things you can do, being productive and turning your negatives into positives. Yes, it can be upsetting at times, but if you have limitations, fight them to overcome them, by adapting, using aides, anything, to beat the problem. Then you say to it - 'There, you can't beat me!' Then look in the mirror, smile and tell yourself 'See, I did it!'' Jan, you have helped so many people on here by your positivity. Sometimes it is hard to keep it going, but you will. I know you have much to look forwards to in your life. Many opportunities will come your way, you just have to look for them and grab them with both hands. Tomorrow is a new day, treat it as a man and grab it by the b&*^%!!!!! I hope that has made you smile. Congratulations, that's the start of a great new day for you! Don't be down, we're are all here for you and rooting for you. We are here when you need us, don't forget that. Good luck Jan - love your life, it's the only one we have and we have to make the most of it. It still has lots to offer you! Macca

Hi Chris, Remember too that every day that passes means you are further away from the 'event.' When you are down - look up, because that's where you are going next. Don't dwell on the issue, just go and talk to someone. It will do two things, it will distract you and it will lift your mood. Hey, you got up today, you breathed the air, you spoke to people, you wrote your post on here, you rationalised your feelings and more too. Those are all positive steps. It's still very early days for you and every day represents progress. Keep it going. I wish you well. Macca

Hi PJ, I can understand how you are feeling. I went back to work after six months and that was way too soon for me. I supposedly went back on a phased return but after a week they were dumping all sorts onto me and it was too much. It's hard to believe you went back to work after twelve days. That's way too soon and quite dangerous if you ask me! What we are talking about here is a brain injury, that in a lot of cases can be fatal, even before you get to hospital. Your brain is at the core of everything you do, so to treat it with scant regard for your general wellbeing is ill advised. If you were to take ill again, because you had gone back to work too soon, they may have lost your services for good, so why are they pushing you - or are you pushing yourself too hard because it's where you want to be? Treat your brain with the care and respect it deserves. The things you describe (headaches, frustration, concentration issues, noise, stress, short term memory, lots of sleep etc) are all classic SAH features. They take time to get over and your body will get over most of these problems - if you give it a chance, in its own time. You aren't doing that at the moment. You are overloading your brain, and your body is telling you it can't cope at the pace you are asking it to. So slow down. GPs are not specialists. Go back to the people that treated you to get some proper advice from them. They will more than likely tell you to take some time out by going off work sick or by taking some leave to go on vacation. Discuss that with your employer too - but after you have obtained the advice from your treatment centre. Then you can go to your employer armed with the knowledge they give you. You think you have PTSD - well I'm not a doctor and you might be right, but from what you say, my bet is that you just simply haven't given yourself enough time to let your brain heal properly. You need a time-out and if you must carry on working in the short term, you should negotiate either lessening the load, or going part time - for a while at least. You say you want a chance to heal, so deep down, I guess you know yourself what needs to be done to give yourself that chance - so be brave and do something about it. Go and make contact with the people that treated you for their advice, and then go and sit down with your employer, be open and honest with them like you have been with us. You will probably find them to be more receptive to that approach, rather than with the appearance that you are just not coping and are not saying anything to them. Make that first move, it might just be the best thing you ever do for yourself. Plenty of us have gone back to work, but even then most have had to make some kinds of adjustment. A substantial change has happened, abruptly, to you. Now it's how you deal with it that counts. Be fair to yourself, take stock and re-appraise where you are, and what you want out of life, and then go and make it happen. Work to live, not live to work. Try and stay positive, but try and tackle the issues head on. I'm sure you will get through it, but you need time and patience, and to be open and honest with those around you. Good luck , Macca

You're welcome! Cherry pick the important bits from the site that fit your way of life and your own experiences. Whatever you do, don't become complacent and be more mindful of your limitations. Change and adapt in line with your own requirements. Your body gave you a warning shot, so respect it and find other ways to get results. Even the smallest changes will make a difference. There is life after SAH - we are living proof of it - 6.5 years since I had mine - but life isn't the same as it was - not better or worse, but different. It's how you deal with the unexpected changes that count. Stay positive and good luck Kerryn, let us know how you get on! Macca

Hi Kerryn, Welcome to BTG! My wife tells me that when I drop a coin, I go down that fast to retrieve it, it hits me on the back of the head! I joke, of course! Yours is indeed a familiar tale and you are discovering that time is what you need to heal properly and that there are no quick fixes where SAH is concerned. I would suggest to you that you take this opportunity to re-appraise your overall lifestyle, to de-clutter, and work out what is really important to you and go from there! Above all eat well, keep hydrated and rest well too. Here's hoping you continue to improve and listen to your body - it has a way of telling you when it's had enough - so give it a chance and take your time before you start pushing yourself! best wishes, Macca

You're welcome Kindra! Just remember, it's important to listen to what your 'self' is telling you as well as what we try to help you with. All the answers you require are right there within your own body - we just confirm it for you! What you describe is how many of us feel - spot on, in fact! So just adjust to take account of it all and you'll be just fine and dandy! Get on and enjoy life - it's what it's there for! Best wishes, Macca

Hi, I think, as Super Mario says that every recovery journey is different. However they should assess what needs to be done. If they are not volunteering that information, go and ask them what is to be done and make them make decisions and keep you informed. If you wait for them you will wait forever, so put them on the spot, say you are concerned, and ask what are they doing to put the bedsore right, how long will it take and when can he start physio. Don't be embarrassed, it's their job and I'm sure the insurance people will be happy to see some progress too! Good luck - and let us know how you get on! Macca

Hi Palhuc, Welcome to BTG. They say God moves in mysterious ways! Well, so do our brains! They are very complex, hence the many differing stories surrounding recovery. I would suggest to you that you keep pushing for physiotherapy and, in the meantime, keep encouraging your husband to move what he can, encouraging him to test his own boundaries but only when he feels up to it. Don't overdo it, make sure he gets plenty of rest too. Help him, don't push him, and don't do anything risky. Keep a diary so you can chart his progress. Not only will that diary be reassuring to you, but it will be tangible evidence to show the doctors and nursing staff that there is progress to be made with your husband's wellbeing. Remember, though, that something that seems tiring to you, is ten times more so to a person with a brain injury, so cut him a bit of slack. Whatever you do, don't give up hope. Amazing things can and do happen, but look on every bit of progress as a bonus, not an expectation - and don't expect too much too soon. There are no guarantees but it is important that you don't give up on your hubby and also that he can see that you are not giving up. Paul 99 (above) is a fine example of that. The problem with SAH is that there is so little research and aftercare and it is why this site fills a gap for many people - patients and carers. Perhaps it would be helpful for medical staff to look at it occasionally too. Why don't you suggest it to some of the staff there and let them have a look. I wish you the best of luck getting the help you need at your end and hope your husband continues to improve in leaps and bounds (not literally, I don't want you bouncing him round the room!) Best wishes, Macca