Michael Enloe

http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/080512Mike-Enloe

Today marked six months since my SAH. I am smiling as I write because I never thought I would ever feel like myself again but I do. Two weeks ago I moved back home (from my parent's) and got back into my routine with my sorely missed dog, Aiden. Last week I started working half days in my family gourmet shop. My first customer today happened to be a doctor from the local emergency room. He told me that I sure looked better than when he saw me last because he arrived with the priest. What a perfect first customer for my 6 month anniversary! I am so happy to start getting back to my familiar routine. Being home and being back to work allows me to forget for a while what happened. My eyesight is (and will remain) damaged and I have to watch for the signs of exaustion but I AM BACK. If you are still at the stage where you are not sure if you will ever feel normal again, hang in there. It varies for us all and we all heal at our own speed but things do get better!!

I hope you all are having a great week! Since Monday (5 month mark) I have started feeling like myself again. I'm not feeling that total disconnect feeling that I have had. I joined a gym and between that and attending a funeral on the same day, I was totally exausted but I felt the whole time like I was experiencing everything and not watching from afar. The funeral was for a young friend of mine(38 yo) who died Monday from a immune blood diorder that she had suffered with her whole life. She never let that stop her from getting out and living every minute - even if it meant dragging an oxygen tank along to enjoy a drink and a laugh with friends. The minister read the words to the song "I Hope You Dance" to describe her attitude towards life. She was very supportive of me through this ordeal of mine and was Facebooking with friends from her bed in ICU until the end. This song is for Tara and all of you struggling to overcome what life has dealt us. I Hope You Dance! I hope you never lose your sense of wonder You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger May you never take one single breath for granted God forbid love ever leave you empty handed I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance I hope you dance I hope you dance I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance Never settle for the path of least resistance Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin' Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin' Don't let some Hellbent heart leave you bitter When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance I hope you dance I hope you dance (Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along) I hope you dance I hope you dance (Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder, where those years have gone?) I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance Dance (Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along) I hope you dance I hope you dance (Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder, where those years have gone?) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Karen - Admin/Moderators note - the above lyrics are from the artist Lee Ann Womack - I Hope you Dance To listen to the song, click on:

The February/March edition of AARP Magazine (Amerrican Association of Retired Persons) features and article about the actress Sharon Stone and her recovery from a severe SAH. I found it very interesting and thought some of you would too. A link to the article: http://www.aarp.org/entertainment/movies-for-grownups/info-01-2012/sharon-stone-interview.html?intcmp=atmbb3

Thanks, Sue! My neuro surgeon gave me the green light to do anything I feel I can do. I have had restrictions on lifting for 6 weeks each time I've had an eye op so I made sure I can put my membership on hold if need be. My next eye appointment is Tuesday and I can't wait to see what new hell they dream up for me! I am so looking forward to the cardio and giving my neglected abs a much needed workout. I'm glad you posted in the USA thread. Canadians are Americans without medical bills to worry about. That's why ya'll are so nice. Mike

Kel, I will be returning to opthamology on Tuesday, the 20th. There will be further ops but because I have more than one issue, they are trying to figure out how to fix one thing without making the other problem worse. I'll keep you posted. I seem to be the SAH case that got every rare complication possible but lived to tell about it!

I spent almost 2 months in hospitals including 2 weeks in a rehab hospital learning to walk and function in the world. All of that was wonderful but, like you, the most information I got about how I would feel after leaving was instructions on how to get into and out of a car without bumping my head. I got absolutely no information about the rollercoaster I was about to be on. I had one meeting with the psychiatric department after discharge but they were basiscally checking to make sure I was not suicidal and, here in the US, my insurance doesn't cover mental health after discharge. Nice. One more medical bill to worry about. I have learned more from one week in this group than from all of my doctors combined. Before finding this group, I found some other good information online that also came from England. Why is that? Lord knows we pay through our noses for healthcare here. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the quality of care that we have if you can afford it. I am fortunate enough to be able to afford (barely) insurance. I stopped adding up my bills from my SAH after they topped $500,000.00. Would I be here if I couldn't afford insurance? Enough for my medical care rant. I felt well enough to join a gym today and will have my first workout with a trainer in the morning. I explained to him that we were going to have to take it slow and that this was not a condition where we could just "walk it off". I am looking forward to it though. I plan to do a little cardio and some weights. Any tips for starting an exercise program?

Wow! I just saw the price of A Dented Image in hardcover - $112.00 on Amazon! I think it's time for me to get a Kindle.

Shortly after I got home from the hospital I discovered a book by Chris Licht called What I Learned When I Almost Died about his experience with SAH. Chris was a 30 something high energy producer for the American morning news show "Morning Joe" and his SAH started while in a taxi in Washington, DC. You don't find many books about SAH out there! I got my copy through Amazon. Can anyone reccomend other helpful books relating to SAH? http://chrislicht.com/

Thank you all for your support. I am so glad that I found this group and discovered that there are others out there experiencing the same things I am! Just knowing that has already made me feel much better.

My SAH in Oct 2011 caused blood to leak into my right eye. There was so much blood in that it completely blocked my eyesight and prevented the doctors from seeing what, if any, damage might be behind it. Just before Christmas I underwent surgery to remove the blood. After the surgery I was able to see out of that eye but it was very blurry. The doctors were now able to see that the blood leak had detached my retina, caused scar tissue to form on the retina and caused a small hole in the macula. Apparantly these are all things that can happen in a small percentage of cases - and lucky me, I got all three! On Feb 2 of this year, they injected a gas bubble into the eye and I spent the next 17 days face down 24/7 (hell on earth) in an attempt to reattach the retina. It was partially successful but now they are trying to figure out how to tackle the other problems without causing further damage. My regular opthamologist has now been joined by the head of the opthamology department because this is such a "fascinating" case. I really don't like being fascinating. Has anyone else experienced retinal or macula damage as a result of a SAH? Mike

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I had my SAH on October 11, 2011. I had been experiencing a headache for a couple days that suddenly got really bad while I was dressing for work. I am not one to run to the hospital but I called my sister and asked her to call an ambulance while I unlocked the door. I last remember being loaded into the ambulance in Aiken, South Carolina and waking up almost 3 weeks later in the ICU of a hospital in Augusta, Georgia. I was experiencing a small bleed while at home and thankfully I was in the Aiken ICU when the big bleed happened. My heart stopped several times when the big bleed started and without a doubt I would not have survived without the ICU team. After I was stable enough to transport, I was moved to Georgia where coils were used to stop the bleeding. After 6 weeks in the hospital and another 10 days in rehab, I was able to return home with a walker. I can now walk normally. The headaches have stopped but I do notice that I tire very easily. I also have noticed that while I feel very normal and clear headed at home, I sometimes feel confused and unsteady when I am out in public. I have had 2 surgeries on my right eye to remove the blood and repair the retina (the last surgery required me to lie face down for 17 days!). Unfortunately, my retina is still has scar tissue that must be removed and there is a small hole in the macula. I hate having bad vision! I really miss the old me and I am trying to get to know the new me and what that means. Sometimes that really gets me annoyed and depressed. Thank you all for posting. It is encouraging for me to hear that others have gotten through what I am experiencing now. Mike Aiken, South Carolina

I am from South Carolina. I had my SAH on Oct 11, 2011 and was treated in Aiken, SC for 4 days and then transferred to MCG in Augusta, Georgia for further treatment and coiling. I spent 3 weeks in ICU at MCG and another 3 weeks there before being admitted to Walton Rehab in Augusta for and additional 10 days.

October 11