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Thanks WinB143 and everyone else it means a lot,the encouragement and well wishers and information on this site has been inspirational to me and my family.Sometimes for me its hard to remember that my lovely wife and my two daughters aged 17 & 15 and my son aged 11 are going through this hell along side me.Sometimes it takes re-assurance and sometimes it takes a kick up the backside but i couldnt have got is far without them and the rest of my family and of course the help from you guys.Although i know it will be a long road i feel a bit more confidence than i did before the angio and the medical staff have been outstanding so thank you everyone for getting me this far.Love and hugs to all x x x. Tom x x

Thanks Michelle still trying to take it all in and thinking positive,but yes its great news and does ease the pressure of the mind lol.The entry site still weeping a little but nothing too bad and leg seems a bit stiff and tingly but apart from that i feel better than i have for a while.Will start new meds tomorrow,was told it takes a few weeks to kick in but just the thought of having something to treat the anxiety seems to help. Thanks Tom

Hello everyone,well i got home at 2pm this afternoon,and must say i am home with better news than i expected.I got the angiogram yesterday morning 9-30am and the neuro-radiologist told me from his view from what he could see it looked very very good.It did take them a while to seal the wound site afterwards and spent more time on this than the rest of the procedure due to the anti-clot drugs(plavix).I was then informed that they were sending me for an mri scan in the afternoon to see if it showed as good a picture and if so any future follow ups would not require to be groin angiograms(sounds good to me).I was then informed that while i was waiting in the ward the Neurophsycologist was going to come and have a word with me. True to there word the Phsycologist came around 2pm and was great,and very understanding-during this meeting in walked my consultant who had came to bring the great news that the 2 annies that had been treated were now under no pressure and had gone?????????He couldnt stop smiling and i started to cry.The phsycologist asked me if it was tears of joy to which i could only nod.I couldnt have asked for a better result,he informed me that they wanted to do the mri to save doing angios in the future and said he would keep me till tomorrow and if all was well i could go home saturday. The Phsycologist said she would find out from the neuro-phsyciatrists about anti-depressants that were safe for me to take along with the plavix(clopidegrel) and said she would refer me to same people as she thinks i will benefit from some re-assurance aswell. I went for the mri scan about 5pm and until then my wound area was good but a bumpy chair ride and clambering in and out the mri machine and i had some leakage on return much to my horror i dived on the nurse button(dont get called doubting thomas for nothing)and the nurse gotthe doctor who calmed me and kept an eye on it for the rest of the evening.She said it was just a small amount and to be expected due to the asprin and plavix.Doesnt do the anxiety any favours though lol. Got up this morning and checked straight away,seemed to be fresh blood and showed the nurse who said to go for a shower and she would give me a clean dressing and she would mention it to the doctors on their rounds.I did this and by the time the docs came round it hadnt bled anymore,so was told i could go home at lunch time.On discharge i was then informed that i was to get a new drug on discharge on request from my Neurophsyciatrist an anti-depressant fluoxitine i think its called would have to check.So here i am havent moved from the sofa my legs a bit sore but no more bleeding so just have to keep it clean and change the dressing.They did give me an aftercare leaflet on the way out but i cant find it so trying to find out on here.Thanks everyone. Tom x x

Thanks for the replies,hopefully i will be back home tomorrow night or saturday morning so will let you all know then how it all went,i am going back to the ward i was in and i know that the consultants do two ward rounds daily so i am hoping to catch him and get some answers.Thanks again everyone. Tom x x

Hi everyone,i have to go into hospital at 6pm tonite for my follow up angio tomorrow and just want to say thanks to all of you guys for your support so far.As you can imagine im a bit nervous anxious and stressed but know it has to be done.I am a bit afraid of forgetting to ask something aswell and might just write all my concerns down.I hope i get to speak to a consultant as i need to know about the plavix as my g.p thinks i need anti-depressants for my anxiety but cant prescribe any as they can heighten the side effects of the plavix of which i seem to have some of (something else i need to remember),i have acquired a few bruises on knee joint and chest and roof of mouth that werent there and wonder if its to do with the plavix.I have been on them for 8wks and still have 4 to go Also i was told i would get to speak to a Neuro-phsycologist while in to discuss my anxiety/depression or whatever stole the real me lol.At present they give me diazepam for anxiety and zimovane to sleep and they do help a little but i want to get back me no drugs just me . I also want to know if after my angio how long before i can drive again,i know they said i would be flat on my back for 6hrs and may get home tomorrow night but not sure what the protocol afterwards is.Sorry for the rant people i am just thinking out loud again haha and my brain doesnt want to stop recenlty. Thanks for listening ,love to you all. Tom x x

Welcome John very pleased to meet you,i see you are quite young 37 ...well me too i am only 35 and had coiling,stent and blood flow divertor on two annies,one believed to have bled a month prior and one with divertor fitted as a precaution.I got discharged 10/3/12 so i am still early days too.I was doing okay and felt very lucky not to have suffered any issues apart from the operation itself. But recently i have had difficulties with anxiety/stress related issues that im trying to get a hold on.I dont suffer from headaches but the nauseus and lack of sleep and overthinking make up for them lol.Knew there had to be a catch lol.Oh and not to forget the fear of every little twinge and fear of the drugs im on etc etc. I have found this site to be a godsend though and anything i can help or advise on dont be shy in asking. All the best Tom

Thanks Carolyn and your so right i value my family more than ever and dont know what id do without them but at the same time i am glad i found this place also,such valuable people and information Thank you and lovely to meet you. Tom

Hey thanks Sally i feel better knowing i am not going mad regarding the newspapers and t.v but i cant seem to stomach bad news anymore,so was relieved when i read that.Unfortunately my g.p says he doesnt want to prescribe me anti-depressants until im off the clopidegrel(plavix) of which i still have at least a month of to go.I have to go back into ward 63 Southern General on thursday and get my angio friday and hopefully home by friday night(fingers crossed).When there i have to speak to Neuropshycologist and my g.p says i have to ask if there is a safe anti-depressant i can take along with plavix and if there is he will gladly prescribe them when i get out.So meantime i just take some diazepam when it gets bit too much although i do try to manage as long as i can before taking them as before all this i didnt even like taking a paracetamol. I will let the nurses know you were asking after them although i must admit i am a bit apprehensive of returning. Thanks Tom

Thanks for the replies ladies it means so much to realise people have been in my footsteps prior to me and that there is light at the end of the tunnel.I have to go back for a follow up angio this friday and am a bit anxious about this but be glad at the same time to get it over with.I have to speak with a Neurophsycologist while i am there so that might help.I have calmed a little over the last few days but have still pressure/full feeling in left ear leading up to burning sensation on top of head but think its just anxiety/stressed related as it seems to subside when diazepam taken.I have been getting a little more sleep but this will be my first night without zopiclone for last 4 nights so heres hoping.I still dont seem to suffer headaches as such just this pressure so suppose should be thankful. Thanks Tom x

Thanks Macca its much appreciated thank you Tom

Hi Tim i am also a newbie i had a SAH in jan 2012 and was operated on twice first failed coiling and then 7/3/12 success with stent,blood flow divertor and coils .One annie had bled and other was smaller but they decided to fit a blood flow divertor as a precaution while they were doing the rest.I got discharged 10/3/12 and was fine until 2wks home and then i suffered a sinus infection followed by a massive reality check and now suffer badly at the moment with anxiety and stress.My g.p says its only natural after such a traumatic event.I have to take clopidegrel for three months and asprin for life.But hey as everyone around me keeps saying its a lot better than the alternative lol. This website is a godsend though,so welcome Tim i wish you a full recovery Tom

Thank you WinB143 not quite ready for singing yet lol soon though very soon x x

Thanks Kelbel you dont know how much this info means to me right now.Had an appointment with my g.p today who is treating me for my bowels not moving great and piles also now lol the joys eh.He wants me to ask the specialist when im back in hospital next week if there is an anti-depressant i can be given along with the clopidegrel(plavix) as he isnt aware of any that doesnt heighten the risks of taking them along with my other meds.So meantime i have to take the diazepam as and when needed.I tried to explain that i just need a break from my brain lol as it wont stop reading terrible things into every situation all day long (and night).I dont like watching t.v ie the news anymore as it reminds me of the depressing things around us aswell as newspapers i used to make it my mission every morning to get a newspaper but cant or dont want to absorb the bad things inside. My family are the world too me and its hurting to see what its doing to my wife as i know she just wants me to be me and not this scared shell i am slowly becoming. I keep wishing there was a magic wand i could wave and make the worry and fear go away and let me recover if you know what i mean.I feel as if i have enough to deal with in recovering without the added worry of other things like sinus infections and earache and gland tremors and piles and bleeding etc etc . Everyone keeps saying you made it your lucky you will be fine and i reply if all these other silly things disappear and let me recover then i will be okay but i dont know anymore what is real things wrong with me or anxiety/stress playing with my mind. Right now i just want to feel normal like me and function normally as me and not worry myself to death.Sorry if this seems depressing to anyone its just my thinking out loud .I have been told that the Neurophsycologist will come and have a word with me when i am back in next week for my angiogram so hope this helps a bit. Thanks for all advice and for letting me rant everyone. Thanks Tom x x

Thanks Michelle i will look into this thank you Tom

Thanks to all you guys,i am really trying to not be anxious as i dont want to need drugs as before all this i didnt even like the idea of taking a paracetamol lol.I like finding things out from this website that make me realise that its okay to cry and okay to have full feeling in my ears now and then and stuff like this.This is what helps others recover i believe. I got word that i have to go back into The Southern General next thursday and get an angiogram on friday and hopefully get discharged on friday night(well thats what the lady on the phone said) so i am a bit more anxious than normal as its only going to be just over 7weeks since my operation.Also a bit wary of going back to same ward and all that . Its also a fair bit from where we live so not looking forward to it although i know it has to be done.I have tried very hard not to just use the diazepam willy nilly as i know people get addicted to them and also that there is a good chance my g.p might stop them.He has already told me as good as that because of the plavix(clopidigrel)he cant prescribe me any anti-depressants until i am off them and the neuros have stated i have to stay on these for 3months and then the asprin for life.I admit that i am only using the diazepam as a sleep aid mainly as i went through about a week of no sleep and was about sectioned by my family lol and couldnt go through that again.At least if i get a normal sleep i stand a better chance of coping through the day.I must admit i envy some of the posts on here about sleeping as since i went into hospital i was very unable to sleep.My first night after my first failed coiling operation was spent in the hdu unit wide awake staring at the ceiling. It hasnt improved much since then and i dont even get tired during the day anymore and i did prior to Sah. I also got an appointment in from a mental health referral by my g.p which is in end of May so dont really understand what to expect from this.I have saw some people post about Headway and have one of these near me but dont know what it could offer me,i was thinking of calling it to enquire. I just want to stop my brain going into overdrive and to be able to relax and think about something normal and not dwell on what could ave been or might never be if that makes any sense. Thanks Tom x x

Hi i also am suffering after being okay for the first couple of weeks after discharge.I was fixed(stent coil and blood flow divertor on 2 annies one suspected of bleeding at the end of january and one smaller fitted with blood flow divertor as a precaution.I was in Southern General Glasgow and was discharged 10th march 2012.I felt pretty normal as i had been lucky and suffered no ill effects from the original bleed in january bar one nights headache and slurred speech.Fast forward a couple of weeks and i have been at my gp every day for a fortnight. I thought to begin with i had sinus infection as my ears were feeling very full and had awful taste and yellowish gunge at back of my throat.I was prescribed ammoxicillin for a week and given some sleeping tablets as i had got myself into a panic that it would go to my brain and worse.After that it was my heart rate and then i thought i was bleeding internally due to the blood anti-clotting drugs and cried like a baby every time i tried to speak to the g.p who decided to check me out and put me forward for councilling and mentioned ptsd. After prescribing me some diazepam 2mg she told me to go home and take 2 tonite and it was the first time i felt normal (ME) fora while.I know these arent a long term fix and am worried about what happens when they are finished.I am probably best described as an emotional wreck i think my family must be sick listening to me going on about what i thinks wrong with me today as i am sick listening to my own voice,i cant be normal anymore,i cant sleep without medication and cant function during the day without it either.I can get up get dressed and do housework i,e dishes hoovering washing etc but all the time my brain is trying to piece things together and look for reasons for this symptom and another.Am now on second course of antibiotics but different ones but after reading these posts am beginning to wonder if its all anxiety or stress,this sounds better than the inner ear infection i had now convinced myself i had.I have it in more in my left ear and tingling sensation on top of head at same side and gland throbs at this side some times.But as my wife says over and over if i had an infection you would have had a temperature increase or worse symptoms by now lol. So its back to the anxiety and stress and ptsd then.I crave my old normal happy go lucky self as i know my family are starting to miss him too .And hope my g.p keeps the drugs coming or god knows what happens then Thanks for listening again x x take care Tom

After my sinus infection im afraid it all went downhill from there.I broke down at my doctors crying couldnt sleep it went from sinus infection to weird headaches and internal bleeding (all in my head of course although at the time it feels real)heart pain, heart beat racing etc.Eventually they gave me some diazepam and i was able to calm down and get a nights sleep.I honestly thought i was going to die and my family were amazingly tolerant but must have thought id lost my marbles.Even after getting the diazepam i went home and called the hospital ward just to double check i was allowed to take these along with the anti-clotting drugs im on.Anxiety i have never heard of before but i do now. My gp is putting me forward for counselling but says it could take some time and mentioned PTSD but in the mean time i am trying to manage.Although i dont like the idea of taking drugs i am willing to try anything as i just want to feel normal.It is really scary when you cant sleep and end up pacing up and down wondering what will be next and whats the causes of all this.I also have thyroid issues and have been on levothyroxine for over a year but after feeling okay the other nite and ready for bed i took my thyroid meds and went to bed but within 2hrs the anxiety attack was in full flow so last nite i never took them and slept all night and today is the first day since getting the diazepam i have been okay(normal)all day and havent required any meds all day sorry for the ramble sometimes i just need to write down whats happened so i remember too. Thanks Tom.

Hi Liz D thanks for the reply,yes i am very anxious but honestly think it would be ok if i didnt have the sinus issue. I have been taking the antibiotics since thursday(5 days) and felt better last night and even managed a nights sleep without sleeping pills. Got up this morning and one ear is quite painful and feels full of pressure.Tried some paracetamol and just feel it should be easing by now surely but dont want to bother my doctor again as i havent finished the course of tablets yet.The first week out of hospital i felt good no pain or headaches then noticed this foul taste and discolour at back of my tongue-although my sinus didnt seem blocked as i had no trouble breathing.Doctor thinks it could have been the tube they use in hospital so i dont know i just know its scares me to death lol. I just wish it hadnt happened as i feel i have extra issues to deal with you know Thanks Tom

Hi thanks for the replies they mean so much, I got ammoxicillin 500mg x3 for 7 days for the sinus infection and so far i still feel very groggy and my ears feel full.As i was a bit upset and weepy when i spoke to the doc i got 7 days of sleeping tablets as i havent been sleeping and have got myself worked up about this infection and all else thats going on.Every time i sit down or go to bed i cant stop thinking about every little twinge and get myself upset and cant shake it. So far i have only taken two of the pills as he told me to take them two nights in a row then miss a nite or they wouldnt work,but the first nite it worked and second nite i slept for two hours and last nite i missed it out and havent slept yet:shock: I used to get sinus infections regularly but this is the first for a few years and it is a doozy,my doc thinks its from the tube they put in in hospital I wasnt even aware until i got the horrid taste in my mouth and looked in the mirror and saw my tongue was discoloured. I have had a sensation i was wondering about that i have had it is at the crown of my head and feels like a burning/itchy sensation on the crown of my head and was wondering if anyone else had this,i did get a letter the other day from the hospital explaining that some people have reported baldness/skin irritation at the site of stent placement. Nice to know you all and know yous are there Thanks Tom

Hi i had my coiling stent and blood divertor done on 7th march and was released 3 days later.I was doing ok as far as i was aware,i didnt need any painkillers for the first two weeks and then bam i felt nausea and burning pain at crown of head that would come and go and dihorrea. I just thought it was delayed after effects but i have been very weepy and strong painkillers werent helping much.I had an appointment with my gp yesterday to discuss my hypothyroidism anyway so told him while i was there and he had a look in my mouth and ears and says i have a sinus infection which if going by how long i have had this horrid taste in my mouth i have had since my operation as they put a tube down my nose to my stomach two days prior to my op. Now i am worried about this as well as wondering what is normal symptoms from my recovery i am wondering what is caused by the sinus infection -sorry if this isnt in the right place just wondered if anybody else had this Thanks Tom

Hi i had my coiling stent and blood divertor done on 7th march and was released 3 days later.I was doing ok as far as i was aware,i didnt need any painkillers for the first two weeks and then bam i felt nausea and burning pain at crown of head that would come and go and dihorrea. I just thought it was delayed after effects but i have been very weepy and strong painkillers werent helping much.I had an appointment with my gp yesterday to discuss my hypothyroidism anyway so told him while i was there and he had a look in my mouth and ears and says i have a sinus infection which if going by how long i have had this horrid taste in my mouth i have had since my operation as they put a tube down my nose to my stomach two days prior to my op. Now i am worried about this as well as wondering what is normal symptoms from my recovery i am wondering what is caused by the sinus infection -sorry if this isnt in the right place just wondered if anybody else had this Thanks Tom

Thanks for all the lovely replies i cant thank you all enough i am spending some time having a read around the site and will no doubt be asking some more questions soon lol its just good to find people who know what your going through and have answers to questions i am not sure of thanks again . Tom.

Hi thanks for all the lovely welcome messages I was misdiagnosed at my local hospital(Ayr) but once picked up i was transferred to the Southern General in Glasgow where i was in awe at the care i received although i was petrified they really were fabulous from the nurses on the ward to the theatre people and the surgeon and consultants they saved my life and do so for others daily as if its nothing. I had a look at my discharge notes and according to them i have had stent assisted coil embolization of the a-comm ani and blood flow device of ica ani(the surgeon and consultant came to explain afterwards but i was still woozy and cant remember exactly)they did say they would come speak to me before i got discharged but i got out on a saturday so assume they werent there,also said i would get an angio in one month is this the norm? It has been a shock to say the least and everywhere i turn people tell me how lucky i am to be here but i struggle to grasp this and am terrified at every twinge at the moment,i have been getting not so much a headache but a feeling of warmth in a small area on the the top of my head but wonder if i am just being paranoid lol . Although i am only two weeks home from hospital i had no ill effects from the bleed or the operations and feel pretty lucky in that respect as i know lots of you have had other things to contend with but the mental side of it is something i never thought of but with the help of my family and this place i hope to progress. Thanks again for the replies and i will definately be on here regularly its brilliant to meet you all

Hi thanks for the lovely welcome everybody i already feel a bit better just from reading some of this website its great.I was misdiagnosed at my local hospital(AYR) but once transferred to the Southern General in Glasgow i was in awe of the treatment and care i received.On my discharge letter it states stent assisted coil embolization of the a-comm annie and blood flow device of the ica annie(if this makes any sense)The consultant and surgeon came to see me before the op and explained it but i never took it all in lol and they came after the op but dont recall seeing them.They did tell me i would have to go back in a months time for an angiogram so i await the letter for this.I am just trying to take each day as it comes and am grateful to see the sun every morning and my lovely family i wouldnt have been able to cope with all this without my wife and kids and finding this place has made it a bit clearer thanks again everybody i will be here frequently no doubt lol http://www.behindthegray.net/vbulletin/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

Hi all my name is Tom i am 35 yrs old and i had an Sah in january this year unbeknown to me or my family at the time.After being out working i came home at 2-30am on january 29th and went straight to bed.I awoke at around 7-30am with a headache pain behind my left eye so went downstairs and took two paracetamol and went back to bed but couldnt sleep,as the day progressed the headache went away but other things such as slurred speech and loss of feeling in right arm made me and my family agree i should visit my local A&E.At my local hospital i was admitted to the stroke ward and given 2 paracetamol for headache.Next day i was told after a CT was done and nothing could be found i was free to go home and the doctor put it down to a migraine(although i have never had a migraine) but would book me in for an MRI scan which i would receive in the post.So i went home and had the rest of the week off work as i felt very tired and drained but went back to work the next week walking miles every day in the countryside on my lonesome and going about father duties (playing football with my 11yr old son)and building a fence at home-until i got the MRI appointment through WED 22nd Feb 2012-Went to appointment from my work as couldnt take any more hols and asked the lady doing it jokingly if she saw anything she just said "oh the doctor has about 800 pics to look through" oh well worth a try i thought.Next day about 10-30am the doctor from the stroke unit called my wife and told her that something had showed up on the mri and would it be possible for me to go to hospital asap.I was transferred by ambulance to Southern General in Glasgow to the Neurology department by 1pm.They done an angiogram and found 2 bulges one of which had been bleeding and one with the potential to bleed.Was told they would try coiling them on the 28th February but this failed-then had to wait till 7th March for another operation with a stent and blood flow divertor and coils although i am not 100% sure if coils were actually used.After a further 3 days in hospital i was allowed home-i have now been home 2 weeks and although physically feel ok mentally i am a bit all over the place.I keep thinking about why it happened how close i came to dying will it happen again and up until now had no headaches bu last couple of days i have and have started to worry bout these too lol sorry am ranting now need give fingers n brain a wee rest am over the moon to have found this site though pleased to meet you all