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pain in the brain

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  1. As I keep saying in posts tonight, I'm back at work on Monday One of the things that I find strange is referring to my SAH with friends, family or people who ask me about it. And as I work in a large office I know that loads of people will ask over the next few days and weeks. I hate using the terms "I had a subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by a cerebral aneurism" as it is such a long sentence to say and I have been know to call it a subarachnoid haemorrhoid lol. It also sounds too specific and I don't want it to sound to medical....strange I know but I want my colleagues to understand what I went through without having to explain the terms. But is it fair to say that I had a brain haemhorrage? is that the best description What is the best way to refer to pre-SAH - before my brain exploded? Before I went off work sick? Before my brain haemorrhage? I guess some of you will have worked this out and might have some good suggestions. I hope so!
  2. I asked my consultant to give me some idea about recovery timeframes, and he said that for a lot of patients they would be 50% recovered at 6 months, 90% at 1 year and as well as they were going to be at 2 years. He did qualify this and say that there are always exceptions to the rules, but it was something to perhaps think about and certainly you should not expect yourself to be "fixed" immediately....the brain will take a long time to heal itself. I hope that this helps.
  3. I almost laugh when writing these words as they feel as though they are things that my brain used to be able to do but is not so good at any more. I think that filtering information is one of the most difficult things to do now - recognising what is important when I see it (which top to buy in Debenhams, which packet of soup at the supermarket, which is the right website to look at). Does anyone else find this? Multi-tasking is also a bit of a joke. I have to concentrate on remembering one thing, not two or three. Never mind remembering a whole telephone number which I read on a page and then type into a phone. I'm back at work on Monday so am just thinking of my CV and all these things that I listed as strengths which I am now laughing at and wondering if they will ever return. I think I'm just having a reflective type of evening
  4. I'm really fortunate as my insurance paid out (HSBC). I had the same policy wording as was mentioned earlier in the thread, but had no difficulty claiming as my consultant had supported the fact that I was permanently damaged (despite the fact that I have no mobility issues and am getting better). I would definitely recommend that anyone who does think about claiming should do what another member (Paul?) recommended earlier in the thread. Don't play it down. Say it as it really is on a bad day. I particularly mentioned the memory issues I have and the fact that I am somewhat socially inept these days as a result of my SAH. Good luck to anyone who is going to claim.
  5. I was cleaning the house - hoovering to be precise - and just thinking about the huge amount of stressful work that I had to start as soon as I had finished hoovering. Having done ridiculous amounts of hours at work that week and feeling quite ****** about it I really was not in the mood to start doing some more. I guess that my brain popping means that I never did do it - my work laptop has sat in my office for over 5 months!! I just felt the need to squeeze my head as it was trying to explode out of my skull - it was such a painful and wierd experience.
  6. This is a really useful discussion - very interesting, and so many common themes. For my it is: - Supermarket shopping / department store shopping - that enclosed feeling, the multitude of things going on, the choices that have to be made, and physically doing it for about an hour (cos I take so long to make decisions) - Driving - I have done 1.5 hours behind the wheel, but that it the most I've done. It is worse on motorways as I have to concentrate more, but back roads are bad too. - Social occasions - too many people / too many conversations are sooooooo tiring. I love to catch up with friends, but find that I'm better doing it with couples or individuals rather than in the large group that I used to. I find this really wierd, but at least I know how to manage it most of the time. - Having to do something - I went on holiday for a week and had weeks to prepare for it. The whole process of thinking of what to take, checking that everything is done, and doing it to a timetable is really hard for me. I guess it is just the idea of having to do something that is not what I want to do at any given time is the tiring things. - Dealing with my emotions. I've always found emotional outbursts tiring, but they are a little too frequent these days (!) and do take some extra time to get over them. My poor husband.....
  7. I'm still waiting to hear from the DVLA - and expect a letter at any time in the next couple of weeks. I'll let you know how I am. However my hospital consultant said that he would not confirm to me that I was fit for driving at any time during my recuperation because he finds it hypercritical to do so and then for the DVLA to then remove your license / take you do another test. Fortunately my local doctor said I could drive - but this is only until the DVLA's letter comes and tells me what I can / can't do even though they have never met me!
  8. Kris - thanks for posting this. You have really clarified things for me by saying "extra stimulation". That is exactly right, and definitely the way I feel about certain situations, particularly where I feel hemmed in or stressed.
  9. Hi Vanessa, best of luck with the recovery. 4 weeks post SAH doesn't give you a true indication of how you feel, what has been affected etc - it probably became apparent to me at about 8 or 12 weeks what was different about myself, and what I could / couldn't do as well (think, remember, socialise, shop etc!) If you were at QMC, are you under Dr White?
  10. Thanks for this information. I was treated at QMC in April and didn't know about it. I had wondered if there was something similar. I'm going to put it in my diary and hopefully go. Its only about 45 minutes (plus parking!) from me; I've never been to one of these help groups, but it would be good to speak to some people who have gonen through/are going through the same as me.
  11. I can't believe that I am back at work on Monday - 36 hours from now. It has been over 5 months since my SAH, and it was only a small one apparently, but my high end cognitive functions have been affected, and so I'm really apprehensive about returning to a highly stressful job in an open plan office where I work(ed?) as a project manager. It is not something that I feel ready for, but then again I haven't noticed any improvement in my abilities in the past couple of months - only my tiredness is not so bad. So, I'm returning for 3 x half days per week in my first couple of weeks, and then we will see about upping my hours accordingly. But that means about 6 hours away from home per day (including about 45 mins drive + walk each way) which I'm so scared will just tire me out. I feel like I can just about balance feeling with having some sort of life (seeing friends, having a drink, walking the dogs, housework and gardening) at the moment - and work is just going to be a massive big blip which will mess that all up. I also resent my employer as I believe my work-place stress contributed to the SAH in the first place. But if I don't prove that I can work I have to question whether I will ever work again? My specialist suggested that I should be back at work by about 6 months post-SAH, and my doctor (locum who doesn't know me) said that the longer we have off work the more difficult it is to get back to work - IF we ever intend to return. So I'm giving it a go. I'll no doubt post later in the week about how it has gone. Fingers crossed it will be ok.
  12. Hi folks, I had my SAH on 1st April this year, and am off work at the moment, not quite sure what is going to happen in the future. I am really finding it difficult to think about going back to work at the moment, my current (first?) sick note runs out mid June and based on my activities today (about 2 hours sorting out paperwork) I cannot imagine going back to my open plan, busy office where I work as a project manager / multi-tasker extraordinaire in an office where there is constant noise, constant disturbance, and constant conversations on about 10 + projects that I look after. I read everywhere that it is surprising if you go back to work after 3 months. I had a minor SAH (only a small coil needed to be fitted) but am still feeling tired etc. Do people actually feel that their tiredness has diminished before they go back to work or do you just accept that you are going to have to return to work while feeling totally shattered? As an aside, my SAH happened at a time when I was extremely stressed with work, and doing long hours but I dont think that there is any evidence of stress and SAH being linked. Has anyone got any thoughts on this?
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