Greetings from Perth in Western Australia.
My wife suffered a Grade 5 Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
on 13 January 2012 (yes, it was a Friday!) I've
shown her this website but she's not quite up to
sharing her personal experiences just yet.
Sandy was in intensive care for three weeks and
didn't really "come to" until about mid-March.
Nursing staff and I had one hell of a task trying
to convince her of the date. She was adamant it
was February and thought we must have been conspiring
against her!
She underwent coiling, the insertion of a shunt, a
tracheotomy, and a Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy
(PEG) tube. She was forever trying to rip things out
of her body!!
I recall doctors warning me that, in all probability,
Sandy would end up in a vegetative state and in a
nursing home.
As her condition improved, my daughter and I had hope
that a best possible outcome would be that she was
wheelchair bound but with enough mental awareness to
ensure some quality of life.
Fast forward to today. Sandy walks unaided around the
home. Outdoors and in shopping malls etc she uses a
cane and my arm. She has the occasional fall but these
are becoming less frequent.
Incontinence seems to be a thing of the past.
She is doing puzzles in magazines and playing computer
games. Bejeweled anyone?
She has what is described as an ataxic gait and has
undergone a bit of a personality change. She's quieter
than before. I tell her that is not necessarily a bad
thing!!
A different Sandy to the one pre-January 13, 2012. But
alive and kickin' and enjoying her grandkids.
I hope this story gives some hope to those of you who
are going through a harrowing time at the moment. My
wife has defied all the odds. Your loved one just might,
too.
Cheers
lescaut