Super Mario

Jane, the positive news is that the other two haven't altered. Hopefully the results of the small stroke will rectify themselves over time. Take it easy and give things time to normalise.

Posted on behalf of Dune2014

Janey, wishing you well for your upcoming coiling and hope that the other 2 haven't expanded. Thinking of you.

Rob, as far as I can gather from other sites the DVLA work very slowly. Until you get the OK from them you must not drive, they may need to do an assessment before giving you the go ahead. Very frustrating, I know.

As you say, you have to sleep. Which is the lesser of the two evils? I can understand you not wanting to take meds but sometimes needs must as you will know from your profession. Look at is this way. You need the sleep to function so you have to take the meds. It may only be for a short term, only time will tell. You are on a very low dose so you should not become addicted to them, in theory. Meanwhile, enjoy the rest that they give you.

Norima, if and when you do find out what it is could you please post back as it could be a help to others who come across the same thing. As Tina says, for your own peace of mind, try to get an appointment.

Jules, well done, hoping that you can sustain your present hours.

Ponigirl, in the early days I used to say to my husband why didn't you tell them to let me go instead of you having to cope with me as I am now. His answer was, "why would I want to lose my wife, no matter what" It is 11 years today since that event, also was a Wednesday, and I am so glad still to be here to enjoy my family and life. Things have changed, some for the better, eg I can now drink red wine without a blinding headache after even just one sip. LOL. I was left with very little sense of balance but enjoy life to the full as best I can. Other than the occasional hiccup I really enjoy my life. Things do get better as you adapt to being the same person albeit a little different in some ways, if that makes sense. I learnt a hard lesson as I am sure many others have, life is for living and enjoying, not for rushing around trying to fit numerous things into your day. Enjoy spending time with your family and your animals.

I had my coiling the next day. One has to be stable before it is attempted.

For them to be bothered and the information given is heartening and will have given you peace of mind. How many are just thrown out of the door and forgotten about?

That is because not many GP's have experience of SAH and others have possibly only ever met 1 or 2 people who have had one.

I still suffer from extreme dizziness and balance issues nearly 11 years down the line. So much so that I am not allowed to drive. If you felt very tight across your chest I suggest that you seek medical attention as a matter of urgency as it could be a sign of heart problems. In the run up to my heart attack in 2013 I was struggling to do anything without the dizziness getting much worse and feeling as though I was going to faint. Please get yourself checked out as it may be totally unrelated to your SAH and much better safe than sorry.

Even in the UK we are given very little information on discharge. Just a case of go home and get on with your life is pretty much normal. Some members have had a specialist neuro nurse whom they can contact regarding any worries although as far as I can ascertain that does not happen for everyone. Also some areas in the UK have support groups attached to their hospitals, it is not a blanket thing all over the UK, just lucky if you happen to be in an area where there is one. Time and time again on here has the subject of having a support leaflet or booklet for after discharge has come up but as far as I am aware very few hospitals have one for post SAH although they do for many other conditions e.g. following a heart attack.

These updates are definitely going to help survivors. Thank you.

Definitely sound advice. I did wonder about the withholding information issue. If you do withhold information to DVLA your insurance is invalid. It is just not worth the risk. Better to be safe than sorry. I know it sounds very sad but I recently reported someone who had started with fits to DVLA because, in spite of being told about having to report it, their attitude was "I take the tablets so I am OK" That is not my usual thing to do but I worried about the safety of others.

These updates are very comforting for survivors, especially ones that have had a recent SAH. Thank you.

Would a forum like this help. http://www.disability-benefits-help.org/forum

I think someone on here frrom the States has just been awarded disability. Hopefully they will see this thread and reply. As we are UK based nothing is the same. Are there any US forums that can give disability advice? We have plenty of UK based ones so there should be some US based ones out there.

As Daff says, doing something creative does help. During my early recovery I bought a hand carved, home made spinning wheel that had come out of a barn in Poland. To say it was filthy was an understatement. I spent hours, going into weeks and then months, with fine wire wool cleaning it up bit by bit and then replacing all the perished leather. Finally I waxed it. It still looks very well used but actually does work, although I can't spin. It is now on display in my dining room as a feature along with a spinning stool I bought. In my early days of recovery I found that project was very therapeutic and not too stressful on my brain. To see the result was rewarding.

Julian, you appear to be doing the correct thing and listening to your body. That will all aid your recovery. Keep up the good work. It is also good to hear positive posts which can only help other survivors who find us.

I suggest you see your doctor as some bugs appear to go away then rebound which is what appears could be happening to you. These types of bugs often need a helping hand to send them on their way permanently if treatment is appropriate. I used to work in a school and my resistance was and still is quite hardy, no change at all.

So pleased to hear that you are progressing well and that you are listening to your body and not trying to "push" your recovery.

Like everything Jess, there are good, bad and mediocre amongst them all like anything else. You were one of the lucky ones.

We certainly won't abandon you. Support is what we are here for and support we will give no matter how far down the line. I have said it before, do not push yourself too hard. You may feel fine at the moment but you may fall back with a massive crash. False security comes to mind.

Coiling does not stop the pressure. Coiling is used to fill an aneurism, which is like a balloon on an artery and the walls get very thin as it enlarges until it bursts causing bleeding. http://www.brainaneurysm.com/treatment