Skippy

Hi Providing you brng a tent and very warm blankets - you're more than welcome to come over new years eve Make sure you polish that halo thoroughly my dear guardian Angel!!!! Love Sami xxx

Yep I'll second that one - Karen you are a saint and you have helped so many people by setting up this site. We'd all be lost souls without you. You're amazing. Who knows, one day we'll all meet up and speak face to face. Love Sami xx

Hey Louise I think you express yourself perfectly. Yuo cut to the chase and don't waste time - absolutely nothing wrong with that sweetie. I'm glad that I'm not the only one who has fallen in love all over again because at the end of the day at least there is a nice comforting emotion and feeling in what can sometimes be a very dark and cold place. I'm finding, by taking the advice on here, that accepting what has happened and readjusting what I can do and who I am that the emotional side will settle down and follow suit. I must admit that I feel the St John's Wort I'm taking is helping, but maybe its a mental thing that because I know there's something I can take to help that I feel it is helping. Personally the best tonic for me is being on here each day with you guys. Love you all, you're fantabulous Sami xxx

Hi Andy Would definitely be interested in getting a copy of that. Think my friends and family would find it VERY useful. This is not the sort of illness that you can put into words, so the more information friends and family of sufferers have, the better I think. Definitely keep us posted. Love Sami xx

Hi Its not weird at all. I know if anything I was guilty of taking Paul for granted before the SAH and now I appreciate him and evrything he does so much. I've fallen in love with my husband all over again and to be able to do that after 12 years together, for me, is a blessing. If anything comes out of this episode in my life it'll be the renewed love and respect that I have for my husband and vice versa. The friends that I have, I realise I have touched more deeply than I imagined before and we're closer than ever. Those I didn't think cared the way I do have proven that they do. I suppose the more time passes the more I come to terms with what has happened and I realise that I cannot change this but i can learn to accept it, adapt to it and learn from it. Anyway, sermon over Catch you lovely lovely people later Love Sami xxx

Hi all So comforting to find I wasn't the only 'control freak' pre SAH. I tidied the house top to bottom every weekend whilst paul did the ironing. Now I have to do a bit at a time and find that the more I do the worse it looks!!! I still manage the washing and drying of clothes during the week ready for the weekend ironing marathon, I manage to load and unload the dishwasher after Paul has cooked. Like you my husband has been an absolute star throughout all this. He's tried to carry on with everything at work and home. I went back to work full time three weeks after my SAH mainly (we have our business) because I didn't like being on my own. I have bed in the office which is rarely used now and I work from 9am to 6pm. The worse thing for me besides the emotions being all over the place (I cried at a Christina Aguelera song earlier!), is that I don't feel I'm as efficient as I used to be. I was a pocket rocket before now I feel like a fizzled out sparkler!!!! This site has been my salvation in a way. Paul has been as supportive as he possibly can be but he'll be the first to admit that he cannot understand what I'm going through he can only hold me while I cry and smile when I laugh - and truthfully that's all I expect and want him to do. As for sweating the small stuff - not worth the time. I read somewhere that a tidy house is the sign of a wasted life - in a way now I agree - if the weathris fine I want to be outside enjoying what money can't buy rather than being stuck inside worrying about whether the pile of newspapers should be moved or the vacuuming should be done. Life is too short and too precious not to enjoy at every given opportunity. Anyway as I'm being paid to sit here and chat I suppose I better get some work done. Talk later Love Sami xxx

Hi Might be worth getting a list and getting herbalist, Doc, Consultant to tick which ones we can use separately and then those that they have all ticked we'll know we'll be ok with There should be some standard guidelines though for something that now seems so common. Sami xxx

Hi We were expecting a difference of opinion but between the Doctor and the Herbalist not the Doctor and the Pharmacist!!! The Doc must have looked into it because its taken him nearly a week to get back to me. But like I say, am going to hold off taking it until I talk to the specialist. Speak later Sami xx

Hey Wow, maybe I was a neanderthal in a previous life 8O Back to the whole Ginkgo thing. My herbalist said yes I can take it, the pharmasist said no I can't and then when I got home last night there was a message on the answer machine from my Doctor saying yes I was OK to take it!!!! Is it any wonder there isn't a list of what we can and can't take? They'd never agree on it. Anyway I've decided to wait until November 8th to ask my consultant - who apparently my sister in law used to work with Right then, duty calls Catch you later Love Sami xxx

Hi I am sooooo with you on that one. People see you walking around and automatically think that you're better. They also don't realise that you're not the same person you were before. A support group is a god send. Sami xx

Hey Annie WOW!!! Spectacular. I'll never understand how the human body can have the ability to destroy itself. Why do we have an apendecitis? its a sac of poison that could kill us and serves no purpose. my theory is that its a sac left over from evolution when we needed something to put predators off eating us!! But hey, I theorise too much anyway!! Can't wait to read your full story though. I'm amazed by how many different versions there are to what is fundamentally the same result. Anyway off home for the evening now. Catch you all later Love Sami xxx

Hi Annie Thanks for clearing that up. Could you explain though what happened in your case? as obviously I know how mine felt (pop in head and then thunderbolt headache) but what happened and how with you. Take care Love Sami xxx

Hi I'm 35 and had my SAH, brought on by a rupture anuerysm, 8 weeks ago (2 months ago today precisely). I can get through the whole day without having to nap I'd say 95% of the time. If I know that I will be going somewhere or doing something until late that night then I will try to have an hours sleep during the day - if I don't then I tend to get a tightening around the back of the head later on as opposed to a full blown headache. I have a couple of sports drinks a day as well as drinking 2 litres of water with cordial in a day. I can normally stay awake in the evening until about 11.30 to midnight but then I used to be the kind of person that would read until about 1 am. I no longer have the patience to read a novel. The physical side of this hasn't really been a problem for me - my affects are more emotional. let me know if you want any more info Andy Love Sami xxx

Hi Annie You say you are a non SAH - I don't know an awful lot about you, but what happened to you? Sorry if I'm being nosey :? Love Sami xxx

Hi Very good idea. It'll be like a little community all to ourselves Love Sami xx

I love this forum because, yes, we can be totally honest with each other abuot how we feel now, how things make us feel etc without having to sensor for the sake of not wanting to upset family and friends. I love this forum because it helps me to come to terms with what has happened to me through others who have had the same experience. I love this forum because I have found friends that even though I have never met, I care about and they care about me. I love this forum because we can drop in and out to 'see' people whenever we want and we are always welcome. I love this forum cos you guys are the best Love Sami xx

Hi Jeannette Like I say I've not managed to get to the group either - i also found the thought a bit daunting if I'm honest. My husband has been a good nurse too. I'm lucky enough to run a company with my husband so there was never any danger of me losing my job, but I actually found that getting back to work as soon as possible has helped me focus and try to feel normal. I haven't suffered any physical effects but get tired still (I'm only 8 weeks post SAH). The surgeon that operated on me in Derriford is the brother of the operating surgeon at QMC Nottingham - so we may have been operated on by brothers Anyway work calls so I'll catch you all later Love Sami xxx

Hi Guys Andy, I'm only 8 weeks post SAH but I'm struggling to come to terms with how this has changed me emotionally. I've been through some really tough times in the past and have always managed to cope and control how things made me feel but with this it kind of creeps up on me from no where. One minute I'm fine and the next I'm a wreck. I know that I have to be patient and ride the storms when the hit and as I've not been affected physically by this I know I'm extremely lucky considering, but I'm a very impatient person and that trait seems to have stayed with me. I'm also lucky to have a very supportive husband, just like Heather , and very good family and friends that help me when I'm down. Without all these guys around me and you wonderful people on here, I don't think I'd cope as well as I do. I took the St Johns Wort yesterday afternoon and it seemed to lift me but again that might just be a psychosymatic thing - only time will tell. Well off to start some work now, catch you all later. Sami xxxx

Hi Karen I'm now crying for another reason - thank you for yur vry kind words and spot on diagnosis. I'm lucky not to have lost any friends through this - if anything I'm closer to them. I do get angry even now - I shout at myself when I'm down and yell at 'it' because of what its done to me. The hardest thing for me is not understanding why its making me feel down - I know that its a huge, dangerous and scary experience but I'm not the sort of person that gets upset easily and now I seem to be. I'm angry that I've been 'allowed' to keep my sense of humur and my quick wit yet I'm no longer in control of my emotions and reactions. I try to tell myself when I'm down that I will get through this and come out the other side but I just get so damn tired of fighting sometimes. I hate the fact that when I'm down it affects Paul and Siobhan and I try to be strong for them too (like the old me would be) but I just sometimes feel like giving in. Have asked the pharmacist re Ginkgo and its a no go not just because of the blood thinner but because it also stimulates the blood flow to the extremities including the brain and as we need to keep bloodpressure and flow normal then, no don't take it. From the emotional side of things I've been given the all clear to take St Johns Wort but only because I'm not taking any other meds - this is purely and emotional supplement and has no blood thinning qualities to it or stimulants. But I must emphasise that I can only take it as I'm not taking ANY other medication. I'll post regularly to keep you updated with the progress - i've got it in tincture format again so Paul can dose me up without me knowing - that way I won't know when I'm having it and when I'm not so I won't be relying on it. I feel ok today so am going to leave it until I have another bad day and see if it makes a difference. Catch you all later Love Sami xx

Hi Susy Welcome aboard. I don't know about everyone else but this site has been a godsend to me. I had two aneurysms one burst and one not. Like you I felt the pop in the back of my head and then passed out. When I came to I couldn't feel the right side of my body and then the thunderclap headache hit me. I can't remember anything after that until I woke up in the hospital a day and a half later. I was on holiday in Devon, England at the time and was taken to Barnstaple hospital, checked, scanned and then transfered to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, England. They had the choice to send me via helicopter or ambulance and chose the ambulance. From the time my anuerysm burst to the time they operated was about 14 hours so I try to take some comfort from knowing that it wasn't serious enough for me to be 'rushed' to hospital and operated on immediately. I've had no physical side affects apart from the headaches and tiredness. I've been told by the time I reached the hospital I was repsonding to the questions being asked me and answering questions my husband couldn't answer. I was pushing and pulling with both sides as and when asked to. I sometimes feele blessed and then other times feel so angry that this has happened to me as I feel it has taken so much from me. Nice to meet you and hopefully you'll get to know us all a lot better. Love Sami xxx

Hya A list of can's and can'ts would be a great help for all of I think. its just another annoying thing to add to the list of post SAH changes. There wasn't anything I couldn't take or do before this and now i find i don't even know if i should be taking the herbal remedies that I used to take for lethargy etc. Saturday was another really bad day for me and I could not for love nor money drag myself out of the depression that I was in. I know a lot of it was to do with going out on Friday night and not drinking enough water but pre SAH the hangover was just a hangover and a decent breakfast and couple of paras later I was fine - now I find the hangover is more a depression and I can't get out of it - I was still affected by it yesterday. I feel like I'll never get over this emotionally and this is going to dominate the rest of my life and that in itself gets me down. Vicious circle or what!!! Speak later Sami xx

Hi Andy I typed Geographic Tongue into a search engine and the following is from one of the resulting sites - hope it helps. Love Sami xx Geographic tongue What is a geographic tongue? Geographic tongue (Erythema Migrans) is a common condition that causes a characteristic appearance, which experts recognise instantly. The tops of the tongue, sides and occasionally, undersurface of the tongue develop irregular, smooth red areas, which may look like the outline of a map. There are usually wavy white lines next to the red patches. You may notice that after a few weeks or months the position of these lines and red patches change. This is why the condition is called erythema migrans in Latin, as its position changes and moves. Back to top The tongue develops irregular red areas like a road map Why does geographic tongue happen? For reasons as yet not understood the normal top layer of the ‘skin’ of the tongue is not shed evenly. In some parts the ‘skin’ is shed too early and so leaves a red, sore area like a scratch on the skin. Whereas in other areas the skin stays on too long and has a white appearance. The red areas, because they are thin, can sometimes become infected with thrush (candida) and so feel sore. Thrush is very common in mouths. Back to top Who does geographic tongue affect? It affects all age groups and you may have first noticed it as a child. It is not something that you can pass on to others but it can run in families. It is not an infection. Back to top What makes geographic tongue worse? As the red patches are thin and raw, they tend to be painful when eating acidic things like citrus fruit or spicy foods; especially chillies. However these do not make the condition worse and you will soon come to notice which particular foods make things worse. Back to top Do I need any special tests for geographic tongue? No. Your doctor or dentist can make the diagnosis just from the appearance. Back to top How is geographic tongue treated? Unfortunately, there is no treatment. Sometimes treatments for thrush can ease the discomfort. You can buy these at the chemist, eg miconazole gel. It will never become cancerous, but you will have to learn to live with it. You will need to work out for yourself which foods make it worse and avoid them. Back to top What should I do if geographic tongue gets worse in any way? Ask your doctor or dentist to refer you to the hospital. Back to top

Hi Karen To be honest I don't get too anxious anymore. Since I watched the coiling video (thanks Keith) I realise that what they did in there was pretty damn amazing. My issues are all emotional and the Ginkgo was helping me deal with things. I'm wondering whether having an anuerysm cause the SAH is different to the sub group that some of the others are in and therefore safe for me/you to take as we knew the cause and the bleed has effectively been blocked by coiling and then the blood clotting around the coil. As no blood is able to get into the anuerysms due to this then theoretically the clot cannot be thinned by the Ginkgo. Like I said, once I get answers I'll let you know. Thanks Love Sami xx

Hi Karen Not heard anything from the Doc yet but am going to the pharmacist at lunch. I'm not taking any other meds - apart from paracetamol when the head aches get too much - the thing that makes me think is that aspirin are 75mg and when Paul had his heart attack he had to take two in the morning and two at night as well as his Warfrin - the Ginko is only 2ml a day and has 500mg of the dried herb per 1ml - I don't how strong the blood thining agent is in Ginkgo so need to find that out too. This woman also suggested St John's Wort as this supposedly does a similar thing - the only draw back is that I'll know I'm taking it and Paul wasn't telling me when I was having the ginkgo so sometimes it was a placebo affect. Will let you know when I get back from lunch Love Sami xx

Hi Jeannette Are you from Nottingham? I live there but had my coiling done in Plymouth as my SAH happened whilst on holiday in Devon. Mine was just over 8 weeks ago and though I have no phyiscal disability from it i find the emotional side is hard to deal with. I was going to come to the support group at Nottingham (is it the one 'run' by Elva) but I'm normally busy on Thursday nights (I'm trying not to stop doing too many things that I did before). Anyway will sign off to keep this short and sweet (like me ) Love Sami xxx