DebbieMcKenzie

Hi Anne, I had my unruptured anni coiled on Dec 1st. The procedure of coiling was exactly the same as last time only this time it was a lot quicker. Probably because the anni was only small. They wanted to send me home from the hospital the day after but I felt I wasn't ready so stayed in another night. It took me about a week to get over the anaesthetic and even that wasn't bad. I was just feeling a bit out of sorts. Over here in Australia I wasn't required to surrender my license but I was told that I wasn't allowed to drive for 3 months. To be honest I wasn't capable of driving. I have been on a gradual return to work for the past 4 months and have had people drive me to and from work. It is only in the last 2 or 3 weeks that I have felt confident enough to drive myself. I, too, am a very inedependent person but I have found that if you try and push yourself too hard you only suffer setbacks. So it is best to try and just do things gradually. I learnt that it wasn't so bad having people drive me around. The only thing that was a bit annoying was I felt a bit house bound at times because I just couldn't get in the car and go do things on whim like I used to. I hope this make you feel a bit easier about your coiling. My best wishes are with you and I will be thinking of you on the day. Hugs

Welcome back Celia Big hugs to you. Good to hear that you are slowly on the mend. Sounds like you have had a bit of a rough time of it. Rest up sweetie. I had my 2nd ani coiled last week. Fortunately it was only small and I was only in hospital for 2 nights and I am recovering well.

Hi gettingdesperate and welcome. I am sorry that I will be unable to give you advice on your husband as I am a suffer of SAH and not a carer. But I feel that I have a lot of the traits that you are describing in your husband. I am not sure whether it is because I have suffered a taumatic event and am still trying to come to terms with it or whether there is something that has been affected in my brain. I have noticed that I get moody and I have almost become OCD about things that wouldn't have previously worried me. I am also finding that sometimes I prefer to be on my own. That way I don't have to deal with anyone other than myself. I think part of my problem is that because people see me as looking normal on the outside that I must be OK. And perhaps I feel a bit of resentment towards that. Also after having a SAH we are pretty much sent back into the world and left to our own devices to get on. But apart from all that I see myself as improving all the time and I am very hopeful of making as full a recovery as is possible. There are carers here who will be better able to advise you on how to cope from their perspective. I wish you all the best and hope to hear more from you. Most of all look after yourself. Hugs

Hi Mel Welcome to BTG!! I have also just recently read 'A Dented Image' and have found it most helpful. I bring it out every now and then when I feel that I need a 'boost' Hugs

Hi Ern and a big welcome to BTG. I had my SAH in June this year. Coiled also. I have just come back from a wonderful holiday in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. I live in Australia and that involved flying to Auckland NZ and then on to Rarotonga. So over the holiday that was 4 flights of approx 3-4 hours each. I did check with my consultant and GP before going...many, many times. And each time I was reassured that I would be OK. The only side effects that I had with any of the flights was the popping in my ears but that only happened on 2 flights. Hugs

Hi all, I have been absent for a while as I have just got back from my holiday to the Cook Islands, which I might add was just what I needed. I am feeling so much better and I conquered my fear of flying after the SAH. I had no problems at all with flying other than the usual ear popping that I tend to suffer anyway. And my son's wedding was just beautiful. Anyway to get onto the subject at hand. I am going in next week to have my untreated aneurysm coiled and was wondering if anyone has had an aneurysm coiled that hasn't been associated with a SAH . Will the operation be the same as the same as the one I had with the burst aneurysm? i.e. Will I be in hospital for the same length of time, will I be on the same medication - nimodipine, heparine drip etc, and will my recovery period be a long slow one like I have been experiencing with the last coiling. I am hoping that this will not be a set back to my recovery as I have been improving daily and I am just starting to feel a bit more 'normal' even though I do have the odd headaches and twinges. I am also starting to feel a lot less anxious about things and have started to gain more confidence with my driving. I do have to have someone with me when I drive but at least have been able to drive myself to work. I think that if I have an idea of what to expect I will be better able to deal with it and I know that someone here will be able to put my mind at ease. Hugs

Hi laanka, Welcome to BTG Even though I have had a ruptured aneurysm I also have an untreated one which I am going to have coiled on Dec 1st. I understand how you are feeling. It is a very big decision to make. I suppose my decision was made easier by the fact that I have already had an aneurysm burst. I wish you luck in making your decision.

I haven't really noticed a cold head yet. But I have noticed that I get a sweaty head when I start to feel slightly warm. Have noticed it a lot this winter especially when the heating is on.

Hi Helen and welcome to BTG. I too have memory problems and tiredness and trouble finding words sometimes. I get a lot of comfort from coming here and knowing that I am not the only one in this 'boat'. Thank you for sharing your story Hugs

Thank you for sharing your story Celia. I had my SAH in June and am just a little bit further down the track than you. I can so relate to you about the feelings of anxiety and sadness and really not knowing what I am anxious about. But I do know that the feelings are becoming less and less and I have come such a long way from that day in June. I am back at work now albeit only 3 days a week for 5 hours a day. I am gradually increasing the hours that I work as I start to feel that I can cope with more. I have learnt that getting better is going to be a gradual process and I just try to go with the flow now. Big hugs sweetie Debbie

Hi Ray and welcome to BTG. I am still fairly new here too. Just take your time.We have all been in the same boat and understand. Big hugs

I am so glad this thread has popped up again. I have had two of these sensations in my eyes since the SAH. The first one happened on the day after I came out of hospital. And of course I freaked out and had a panic attack. My daughters called an ambulance and I was taken to the local hospital, but they obviously didn't known what it was. The other one was just last week , the day after my angiogram. This time I just rode it out until it disappeared. The only way I could describe it was I had a coloured pixelated pulsing area in my sight. They both disappeared after about 20-30 minutes. I didn't get a headache after them. Now I know what they are I won't stress so much but I will certainly be telling them at the hospital when I go for my check up in October.

Hi Kelly, Welcome :) I had my SAH in June this year. Probably about the time that you were being released from hospital. I know, it's a hard road to go down but I try and positive all the time. I do have my set backs though. One week I will be feeling like I am making progress and then I will have a set back, like an anxiety attack, and I feel like I am starting all over again. But if I look back I have improved so much. All the best and look forward to hearing more from you

H Andy, Welcome to this wonderful site. I had my SAH in June this year. I am progressing well but I do suffer from anxiety/panic attacks. I even wake in the night feeling very anxious and I'm not even sure why I am feeling like that. I have tried to take a positive view and try to ignore any twinges or pain that I may be feeling and try and relax my way through them. I have quickly learnt that it will be a long road to recovery and have accepted it. That has made it a lot easier for me. As an aside, my 19 year old son is doing an apprenticeship in horticulture. He is in his 2nd year. He just loves gardening. Loves the hard work. All the best Debbie

Thanks also for the email Karen. Yasmin, I enjoyed your article and well done. You look sensational

Update: Had a phone call from my neuro radiologist today and I am tentatively booked in to have my small anni coiled on Nov 30th, after my holiday.

Hi all, I had my angiogram yesterday and managed to get through it without too much drama. I did ask for something to help me relax and that was a great help. It wasn't painful at all. Just daunting. From the little information I was given it looks as though the coiling is fine and the small aneurysm is OK too. I expect they will tell me more when I go back for my appointment in October. The neuroradiologist is going to look at coiling the untreated anni when we get back from our holidays in the Cook Islands at the end of November. Now that is all over I am feeling much more relaxed. OOOOHH and Karen I finally got a copy of 'A Dented Image' on your recommendation. Thanks sweetie It took some weeks to get in through our local bookshop. I have enjoyed reading it immensely and I am sure that it will become something that I will return to again and again when I am need of a boost.

Hi Nora Welcome and lovely to meet you. I am just a newbie on the site too. I come often and find the things that I am reading very comforting and helpful Hugs Debbie

Here I am 2 months on from my SAH. I went back to the hospital for my check up at the hospital two weeks ago and I was informed that I have another very small aneurysm. I am booked to go for an angiogram on September 22nd to check the coiling on the first aneurysm. The neuro radiologist did want to have a go at trying to coil the 2nd aneurysm at the same but due to the fact my DH Paul and I are booked to go on a holiday to the Cook Islands early November for my son's wedding I asked him not to perform the coiling on the 2nd aneurysm until we come back. I just couldn't face being unwell for my son's wedding. I must admit the thought of having the angiogram is scaring me witless. I am not good when I am in a situation that I can't get up from and leave. I have also been allowed back to work for 3 days a week for 4 hours (10am - 2pm) each day which is working out quite well. I am enjoying being there and it does seem to take my mind off things. I am still not driving and have to rely on people to get me there and home again. The fact that I have lost some of my independance is getting me down too. Although I don't think I am ready to start driving again. I have been having lots of moments of anxiety. Particularly when I am on my own and also if I wake during the night. I can't get back to sleep because of this anxious feeling. I feel so helpless and depressed at times. I can't really put my finger on why I am feeling so anxious. Paul has been wonderful and doesn't put any pressure on me to do things. But I don't think he fully understands exactly how I am feeling. Probably because I look normal to him. I just wish I could get past this phase because it is really starting to get me down. Hugs to all :redface:

Hi Paul, (my hubby is a Paul too ) I, too, was a smoker. I had my SAH On June 19th, so not much before Michelle. I was actually having a cigarette when I had my SAH so all I can say is that in all probability it went a long way to causing it, along with the uncontrolled high blood pressure. I have not had a cigarette since. I think that the thought of having another rupture has completely cured me of the cigarettes (they have just told me that I have another very small aneurysm which they are trying to decide what to do with) . Although I would love have a 'ciggy' every now and then.

Hi everyone, Thank you all so much for your warm welcome. It really means a great deal to me to be able to chat to 'like' friends who understand what I am going through. I think that I have been extremely lucky in that my SAH has not been so severe, but nevertheless I am experiencing so many of the symptoms that you all mention. I feel 'weird' in the head, have ringing in the right ear and think that I may have suffered a slight hearing loss. Any little twinge or pain in my head starts me worrying. And I definitely feel fatigued. I think that the biggest thing that is bothering me at the moment is that Paul, my dear husband, and I are booked on a trip to Rarotonga in November for my son's wedding. And that is something that I really don't want to miss. I am hoping that I am going to ready to fly by then. I have just been reading that Alberto Contador, who has has just won the Tour de France, suffered a brain aneurysm during a race in 2004 and had a massive surgery. What an inspiration to make such a recovery!!!! I will be checking in here daily to see how you are all going and also to chat to you as I try to overcome hurdles. PS Adam - If I bump into your boss I will put in a good word for you Hugs to all Debbie

Hi every one First of all I would like to say that this site is a godsend. I have been lurking here for approx a week just reading people's stories and all of the advice threads, and I am finally starting to feel optimistic about my future and feeling less depressed about my condition. I suffered my SAH on Friday June 19th at 8.30 pm. I was just sitting quietly outside enjoying the evening air. It is winter down here in Australia but that night wasn't too cold and the air was refreshing. I had just had a particularly difficult week at work. All of a sudden I got a headache. It was unlike any headache that I had ever experienced and I was experiencing dreadful neckpain. I went inside to tell my husband, Paul, that I wasn't feeling too well. He asked me if I wanted him to take me to the hospital. I told him to get me a couple of paracetomol and went to bed. I asked him to sit with me and I went to sleep. I slept all night but when I got up in the morning I still had a headache and neck pain. So I started to do a google search on the internet of my symptoms as I was starting to get a bit concerned. After bring up a few results that suggested that I could have the symptoms for SAH I asked Paul to take me to the doctor. We went to the medical clinic that is attached to the local hospital. After waiting there for over an hour we finally saw the duty doctor. She checked me out, took my blood pressure and told me that I wasn't going home, that I was going straight down to the emergency dept at the hospital as she suspected that there was something serious going on. I was taken straight into emergency and had to wait for approx another 30 minutes for a doctor to see me. My blood pressure was extremely high and I was given treatment to bring that down and then sent for a CT scan. The results showed that I had had a bleed and arrangements were made to transfer me immediately by ambulance to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. By this time it was getting on to midnight. The next morning I had another CT scan which showed that I had an aneurism. The aneurism was coiled on Tuesday June 23rd and I was released from hospital on Friday June 26th. Even though I have been visiting my GP weekly to monitor my blood pressure I am finding it very difficult to find any sort of support groups (apart from Behind The Gray) either on the internet or in the Melbourne area. I have an appointment to go back to the Neurosurgery Clinic at the Alfred on Monday 10th August. I am looking forward to meeting and chatting with everyone Hugs to all Debbie