Debbie Elton Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Hi, my name is Debbie and i'm 39 years old. I had an SAH on 7th October 2009 while on holiday in Turkey. I was in a club with a friend and was walking back towards our table when i felt what i can only describe as a smack on the back of the head. I started sweating and couldn't move my neck or feel my back. My friend and i left the club and i have no memory of what happened next although my friend says i did manage to walk back to our hotel. The next thing i recall is a Doctor being in the room and giving me some tablets and an injection, he thought my drink had been spiked an my neck had gone into spasm. The next day i still couldn't move my neck and was being very sick but thought what the Doctor said made sense and so the following day we flew home as planned. My sister picked me up from the airport and took me straight to our local A&E department. I was originally told it was a migraine and sent home, the same happened the following day and it wasn't until i presented for the 3rd time that a scan was done and i was told i had had an SAH. I was taken straight to Addenbrookes where i had the aneurysm clipped and was discharged 6 days later. Having read a few of the threads on here it is a relief to know that i am not alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Hi Debbie A warm welcome to BTG and thank you for telling us a bit about yourself. Look forward to hearing more from you and any questions feel free to ask there is always someone who can offer advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Hi Debbie ...a very warm welcome to you...it is very common for SAH not to be diagnosed at first ...i was similar to you....only i was told i had a sick bug and given anti sickness tablets....which did not work lol.....my friend took me to A&E and i was scanned and then rushed to Atkinson Morley Neuro Hospital where i had 7 hours life saving surgery, i was clipped like you. Two years on and i am getting there slowly but surely. :-D You are not alone....we look forward to hearing more from you....take care love Tina xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul99 Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 hi debbie welcome a hairy story you were very lucky but also very pleased to hear your recoverying well looking forwards to hearing more from you in due course rod and mel are from your neck of the woods as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rod123 Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 (edited) Hi debbie,read your story with interest,heck of a way to finish a holiday, but glad you sound as though you are getting on well, My wife had an sah in march this year 2 annis 1 clipped and 1 coiled, we too live in Norfolk,Norwich to be exact she was taken as an emergency to the university hospital,and then transfered to Addenbrooks, 3 operations and 9 months later she's getting on well not without problems but sometimes it's along job, and not all steps forward, welcome to the site i'm sure you will always find support and advice here lots of nice people and a wealth of information, will look forward to reading your posts again, good luck in your recovery. Rod Edited December 31, 2009 by rod123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebbieMcKenzie Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Hi Debbie and welcome to BTG. I can't add anything more except to say that BTG is a wonderful place to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vivien Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Hello Debbie and welcome to this site Vivien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelB Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Just read your story and what a time you had. I'm new here too...and I welcome you to the BTG. Roll on better times for you in 2010... Take care Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Hi Debbie welcome to btg glad your recovering look forward to chatting sometime. Jess.xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna79 Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Hi Debbie, Welcome to the family x x x look forward to hearing more from you in the future x x My name is donna and I had my sah in April 08 age 29 x love donna xxxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie Elton Posted January 3, 2010 Author Share Posted January 3, 2010 Hi and thank you to everyone for the very warm welcome. I have been reading some of the treads on here and have been very relieved to see that everything i am going through is entirely normal. I think the hardest thing has been the acceptance that i now have to rely on other people when i have previously been fiercely independent. I am banned from driving at present and live in a very rural area so am having to rely on other people to go anywhere. I have 2 children aged 19 and 17 who have been amazing but having alway been the carer, it has been difficult to sit back and allow the children to care for me. Also the fact that everyone says how well i look and indeed i have recovered very well physically, i am suffering psychologically and am no longer the person i was before my SAH. The Doctor thinks i have post traumatic stress which is apparently a common thing after an SAH - has anyone else had this please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebbieMcKenzie Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Hi Debbie, Although I have not been diagnosed with post traumatic stess I do feel that I suffer with it. I am 6 months on from my SAH and I am getting better but I do have my periods of anxiety. Sometimes these go on for a few days and I have no idea what I am anxious & depressed about. I have only recently started back driving and I have suffered a few panic attacks whist out driving and have had to ring for people to come and rescue me. But these panic attacks are getting few and far between. So I am coming to the conclusion that with me these things are improving over time. But I would dearly love to be able to talk face to face with someone about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vivien Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Hi Debbie I was sent to a counsellor to see if I had post traumatic stress disorder, because I couldn't sleep and my memory is terrible. The counsellor did not think I had PTSD but thought that I did need some counselling, and I found it very helpful in accepting the way I am now, and I am sleeping a bit better, but my memory has not improved! Vivien x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rod123 Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Hi, it was suggested that Merrill might be suffering from pts and also that she might be in denial,anxiety became a big problem for a while but not till about 5 months after the sah, she takes Citalopram for anxiety and stress and it seems to work very well for her, her sleep has improved but she still has mobility probs along with memory probs and also this thing called confabulation seems to kick in every now and then, she goes to the Colman hospital,which is specialist rehabilitation in bran injury and thay help no end and any probs i have they also help with so all in all we get helped out which you will read is not always the case many people just never seem to even get offered it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Hey there I was diagnosed with PTSD within weeks of my SAH. Luckily my GP has an inhouse counsellor who I was referred to and got to see very quickly. I'd recommend it - it did me the world of good. After a few sessions I was feeling a lot better psychologically - it made me realise that it wasn't my fault and that i needn't feel guilty. The best advice I can give from m experience, is to stop fighting the person you've become, grieve for the old you but embrace the new you - I know I prefer the new me a lot more. Feel free to PM me with any questions you have, always glad to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myratas Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 Hi Debbie Welcome to the family. Here you will find good advice and always someone who you can turn to. Hope to hear from you when you are ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Hi Debbie Rest easy, you are not alone. I find the loss of independence the hardest thing to deal with, along with the fact that I look well physically, but still have lots of brain related issues. One quote I heard which is very descriptive is "I may look well from afar...but I'm far from well" As for not driving, well you do get used to it, I've still not got my driving licence back, though I'm unusual as I developed post SAH epilepsy, look on the bright side, all that walking is good for you One piece of advice is to make sure you apply for a free bus pass and disabled rail card, the fact you have had your driving licence withdrawn entitles you to them, It's a god send to me, means I can get the bus to the local market town, at least I'm not so isolated waiting fro my wife to get home from work. Please don't be too hard on yourself, I was always fiercely independent, I still am when I can be, you really do just have to try and accept that people want to look after you, you have been very unwell and still have a long way to go. Use this time toi get a head start on your recovery, encourage them to read this forum, as despite good intentions, family members don't always understand how you, and others like you feel. Oops, I've gone off on a tangent again, you know what they say about "Idle hands"...must get back to my housework chores! Take care Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KelBel Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Hi Debbie, what a story! I am new to this site and this is my first message posted. I have not as yet posted my story. I am still in the process of writing it up...and its getting longer and longer as I recall things...and I do recall an awful lot for which I am glad. My SAH was on 11th Dec 2009 and I had an aneurysm coiled 18th Dec, so its all very recent and happened very quickly, although it didn't seem like it at the time!... My initial diagnosis by 2 separate doctors on 13th Dec was a virus and I was told to go home, rest and take paracetamol. I didn't believe I had a virus so took myself to another doctor on 15th Dec who agreed with me and sent me for a scan at the local hospital. Lucky she did! I have been very emotional over the past 2 days as I think things are catching up with me now as I realise quite how lucky I have been. I think I was in shock for the past few weeks. I hope to hear from you again soon, Take care kelley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rod123 Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Hi, i never had an sah my self but my wife did in march 2009, and she had 1 coiled and 1 clipped, and she 's been through a whole range of emotions, now she's at the giggling stage but depression, anxiety, even bewilderment about the whole thing. what happened to you is a massive thing in your life,and it's only just happened, so i'm sure you too will probabley experience a whole range of feelings,and how you are feeling now is just one of them they are all normal feeling and it's not just you that had them,so although they are not pleasant feelings they don't last forever, you are doing very well to be posting this soon, Welcome to the site keep posting and if you worried about anything post your concerns and i'm sure there will be many people who can reassure you Best wishes Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Hey KelBel and Rod Have copied these messages into your own Thread Kelley - still in the introduce yourself forum. So, welcome to the site and to the family. I went through post traumatic stress disorder about 3 weeks or so after may SAH and was an emotional wreck. Seeing a counsellor helped me a great deal, as did this site. Please feel free to share your fears, anxieties and emotions here - there will always be some one to help you through it and/or offer support and advice. Looking forward to getting to know you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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