Guest Tracey Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 First of all hello to you all, Ive been reading alot of your stories on the site and some of the problems encountered have made me feel extremely lucky for the outcome Ive had after suffering SAH. I had my SAH in April 2006 I was 38 years old but have since had a birthday. I have 2 aneurysms one ruptured one unruptured, both coiled. At the time of the rupture I was at football practise with my 7 year old son and thankfully did not completely collapse. My hearing went and my sight went all funny and i did not have any control over myself kind of thing Idid think I was going to collapse. When I came back to myself my neck had completely stiffened up and my head felt like it had been belted with a baseball bat across the back. I seemed to have all the symtoms of meningitis which was the reason I finally decided perhaps seeing a doctor would be a good idea. From the moment I saw a doctor the NHS were fantastic, GP on Monday neurologist on Tuesday and operation on Wednesday. I have been very lucky so far, having no major physical disabilities, although the tiredness and fatigue are still around. My problems I think are all in my head (excuse the pun!). Im kind of scared and paranoid alot of the time and sometimes feel Im living this sort of half life. Im wary of having a coffee never mind anything stronger, Im scared to fly now so holidays abroad are out which is not fair on my husband and wee boy although they are really great about it all I still always end up feeling like the party pooper. I have major dizziness problems, my ears dont seem to have ever went back to normal, I have alot of pressure in my head sometimes which is also scary, Busy places are also a no go, bright shop lights and loud noises can be a problem hence no visit to the xmas panto this year! I had an angiogram in October and since then have got one pupil bigger than the other though thankfully my sight hasnt been affected by this, apparently this was caused by damage to a cranial nerve during the angio, which has made me a bit dubious about having the next angiogram which is a while away yet but still a thought all the same. The coils in the ruptured aneurysm have settled a bit leaving abit of space which will need to be monitored which is apparently the reason I will need angios rather than MRI scans which I feel would be the lesser of the two evils. My issues all seem minor compared to some but it is great to find a forum where I feel alot in common with others who know exactly how it all feels. Even the neuro specialists dont know it from a patients perspective it helps alot to know that there are people who will understand and I hope to chat with you all soon. Thanks for bearing with me Tracey Quote
rince Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 Welcome to the forum Tracey, I'm sure that you'll find most things on here! Scott Quote
Skippy Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 Hi Tracey Your SAH is pretty much the same as mine - one ruptured and one not - I had mine coiled and have yet to have my follow up scan - due in Feb. Not sure whether it will be an Angio or an MRI though - I was under the impression it was going to be an MRI. I also had the baseball across the back of the head feeling - after an internal popping sensation. Like you also I have no real physical after affects but mentally/emotionally the recovery has been a rollercoaster. I think we all feel that we are living a half life as it were - I know that certainly feel that part of me has been ripped away and I'll never get it back. Like Scott says, you'll find most things here. Sami xxx Quote
Louise Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 Hi Tracey Warm welcome to the site your not alone in feeling like a party pooper I feel like that often. look forward to hearing from you Take care Louise.xx Quote
Karen Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 Hi Tracey, Don't feel too bad that you are unable to do certain stuff that you could do before. I'm the same as yourself, with the pressure feeling in my ears and there's no way that I'm able to face flying, without being completely knocked out!. You will still be able to take holidays abroad, but like me, you might choose to take alternative means, such as channel tunnel or ferry. I'm sure that your family will understand, but we often feel guilty for the stuff that we can't do anymore. Your symptoms post SAH are the same as my own ie. dizziness, dislike of bright lights, loud noises etc and these can be pretty debilitating to say the least. Mine are normally worse when I'm experiencing fatigue/periods......but it's comforting to know that you're not alone with these symptoms. It's great to hear from you and any time that you feel like a chat, you know where we are. The coils in my aneurysm have also compacted.......think that I'm due for a MRA in the coming months, so I'm going to ask a few more questions this time. Love Karen x Quote
Sasbo Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 Hi Tracey Welcome. Although I had my SAH in September I've only just this week started posting. Everyone's great, really friendly and welcoming. I had one ruptured and have another unruptured aneurysm. The ruptured one has been clipped via a new procedure (only been used for the last year or so and only 2 hospitals/surgeons in the UK do it so got lucky with timing and location!). This procedure is called SOMIC - it's like a craniotomy except there's a much smaller scar - about 3 inches on my forehead, above right eyebrow. I did comment to the surgeon (known in our house as Dr Embryo - real name Mr Brydon but could never remember it!) that if I have the other aneurysm done on the other side I could stand in for Sooty......I found it funny but he didn't!!!! Got my first post-op appointment in a couple of weeks so will know more then but I also have the same feelings as you. Sarah xx Quote
Annie Posted January 12, 2007 Posted January 12, 2007 "Dr. Embryo" really cracked me up, Sarah! My two were Zerick and Budzick!!! We had z's going all over the place!!! Quote
Sasbo Posted January 12, 2007 Posted January 12, 2007 It's the word association thing. My memory used to be pretty good really, but now it's completely shot at. People swear blind they've told me things and I have absolutely no recollection of it. I think they're just trying it on!! Sarah x Quote
Annie Posted January 12, 2007 Posted January 12, 2007 Yeah, Hubby always thought I never listened to him anyway... now he can torture me with that. Quote
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