Hello - Georgina

[miss moody]

Hi All

My name is Georgina and I suffered a SAH in May 2006 at the age of 37. I had coils inserted 3 days following the bleed and remained in hospital for 2 months. At my checkup 6 months later I was dismayed to be told that a number of the coils had shifted and that I would need to undergo further surgery. This took place 2 months later, and you can all appreciate how gutted I was upon coming round to be told that they hadn't been able to "plug" the gap and because my blood pressure had dropped to a critical level I would have to come back again!!

I came home the following day, very much aware of the potential time bomb ticking away in my head. Luckily I was re-admitted a couple of weeks later and the bubble was "plugged" with more coils and a stent was inserted as well.

Even though all this took place 3/4 years ago, I am still struggling with many things particularly the tiredness. It is like nothing I have ever experienced!! To be woken up in the morning, as opposed to waking up naturally, is awful!! I do the school run and then have to have a nap for an hour or so before I feel semi-human again!! Does anyone else still suffer from tiredness please cos I sometimes wonder if its normal after this time to still suffer this way? Does anyone have any tips in coping with it? Please?

Another problem I have is headaches!! These have only just started and feel like a tightening around my head (similar to those I experienced following my first operation.) I have seen my GP and he thinks they are tension-related and preformed acupuncture on my neck/shoulders and head!! Does anyone else suffer? Should I contact my consultant? (I am not due another scan until next year.)

I apologise if I sound boring and moany but it is great to feel I can vent my worries to people who will understand - I am sure people look at me and think "it was 4 years ago, isn't it time you got over it?

Would love to hear from someone and if you've got this far, thank you for reading!!

Lots of love

xxx

[Karen]

Hi Georgina and welcome to BTG,

I'm nearly 5 years on and still have to pace myself ..... however, I couldn't imagine feeling like I do and then running around after young children ..... how old are yours?

I would say, that most people that I speak to, who are further on than myself, still have bouts of fatigue and headaches/nerve pain and have to pace themselves throughout the day to control it.

However, if you're experiencing symptoms that are out of what you would call "normal", then I would pursue it. When I left hospital, I was told that fatigue and headaches would probably be the norm for me and most people, post SAH.

Mind you, if I was experiencing both the fatigue and increasing headaches, then I would go and speak to my GP. Quite a few people on here, experience nerve pain and have been helped by medication, so it's worth posing the question to your GP or Consultant. Some simple blood tests can also rule out other problems, that may or may not be causing the headaches and tiredness.

Wishing you all the best and hope that you manage to get some help....xx

[miss moody]

Hi Karen

Thank you very much for your warm welcome.

My children aren't so young now. i have a daughter of 10 and a son of 8. However, they are still young enough that I have to do most things for them!! Some days are better than others but no matter how I am feeling, I always take the time to be grateful for the fact that I am still around for them. I often wonder as they grow up will their memories be of mummy having a bad head and being too tired to do the things they want to do??!!

The fact that these headaches happen nearly every day and often send me back to bed for a couple of hours is what worries me the most. I can usually sense when they are going to happen because I wake up with a cotton wool feeling in my head along with the usual brain half an hour behind body feeling!!

I did ask my GP if he felt they were connected to the bleed but he was very vague. On reflection I think I will suggest he contacts my consultant when I go for my next acupuncture session. I guess I just don't want to appear paranoid!!

Thank you again for your kind words and advice.

Wishing you health and happiness

Lots of love

xxxx

[myratas]

Hi Georgina

Welcome to the site, I hope you find this website useful for you, we are like one big family here so if you need any help or advice just let us know.

I can fully understand about fatigue because there is not one day that goes by that I don't suffer from that, so I can sympathise with you regarding that.

Hope to hear from you some more when you are ready.

[maggie]

Hi Georgina,

Welcome. I am hardly surprised your experiencing fatique with a young family to run around after, they are still pretty demanding at 10 & 8. I am 18 months on and find that my head aches return if I neglect my water intake and get tired. Hope you get to the bottom of your problems soon. Look forward to hearing from you again :redface:Maggiex

[blueday]

Welcome to the team.

Seems as though we have some things in common.

1. We had subarachnoid haemorrhages.

2. We both ruptured and had internal bleeding.

3. 2006 was a year to surprise us both.

4. We are both survivors.

5. We are recovering, learning and strengthening.

6. We are both our best Doctors No. 1

The reason why I say we are our own Best Doctors, because we know better than anybody else about our own bodies, about our ailments and about our best strengths.

After my haemorrhage followed by a stroke for the next 3 years I was in denial, simply because I didn't know about my own position. Over the last year I have learnt alot about myself my own problems so that I can address my own ailments. I am not a medical person so I am not an expert, but I am an expert no me!(just as you are) You have done really very well about yourself.... I know you love your family immensely as they do too about you with your support. There is no paranoia involved in this. Just keep an eye on yourself and make balanced decisions about yourself, then keep your Doctors in a job.....because it is there Job.

Best wishes......take care of your kids and husband.....also take care of yourself.

[Louise]

Hi Georgina

Warm welcome to the site...

I still stuffer from fatuge especially if I do too much (at the moment Im suffering badly from this)

If you are concerned and the GP isnt giving you the right feedback then when you go see the consultant ask them or try to make an earlier appt....

take care

[Vivien]

Hello Georgina and welcome to the site

I sometimes look after my grandson ( I am 54 and he is 5 ) and it definitely wears me out and I have to rest after he has gone.

At the moment I have had a headache for three weeks, not really bad but just there all the time and worse some days than others. I did start to worry and went to see my gp, who did all the usual checks, looking in my eyes, bp etc. He reckons that they are triggered by my hayfever and that because of having an SAH I will always be prone to headaches. I accept this and am trying to get on with things, but like you there is a slight niggly worry that it is something more!

Heres hoping you feel better soon

Vivien x

[bogbrush]

Hi Georgina and welcome

I had my SAH not long after you and fatigue is something I still have to deal with. Sometimes it just hits me suddenly. I work during the week, so it's not so easy to deal with, but I often need a nap during the day at weekends.

I've had some comments too about the fact that I should be over it by now and it often annoys me that people think that, especially when it comes from family members.

As for the headaches, I can't comment as I don't get them at all now.

[JayKay]

Hi Georgina and welcome I'm only 4 months on, so the fatigue etc is still very present in my life. I can NOT imagine how you looked after your little ones after your SAH!!

Ask away - we've all been there!

[LUISA]

wellcome Georgina,

Im now on my 9th month post sha, no headaches but really doing nothing the whole day an sleeping a lot. Due to see my neurosurgeon next tuesday and propably will be bound fit for work eventhough suffering from III nerve palsy on my right eye. Anyhow according to Drs if you can walk, speak and do things for yourselve you are ok.

Sorry, not able to help much but are good at listening

[Anne Fleming]

Welcome Georgina

Yes I still have periods of fatigue. Mine seems to come and go - for a few months I have a lot of fatigue and then it goes away (though maybe never completely) for a few months and then comes back again. I'm beginning to think in my case it's linked to stress as I don't think I cope with stress so well since my SAH. It makes me tired and so it's a vicious circle.

I'm definitely much better when I pace myself.

Best wishes

Anne

[miss moody]

Wow!!

Thank you so much to all of you for all your warm welcomes and invaluable advice!!

I think the major problem I have is the adjusting to how I am now as opposed to pre-SAH. I become frustrated with myself and always want to push that one step further, usually with disasterous consequences!! Lol.

One thing I have learnt though is that all of us here on BTG are special and we are strong!!

Thanks again guys and I will keep in touch.

Lots of love

xxxx

[Louise]

When I accepted the 'new me' & the old one was gone forever then I took leaps forward but its hard I know that.....

Yes we are all very special people....

take care

[Janet]

Hi Georgina

Belated welcome to the site. I also like many of the others still suffer with fatigue and extreme tiredness and had to adjust my life/work balance to deal with the problems. I'm generally ok most of the time as long as I don't push myself too hard but sometimes it can't be helped.

I suffer with constant nuerological pain on the left hand side were the burst anuerysm was clipped. It took about 18 months for them to decide that it is probably permanent and to find a course of tablets that alleviate some of the pain. If your headaches are recent and increasing it is best to get your G.P to refer you back to the Nuero team. Funnily enough though haven't had a proper headache since the SAH.

Look forward to hearing more from you.

[kempse]

Hi Geogina,

Welcome aboard. I have just read this thread and also your post today on another thread and think you ought to consider changing your name from Miss Moody to Miss Amazing!

Recovering from such an event in our lives is not as easy or straight forward as we would like it to be. It appears that our brains need a lot more rest than we would wish to be the case.

Being a Mum is tiring in itself and unfortunately parenting doesn't stop even when we are ill or recovering from illness. I think my nine year old will have memories too - memories of me always falling asleep during the day - this frustrates him, but I have to have the extra sleep otherwise I wouldn't function as a Mother at all - my two teeanagers seem to have accepted my strange sleeping pattern! So don't be hard on yourself - stick to your plan of speaking to the doctor at your next acupuncture appointment, as headaches are the last thing you need. I don't get headaches myself but I can relate to a lot of the other things you describe.

Yes, let's hope the football is worth watching on Wednesday!

Take Care,

Sarah

[Skippy]

Hi Georgina

A belated welcome to the site and to the family - I've been away for a few days so hadn't seen you post til now.

I hope you find this site as helpful and wonderful as I have over the years.

Looking forward to talking to you more.