kelvz48 Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Hi everyone, Great site, heres my story Sorry it's a long one. Here goes - I am a 45 year old healthy man, never had any real illness. The last week of July 2010 I had my Subarachnoid Haemorrhage but of coarse did not know it at the time. I was at home when all of a sudden it felt like someone was kicking me in the back of the head. I felt like passing out and throwing up. Next I lost all feeling in my right leg and really started to worry as I had never experienced any thing like this in the past. I managed to crawl to the sofa to lay down and thats where I probably passed out. The next couple of days are a total blank to me as I was so spaced out so the following is my wife's account. She came home to find me on the sofa, I woke up or came round and constantly complained of a terrible headache, tension in the back of my neck, blurred vision, was vommiting from time to time and also talking a load of nonsense. All this happened on Thursday and of coarse I was no better on Friday and by now my wife was getting concerned as she could tell this was something more than just the usual man flu and so telephoned for a doctor to make a house visit that evening. The lady doctor arrived some time later and was visably put out at having to make a house call on a Friday evening. She had forgotten to bring her stethoscope so was unable to take my blood pressure and concluded that I had a flu like virus and was to take plenty of fluids. And so it was for the weekend, me totally spaced out and my wife trying to get me to drink lots of water. On the Sunday my wife said she would phone my work to let them know I would not be in the following day but apparently I was adamant that I would do it myself, so she agreed and went to her work. Monday morning a colleague was phoning to enquire of my whereabouts. Thats when my wife knew there was something very wrong as I am always very organised when it comes to my work so she telephoned my father for a lift to the doctors. By this time I could not stand on my own two feet and had to be helped into the surgery. The doctor I saw did not really know what was the matter with me but was not happy with what he was seeing and so admitted me to the local hospital for tests. I stayed there for three days while they did all the tests. When eventually they found out what was wrong with me I had to be taken to Cardiff hospital which is 50 miles away. My wife and I spent a very uncomfortable night there and the following day everything was explained to my wife and what procedure urgently needed to be done but unfortunately the person who does the procedure was away and so I was being taken to Bristol hospital another 20 or 30 miles away. The ambulance arrived some time that night to take me as an emergency to Bristol. When I arrived we were told it was too late that night for the procedure to be done. Now I must say at this point that all the staff at Bristol were amazing. Anyway I finally got my anni coiled on 13th August 2010. I made a really good recovery following the procedure (you all know the drill being in a high dependancy unit). Five days later I was taken back to Cardiff hospital and then on 20th August after some nagging from myself I was allowed to come home. I was very weak for some time and needed constant care from my wife and family. Now I am much stronger and able to do things by myself. The downside is all the emotions I find myself going through, fear, sorrow and anger. When I left hospital I was not given any information on what to expect such as the emotions, the fear at every little pain in the head, the joint pains or being unable to sleep. Sorry to go on so much but that is basicly my story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gill C Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Hi Kelvz & welcome to BTG. You ahve done amazingly well to be only a week in hospital & it is stille arly days for you. Your story is pretty familiar on here & we can all understand the emotions you are gpoing through. As for info on dishcarge I was given s booklet on SAH from Wessex & I bleive you can get a copy from the Brain & Spine foundation. It's helpful but a little short on the emotional side fo recovery. I have learnt far more from being on here. I also have a neuro physcology a(sp?)ppointment for some help with dealing with my emotions & any cognitive problems I have. It's worthwhile asking your GP or clinic to refer you as it isn't commonly offered b ut I did find a waiting lsit of 16-18 weeks I was told. You have to relearn a lot of things mostly to rest when you need to & drink lots of fluids to help with the fuzzy headed feeling. Keep talking to us on here & you will find lots fo support Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelvz48 Posted October 11, 2010 Author Share Posted October 11, 2010 Thanks, I have already learnt so much from reading about everyones experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithH Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Welcome Kelvz48. I think you'll find all the information on this site you need, to help you come to terms with your SAH. The Advocacy & Empathy on this site is second to none. Knowing your not alone, is help in it's self. I'm sure between the members of BTG, any questions can be answered, or someone will point you in the right direction. Please take care, your body will tell you when to rest, you'll have to listen to it for a while. Things will get easier, but please don't put a time scale on it. Everyone is different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelvz48 Posted October 11, 2010 Author Share Posted October 11, 2010 Thanks for that Keith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kempse Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Hi and a very warm welcome to Behind the Gray. Sounds like quite a hair raising trip to finally get you to the hospital where they could carry out the procedure. I hope at some point you can make that Doctor who you saw on the Friday night aware of her incompetence - perhaps it would make her think twice in future about patient care:roll: The lack of information on leaving hospital tends to be quite common - I know I didn't receive anything and unfortunately I didn't come across this site for 14 months but I think you shoud find comfort in reading that you are not alone with your feelings, emotions etc and will be able to relate to many things on here that other survivors have experienced. I wish you well in your continued recovery. Sarah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonia Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Which hospital in Bristol did you have your operation ? I had mine done in Frenchay which is just outside of Bristol. Had mine done on Aug 20th. Take care Love Sonia xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lin-lin Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Shwmae! Nice to have a fellow Welsh person on board! I live in Skewen, Neath, just a short journey up the M4 from you! My SAH was on the 21st November 2009. I'm horrified by your initial misdiagnosis. To then have to travel to Bristol for an emergency operation! (Hope you didn't have to pay £5.50 on the bridge when you came back! Lol!) I'm guessing you were at Heath Hospital? I was there too. My consultant was Mr Nannapaneni. You are very early into your recovery. We all push ourselves too hard in the initial months. We try to slot exactly into our old lives because we don't know any different. As time goes by, you learn to adapt. Recovery from a SAH is very bewildering initially. Things which were easy before may become insurmountable. We may become depressed and tearful and grieve for our old lives. As for the insomnia. I could write a flippin' book on this!! I had to resort to sleeping tablets in the end, which helped but were no magic wand. It does get better, but that's hardly any consolation when you're counting sheep. (Although being Welsh, you would think counting sheep would be easier for us! Lol.) The best advice I can give you at present is to rest. It can be annoying to hear this and it can sometimes be difficult to accept that recovery is a long journey. Feeling tired is nature's way of getting us to slow down. The fatigue exists for a reason. I was very 'rage against the machine' when my SAH first happened, but I accept things a bit more now; and just have a nap if it all gets a bit too much! Let us know how you get on. There's a lot of support here. Lynne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winter Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Welcome to BTG! This is a great place to be - lots ofo help, compassion and support here. Hang in there... take all the help you can get and know we're all here for you. Hope you're peacefully sleeping right now! Carolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelvz48 Posted October 12, 2010 Author Share Posted October 12, 2010 Which hospital in Bristol did you have your operation ? I had mine done in Frenchay which is just outside of Bristol. Had mine done on Aug 20th. Take care Love Sonia xxx Yeah, I was at the same hospital, ward 3 and had the procedure done on 13th August. The staff were amazing there especially Waheed. Hope you are doing well, Kelvin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelvz48 Posted October 12, 2010 Author Share Posted October 12, 2010 Hi, thankyou all for the welcome and sound advice. So glad I found this site, just knowing I can talk to someone who has gone through the same thing is a tremendous help. Keep up the good work everybody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelvz48 Posted October 12, 2010 Author Share Posted October 12, 2010 Shwmae!Nice to have a fellow Welsh person on board! I live in Skewen, Neath, just a short journey up the M4 from you! My SAH was on the 21st November 2009. I'm horrified by your initial misdiagnosis. To then have to travel to Bristol for an emergency operation! (Hope you didn't have to pay £5.50 on the bridge when you came back! Lol!) I'm guessing you were at Heath Hospital? I was there too. My consultant was Mr Nannapaneni. You are very early into your recovery. We all push ourselves too hard in the initial months. We try to slot exactly into our old lives because we don't know any different. As time goes by, you learn to adapt. Recovery from a SAH is very bewildering initially. Things which were easy before may become insurmountable. We may become depressed and tearful and grieve for our old lives. As for the insomnia. I could write a flippin' book on this!! I had to resort to sleeping tablets in the end, which helped but were no magic wand. It does get better, but that's hardly any consolation when you're counting sheep. (Although being Welsh, you would think counting sheep would be easier for us! Lol.) The best advice I can give you at present is to rest. It can be annoying to hear this and it can sometimes be difficult to accept that recovery is a long journey. Feeling tired is nature's way of getting us to slow down. The fatigue exists for a reason. I was very 'rage against the machine' when my SAH first happened, but I accept things a bit more now; and just have a nap if it all gets a bit too much! Let us know how you get on. There's a lot of support here. Lynne Hello neighbour, yes I know Skewen very well. Thanks for the post, hope you are well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Hi Kelvin a very warm welcome to BTG ...it seems to me misdiagnosis is very common with SAH...i was told i had a sick bug lol ! Thank God for the amazing Surgeons and nurses that got us through! Glad you found us, as you say it is great to be able to talk to others that know what you have or are going through. Wishing you well...take care love Tina xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Hi Kelvz48 Warm welcome to the site. What your feeling just now is quite normal everyone seems to go through all these feelings. The best thing is finding that your not alone in it. I think the lack of information when you leave hospital is across the board on that which is sad. All I can say is take it slow rest lots AKA listen to your body:roll: keep the fluid intake up. take care Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggie Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Hi Kelvoin,Welcome to the fold! If you haven't already read A Dented Image by Alison Wertheimer Kelvin do I got mine from Amazon and it's worth a read. It's really difficult to come to terms with all the the problems and frustrations we experience in our early recovery.So don't think youralone.look forward to hearing more from you.Take good care of yourself.Wishing you well.love maggie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Hi Kelvin and a warm welcome! Good to be able to put a face to your name! As Maggie has already said, having a read of Alison Wertheimer's book is definitely helpful and hope that the support here, helps to "normalise" what you're experiencing at the minute, with the worries, fears and frustrations of early recovery. Wishing you well! xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bogbrush Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Hello Kelvin and welcome to Behind The Gray. The people on this site are a great bunch and I hope you can draw some comfort from their experiences. Any questions - fire away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelvz48 Posted October 12, 2010 Author Share Posted October 12, 2010 Thanks again for all the warm words of welcome. Wish I'd found this site earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelvz48 Posted October 12, 2010 Author Share Posted October 12, 2010 Hi Kelvin and a warm welcome!Good to be able to put a face to your name! As Maggie has already said, having a read of Alison Wertheimer's book is definitely helpful and hope that the support here, helps to "normalise" what you're experiencing at the minute, with the worries, fears and frustrations of early recovery. Wishing you well! xx I have not read this book but shall be seeking it out. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Hi Kelvin, It's certainly worth having a read, as Alison the Author, also suffered a SAH.... so, it's quite easy to read and in bite size chunks, so it's not too heavy or laden with medical jargon. There's a few of us on this site that took part in it as well. Glad that you're finding some comfort from the site. xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lin-lin Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Ha! Love the flag! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggie Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 :-DOrdered A dented Iamage on amazon ...... it took about three days well worth it. And you can't beat this site either,everyone are so helpful friendly and a tad mad:lol: it helps x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelvz48 Posted October 12, 2010 Author Share Posted October 12, 2010 Ha! Love the flag! Yeah, still a passionate welshman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonia Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 When I had come out of the recovery room after my operation I went into ward 3 in a single room, they had to keep a eye on me for two days, blood pressure etc. I then went on to the ladies ward next door ward 2. As you say the staff are just great, and I felt very safe in their hands. I feel my recovery is coming along well, the discharge Doctor said I coul take 3 to 6 months to get over it, but I think I am doing ok and its only 6 weeks, long may it continue. I hope you are getting on ok, stay positive and don't do too much. Take care Best Wishes Sonia x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johntaras Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Morning Kelvin, great to see you have found this wonderful site. The help you get on here is priceless. There is always somebody who picks up your thread and knows just the right thing to say. We have all had a brain injury that to some people is difficult to appreciate. You will have good days and bad days, but the key is you should have many more days, :razz: Try to listen to yor body and pace yourself. Tasks that you did before your SAH may take more time and effort now, so what. You appear like me to have little physical efforts of the SAH, this can make you think you should be able to do more. I had my SAH last November and spent seven weeks in Stoke hospital, no memories. It will take time to recover. Be kind to yourself and allow yourself to heal. I was told that the likelyhood of another SAH was no more likely than my wifes. I had similar symptoms to you on day one. I do not think people initially think oh he is having a brain haemorrage, we think it is not that common. Then you find this website and read all the cases. Anyway enough for now. Take care and look forward to reading future blogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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