ericy Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 Hi EricWelcome to the site - I don't appear to have said hi before... Sorry to hear you have suffered SAH also, and it would seem from your posts that stress may have indeed played a part!! Wow, you and Riane sure know how to fill your lives Did you find any time to sleep??... I do hope you continue your recovery well and find a way to ease back into your work when you are able to. I still try to ensure I have approximately 3 litres of water a day, and I switched to decaf teabags early on to limit caffeine/dehydration effects - it definitely has a major effect on wellbeing and reducing headaches Take care Kel x Hello to you as well Kel. With regard to sleep; that is probably one of the causes of my bleed. I didn't sleep much. I handle stress pretty well and mulitask continuoulsy. But in the two weeks before my bleed my work load and stress levels were at my breaking point. I even got a few HA's in the days before my bleed and I NEVER get HA's. Must have been a warning sign, but I guess I'll never know. Water is a Godsend for me as well. Find that I balance it well with my caffeine intake since I cannot give up my coffee;-) Take care as well. God bless, Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericy Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 Hi Eric,I know you have been told by others take it easy...but do as they say...... listen to your body.....plus if you do not do as they tell you they will pounce on you..... lol J/K Keep well and smile Regards WinB143 x Thanks Win. I am a bit nervous that it seems like I'm feeling better too quickly, if that makes any sense. I am not under the delusion that all is well, however, and am not so naive as to think I won't have set backs. But, I feel pretty good today. With everyone's support at home and from friends, with the guidance and support of all my BTG friends , and with a lot of faith and prayer I feel good about my recovery thus far. Everyone here is in my thoughts and prayers and thank you for all of your advice and support. Wish I could give you all my insurance co-pays instead of the docs who offer little advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riane Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 yeah, sleep...yeah, well... I didn't get much fo that pre-bleed. I was doing fine on 5 hours sleep a night for two years. Sometimes I would get as much as 6 hours. Occasionally I would sleep in and get a whole 8 hours (I felt so luxuriously decadent on those days). I got in such a habit that I wasn't able to sleep before midnight or 1 am each night. The night I had my SAH I went to bed at 3am. Hmmmm. I'm not stupid. Just a little slow sometimes. Looking back I can totally see what led up to my bleed. I wasn't getting headaches before, but I was getting "tight head". I get that now post-bleed, it tells me I'm tired. That it's time to stop. I'm learning to listen. I go to bed at 10pm now. Sleep till my 2 year old wakes me up at 7am. Last night I was up till midnight finishing my "research project". Today I ahve "tight head". yeah, I'm not stupid. I get the connection now. You don't have to hit me over the head with a Mack Truck (again!). The "office" is closed for the rest of this week. No more research. I'll re-assess next Monday. Glad to hear you're feeling good Eric. I hope/wish for you that you have an amazingly smooth recovery process. Damn, who doesn't want that!? R:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winb143 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Thanks Win. I am a bit nervous that it seems like I'm feeling better too quickly, if that makes any sense. I am not under the delusion that all is well, however, and am not so naive as to think I won't have set backs. But, I feel pretty good today. With everyone's support at home and from friends, with the guidance and support of all my BTG friends , and with a lot of faith and prayer I feel good about my recovery thus far. : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As long as you feel good Eric....do not worry..as we are all different..Keep singng and smiling it helps You are strong some are stronger than others....So keep getting better every day Good luck Eric in all you do and love to your Family Regards WinB143 x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericy Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 Were any of you folks given any concrete guidelines on returning to work, exercise, sex, yardwork, drinking alcohol? Seems like the only medical advise I've gotten at all is "take it easy for 2-4 weeks"....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfer34 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 My orignal neurosurgon said after 1 month I could do "light to moderate" exercise and after 3 months then I would have NO restrictions whatsoever. The neurosurgon knew that I was a competitive bicycle racer and mountain clmiber and surfer and still said I could return to those activities. I just finished reading a book that was mentioned on this site about a doctor who suffered a non-aneurysmal SAH. He started running just a few weeks after his bleed and ran the London marathon on about his 1 year anniversery. Personally I think exercise is a great thing during recovery but I didnt do anything more than walk for about 2 months. Just short easy walks helped alot though. I am back on my bike and in the pool training for a triathlon in december. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winter Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I was told to take it easy, do nothing strenuous, work, drive, sex, for at least 1 month. Drink plenty of water - 3 liters a day, sleep whenever you need to or feel tired. Those were the only instructions (or anything) I received upon release from the hospital! I was told to follow up w/a neurologist and my GP 3-4 wks. after release. I followed these directions, with no expectations of what was to follow. Saw neuro and GP - both said to continue on with normal activities, prior to bleed, as tolerated! There ya go... Hopefully, with youth on your side and good physical fitness already in place, you will do well. Sounds like you're handling things quite right... hang in there and just listen to your body! If you do hit a lull, or have feelings of exhaustion, just know it's your brain letting you know it's time to slow down and rest! Recovery is different for each of us - I wish you well in yours - keep on with a positive attitude!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winb143 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I cannot remember anything until I had shunt fitted...but do not know if I dreamt it but I told someone "How can I drink a lot when my husband is too quick at it ,,,,,,I don't get a look in" Did I say it or not ??? Regards WinB143 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 The following site may be of help, re: Frequently Asked Questions. http://www.suht.nhs.uk/OurServices/Nervoussystem/SubArachnoidHaemorrhage/FrequentlyAskedQuestions.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericy Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 The following site may be of help, re: Frequently Asked Questions.http://www.suht.nhs.uk/OurServices/Nervoussystem/SubArachnoidHaemorrhage/FrequentlyAskedQuestions.aspx Yes, this was very helpful. Thank you Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericy Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 My orignal neurosurgon said after 1 month I could do "light to moderate" exercise and after 3 months then I would have NO restrictions whatsoever. The neurosurgon knew that I was a competitive bicycle racer and mountain clmiber and surfer and still said I could return to those activities. I just finished reading a book that was mentioned on this site about a doctor who suffered a non-aneurysmal SAH. He started running just a few weeks after his bleed and ran the London marathon on about his 1 year anniversery. Personally I think exercise is a great thing during recovery but I didnt do anything more than walk for about 2 months. Just short easy walks helped alot though. I am back on my bike and in the pool training for a triathlon in december. Thanks Surfer, good to know. I am a runner (half marathon / full marathon), play / coach football (soccer), and like to do CrossFit as well. Everything is pretty physically demanding, so I plan on easing back. Did you find that your head had to feel "normal" before you were back at it full force? I still have mild HA on an intermittent basis, "clogged ears" feeling, but otherwise ok. Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericy Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 I was told to take it easy, do nothing strenuous, work, drive, sex, for at least 1 month. Drink plenty of water - 3 liters a day, sleep whenever you need to or feel tired. Those were the only instructions (or anything) I received upon release from the hospital! I was told to follow up w/a neurologist and my GP 3-4 wks. after release. I followed these directions, with no expectations of what was to follow. Saw neuro and GP - both said to continue on with normal activities, prior to bleed, as tolerated! There ya go... Hopefully, with youth on your side and good physical fitness already in place, you will do well. Sounds like you're handling things quite right... hang in there and just listen to your body! If you do hit a lull, or have feelings of exhaustion, just know it's your brain letting you know it's time to slow down and rest! Recovery is different for each of us - I wish you well in yours - keep on with a positive attitude!!! Thanks Winter;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandi K Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Hi Ericy! Although we all have similar experiences during recovery our recovery rates can really vary. It's my opinion that the medical professionals don't say much because they don't know if we are going to take 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 month, 1 year, 2 year, or so on. It would be nice for them to say something like 'some people take longer than others' instead of the open ended 'just listen to your body' which really doesn't mean anything to any of us that aren't used to listening to our bodies. I was told for 4 weeks no driving, no lifting, no bathing (only showers), no swimming. No lifting weights for 1 year. I wasn't told why, I had no idea and I left hospital on Saturday believing I would be able to return to work on Monday. In reality, I shouldn't have driven for 3-4 months, I returned to work to early and I'm at almost 9 months now and I'm not even half time. The worst part is, no one explained why. I didn't know what I had or what it meant so I couldn't understand that it was serious never mind that it would take time to recover. I learned that from BTG. Way to go Canadian Health care! Next week is my 9 month anniversary. I'm on the treadmill twice a week, the stationary bike twice a week, and yoga twice a week. I don't go far, but a little bit helps. Oh... I do use hand weights. Sandi K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winb143 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Thanks for link Karen, it answered a lot of my questions... ..Many thanks once again... Love WinB143 x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riane Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 As near as I can remember I was given much the same advice as you, Eric. Only difference, they didn't mention that I shouldn't be driving. It really was all rather vague. That vagueness and the fact that I was only seen by residents (the doctor was too busy to see me) contributed to me thinking that what happened to me wasn't that big a deal. Perhaps it should be a no-brainer, but I did drive within about a week. Looking back, not such a good choice. They also told me to get a follow up CT angio after 3 months. I have subsequently learned this is absolutely too long and quite ridiculous. I am now somewhere on the waiting list for follow up CT angio. It's been 6 weeks since my bleed. I have no idea how long the waiting list is. When I get too annoyed with Canadian/BC healthcare I remember that south of the border my family would be faced with losing our home over the hospital bills of this occurence. Our income is such that if we were American we would be those "working-class" folks that just cant' afford healthcare and make too much money for state programs. So, I remember that it's worth the wait, as I'm waiting in my comfortable home. I have learned much more about recovery steps, process, and things to watch for here. Thanks everyone, and especially Karen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfer34 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 hey riane, you can head south of the border and get your CT angio the same day and your results the next day if you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riane Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Si? quanto dinero? Too rich for my blood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericy Posted August 6, 2011 Author Share Posted August 6, 2011 As near as I can remember I was given much the same advice as you, Eric. Only difference, they didn't mention that I shouldn't be driving. It really was all rather vague. That vagueness and the fact that I was only seen by residents (the doctor was too busy to see me) contributed to me thinking that what happened to me wasn't that big a deal.Perhaps it should be a no-brainer, but I did drive within about a week. Looking back, not such a good choice. They also told me to get a follow up CT angio after 3 months. I have subsequently learned this is absolutely too long and quite ridiculous. I am now somewhere on the waiting list for follow up CT angio. It's been 6 weeks since my bleed. I have no idea how long the waiting list is. When I get too annoyed with Canadian/BC healthcare I remember that south of the border my family would be faced with losing our home over the hospital bills of this occurence. Our income is such that if we were American we would be those "working-class" folks that just cant' afford healthcare and make too much money for state programs. So, I remember that it's worth the wait, as I'm waiting in my comfortable home. I have learned much more about recovery steps, process, and things to watch for here. Thanks everyone, and especially Karen. Riane: My neuro doc had me do my repeat angiogram (catheter-type through the femoral artery) the week after my bleed! Praying that 6+ weeks isn't too long a wait for you. It is quicker here in the US, but expensive. I can tell you that I have a $3500 deductible for me and my 4 kids (my wife has her own insurance policy) and I pay $555 per month for it. My bill, before insurance adjustments and payments, just for my few hours in the first hospital's emergency room, was $4400. That is for IV, IV meds, a CT scan, a lumbar puncture. Can't imagine what my ER visit, admission, CT angiography, 2x angiogram, MRI, MRV, and 3 1/2 days in the second hospital is going to be. But, I will only owe my $3500 deductible - the rest is covered by insurance and I didn't have to wait. You guys have been so very helpful on this site and I continue to pray for you all and your families. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericy Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 Started back to work today (I'm a physiotherapist - orthopaedic). Harder than I thought...... Got about 3 hrs left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riane Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Eric, Good luck with your day. How many hours are you working in a day? How many days in a week? Listen to your body. Be well. Rest. Drink lots of water. Riane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericy Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 Eric,Good luck with your day. How many hours are you working in a day? How many days in a week? Listen to your body. Be well. Rest. Drink lots of water. Riane Thanks Riane. Had to take one extra strength Tylenol at lunch today and managed to get down 2 L of water. I'll probably have 2 more before the day is over. Working 9-10 hour days (but take an hour for lunch), 5 days per week. But I am only working 3 days this week. However, I am the co-race director for mile charity road race this Friday (www.waynesvillemainstreetmile.com) and so I am still crazy busy with that. Avoiding too much physical exertion as best I can, but finding out quickly that mental strain can be as bad or worse. Today wasn't too bad. Hope you are doing ok too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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