New member David -Hi everyone

[amexdm]

Hello all,

Found this wonderful site and hope to learn some and contribute. I had a NASAH on 7-30-11. It has been about 2 1/2 months. It has been rough. I have had a headache for 73 straight days. It started like everyone's 10 and has now gone down to a 4 or 5. I was in the hospital for 12 days. I know I am lucky to be alive and in many other ways.

I just went back to work last week. 1/2 days M-F. Monday was a blur. tuesday fet better. Wednesday absolutely hit the wall, zero energy and had to call in sick. Thursday was gonna call in but went in at 11 and worked 4 hours. Friday was just ok. Had a long talk with boss today and they have been very supportive but I know they are not gonna put up with this forever.

My wife has been great, but she has had a few meltdowns lately. I know it has been hard for her but any stress is not good. I just wanted to introduce myself to the group and try and learn from you nice folks. You should see me often as I am a bit gabby for a man . Hope to feel normal again someday.

David

[Sandi K]

Hi David, welcome to BTG! Lots of great experience here to learn from and great people to lean on. Please read my 'back to work' thread. I don't want you heading down the same path I did. We all recover at different rates and some NASAH's seem to bounce back pretty fast. I'm not sure where I fit in exactly but I bet I'm average at recovery time for a NASAH.

I do get days where I feel 'normal' and they are GRAND!!!! But are followed by reminder days, my brain telling me I still need rest. I'm having a reminder day today. It's been 11 months for me and frustration with this barely covers it. Some days I think my head will explode again due to the anger I feel. But statistics show that won't happen. NASAH's are lucky that way, it's like being hit by lightening and not expected to happen again.

Some members have their spouses read BTG too, it might help your wife understand what's happening with you better.

I'm glad you found us. I think I was at about as far along when I found BTG and these people have been amazing support.

Sandi K.

[Bill B]

Hi David.

Welcome to BTG, glad that you found us so soon after your event.

I am quite shocked that you returned to work so soon. In the UK, the advice is usually, take your time and give yourself at least three months to recover.

A bleed is a bleed and a NASAH is no less an event than any other brain trauma.

A 73 day headache is bound to sap the drive and energy from you.

Many people on this site have been unable to return to work for many different reasons. Fatigue, depression or physical disability.

If you are among the "lucky" few who do not suffer from the common symptoms that affect most of us, you still need to ease yourself back with due

attention to what has happened to you.

Your boss should be made aware of the severity of your event and not put any pressure on you to rush back to work.

This is not a broken arm or sprained ankle or any other visible medical trauma.

It is a common feature of SAH or NASAH, that people , in general, forget very quickly that anything has happened to you at all.(no visible symptoms).

This only adds to the pressure to return to normality.

I directed my boss to this site and found that her understanding of my condition improved when she realized the nature of the recovery process.

No two people recover in the same way. Some never recover. If you can return to work and feel able to put all of this behind you, well, good for you.

I hope that all of this is just a temporary set back.

Take your time David, drink loads of water, (it seems to help) and return to work on your own terms, in your own time.

Listen to your body and cut yourself some slack.

Best wishes from across the pond.

Bill B.

[ryanphillip]

Welcome to BTG David! Glad you've found this site. People here are great and i find this site very helpful and comforting. I had my SAH back in May, May 24, 2011 to be exact. I was in the hospital for a week, took a week off after that and came back to work the following. I was fortunate enough to have bosses that understand and support me greatly on my road to recovery. I get headaches as well and tightness in my head daily. As i learned from this site, drink plenty of water as Bill B mentioned ..it really helps (Bill you're awesome!) Reading different people experiences here will definitely help you and ease the uncertainties and worries. I recommend for you to read SandiK's thread back to work, it's a great thread. Lots of experiences and wisdom here...Welcome!

Ryan

[Skippy]

Hi David

Welcome to the site and welcome to the family.

You're very early in your recovery and I'm surprised that you've even contemplated going back to work so early - I'm a fine one to talk though as I went back after three weeks - however I had the luxury of running a company with my hubby and could have a bed in my office (which I spent more time on than I did at my desk for the first ten months or so). You need to listen to your body at the moment - rest and drink plenty of fluids. We do all recover at different rates but the one thing we have in common is the aftermath of a SAH being it aneurysmal or not.

This is a great site with a fantastic bunch of people - so I hope you can get comfort and reassurance from us all here.

Look forward to speaking soon.

Take care of you

[jess]

Hi David welcome to btg listen to your body and drink plenty of water. Look forward to chatting sometime. Jess.xxx

[amexdm]

Hi David, welcome to BTG! Lots of great experience here to learn from and great people to lean on. Please read my 'back to work' thread. I don't want you heading down the same path I did. We all recover at different rates and some NASAH's seem to bounce back pretty fast. I'm not sure where I fit in exactly but I bet I'm average at recovery time for a NASAH.

I do get days where I feel 'normal' and they are GRAND!!!! But are followed by reminder days, my brain telling me I still need rest. I'm having a reminder day today. It's been 11 months for me and frustration with this barely covers it. Some days I think my head will explode again due to the anger I feel. But statistics show that won't happen. NASAH's are lucky that way, it's like being hit by lightening and not expected to happen again.

Some members have their spouses read BTG too, it might help your wife understand what's happening with you better.

I'm glad you found us. I think I was at about as far along when I found BTG and these people have been amazing support.

Sandi K.

Hi Sandy,

Havent figured out how to reply individually so hope this is right. Thanks for your welcome and advice. I did read the Back to Work post and then read it again today. I hope I dont have the symptoms you had, they sounded horrible. It is so comforting to have others feel as I do. I have read many of your posts and you seem like such a nice person. I hope I can talk and listen as well as you do. Bye for now.

[amexdm]

Welcome to BTG David! Glad you've found this site. People here are great and i find this site very helpful and comforting. I had my SAH back in May, May 24, 2011 to be exact. I was in the hospital for a week, took a week off after that and came back to work the following. I was fortunate enough to have bosses that understand and support me greatly on my road to recovery. I get headaches as well and tightness in my head daily. As i learned from this site, drink plenty of water as Bill B mentioned ..it really helps (Bill you're awesome!) Reading different people experiences here will definitely help you and ease the uncertainties and worries. I recommend for you to read SandiK's thread back to work, it's a great thread. Lots of experiences and wisdom here...Welcome!

Ryan

Thanks for your reply Ryan. Yours about two months before mine. Dont know how you went back to work so soon. I am in my second week back and struggling with headaches and fatigue. Trying to will myself back in to it. Not to mention I'm out of medication and wont see the doc til Thursday. Hope to chat with you again.

[amexdm]

Hi David welcome to btg listen to your body and drink plenty of water. Look forward to chatting sometime. Jess.xxx

Thanks Jess,

Hitting the water pretty hard but can only rest so much with work, the best advice is to listen to our bodies, no one know it better than us. Hope to chat sometime.

David

[amexdm]

Hi David.

Welcome to BTG, glad that you found us so soon after your event.

I am quite shocked that you returned to work so soon. In the UK, the advice is usually, take your time and give yourself at least three months to recover.

A bleed is a bleed and a NASAH is no less an event than any other brain trauma.

A 73 day headache is bound to sap the drive and energy from you.

Many people on this site have been unable to return to work for many different reasons. Fatigue, depression or physical disability.

If you are among the "lucky" few who do not suffer from the common symptoms that affect most of us, you still need to ease yourself back with due

attention to what has happened to you.

Your boss should be made aware of the severity of your event and not put any pressure on you to rush back to work.

This is not a broken arm or sprained ankle or any other visible medical trauma.

It is a common feature of SAH or NASAH, that people , in general, forget very quickly that anything has happened to you at all.(no visible symptoms).

This only adds to the pressure to return to normality.

I directed my boss to this site and found that her understanding of my condition improved when she realized the nature of the recovery process.

No two people recover in the same way. Some never recover. If you can return to work and feel able to put all of this behind you, well, good for you.

I hope that all of this is just a temporary set back.

Take your time David, drink loads of water, (it seems to help) and return to work on your own terms, in your own time.

Listen to your body and cut yourself some slack.

Best wishes from across the pond.

Bill B.

Hi Bill,

You're words are SO TRUE. I may have to have my wife read your post. I am not ready to go back to work but have to for financial reasons. My company has been great but they can't go on without me forever. It is so hard with the fatigue and headaches. I wasn't trying to be dramatic with the 73 days but it just a fact. I've had a headache 24/7 for 73 straight days. I only count the days so I can celebrate the first day that I don't have one. My doctor has kinda dumped me off and let me go. I know I didnt have a coil but I still had an SAH and my symptoms are still the same. You were very helpful, hope to chat again.

David

[Sandi K]

Hi David, that 73 (must be 74 now!) day headache can be dealt with in some way surely. If your GP has abandoned you can you find another? We are a rare and special bunch. My GP never had a NASAH patient before and probably never will again. My headache went away when my head exploded but 5 or 6 months later it gradually came back and joined the ongoing pain around my left eye. My GP said there were a few options available in medications. I chose an epilepsy/migraine tablet although I dont have seizures and we aren't sure I was having migraines. The headache and the pain around my left eye are gone now but when I overdo it and get tired I'll get a tension headache and the tight head but not the steady ache I was having daily.

Because we are rare patients our GPs need to want to learn along with us and they have to listen to what we tell them and take us seriously. You are right, you weren't coiled and didn't have surgery but you did have a brain bleed and that's a serious life threatening event. There has got to be something you can take for the headache, it must be a huge drain on your limited energy every day. Insist that your doctor help you.

I hope you get some relief soon David, the first day without the headache will be a good day to celebrate!

Sandi K. Xo

[KelBel]

Hi David

Welcome to the site!

I had an aneurysm SAH and was coiled 7 days after the initial bleed (as the hospital got dates wrong...). I was in hospital for 10 days in total (6 days post-op).

I was back at work 11 weeks after my op, likewise because of financial reasons, and was allowed to do a 2-week phased return (lucky me). I did however use up holiday owed to have extra days off when I started full-time hours... and boy did I need it!!

I don't actually know how I managed to do the hours I did It was a daily struggle, plus I had issues with a colleague at the time also. I suffer from light sensitivity and it was worse after the SAH to the point I needed all blinds around me closed, as it could cause migraine symptoms. My colleague objected to this on a daily basis and I ended up counting the days until he finally left the company...(that was a couple of months pain later though!).

Every day I would get home from work and fall into bed for at least 2 hours, then cook some dinner, collapse on the sofa and then go to bed... it wasn't much of a life initially, so I struggled to feel grateful for being alive to be honest...but over the weeks and months you should notice things getting steadily easier.

My manager was supportive to a point, and I had to have my pay cut for the hours I was not able to work but I think they could have been more supportive. I recently complained and the answer was that my GP did not provide enough information about my symptoms. He just put Subarachnoid Haemorrhage on my sicknotes/fitnotes. I had provided them with further information though.

I look well enough now, so it feels as though everyone has forgotten what I went through, and can’t grasp that I still suffer in some ways. That seems to be a common thing though, because we look okay on the outside, no visible scars for anyone to base their assumptions on!

Good luck with your return to work, and I hope you find some meds to ease your headaches.

Take care

Kel x

[Louise]

Hi David

warm welcome to the site, glad you found us.

I never managed back to work so well done you, but do take it slowly..

Yes the GP's learn along with us, I was also told this on one of my consultant visits he said we can repair you but you have to give us infomation after how how its been, how its going.

[kempse]

Hi David,

Sorry I'm a bit late in welcoming you - at least here you will find plenty of advice and support which will hopefully help you along the road of recovery. I really hope you get something that works for your headaches soon, that must be zapping so much of that precious bit of energy that we have in those early days. You perhaps have tried to return to work too soon - your brain needs time and rest to repair and unfortunately working doesn't really allow this to happen.

I wish you (and your wife) all the best along your recovery journey and hope to hear from you again soon.

Sarah

[winter]

Hi David,

Welcome to the club! Glad you were able to find BTG so quickly - the information and support you'll gain from this site is immeasurable and will help you along with the recovery process. Wonderful people here, always someone with good advice and folks to lift your spirits when you need a boost!

You have returned to work very quickly, and at a heavy schedule as well. Unfortunately, as others have said, the medical community is not always well educated when it comes to SAHers! They are learning right along with us, and sadly, with health care in the US - we tend to be a number and they want to get us in, get us out, and they're done! I do hope you're able to find a different doc who is willing to help you with those headaches, and listen to you as to what you're dealing with. Can you get a referral, perhaps, to see a neurologist?

Do encourage your wife to join you here. You're both dealing with a lot of changes in your lives and we're all here to help one another, in any ways we can.

Take care. Get as much rest as possible and yeah, drink the water!!! Look forward to hearing more from you.

Carolyn