Kaz Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Hi My partner stumbled upon this site whilst researching and i'm glad he did. I have found it inspirational and its nice to know that I am not alone and certainly not going mad! I suffered and survived aSAH last sept - whilst there has been no physical neurological deficits, I am struggling to deal with the emotional and cognitive problems effecting my ability to make decisions, mental fatique, anxiety, irritablity and personalitiy changes. Because its not physical and can't be seen, these emotional and behavioural difficulties are often overlooked and not recognised as having long term effects on the overall functional outcome and quality of life, and it is these area where i find i need the most support, but don't always know how to ask/access help. Karen:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gill C Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Hi Karen & welcome to BTG. this certainly is a great place for info & support & we all know how you feel. If you need to ask anything just shout & there's usually someone around to help Take care xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnamarie Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Hi Karen and welcome to BTG this site has been a god send to me since my SAH there is plently of information aboutand if you cant find whatyour looking for just ask it never takes long for a reply look forward to chatting to you take care donna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Hi Karen Warm welcome to the site, so glad you found us. No your not alone nor are you going mad, we all have been through what you describe. Although you may not think it but Sept means your still early in the recovery. I have problems making desiossions, and like most on here I am no longer the person I once was but honestly it does get better. If your not getting Occupational Thearipy help from the hospital, then maybe get intouch with your local Headway they are very helpful its a good starting point.... hope to hear more from you, take care, rest and relax, listen to your body, and drink plenty liquids (it really does help)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahLou Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Hello Karen, Welcome to BTG. The same as many others feel, this site has also been a godsend to me. It's full of support and advice with a few good giggles along the way! Ask away with any questions you may have. I wish you well with your recovery. Take care and keep smiling, SarahLou Xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandi K Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Hi Karen, welcome to BTG. I've learned more here than anywhere else. I read your partner's post about nonexistent aftercare and unfortunately that's not uncommon. Recovery takes a long time and our brains need lots of rest. You will read that over and over here and it's good advice. As you are returning to work (also in your partner's post) listen to your brain and when you feel fatigued take breaks. In the early days it seems the breaks need to be longer than the work time. It sounds like you are doing well. It's good that you found BTG, it will help answer questions and there are many warm and caring people here. Sandi K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Hi Karen, I've been running this site for nearly 6 years .... what you're experiencing is something that I've seen written on this forum many times and what I've experienced myself as well, so you're not abnormal at all ... probably doesn't help you right at this minute though! Your first point of access, needs to be your GP. Be honest with them and they should be able to refer you for help. I'm not sure whereabouts in your brain that you suffered the SAH, but that may indicate why you feel that you may have had a personality change. For many of us, life does change or the way we think about it. If you have a GP that's non-sympathetic, then I would suggest that you change to another one if possible. Both anxiety and depression is quite common after a SAH, as is post traumatic stress syndrome. If the GP is of no help, then contact your Hospital Consultant, through their Secretary. Anxiety is something that I've known well ... unfortunately! It does take time to repair your confidence and it's something that won't go away quickly. However, if your anxiety is something that's causing problems with your day to day life, then there are meds that can be prescribed for it. Speak to your GP. There is a HADS scale http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_Anxiety_and_Depression_Scale that tests for anxiety and depression, you can do this with your GP and they should offer it to you. I was put onto medication for mine, even though it helped, it's still has taken time to come to terms with what happened ... Depression is also something that affects quite a few of us .... Irritability, fatigue, short term memory problems are all common too .... all of this can be helped .... unfortunately for me, I was too proud to ask for help in the initial stages as I thought that I would be over and done with it after 6 months, plus I didn't have this type of forum or knowledge of other SAH'ers that had gone before me ... Even though you're in the very early stages of recovery .... go and ask for help ... don't do what I did and keep waiting, as I'm sure that it didn't help me, especially with my mental health. xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winter Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Hi Kaz/Karen - Warm welcome to you! As the others have all said, this site is a great place to be for help - in many areas! We're all here to help support one another through sharing our experiences and offering words of encouragement and comfort as needed; and we do laugh a lot here Look forward to hearing more from you, hope to see you in the green room. Do take care, Carolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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