Michael Enloe Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I had my SAH on October 11, 2011. I had been experiencing a headache for a couple days that suddenly got really bad while I was dressing for work. I am not one to run to the hospital but I called my sister and asked her to call an ambulance while I unlocked the door. I last remember being loaded into the ambulance in Aiken, South Carolina and waking up almost 3 weeks later in the ICU of a hospital in Augusta, Georgia. I was experiencing a small bleed while at home and thankfully I was in the Aiken ICU when the big bleed happened. My heart stopped several times when the big bleed started and without a doubt I would not have survived without the ICU team. After I was stable enough to transport, I was moved to Georgia where coils were used to stop the bleeding. After 6 weeks in the hospital and another 10 days in rehab, I was able to return home with a walker. I can now walk normally. The headaches have stopped but I do notice that I tire very easily. I also have noticed that while I feel very normal and clear headed at home, I sometimes feel confused and unsteady when I am out in public. I have had 2 surgeries on my right eye to remove the blood and repair the retina (the last surgery required me to lie face down for 17 days!). Unfortunately, my retina is still has scar tissue that must be removed and there is a small hole in the macula. I hate having bad vision! I really miss the old me and I am trying to get to know the new me and what that means. Sometimes that really gets me annoyed and depressed. Thank you all for posting. It is encouraging for me to hear that others have gotten through what I am experiencing now. Mike Aiken, South Carolina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Hi Michael, I hope you are recovering well and I hope you will find this site as useful as most of us on here do xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gill C Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Hi Mike & welcome to BTG.This really is a godsend for us survivors so we can share the common problems & support each other through good times & bad. xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Hi Mike Warm welcome to the site, glad you found us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonia Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Hi Mike, Welcome to the site. Hope your recovery goes from strength to strength. There are a few of us with vision problems,. I for one have lost most of mine in my left eye. Have to take good care of my right one as it does all the work now. Take care. Sonia x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Hey there Welcome to the site and to the family. You're early in your recovery so that tiredness is to be expected. Rest when you can and make sure you drink plenty of fluid to help ease the headaches. I'm five and a half years post SAH and still sometimes struggle in crowds - especially the town centre on a Saturday day time - it depends on how tired I am (I work 9-4 everyday in a primary school office). It does get better with time but take it slowly for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Wow, you've had quite a different experience than I have. I'm new here too. I'm coming to appreciate how there are so many different scenarios here with types of bleeds and recoveries. I'm fortunate to bounce back quickly. I want to bring that positive aspect to the site. You've been through a rough spell and like most people here say, it will improve with time. The hard part is the question "when" and to what extent. Those were always my main concerns. I'm living proof that things can change quickly and resolve completely. It didn't seem that was in the early days though. I couldn't even see properly to type on my keyboard. I dictated to my iPhone! Take care Mike and keep positive! Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winb143 Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 You seem to be doing well........I still cannot walk properly..my back aches real bad when I walk too far Got any tips for backache lol Keep getting better and try not to worry too much,,,,and keep singing and smiling All the Best WinB143 x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kempse Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Hi Mike, welcome to BTG. Crikey you did have an ordeal - how on earth you managed those 17 days face down, I can't imagine. I do hope the eye situation improves for you. Fortunately my eyes weren't affected by my sah, apart from having regular visual disturbances ever since the event. Personally, I think that sight being affected must be one of the hardest things to have to contend with. I have an unruptured aneurysm close to the origin of my opthalmic artery and the thought of that going 'ping' fills me with horror. However it has remained stable for the past 3 years so here's hoping it will continue. I'm sure you will find this site very informative and I hope the support that is on offer on here from other sahers will help you through your own recovery. Take care, Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Enloe Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Thank you all for your support. I am so glad that I found this group and discovered that there are others out there experiencing the same things I am! Just knowing that has already made me feel much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryB Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Welcome Mike, This site has been the most helpful to me. Know you will get better everyday, patience...... This has given me patience....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KelBel Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Hi Mike Welcome to BTG! You were certainly lucky to be in ICU when the main bleed occurred. Will they be able to restore your sight with further ops? That is fantastic that you are walking normally now. We all seem to suffer from trying to get to know the new person we have become... but onwards and upwards, we can keep on recovering even years down the line. We just have to take the scenic route rather than the most direct route. Remember, lots of water, lots of rest, and lots of cutting yourself some slack too (I wish I listened to my own advice sometimes... ) Take care Kel x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Welcome to btg hope to chat soon. Jess xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Enloe Posted March 14, 2012 Author Share Posted March 14, 2012 Kel, I will be returning to opthamology on Tuesday, the 20th. There will be further ops but because I have more than one issue, they are trying to figure out how to fix one thing without making the other problem worse. I'll keep you posted. I seem to be the SAH case that got every rare complication possible but lived to tell about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gill C Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Mike not wanting to trump your card but I had vasospasms during my op although my neuro said my anni didn't bleed, he said he'd never seen that before!Normally its the blood irritating the vessels that causes them to contract! I do like to be different!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janicegrewe Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Hi Mike, I am new on here too! It has been over 2 years for me,and I think the worst thing that I remember is having double vision!!But one day while at home, it was gone!!my eye dr. said a lot of vision problems is the eye's reaction to stress.Made sense to me.Hope you find this helpful, it has made a world of difference for me.Take care,Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandi K Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Hi Mike, welcome to BTG. Sandi K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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