Nic Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Before i formally introduce myself please allow me to say a big thank you to each and everyone of you that posts on here . Reading your comments has given me both the confidence to sign up and the optimism to fully contribute to the forum ....... once again , thank you all ! Well , what can i say ? Its been exactly 4 weeks since my SAH was operated upon and 4 weeks and 1 day since i was admitted to Hospital in the first instance . The onset of my SAH happened in the very early hours of the morning . I simply turned over in bed and this heralded the onset of my " headache " . Unusually , or so it seems , my headache was prevalent at the front of my head . I took paracetamol and tried to sleep to no avail and ended up setting the ball rolling in getting myself into the local A&E . After a couple of hours in the local A&E and a scan i was whisked away to a nearby Hospital Unit that specialises in this kind of thing as it was them that had effectively diagnosed it via email ! Whilst in the new unit the original diagnosis was confirmed by a further scan and an Angiogram . I have to say that the staff in the new unit were absolutely brilliant in every way . This sadly , however , was not enough to keep my spirits up . To say i was devastated as the news developed is something of an understatement . By now my family was involved and i did my level best to remain calm and philosophical about it in front of them but the times i spent on my own were very low moments indeed . To cut a long story short the aneurism that i had to have repaired was clipped . Sadly it couldnt be coiled because it was ( A ) too large , and ( B ) had calcified due to the time it had been present . I was in hospital for two weeks and allowed home thereafter . Whilst i was re-admitted for a day a week later for a few checks i havent been too bad since release although i have a million and one questions id like to ask at some point or another What i will say at this point is that ive remained in good spirits since the operation . Ive had some absolutely shocking days overall but it appears that ive kind of stumbled onto the great trick many people on here have in keeping your spirits up ......... remember what you were like last week , or the week before that , or the one before that , etc etc etc Now for the rest of my life post SAH And im certain that with the help and support of all you good people itll be something to look forward to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandi K Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hi Nic! Welcome to the BTG family! Ask as many questions as you like, someone here has been through it. It's such a relief for all of us to have this place to 'meet'. Sandi K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kempse Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hi Nick and a warm welcome to BTG. A great site where you'll find a wealth of information along with other people's accounts of what can be expected in the weeks/months following a sah. It's certainly a good place to ask those million and one questions that you have - just fire away when you're ready and someone will come along with some advice from their personal experience. Am I right in assuming you were treated at the Royal Hallamshire if you are from Sheffield? I live just outside Sheffield and have had two coiling ops under their care. Wishing you all the best in your recovery, Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hi nick welcome to btg hope you find everything you need here. Jess.xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winb143 Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 pat pat Nic....now after me start siinging .....lol a 1 a2 a3 We are the champions my friend.. And We'll keep on fighting til the end Yes we are the champions We are the champions No time for losers ...cos we are the champions of the worldddd xxxxxxx Early Days for you Nic but keep going xxxxx never be sad again as we made it xxxx Well Done Nic Love WinB143 .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldfish.girl Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hi Nick, nice to meet you. Look forward to getting to know you more. You're doing really well to have mastered the staying positive bit so quickly - it really does help. Michelle xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithH Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hi Nick Welcome to the Family. Hope you find the information on the site of great use. If it's "Advocacy & Empathy" your looking for, your in the right place. Some of those what seem daft questions, already have been asked in here, and if someone can't answer a question, they know someone who can. Looking forward to your future posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gill C Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hi Nick & welcome to BTG. It is a devestating thing to go through & a clipping is a major op so go easy on yourself. If you get chance click on Inspiration on the home page & read letter from your brain which puts into perspective what you have been through. Don't be afraid to ask anything as we are a great bunch & friendly (mostly lol). Win will have you singing & Mary will have you laughing & all the others will just be in there for you in their own way. I remember me being told its early days & nearly screaming in frustration because I thought I would be better more quickly than the 6 months I was told it would take! Here I am 2 years post clipping & I'm pretty good but I have learnt my limits & rest when I can & drink plenty. Its good to push your boundaries a little but not so much you exhaust yourself as that can cause a setback. Gently does it & (apologies for this in advance) you really are in the early days of recovery. Take care & chat soon xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hi all , many thanks for your welcome and good wishes ..... they are greatly appreciated . I'll start with the questioning of you all once i stop reading all of the info on here ! Im afraid my brain and i arent firing on all cylinders by a long way yet and the fact ive spent a fair ammount of time reading a small part of the available information on here means im unable to commit to much by the way of questioning due to the call of bed Bagpuss : ive just read the " Letter from your Brain " you referred to . Thanks for the very sensible advice . Im lucky in a way i guess as My Brain still very much runs the show at the moment ( see above ) . Kempse : You are right , i was treated in Sheffield Hallamshire Hospital just like you . Even though i do officially live in Sheffield i was actually admitted to Chesterfield A&E in the first instance as a live far closer to this Unit than the Northern General in Sheffield . The info thats available on here is absolutely brilliant and ive learnt more from here in the last day or so than i have in the last 4 weeks . For some reason i left hospital with virtually no knowledge of what had happened to me nor what i should/could expect going forward which i found to be very surprising ??? So , once again many thanks for all your well wishes but it will probably be at least a couple of days untill i fully join in with all the forums fun , games and singing and dancing . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hi Nic Welcome to the site and to the family. I'll give you the advice I give everyone - its a long road to recovery but you can make as many pit stops along the way as you want to. You're postings are very eloquently written and your brain sure seems to be able to convey clearly what you're wanting to say despite the fears and frustrations that you must have at the moment. It's an old cliche but time really is a great healer and at the moment you need to be looking after yourself as much as you can - lots of rest and plenty of water. Can you give us some more information about you - age, gender, family life etc - it helps us build up a better picture etc (and its a good excuse to be nosey ) Take care and speak soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KelBel Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hi Nic Welcome to the BTG family. As others have said, ask any questiosn when you are ready to. We are all here for each other, offering assistance on this journey of recovery. We all have slightly different journeys to take, but we seem to share a number of the same or similar symptoms along the way; to a greater or lesser degree. The majority of us are united in the fact that there is little or no aftercare once we are discharged. Whilst our care in hospital may have been good/great/fantastic, we are then left to our own devices with no idea what to expect once home. Like others have said; rest, drink lots of water and have some more rest. Hope to hear more from you soon Kel x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Mario Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 (edited) Welcome Nick sorry I have not done it earlier but I am abroad and using my Kindle.I was also taken to Chesterfield just over eight years ago as it is my nearest and then transferred to RHH. I cant remember anything for about three months it is what my family have told me.There are several folk on here who were treated at RHH. I presume under the same consultant but I cant remember his name at the moment. you will find lots of answers and support on here. Edited July 7, 2012 by penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winb143 Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 (edited) Stay away until you feel okay with it..... ....but computer can make head hurt.... BTG is a great site perhaps it's early days for you, but keep well Nic...and good luck on recovery Regards WinB143 Edited July 7, 2012 by Winb143 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 Hi NicWelcome to the site and to the family. I'll give you the advice I give everyone - its a long road to recovery but you can make as many pit stops along the way as you want to. You're postings are very eloquently written and your brain sure seems to be able to convey clearly what you're wanting to say despite the fears and frustrations that you must have at the moment. It's an old cliche but time really is a great healer and at the moment you need to be looking after yourself as much as you can - lots of rest and plenty of water. Can you give us some more information about you - age, gender, family life etc - it helps us build up a better picture etc (and its a good excuse to be nosey ) Take care and speak soon. Thanks for the welcome Skippy . And thanks for the reminder of what the " introductions " section of the forum is all about :oops: My names Nick , im a mid 40 year old Father of a little boy and a girl who is happily involved in a relationship with Jo . Ive been involved in Retail Management for a long time now and this has seen me live and work around the country for some time . I am , however , originally from Sheffield and ive been back living here for sometime now ( hence the relatively young children in relation to my age ) . I dont know what overcame me there Skippy , i guess my condition right now tends to overcome who i am ...... im sure i'll learn as i progress ! P.S By way of defence i did put some of this in my user profile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 KelBel and Winb143 : Youve both hit the nail on the head with your comments in more ways than one . I too struggle to understand the lack of aftercare/advice that comes with your discharge . As recently as two years ago i underwent knee surgery and was discharged with a daily plan of action detailing my rehabilitation . I undergo fundamentally more serious surgery two years on and im discharged with virtually nothing . The only reason i can think of for this seems to be the way that everyone appears to be affected slightly differently to each other :confused::confused::confused: And yes Winb143 - the computer can and does make your head hurt ! Ive not been on much at all since my first posts for this reason . I need to listen to you all more often !!!! Penny : I do hope you enjoy your holiday - i was supposed to be in Spain right now , just up the coast from Barcelona . I cannot begin to tell you the relief i got when i read one of the articles over on the Home page relating to flying after an SAH . I was somehow under the impression that id be at least two years before i could even contemplate taking any kind of flight ..... with the weather we seem to be experiencing right now it was a relief to see that i almost certainly dont have to !!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winb143 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Noooo dont listen to me..lol ..my answer to everything is sing and smile.......You will get better just do it at your own pace ... and I wish you well..knee and all Good luck Nic WinB143 x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 Noooo dont listen to me..lol ..my answer to everything is sing and smile.......You will get better just do it at your own pace ...and I wish you well..knee and all Good luck Nic WinB143 x Many thanks Winb143 - i only wish the knee was still playing up right now and was the only thing i was worrying about right now On a more serious note , i truly wish this " good day - bad day " kind of life im living at the moment sorts itself out shortly . I genuinely have days right now where i perhaps manage and hour or two out of bed per day . I think this is the tiredness bit kicking in to be honest . I reckon i need to quite quickly find exactly what im comfortable doing right now. I either do too much or too little right now and i could really do with finding that happy medium right now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Mario Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Hi again Nick, I have remembered the neuro`s name at RHH, it was Mr Patel. I would presume you were under him if he is still there. Inpatient care was brilliant according to my family but aftercare and information given was almost nonexistant as many others have found all over the place. As for flying, I go away at least four to five times a year. Insurance is the difficult one though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 As you can tell i am a very strange person look at me with my face painted, 2 yrs ago i was in the same boat, but with my new friends on BTG i managed to repair and fix my pooor soul into a fun loving guy so bear with yourself and in time you will be as daft or better than me welcome to us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 Hey up Mickey ..... hello to you too my friend . The gauntlet you throw down of aiming to be as good , as daft or both better than you looks a little daunting for me im afraid .... especially in light of you painted face Penny : You are spot on once again , it was Mr Patel who operated on me too !!! He was absolutely brilliant with me and my family aswell . But as with you the level of info given upon discharge was negligible to say the least . Im certain there is very good reason for this , im just not so sure what it is ! On the flight/holiday front , i think its great that your/my/our situation doesn't provide obstacles to us getting away as and when we like but i am a little bit concerned about your comments regarding insurance . What exactly are the problems here ? Im dreading the answer to this as im already in a little bit of a tangle regarding the situation with the DVLA/Driving and my ability to drive and the likely impact upon car insurance if and when i get the license back Onwards and upwards i suppose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Hi Nic Warm welcome to the site, glad you found us. I thought I'd said hello but seems I havent oops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KelBel Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Hi Nic Re. Travel Insurance - you will pay slightly more for your travel insurance following SAH/Stroke. I have used Columbus Direct in the past and they have been quite reasonable Re. Car Insurance - there should not be a change in your insurance payment once you have the all-clear from the DVLA to be able to drive again. Rgds Kelley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Hey Nic My hubby was 40 when we had our daughter - so nothing strange to me on the age of you compared to your children . As for your profile - I read it after I'd seen your posting, but it always helps to have it on here. You sound like you're doing really well and the best defense mechanism to have at the moment is to keep your sense of humour and try to see the funny side of anything that tends to frustrate you - you'll find lots of funny people on here - as in haha funny not weird.... Take care of you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Mario Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Hi Nick Kel has answered your question about insurance. Sadly I have quite severe heart problems as well so I have to pay well over the odds for Europe only. I recently had to upgrade it to worldwide zone 8 as I was visiting Jordan for a couple of days and to my amazement it was not that much more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Hi Nik I will give u some free advise pissst don't tell everyone I have a secret to tell I am more of a bikid now than I ever was I go down the arcades nlook for 2ps that have fallen out n saved an amazing £ 26 so far I ply games n gi oinn the rides n by the way got over excited and sped along the prom on my Mobility scooter n over a bump and ended up pulling a wheelie woo the old couple burst out laughing over seeing me so daft told me off then congratulated me for it as they didn't know it could be done so go out have fun its good for the spirits tv friend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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