Guest bikergrrl Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Hello all! Im Jackie, 33 and had my SAH nearly 4 wks ago. Wasnt doing anything strenuous when it happened just out playing on my bike when I had the headache to end all headaches and knew I had 2 get off the bike b4 I crashed! After throwing up and feeling weak for a while my neck and shoulders went very stiff so I put it all down to a very bad trapped nerve and stupidly rode home 10miles! Eventually got an ambulance to casualty and was diagnosed swiftly which seems a rareity reading your comments! Then was transfered to Walton and bumped up the surgery queue for the coil which was quite scary in itself! Staff there were fantastic, apart from the dayshift in the high dependency unit which would have been better named the neglect ward! Anyway home now and recovering really quickly although trying to do too much. Not having headaches unless I lean my head against something or sit on something hard! Very tired by midday. Cant handle noise or phones tho and memory, well worse than it was and was bad before! Main problem though is no one believes Ive had a SAH. not even my doctor, saying I was too young, I must just have had an anyeurism not a haemorrhage So have decided to wear bandages on my head or shave some hair to give myself some creedence so people dont think im just being lazy! haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Welcome to the site Jackie, Sounds as though you are doing well with your recovery, which is great! Know what you mean about wearing a bandage on your head .... because you look normal and don't have any visible scars, people tend to think that you're fine .... it's only people that are close to you, who realise that this isn't the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dirtypunk1970 Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Oi, Oi, bikergrrl! Posted reply to you under fellow bleeders....I thought I was on this introductions bit, then when I'd posted it, realised was in wrong forum thing No, just realised, right forum thing. Wrong post.... And I was like this before SAH Oh well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Firefly Posted April 20, 2007 Share Posted April 20, 2007 Nice to meet you! It sounds like you are doing very well, you are very lucky to have got treated so quickly!!! That is awesome, I don't even remember the first 6 months to a year! Sounds like you were taken care of well! I know what you mean about the bandage!!!! And I get so sick of hearing "you look good"!! They have gone into my brain 5 times now, but you can't see it!! I had a rupture almost 2 years ago, I unfortunately did not get diagnosed right away ao I have a long recovery. I am getting there though!! It takes a while to get over the fatigue... Just don't do too much too fast hun!! I know it is hard not to!! It is very important to take time to heal, stay hyfrated, take care of yourself & be patient! Don't strain, lift to much... Take it a little at a time a day a time! God has blessed us all for being here and I live everyday to the fullest!! I am 47 and was a firefighter before my "Annie" ruptured. I miss it so much although I have a long recovery ahead, I pray to return to it someday!! As for the DR's comments about you being too young, there is no age limit for aneurysms!!! Even babies can have them, many to most of us have it geneticly. There was a 16 year old on one site who had to have a crainiotomy. She is fine last I heard, but I am so sick of DR's saying things like "you are too young", or "it is just a migraine"... I had a NS tell me I just needed glassed after I had a rupture?? I went to the ER 3 times and saw 3 Dr's and almost 3 months to get a diagnosis??? I found my own NS and he saved my life!! I just had my 2 year angiogram check up and all looks good!! If I go to a new Dr. and they give me a smart A** attitude, or a stupid answer like that, I am out the door after they get an ear full!! I almost died 2 times from Dr.'s not listening to me or believing me??? Always remember that they are working for you and should treat you with respect! I found the most awesome Family Practioner to take over my long tem care and he has help me more than the specialist did!! He has a lot of "Vascular" patients, such as heart, strokes, us... Bottom line is if you don't like the Dr' or how he is handling things or treating you, SWITCH!! It is your life, but that is just my opinion!! As for the symptoms, they will hopefully get better in time and fade away! I still have light, sound, touch and smell sensitivity. Severe headaches, terrible short term memory, cognitive, perception, vision and insomnia... ( I had complications though! ) You will learn to listen to your body and know when you have had enough. I hope you don't do too much too quickly!! It doesn't matter if others believe you or not!!! You know what happen and how you feel!! That is all that matters! You will get use to the lack of understanding beyond family and friends. The public just doesn't understand! That is why support groups like this are so important!! The Dr's, friends even family can't even feel what we are feeling. It is nice to have others who do, to ask questions and know that you are not alone in this!! We are here if you need to talk about anything!! Don't let the lack of understanding from others bother you hun!! We didn't understand it until it happen to us?? If I were you, I would get a new NS and find a good Family Practioner with a lot of vasular patients. You just need to give your brain time to heal and absorb everything. Please take it easy for a while!! You should have a good F.M. to take care of your long term recovery and so that he knows your history about the Annie... Plese take it easy and keep us posted! I will keep you in my prayers!! Sounds like you are well on your way to recovery!! Take good care of yourself!!! Love Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 20, 2007 Share Posted April 20, 2007 Hi there Welcome to the site. Think a lot of us agree about the bandage thing :? Really surprised me what your doctor said to you of all people yes you can be any age there's no limit on it. Hope to hear from you again soon. Louise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bikergrrl Posted April 20, 2007 Share Posted April 20, 2007 Well definetley recovering but the knock on effects have been huge! The company I work for was in administration b4 xmas so i knew I was going to be out of work so I had gone flat out to set up a business out of the remnants of where I worked with a few other workmates. Unfortunatley, since the job I had was one of the most stressful youre likely to come across I decided whilst in hospital there was no way I could continue with the new business but the others have decided they couldnt do the stuff I did so the business is going to fold before it starts! Had spent all my spare cash setting it up but have had to walk away for the sake of my health, gutted... and now very skint!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 20, 2007 Share Posted April 20, 2007 Hi there At least you walked away instead of making yourself worse I got made redundant a couple of months after having the SAH, re-structuring they said - paid off they meant, now I know I couldn't have gone back to work but then I was gutted. Take care Louise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bikergrrl Posted April 20, 2007 Share Posted April 20, 2007 Yeah def just glad to be alive when you read the statistics! One thing that surprises me though is that you read that its not that common a thing and yet everyone I know knows someone whos had a brain haremorrhage. The very scary thing is their next sentence always ends with ... but then he died! Just to prove its a small world one of my customers had the same thing the week b4 me so was in the neuro unit when I got there! Oh and the bstards actually made me redundant the day of my surgery... which was nice of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 20, 2007 Share Posted April 20, 2007 Yes for not an all that common thing a lot have them. 5 days after they sent me a letter I was back in with viral menigitis my boss wouldnt even take Ronnie's phone calls, dosnt bother me at all now but he still gets really annoyed when he sees anyone from my old office. Louise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted April 20, 2007 Share Posted April 20, 2007 Hey there Jackie Welcome to the site and the family. Speak more soon Sami xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rince Posted April 20, 2007 Share Posted April 20, 2007 We were trying to think of a slogan for a T-Shirt but like with most things we gave up. Strangely enough one of the best moments since I had the SAH was after I had a shunt fitted and it was very obvious that I'd had brain surgery. I know exactly what you mean about people thinking along those lines, my wife was once told (whilst I was stood there I might add) that I couldn't of had a brain haemorraghe as "people don't recover from that". Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted April 23, 2007 Share Posted April 23, 2007 Hey there My parents friends day a similar thing to me. There was a woman we knew, Maureen, and she was lovely - had two kids and we used to see her and her husband at the social club we used to go to on a Saturday night. She had a SAH and died instantly. Now one of my parents' friends always says to me "when you feel down, you just think of Maureen - it killed her!!" Yeah cos thats what I want to think about when I'm down isn't it I know what he's trying to say "you're still here - be glad for that" but the way he said it I didn't know whether to laugh, cry or poor his pint over his head. He's a lovely bloke though and wouldn't hurt a fly - just as sensitive as a house brick sometimes!! Sami xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dirtypunk1970 Posted April 23, 2007 Share Posted April 23, 2007 As I used to take amphetamines, I came up with the slogan Brains on Speed Bleed. Use it as my signature on punk forums! As I also have a lot of tattoos, I was thinking of getting something like "damaged goods" tattooed on my head, but seen that before, so not very original...And there's not a lot of room because of my mohican and other tattoos on my head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted April 23, 2007 Share Posted April 23, 2007 Hello Jackie, Welcome to the site, yep I was also told I too young and it was rare etc for SAH I'm 31. I have since meet lots of people who know people our age that have had Haemorrages. Also misdiagnosed like most folk and my neck also seems to be my main problem area. Anyway glad to hear you are on the mend, This is a great site as I'm sure you wil discover. Keep up the good recovery. You'll be looking forward to this good weather and getting out on the bike again. Aine xox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blondie Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 Yeah def just glad to be alive when you read the statistics! One thing that surprises me though is that you read that its not that common a thing and yet everyone I know knows someone whos had a brain haremorrhage. The very scary thing is their next sentence always ends with ... but then he died!/quote] Lol - so true. Always makes me laugh now - they trail off at the end of the sentence. When I was in hospital the nurses told me a girl who worked at the same place as me had left the week before after a SAH! Aine and Jackie - I was 33 and kept getting told it was rare in someone so young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 Hey there I was 35 and also got told it was rare in someone so young. Weird that there are an awful lot of us around a similar age for it to be so rare!!! Sami xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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