Karen Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Clare, the booklet is in the post today ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clare Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Karen- Thanks for posting that off, and for the link to the vid, I did find it it's tucked away in the archives. I'm debating whether or not to show it to my mum. I think it would help her in one way because she has no idea what was entailed in the coiling or how it's really done, and maybe it would not be as scary as she presumes. On the other hand, it becomes apparent that really there is a chance further treatment could be neccessary and I wouldn't want to worry her, I have given her descriptions of aneurysms and coiling, I'll have to find out what her percepton of it all is. At the moment she is suffering from a bad cold and this isn't helping the recovery. Mum will need help to move on and not worry, but I know she wouldn't want to dwell on whats happened once all of the emotions have run their course, we're still on ANGER at the moment. I can't see how it's possible to ever come to terms with whats happened when you've suffered SAH. She has surprised me in not overdoing it so far, I think she's resigned herself to the fact that she needs to rest. So the blood dissapating own the spinal cord, how long are we looking at before this improves on average?? Keith- I will get her to ask this at her appointment on Aug 1st, I'm going to get her to write a list of questions as she thinks of them. I really hope the docs did look at all of the arteries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Clare, from what I was told about the blood dissapating down the spinal cord...about 3 months?....I've read elsewhere, that it can be longer. However, my back pain probably lasted about a month, if my memory serves me correctly.....the pain just got less and less over the days. By the way, I wouldn't have wanted to have watched the coiling video in the early months.....think that I was about 13 months post SAH....my 12 month SAH anniversary was a good turning point mentally, more than physically... and then I started this site up, about a month later.... It was Keith that discovered the coiling video and I can remember that it took a bit of persuasion for myself and Sami to view it. Glad I did though... No, this isn't easy to come to terms with and I haven't found a quick fix.. I'm nearly two years post SAH and I still feel that I have quite a bit of recovery to make .... but now I'm accepting of that fact and more patient...at the end of the day, I haven't had much choice, but rather than feeling angry at the situation now, I try to concentrate on what I can do, rather than what I can't do and I feel much happier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 It's very quiet on here today.... Had a very "nice looking young man" knocking on my door and asking if I would like my milk delivered .... it's the first time in 7 years or since we've moved in here, that we've actually been asked that...as I'm into re-cycling and the bottles are re-used, I said "yes" .... it's going to cost me more, but think that it's a good service for the old folks that also live around here..... Anyway, cooking some garlic chicken in a tomato sauce....have put that mix into garlic/herbs tortilla wraps along with a cheese sauce....very calorific! Have a good evening all and hope that your day was more exciting than mine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clare Posted June 5, 2007 Share Posted June 5, 2007 A little update: Mum has been coping very well since she has been home. Dad leaves as he used to for work every day, so she is on her own all day, and she gets up and tries to function as normally as possible. Everything does take a bit longer than it did before but she's got her routine back which is the main thing. She is still struggling with walking, and cannot walk very far at all, she says her brain won't allow her to run up the stairs. She is suffering from really bad back pain still which she thinks is affecting her concentration and ability and prohibiting her recovery. She has lost a lot of muscle tone, so she's very thin. Emotionally she is very good, she accepts what's happens, knows she has been very lucky and just want's to recover as quickly as possible and resume normal life, closing this awful chapter. Yesterday she got to see our GP who has been our GP for 20 years, much to our suprise it turns out that he used to be a neurologist. He has given her something for her back and was very reassuring and honest, telling her she will get back to normal but it could take years. He wants to keep seeing her regularly and will be keeping a close eye on the Neurologists that do her follow up to make sure she is receiving all of the care she should. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joan Posted June 5, 2007 Share Posted June 5, 2007 Clare - just read through your posts; am glad your mum is progressing and hope that she continues to improve. As many others have told you this recovery is very individual, but patience is rewarded. All the best, Joanxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted June 5, 2007 Share Posted June 5, 2007 Clare, Glad that your Mum is doing well...... She sounds very similar to myself, especially with the walking ... I also lost a lot of muscle tone... developed lovely "bingo wings" under my arms! but still have problems in the walking area. Almost like it's more a problem with my brain, rather than physical......still, I can now do enough to get by in day to day terms. Your GP sounds great and he's offered good sensible advice .... it's taken me 2 years to get as far as I am now..... I think that it's the mental stuff that takes time to heal and as long as your Mum can keep on top of that, then she's doing well.........the physical stuff may take time, but it does happen and it's something that you can work on. Keep her confidence up and even if she can't manage to walk far, a trip out in the car will keep her brain active and her mind occupied.... confidence can be a big issue post SAH, especially if you're physically limited to what you can do. Glad that she's doing so well ...... PS. When's your baby due? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clare Posted June 5, 2007 Share Posted June 5, 2007 Joan- Thanks for taking the time to read through my posts, lets hope mum manages to keep being patient. Karen - I don't think mum has bingo wings, but she does have the equivalent on her thighs. She did say though that because she used to be a dancer and built up her leg muscles dancing, she may never get them back because she won't be using them in the same way for walking. Which I suppose makes sense, although surely they will improve a little. I think she's a little freaked out that she can't run, I think she's thinking about all the situations where she might need to run and is a bit freaked out that her brain isn't permitting her. I knew her GP would be good, he's never let us down before and I feel lucky that we have been blessed with such a good one. I want to take her out in the car, even if it's just to get her out of the house. Mentally she has amazed me and I think she's dealing with all of this better than we are. I hope her confidence doesn't start to suffer. She has had her nose burried in the booklet you sent by the way. Baby is due on the 17th (I attched a ticker so you can count down with me) although we predict she will be here sooner, I'm very uncomfortable now and having strong Braxton Hicks. If she hasn't put in an appearance by the end of the week I may have to consider some drastic action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kaj Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 Today is 2 months since my mom's rupture. She is in acute rehab but very confused and doesn't know what happened to her, what year it is etc. We were told she will need care 24/7 for the rest of her life. Others say don't believe the physiatrist but believe the neurologist. I know how you feel. My baby was born April 20. My mom only knew him the first 8 weeks and now she doesn't know who he is. It is terrifying those first 20 days. My mom is a grade iv and had a tremendous amount of blood on her brain. She did not have a vasospasm and the doctors said she would for sure. Keep praying each day and try to sleep. Most patients die the first 30 days because of rebleed and vasospasm. Rebleed happens usually right away. It is the vasospasm that hopefully will not happen. some patients also die because of infections. The ICU is a breeding ground for infections. My mom got a couple but was fine with antibiotics. Just take each day and try not to look to the future. Keep the faith and take help from anyone who offers. Be very careful for your babies sake. Any questions please let me know. I will try to help Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clare Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 God it feels like a lifetime since I last added anything to this post. Kaj- Thankyou for your concern. Sorry about your mum, my mum was also seriously confused intially after SAH. I dont know what grade hers was but she presented unconcious with constant uncontrollable seizures in the end had to have a general anaesthetic to stop them. We were told to expect the worst, and when showed her CT images that if she didn't die she would probably be severely disabled. Miracles sure do happen and she's now almost normal again, with a few minor issues. Lucky doesn't describe it. I have a new thread called "A new arrival and a strange episode" which explains her wellbeing now. No matter what the doctors told me I was prepared to be in for the long-haul be it weeks or years. My mum recovered amazingly quickly so I wasn't in a situation anywhere near as desperate as yours, what I do know is that nearly every SAH victim on here is a hundred times better than they were at the beginning and they all make improvements everyday. I dealt with the whole thing 8 months pregnant and with a 2 year old in tow everyday. My little girl kept asking where nanny was. Luckily the worst was over before the baby arrived and she was with us. I understand how hard it must be for you with your son. But I'm sure your mums brain has him stored in there somewhere. You are obviously an amazing mother and daughter to be able to go through all of this and still offer me advice, she will be very proud of you. I hope this time next year you will look back at how your mum was now and see a great improvement. Don't be afraid to ask for help either the people on here were an absolute tower of strength for me, if you ever need to talk here is the right place. Take care Clare xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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