Holding yourself upright

[Winb143]

Hi All,

I was wondering how many of us had a bad balance problem after the SAH op.

I was coiled and out of it for a long while but I remember not being able to hold myself upright.

I had a big backed wheelchair

I used to fall towards the left and always fall on my lovely daughter and I am not a light weight.

I look back on those days with a smile and thank my lucky stars I am alive to tell the tale.

So if anyone's loved ones are at that stage it does get better.

Love

WinB143

[Louise]

I listed to the left I think it was. But dont remember a thing about those early days really..

[Daffodil]

Win I had quite a few balance issues. My team put that down to the hydrocephalus more than anything as the fluid I think is quite crucial to keeping the spine in balance plus of course keep the brain bathed.

I couldn't walk any distance in hospital , had to have someone hold me up , and when I was finally allowed off the ward for a wheel about and some much needed fresh (London!) air we used to giggle as the wheelchairs were often more skewiff than I was. I felt every bump and jolt, it was agony. Then post shunt it was the same all over again.

When I finally discharged I couldnt get up stairs without help, a tiny walk just into the kitchen would exhaust me but that was my small target. I used to try and walk a little more each day and have done. My lovely mum bought me a lucky stick with a hares head carved on the handle, I promptly dropped it, fell over and the nose broke off, so my lucky hare is also slightly damaged like me, still we toddle along.

If I am tired now then I fall quite easily, I just seem to forget to pick my leg up, my brain says it has, my leg didn't get the message and down I roll. I have gotten quite good at parachute rolls. I try and walk the dog on the days I know I have energy too and he stays much closer these days but not so close that I have landed on him yet.

One other thing I have noticed is that when I meditate( which I do now to help me relax) if I do it sitting then I always tilt over quite drastically to the right hand side. That's also the side I usually fall on. I ponder that sometimes but not for long.

I would love to run around in the garden chasing girls like I used to but having reclaimed so much I can only hope that I might get there before they get too old to be chased! A friend did say the other day that I am walking quicker than I was so my stamina is improving with time.

We've done well Win. Little steps eh? Even if they are shuffling ones. Keep going my lovely.

[Desy]

Snap Win as I was the exact same, coiled, out of it for about ten days.

Wheel chair for a good few days and when I would stand up I would rock back and forward and as my feet would point out they would hold me up but my heels struggled on the backward motion.

Few scrambles there i tell you lol but it's all good now...

Edited September 23, 2013 by Tina

[Gill C]

I have balance issues but it is more to do with only having single vision than the anni itself.

I was at an appointment on Friday & he was standing me up & sitting me down & turning me round! I fell against the door at one stage!!

I still can't do a toe heel walk!

Win you've done amazing x

[Winb143]

Thanks for replies all of you xx

It is so good to know we are not alone in this.

My daughter said I looked like a toy she had "weebles wobble but they don't fall down"

Thanks to All and BTG

Love You All

WinB143 xx

[iola]

I was not in a wheelchair but I did walk with a cane when I first got out of the hospital. I still feel like I am walking sideways some days. I would never make it on a balance beam!!

"I"

[Louise]

OMG!! that was the saying that Ronnie & I had weebles wobble but they don't fall down so guessing that I was worse than I am now....

[kpaggett]

I was totally wobbly...they wouldn't let me use a cane, so I got discharged with a walker instead. However, I was so agile before SAH, they had me doing most of my therapy on a balance beam! Wild. Also, before my SAH sometime, I had really bad Disembarkment Syndrome as I had just ripped my seasickness patch off after coming home from a cruise and had terrible withdrawal symptoms. I learned what kinds of exercises to do for vertigo back then, so I was in really good shape as far as knowing what I had to do to start recovering. After my SAH, I felt like I was literally in a gyroscope 24/7 even while sleeping. Eating was really hard as I felt sick all the time.

Now, I get dizzy or uncoordinated when my brain decides I need a dose of it. I have learned that I can not even manage it when it happens or let alone control it. I fell over in yoga one day for instance...and I never can do tree pose! At night, I also have this thing where it feels so good to lean backwards like when you lay down. I do it a few times just for kicks because it feels so good just to go backwards. I used to get this same feeling every time I braked while driving...the one good feeling I had back then.

I'm so glad it is better now as vertigo and unsteadiness invades every part of your life when it's with you.

~Kris

[Wem]

Win,

I distinctly remember the 'weeble' feeling when the nurses first sat me up in hospital. I did not have any balance in my core at all and needed full support to remain upright.

This 'weeble' thingy quickly improved, but the balance problems continued in other ways. I frequently felt that I was listing when I was walking and often felt that I would fall out of bed whenever I lay down to rest.

My balance has continued to improve, but as with so many other symptons, problems resurface quite dramatically whenever I am tired (which is often!).

Take care,

Wem