My wife has suffered a SAH 5weeks ago

[Andyreay]

Hi My name is Andy and my wife suffered a SAH. It all happened on 20/11/ 2015. We were preparing for our Youngest Daughters 18th birthday the next day. We had just picked up her Birthday Cake and her older sister from the local train station but Unfortunately the cake had not lasted the short car journey.

 

Julie was quite upset as this had cost us £100 and looked quite spectacular when we picked it up. Julie suddenly felt faint and had to sit down, I did not realise anything was wrong and thought she was just over reacting. Julie then started vomiting just has her mum called round, she is a healthcare worker and recognised this was not right so I called an Ambulance.

 

The paramedic took her blood pressure and with the answers Julie gave, about the headaches etc, concluded that she may have had a bleed on her brain and she was rushed to local A&E. A ct scan confirmed our worst fears and Julie was taken to a speciality hospital 2 hours away.

 

By the time we arrived Julie had lost consciousness and was sedated and put on a ventilator. Another CT scan was done and she had had a second bleed. The next day she had an operation to insert coils into 2 aneurysms, there are still another 3 that are unprotected.

 

Everything else was pretty text book (Vasospasms, Hydrochephylis, etc) Julie also lost sight in both eyes and needed a permanent shunt. She was very confused at first but this has lessened over the last week or so. Julie is still in the hospital and has now had her Catheter removed and is beginning to walk to the bathroom which is very reassuring.

 

At 1 point about a week ago Julie suffered a massive seizure and was put back on HDU. This has now settled and she is back on a ward. The biggest concern now is her sight as this has not improved and she can only see shadows. The eye doctors have said that this may improve overtime and it is early days but it is a great worry as if doesn't this is so life changing.

 

We are now waiting for Julie to be transferred to a local hospital for rehab. This has been the toughest thing the family have ever had to endure especially as Julie is only 45.

[jess]

Welcome to btg Andy xxx

I hope Julie continues to improve and gets her sight back soon xxx

[Carolynusa]

Hello Andy.

First I have to say how sorry I am for your wife and rest of family. Tough thing to happen. Sounds like your wife is starting to gain her strength, become less confused and trying to understand what happened. I think that, often, the immediate results of an Sah change over time.

 

I think it might be the brain trying to heal. Healing takes time. Be with her, hold her and relay all of your concerns to the physician. Be her advocate so she will get the best possible care.

 

Please come back here when you can. This site helped me a great deal and there are a lot of "carers" on here for you to talk to.

Again, I am so sorry and keep us posted on your journey.

Much positive thoughts coming your way. Take a deep breath and take one step at a time.

Carolyn

[Tina]

Hi Andy

A very warm welcome to you and your family to BTG.

Such a very difficult time for you all. So glad you found us.

 

I really hope that Julie will be transferred very soon to Rehab and be in the best place to help with her recovery.

Wishing you all well and look forward to hearing more from you.

Take care

Tina xx

[Macca]

Hi Andy,

 

Welcome to BTG.  Sudden change is difficult to adapt to.  Everything with a SAH takes time in recovery.  Nothing is ever quick as you are no doubt discovering.

 

Keep talking to your wife and giving her plenty of reassurance.  She is in the best place to assist her recovery.  The treatment she receives and the support family and friends provide give her the best chance of recovery.

 

Often life will never be quite the same but you can adapt and it is how you adapt that enables you to eventually put this behind you and move on.

 

Don't become impatient with the slowness of recovery - that is natural for a brain injury!  Give the space and time for recovery to happen in its own time and make sure you look after yourself too.  You can only give the best support from a position of strength.

 

Look after your lady - she's precious!

 

Keep us posted about her recovery and if you need help just ask - or have a look around this site, there are answers to a lot of the questions you'll be asking yourself.

 

We can't answer medical questions though because we are not qualified - ask your doctors for those.

 

Keep your chin up. A problem shared is a problem halved as they say.

 

Macca

[Colleen]

Good morning Andy,

My condolences to you and your wife for the most difficult time you are going through. Your wife has been through such brain trauma with two bleeds and the related complications, bless her heart. I'm praying that her rehab will help her continue progressing and that her eye sight improves.

 

Of course I'm sure you are aware that even should her sight return, the S A H is a life changing event. There will be many emotions to work through.

I generally tell people that the immediate effects of my SAH were probably harder on my husband than me. After all, I was sleeping a lot of the time and under morphine for the pain.

 

He had a lot to deal with, absorbing all the medical information, giving permissions, contacting family and arranging for them to travel to my side, taking care of the home front (my first conscious thoughts for him were who's taking care of the dogs?.).

 

Please be sure to enlist help and get rest and healthy foods; she will need you whole and sound when she comes home.

My best to you both and your family as you progress on this journey.

Colleen

[Louise]

Hey Andy

 

Welcome to the site so glad that you found us.

 

It is early days things improve if slowly remember its not like a broken bone the brain is a complex thing.

 

Rehab is good help and support there (been there done that)

 

Yes its the toughest thing, but you'll be so much stronger for it...

 

take care and try to find time for yourself.

[ClareM]

Hi Andy

 

Can't add much that hasn't been said by fellow BTGers. So sad for you and your family, I hope your wife makes progress when in rehab and that her sight returns.

 

Remember we are all here for you, so use us to help lighten your load.

 

My thoughts will be with you this New Year.

 

Clare xx

[Andyreay]

Thanks everyone for your kind words of encouragement. The Irony here is that the awful cake probably saved Julie's life as this may have held off until the next night at my daughters party when we all may have been slightly inebriated.

 

I went to see Julie earlier and she was complaining of severe headache and feeling sick, I informed the nurse and they gave her some medication. Is it a usual feeling for me to think that this may be worse due to the initial effects of the SAH

[Daffodil]

Hey Andy. I am so sorry you and your family are going through this and that your wife had such an ordeal but I hope that slowly things will begin to improve for her and her eyesight, it may well be a slow pace but I have learnt that steady and slow is actually a condition to enjoy and value.

 

The sickness can be due to so many things to be honest, the effects of the hydrocephalus alone brings really awful headache and sickness and of course there is the effects of the bleed plus all the medication, the shunt and coiling surgery, the list is pretty long.

 

Keep watch on your wife as they will on ward and if pain gets worse then don't hesitate to shout but these Neuro folk are used to managing the pain and it takes a while to find a balance to keep on top of it after all that interference With Our control panel.

 

You're right that the cake may have been the saving of her and I hope in time you will sit all together again and enjoy a nice slice of cake. Go easy, go steady and remember shout or ask if you are worried.

Daff

[kempse]

Hi Andy and a warm welcome to BTG.

 

I'm sorry your wife has recently suffered a sah - a time when she should have been enjoying seeing her daughter turn 18. It must have been a pretty horrible time for you all. 

 

I really hope 2016 brings great improvements in her recovery.  I'm sure you will gain some encouragement from the replies on this thread, all from people who have made amazing progress since suffering their own sah.

 

Wishing you all the very best,

 

Sarah

[Winb143]

Hello Andy,

 

Keep your wife's spirit high, do not tell her your worries or concerns as she needs rest and relaxation.

 

I had mine in 2009 and have a shunt, my eyesight got worse but never got real bad.

 

I was out for a long while,  so wife being moved is a good sign. 

 

I sometimes get upset even now thinking what they must have gone through, so keep wife smiling when possible.

 

Good luck and remember the brain needs time to heal,  somewhere on here is  "A Letter from your Brain"

 

http://web.behindthegray.net/index.php?/page/articles.html/_/inspiration/a-letter-from-your-brain-by-stephanie-st-cla-r167

 

Wishing you All Good luck xx

 

Regards

 

WinB143  Time is a good healer also my Surgeon told me no stress so I sing. xx

[Chelle C]

Hi Andy,

 

Welcome to BTG, so sorry that your wife has suffered an SAH, it`s a difficult time for you and your family,

 

You have come to the right place for help and support, we will be here for you all, we have all been there 

and you will find everyone on here very friendly and willing to help,

 

As Macca said the recovery process is a very slow one, the brain is injured and it takes time to heal,

 

I wish you all the very best on your recovery journey together, stay strong, you will get there.

 

Love & Best wishes to you all

Michelle x

[Andyreay]

Thanks everyone for your kind words, I went to see Julie yesterday ( as I do every day and WOW, she was just like the old Julie. I got her to call her family, with my help as she can't see. She went to the bathroom unaided and just seemed so much more content. Her eyesight has not improved at all so this is holding her back. Although she is not complaint about it I feal that she is very fearful of it not returning.

 

We are a strong family unit and will get through this. The thing we all now realise is that she has survived and may not have.

 

I am glad I found this site as it is comforting to know so many you have gone through this and come out the other end.

[Super Mario]

There is such a thing called Terson's Syndrome http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1227921-overview

It may be worth getting the doctors to investigate for it.

 

I had it in one eye and it didn't clear up so had an operation and my eyesight is now back to what it was.

[subzero]

Hello Andy

 

Also a warm welcome to BTG. So glad you found it so quickly, you will find so much help from past Introductions and encouragement from sharing your thoughts online.

 

You will look back on the closing weeks of 2015 often as you relive the memories of what happened to your wife, however now at the start of 2016 you have so much to challenge you both as you adjust to dealing with SAH and the new journey it is leading you.

 

You mention that your family will be a great support, and that is so good.

 

I wish you all well and the strength mentally and physically to deal with Julie`s progress.

 

Take care and share often with your friends and all of us at BTG in the months ahead.

 

Subs

[Sharlua]

Welcome Andy so sorry to hear that your wife has had a SAH but sounds like you will be an excellent support to her. I know it must be quite a scary time for you and your family. Fingers crossed her eyesight will return as she improves. I hope this site is helpful, it has been to me. As every SAH affects each person differently having such a wide support group is helpful.

 

Make sure you also get support as I know sometimes after my SAH I was not the easiest person to live with due to tiredness and my emotions being all over the place. Let us know how your wife is doing.

Take Care

Sharon

[Julie Reay]

Hi my name is Julie Reay, I am Andys wife. I thought I would update you all on my progress. I had my sah on the 20th November 2015, I can't tell anyone what it is like to have a sah as I can't remember anything from that evening apart from my mum and husband asking if I was ok, My mind is a complete blank until about mid January, two month of my life lost.

 

My eyesight is a little better now after two ops and i have started to get about a little bit now. I still have 3 unprotected aneurysm one which will be clipped and the other two will be coiled. I got my date for clipping last week, this will happen in 5 weeks time ( I am dreading it ) as I can't stand the thought of the possibility of not having my own mind again, and it seems to have taken me so long to have gotten this far.

 

I am permanently exhausted and still have a weakness, because I had two bleeds one affected my right arm and one affected my left leg.... I really don't want my family to have to see me go through all of this again, this is my biggest worry.saying all of that I have to thank them as I couldn't have got this far without them.

 

I am quite a strong person, and just have to laugh when they tell me some of the things that I've done in hospital. To give you all a clue as to my personality how many people do you know that would pull out there tubes in HDU and start singing "staying alive".......

 

Ok now I have bored you all, I will love you and leave you for now. I will post another update after my clipping (keeping my fingers crossed I won't go gaga again)

[Sharlua]

Welcome to the site Julie and thank you for sharing your story sounds like you have had quite a time. I wish you lots of luck for your clipping luckily I only had one aneurysm which was coiled successfully in Jan 2015.

 

I know other members have had to have subsequent treatment and I am sure your good sense of humour will help you get through together with your family.

 

Keep us updated and keep singing that tune!

Take Care

Sharon

[jess]

Hi Julie firstly welcome xxx

Secondly my choice of song was thank abba for the music very loudly anytime of the day or night like my mum and nurses said though at least I was in tune, and tubes yes I kept pulling the one in my jugular vein out they stitched it in in the end lol (none of the others were safe either lol xxx

My now 8yr old had pneumonia at four days old and he too ripped the tube out (back of hand) that's when I knew he was going to be alright he was fighting just like his mum (me) lol xxx

About going in for clipping, the first time I was like I wrote about, the second time there wasn't a rupture it was planned. I went in on a Thursday, clipping on Friday, home in own bed following Thursday and pregnant with my first within two weeks (sah Sept 02 aneurysm clipped second aneurysm clipped Jan 03) you will be fine xxx

[kempse]

Hi Julie,

 

Lovely of you to call in and update us. So pleased your sight is a bit better now and hopefully with time your weaknesses will show improvement too.  

 

I know you will be anxious about your future treatment, but it will be under different circumstances, ie not an emergency situation, so I'm sure you won't be gaga again as you put it.

 

I wish you all the best,

Sarah

[Julie Reay]

Thanks all for the comforting words. I know that this time will be different as it will be planned surgery and not an emergency.

And Jess how brave of you to conceive so soon after your sah.... Keeping my fingers crossed for you and your son x

[Chelle C]

Hi Julie,

 

Great to hear you are improving steadily, it`s nice to hear your eyesight is a bit better now.

 

Hopefully the weakness will improve as time goes on, I had left leg weakness after my SAH

in June 2014, I was offered some Physiotherapy to help build some strength back in my leg

and it really did help, you don't say weather you have had any Physiotherapy or not, if not it

may be worth asking your GP about it.

 

I wish you all the best with your future treatments, I`m sure you will be fine,

 

Love

Michelle x

[Colleen]

Hi Julie,

I am glad to hear of your progress. I know it can be frustrating, but as others have said it takes time for your brain to heal from this assault. It will get better.

 

I also know that after all you've been through, the thought of brain surgery is not a comfortable one. I had one aneurysm that burst and was coiled and a second one that needed clipping. The craniotomy was done two months after the bleed and my surgeon ended up clipping both aneurysms to make sure there are no future issues.

 

I was in the hospital for three days total for the surgery. The recovery was nothing near like recovering from the bleed. I returned to work about three weeks or a month after the surgery.

We'll all be praying for your continued recovery and successful surgery.

Colleen

[Julie Reay]

In answer to your question Michelle yes I have had physio and it has helped a little.

 

Coleen how interesting that you were only in three days, I've been told to expect to be in for at least five and wow can't believe you were back at work so soon... Lucky you, I haven't even thought about going back to work yet. I do have a physical job I work in a factory and I don't think I could keep up with the pace of the line I work on.

 

I do however still get paid for now but it won't last much longer. Hopefully they will be able to find me a job that I can do.