Hello - Michael

[modbod]

Hello, I'm Michael, a new member from Dublin, Ireland and I've found this site very useful and helpful. I am now 3 months after a SAH and have made a good recovery, thank God. I would like to set out my story below as it is therapeutic for me to do so and to avoid boring readers too much, I will try to be brief.

I am a 59 year old retired accountant. The SAH happened, without warning, at 7am on 2 November 2007. I was in bed and my wife had already left the house but was due to return in about half an hour. I lifted my head from the pillow and bang, it hit me.

I felt a very severe pain in my head. With hindsight, I also remember a warm wet sensation in my head, but at the time I didn't know what was happening. I remember getting up to the bathroom and vomiting a few times and putting my hands to the sides of my head and asking myself if this was how I was going to die. The most scary bit was a very unpleasant sensation spreading from the back, across the entire area of my head and the overwhelming feeling that I only had a short time before I became unconscious. I wondered if I'd have enough time to ring for an ambulance and haul myself downstairs to open the front door, to allow access for the ambulance guys, before I passed out. I picked up the nearest phone and rang 999 and asked for an ambulance. During the phone call, my condition stabilised and the feeling of immininent unconsciousness left me. I remember thinking that I did not particularly want to wake up the neighbours with the ambulance's siren and flashing lights. So I agreed with the chap on the phone that I would wait till my wife returned in 15 minutes and, if necessary I would then ring back.

To cut a long story short, I survived the initial bleed. With my wife's help, I visited my GP later in the day but he only prescribed something for my tummy and paracetamol for my head. It was 2 days later, when my wife brought me back to the GP with a continuing very severe headache, that he sent me to the Mater Hospital where the SAH was diagnosed after a CT scan. I was then rushed by ambulance to the Neurosurgery Ward at the nearby Beamont Hospital. The next day they did preliminary surgery to confirm that the SAH was due to a ruptured aneurysm (in the anterior communicating arteries) and the following day, they operated again to coil the aneurysm. When I awoke after the op, the feeling of relief in my head was fantastic and they told me the op was a success and that I had been extremely lucky.

Due to the excellence of the professionals at Beaumont Hospital and to the help of my wife, I have now pretty well recovered and have little or no long-term impairments (I think?). Considering the statistics on SAH, I feel very grateful to be alive and to have recovered so well.

I did have a bad pain in my colon for about 7/8 weeks which I initially attributed to constipation caused by the nimodipine tablets, but which I later worried might be something more. In any event the pain is nearly gone now but I'm having it checked by a specialist in a few weeks just to be sure. I'm back driving since last Friday and that is wonderful. The feelings of fatigue and occasional dizzy spells are still there but I realise that a full recovery will take another few months.

I have not smoked since the SAH and while the stint in hospital made this easier, the withdrawal pangs are very bad at times. I realise that if I smoke again I'm asking for trouble and that is mainly what is keeping me going. That and the help of my fantastic wife and the good wishes of many friends.

It is great to have a website like this where people can share their experiences and I have found this to be of tremendous help in my recovery.

Thanks and Best Wishes,

[bogbrush]

Hello Michael and welcome to behindthegray.

Thanks for sharing your story. It's good that you've made a quick recovery, but it's early days, so take it easy.

Regards

Keith

[Louise]

Hi Michael

And a warm welcome to the site, nice to read your story.

Hope to hear from you soon

Louise.

[Shanti]

Hi Michael

A very warm welcome to the site. Like you I had my SAHs Oct and Nov 07 so its early days yet. My major one was coiled, one left untreated so far.

You do sound lucky though like me to have come through this relatively unscathed. I spend hours on here reading through everyones stories and the discussion boards, I find that stuff I'm worried about is usually mentioned somewhere on here.

Re Nimopidene: yes I had similar constipation problems but it seems to have righted itself now. Do get blood though after a motion which is odd, 'cos thats never happened before. I'll ask my GP when I go in for repeat sick note.

Amazed you've got your driving licence back so soon. How did you achieve that? Did they write to you? Did the hospital alert the appropriate authorities that it was safe for you to drive?

Big hugs to you and your wife, she must be relieved to have you back home safe and sound

Lesley xxx

[Shanti]

Me again!

Oops forgot to add that I'm struggling with the not smoking too. Although not to the extent that I would have thought. I just try and do something else until the craving goes away. Have had the odd one though though, then felt stupid for being so weak, but after smoking for 30 years its bound to haunt us a little isn't it.

Hugs

Lesley xxx

[Skippy]

Hi Michael

Welcome to the site and the family. I hope you get as much from this site as the rest of us. For me personally it's been a god send and I wouldn't have managed without it.

As for the smoking thing, yeah I quit for a while but the urge got too much and after seeing my consultant and him explaining that the chance of it happening again if I carried on would increase by 1% then I didn't worry too much. At the moment I'm concentrating on losing the weight I've gained since the SAH and then I'll address the smoking issue.

Like the others have said, you're early on in your recovery so make sure that you listen to your body and rest/sleep when it tells you to.

Speak soon

Sami xxx

[Karen]

Hi Michael and welcome to the website....

I also found it quite therapeutic in writing my story.....

It sounds as though you've had a remarkable recovery ..... we have quite a mixture of recovery experiences on this message board, but the common bond is that whatever you experience, whether recovery is fast or slow, we all need a bit of support from time to time.

As many of the others have said, you're early on with your recovery, so you still need to take it easy and be kind to yourself.....

[Janet]

Hi Michael and Welcome

Glad to hear that you are making such a good recovery as Karen has already said just remember to take it easy and listen to your body.

Janet x

[modbod]

Thank you all so much for making me feel so welcome to the site.

Shanti, in regard to your questions about driving, I was advised by the neurosurgeon to alert my insurance company of the SAH which I did shortly after my release from hospital. After three months, my neurosurgeon gave me a certificate of fitness to drive which I passed on to my insurer and they gave me go-ahead to drive again last week. I did not contact the licencing authority (the Government Dept which issues driving licences and tax discs) and I am working on the assumption that I do not have to contact them, mainly because nobody told me I had to contact them. Perhaps the situation is different in the UK?

Best Regards

[Vivien]

Hi Michael, glad you are here and recovering well

[Karen]

Hi Michael,

In the UK, I'm pretty certain the we have to contact the DVLC and inform them of the SAH and you can find their website online and the appropriate form to fill in or telephone no .... I haven't got a clue what the rules are for Ireland, but it might be worth looking it up on their website? I would definetly check with somebody or it could make your car insurance invalid.

For anybody that has had a SAH, you need to inform your car insurance company too, or your insurance may be invalid....... Most of us haven't had an increase in our premium because of the SAH, as from what I've read, they cannot discriminate against disability (unless anybody tells me otherwise) ..... but, it's advisable to inform them, rather than give them an excuse not to pay out on a claim.

[modbod]

Karen, that is good advice and I think I will contact the Irish equivalent of the DVCL tomorrow, just to be on the safe side.

Best Regards,

[tennissmithy]

Michael,

Welcome to the site, it have been brilliant in helping me with my recovery. All I can say is take it easy and listen to your body, i thought I was recovering really well too but had a setback of headaches, dizziness etc 13 months on. I don't think I listened to my body well so just take extra care.

Laura

xx

[stephen]

Welcome Michael.

I had my sah on 1/11/07 and had surgery on 2/11/07.

I was told i could n't drive until the consultant told me i could, i replied by saying i hoped he would take the responsibility for me driving as i have never had a driving lesson or sat behind the wheel.

I hope you enjoy the site as much as i do.

[Guest janey]

hi Michael and welcome from another Beamont patient

Before you ask I dont know about driving in ireland as I have a uk licence. the only thing I can say it was the neurosurgeon who told me i wouldnt be able to drive for a year. So they do seem to know, according to health.

They are a wonderful bunch of people at the beaumont. And here. It is so nice to have a home board to be able to get support on and to be able to offer it.

I have had 2 SAHs one in England and one in Ireland, just recently I had a wrapping of an anuerysm at Beaumont, the previous 2 were coiled.

Its just as well I said it is not raining here today!

Welcome again Michael and take care janex

[modbod]

Thank you all again for the warm welcome to the site.

I contacted the Motor Tax/Driving Licence section of Dublin City Council yesterday and explained that I had had a SAH 3 months ago and that I had now received a certificate of fitness to drive from my neurosurgeon. In those circumstances they said I did not have to do anything further and that I could drive as far as they were concerned.

It was not too clear whether I should have reported the SAH at the beginning and filled up a form and then supplied them with the cert of fitness to drive at the end of the 3 months---I got some conflicting views on this from 2 seperate officials to whom I spoke. In fact I got the impression that they were not too clear themselves.

The overall conclusion is that it is essential to advise your insurance company of the SAH and, while it does not seem to be essential to advise the Motor Tax/Licencing Authority, unless you are actually applying for a licence at the time, it may be advisable to do so. It appears that the certificate of fitness to drive from the neurosurgeon should satisfy both the insurer and the Licencing Authority and enable you to start driving again.

Best Regards,

[Slim]

Hello There Michael

Welcome to the Site, good to hear you are up motoring about and insurance etc sorted.

Look forward to hearing from you and the Mrs re you retirement exploits.

Tog go bog e

Aine xox

[modbod]

Thanks for welcome Aine. I love your bit of Irish? Is it Scottish gaelic or Irish Irish? I am originally from Clare so Munster Irish would be my thing, although I have lived in Dublin for well over 40 years now.

We go down to Clare a good bit for R&R as we have a small holiday home there. Our first trip down post-SAH was around end of Nov 07 and was a bit too soon, I could not get comfortable in the car no matter what way I sat or lied down, even tho Bernie was driving. We have been down once since then and the journey was a lot more comfortable.

I saw some comments elsewhere re Nimodopine tabs(spelling?) and I think I read somewhere that they are anti-stroke tabs. Excuse this non-sequitur.

Regards and "Tog go bog e" yourself

[rince]

In the UK you have to by law inform the DVLA of a SAH. This pdf might help.... http://www.dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/medical/aagv1.pdf ....

You have to "surrender" your license for quite a few things. Although it might vary from country to country the standards for "fit to drive" are I believe not that different. The EU certainly have a view on it!

Hope this helps.

Scott

[Slim]

Hello there Michael

Its a bit of Ulster Gaelige. I think, I picked it up at the Gaeltacht in Donegal. Kila have one of their albums named something simlar, can't remember where they are from?

You know I don't know if I've ever been to Clare but some great songs about the place

Re Car Journeys (First 3-6 months)I used to find them exhausting and my neck was very weak. I bought a neck cushion (like travel cushion but not inflatable) Mines is a Cushtee. got it from Amazon. Saw similar ones in Dunnes at Christmas (just different material) (Did feel a bit self conscious on train but really what price is comfort)!

Slainte

Aine xox

[modbod]

Hello All,

It is about 3 months since I last posted so I thought I'd jot down a few items that have happened in the meantime.

In February last I saw the consultant neurosurgeon and got the all-clear to drive again. In March, I saw another consultant about the pain in my colon, which led to a colonoscopy and the removal of 3 polyps. These were benign, thank God, but they discovered I had picked up the MRSA bug while being treated for the SAH in hospital in November last. After some vigorous treatment, I think this has now gone(?). My angiogram was due this month but due to waiting list it will be next August I'm told before this will happen. I'm back playing some golf once a week, 9 holes at a time. I'm also back playing the keyboard with the Church music group but am finding this a bit of a struggle. I also, in several moments of weakness (a) volunteered to regularly cut grass in a public green area nearby which nobody else was cutting, ( volunteered to write a 10,000 word research paper on a technical tax topic (have done about 4,500 words so far) and © volunteered to play the keyboard each week in a nearby nursing home for elderly folk . So much for taking it easy, I must be nuts! Anyway, enough about me.

The really sad news is that a cousin of mine, in his early 50's, had a brain haemorrhage a couple of weeks ago and while he has recovered consciousness, appears to be very severely damaged and, last I heard, he is not expected to survive. Please say a prayer for him and his family

Regards,

[Tina]

Hi Michael

Nice to 'meet' you. You are amazing, all you have been through and look at you!!! Good luck with your angiogram in August. My prayers and thoughts are with your cousin and family.

Take care

Love Tinaxx

[tennissmithy]

Michael,

So sorry to hear your sad news about your cousin and your family. Take care my thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Laura

xx

[bogbrush]

Hi Michael

Sorry to hear the news about your Cousin. You've really been through it lately and it sounds like you've taken a lot on. Hope the Angio goes well.

My son plays the organ in church once a month and is becoming quite proficient. He's also a cracking pianist and keyboard player. You can listen to some of his music (and mine) here: http://thebeltons.wordpress.com/music/

Regards

Keith

[Karen]

Michael, it's lovely to hear from you and so sorry to hear about your cousin and that you've been so poorly.... sounds as though your "volunteering" is going to keep you more than busy....hope that you don't overdo things. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. xx