SAH without an aneurysm

[Guest Matthew]

I'm a bit new to all this, although I had my own SAH on March 1st, 2007, so that's over a year ago now. I was out visiting clients (I'm a probate lawyer, ironically) when I had the headache come on from nowhere. One of my clients called an ambulance and off I was taken to the General Hospital in Southampton which is near where I live. Cut to being sick over my wife (who had been attending a post natal appointment with our then five week old elsewhere in the General) and a CT scan (which I vaguely remember) which revealed the bleed.

I was given a cerebral angiogram the next day. I was told beforehand how an aneurysm would be fixed so was a bit surprised when I came round to be told that they could not find anything. I then stayed in the hospital for a week, had a second cerebral angiogram, again which found nothing, and went home the next day, with the doctors telling me that I had been very lucky.

I had two months off work and then started back in the mornings in May, gradually working up my hours so that now I am back to full time again. When I started work again I found it impossible to multi task - I had to do file A then file B and so on. Any disruption and I went home in the afternoon to sleep. I also could not cope with loud noises or crowds of people.

Things have improved a great deal since then. I am allowed to drive again for one thing and I can deal with the interruptions on the telephone which seem to be part and parcel of my work. I still get tired, although I don't know whether that is the result of the heamorrhage, or our toddler son, or work, or a combination of all three. It's difficult to separate out the possible causes.

I go along to the support group meetings at the General, which I would recommend to all in the Southampton area, as they are a very good way of swapping stories and experiences. It is good to know that you are not alone.

I still get some strange twinges in my head from time to time, usually on the left side, which is where the SAH went off. For a while I got a strange feeling like pins and needles running from the back of my head over the top toward my left eye.

When I was told that the second angiogram was negative I did remark to the neuroradiologist that it would have been nice to have found something that could be fixed, but was advised very smartly that I should count my blessings. I am told that the chance of reoccurence is extremely low, but that is something which sadly Legal and General have decided to ignore!

Matthew.

[Janet]

Hi Mathew

Welcome to BTG its good to hear that you have made such a good recovery. There are quite a few people on the site who have had non anuerysm SAHs. If you look on Subarchnoid Haemorrage Discussion thread you'll find it in one of the topics there.

I think the tiredness is one of the side effects of a SAH I find that if I do too much the fatigue kicks in but with a job like yours and a young child life must get pretty hectic.

You are lucky having an actual support group in your area a lot of places don't but this site has been a godsend to myself during my recovery. The people are really great and I have made a lot of friends some of whom I have been lucky enough to meet up with.

Look forward to hearing more from you

Janet x

[bogbrush]

Hi Matthew and welcome.

I've been to a couple of the support group meetings at Wessex Neuro. V.good.

Sounds like you've made a good recovery, but tiredness seems to affect us all to a greater degree than before SAH. I still get the odd twinge in my head 20 months on, no headaches, just strange sensations.

Regards

Keith

[Ann]

Hi Matthew

I too had SAH with no aneurysm found and understand your feelings about not finding a cause. I had mine more recently, 3 months ago.Glad to hear you are recovering well.People in general seem to think because we have not had surgery we should get better quickly so it is nice to have this forum where people understand the problems.

I was interested in your reference to Legal and General and being at increased risk of a further SAH when in our position we are tols that we are at no greater risk than anyone else in the population especially after a perimesencephalic SAH, not sure if that is what you had? There is a document which states that Insurance companies should not discriminate in these cases, see the final paragraph in the document from the link below. I hope the link works, you may have to copy and paste it,

http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/repri ... 3.7av1.pdf

Hope it helps

Ann

[Ann]

Sorry, half the link seems to have gone astray after I sent it!! the end bit was

reprint01.STR.0000260093.49693.7av1.pdf

Don't know if this can be put together to access the pdf document, I am not very good at IT, especially pdf documents, it won't let me copy and paste thee relevany bits either!!

ANn

[Shanti]

Hi Matthew

Welcome to the best site for SAH survivors

The best bunch of people you'll find anywhere are here 24/7 and we all share our fears, woes, jokes with each other to get us through each day.

Glad you're on the road to recovery. Check in here daily and we'll all get there together ...

Big hug

Lesley xxx

[Karen]

Hi Matthew and welcome to the website!

Like yourself, Keith and a few others on this website, I was also treated at Southampton General. Yes, if you have a local support group, then it's definetly worth going along to take a look. I think that most of us seem to need some support after a SAH and it's been beneficial to me, to have been able to meet up with other SAH'ers.....it's a great comfort. Even people many years into recovery, still find that they enjoy the contact of other people that have experienced the same....their knowledge and experience is invaluable and who better to advise, than somebody that's been through it and can use that to help new survivors. I know that quite a few people, can find the thought of going along to a support meet a little daunting when it's their first time and I wish that it was something that I had done at an earlier stage......but, I would definetly recommend it, as I've always found SAH'ers to be really friendly people.

As already pointed out by Janet, we do have quite a few people on this MB, that have had non-aneurysmal SAH and we find that we all experience the same aches and pains, whether or not the cause has been a ruptured aneurysm.

Thanks for telling us your story and hope that your Toddler is allowing you some rest....

[Louise]

Hi Matthew

And a warmwelcome to the site.

Thats great you've been able to go to a support group, there was nothing for me when I had mine.....

Great to hear you've got back to work too, rest as much as you can & take care hope to hear from you again soon.

Louise.

[Skippy]

Hey Matthew

Welcome to the site and to the family. I've made a lot of very good and life long friends on this site and I honestly dread to think where I'd be without them. Maybe if more Drs looked in on this site they'd have more of an idea what a patient goes through post SAH and would be able to advise others better.

I'm 20 months in now and still get the odd day where I get tired - every day this week so far I've had a full fat headache and it does worry me a little - but in the words of Axl Rose " Don't worry about things, cos worrying is a waste of time" and in this case I suppose it is - I've resigned myself to the fact that if it's going to happen again, then it's going to happen and there's nothing I can do about it but I also know that it won't happen again - catch 22 I guess

Anyway, I hope you get as much comfort and support from this site as I and all the others have - nice to "meet" you.

TTFN

Sami xxx

[tennissmithy]

HI Matthew,

Welcome to this wonderful website- hope the advice given by others helps you as much as it has helped me lately.

Tak care

Laura

xx

[Guest Matthew]

To Ann, thank you very much for the quotation. I found it reasonably easily and will now take great delight in asking why L&G have ramped up my life insurance premiums by 47%!

Matthew.

[Karen]

I can remember being told by somebody re:car insurance as well... that you had to inform the insurance company that you'd had a SAH, but they couldn't increase the premium, as it was seen as discrimination against disability or words to that effect.... Ann, I'll take a peak at that document when I get five minutes, as I haven't come across it before.....it might be handy to have that info on a new topic of the website.

[tennissmithy]

Yeah that would be handy as my car insurance went up considerably after my SAH! I will look at the document too!

Laura

xx

[Ann]

Hope the document helps you with L&G!The document re being at no greater risk (therefore insurers should not discriminate) is only really relevant to non aneurysm SAH I am afraid so sorry if I did not make that clear and have built up any expectations in others re insurance cost reductions! But I do think It would be a useful item to make available to those concerned, I told my car insurers, as I have recently returned to driving and have just received a renewal quote which shows no increase.

Ann

[bogbrush]

I was interested in your reference to Legal and General and being at increased risk of a further SAH when in our position we are tols that we are at no greater risk than anyone else in the population especially after a perimesencephalic SAH, not sure if that is what you had? There is a document which states that Insurance companies should not discriminate in these cases

Is this the document referred to?

http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/38/4/1222.pdf

Regards

Keith

[Ann]

Thanks Keith, that's the one, much better at putting in the link than I was!

Ann

[diane rhedey]

Hi Matthew,

So glad you have found this site, it has been a godsend to me. I've also had a non Aneurysm SAH 12 months ago and I'm pleased to say I've made a very good recovery. I live in Australia and although I've searched I cannot find anything Like this site, we are so lucky

first, that we survived and second, we get to share our highs and lows with such wonderful friends. I wish you all the best and hope you make a speedy recovery. Listen to your body and rest when you need too.

Take care

Diane

[jess]

Hi Matthew like you I still get tired 5 yrs on but I think it may be my kids one 4 yr old one nearly 8months lol.

Anyhow I am sorry I cannot help on the non aneurysm front I had two of the blighters only one ruptured though but my ns said the other had previously and I remember the day well.

However you will get all the help you need from btg it is a great site. Welcome. Jess.xxx

[sue]

Hi Matthew,

this is a very belated welcome to BTG from me!! I also had a non aneurysm SAH.....think i'm 15 months on... I've made a good recovery but like most others still suffer from fatigue, probs with my short term memory!!

This site is just ace, lots of people to share their SAH experiences, I have formed some really good friendships since joining the site and can honestly say that whatever question you've got...their is someone who can help!!

Speak soon,

Suex