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Hello,

I experienced an SAH on Jan 6th of this year.  I was driving home at night when it happened. Unfortunately, I was not in an area I was familiar with so I had to continue driving for a few miles to find a landmark that I could provide to emergency responders.  That was a bit terrifying as the headache was so severe as to be disabling and I was afraid that I would lose consciousness. However, the emergency crews found me quickly and the hospital was on top of their game.

 

I had a class three bleed (whatever that means) in a post-communicating artery. They put a drain in my skull that night and did a coiling the first thing the next morning. A day later, I had further coiling of a daughter aneurysm that became evident once the blood began to clear. 

 

I consider myself to be quite fortunate as I did not lose any motor function, nor did I suffer from any obvious mental deficiencies. I was monitored in the Neuro ICU for 15 days after the bleed as I had some vasospasms and I experienced cerebral salt wasting. I was then sent to a step down unit for two days and released to home on January 23rd.

 

I was released back to work on February 3rd. The headaches I had experienced since the bleed were controlled by Ibuprofen and the fatigue I had been experiencing had mostly cleared up. I did experience fatigue so severe that there was one day I didn't go to work, but overall, it was not frequent nor severe by this point. 

 

It is now two months post-bleed and I no longer have headaches and the fatigue is minor. However, I feel that I may be more irritable or short tempered than I was previously. I asked a close friend if she had noticed any change and she confirmed that I was a bit different than before. So there's that. Again, in my book, that is a minor consequence although it may have impacts at work. I am an IT project manager and patience is a necessity.

 

Also, I have a bald patch from the radiation  used for coiling. If anyone experienced similar hair loss and can tell me what to expect in terms of regrowth, I would appreciate the info.

 

I am pleased to have found this group and I look forward to interacting with other members.

hair.jpg

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Welcome to the BTG!  Sounds like you are doing really well so far, all things considered.  Time is a great healer, but you will have some dips and valleys too no doubt.  Just hang in there.  The first advice we usually give (non-medical advice) is drink plenty of water, listen to your body and be patient.  I will send a prayer up for you.

 

Chris

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Hello

 

First of all, also a warm welcome to BTG. So glad you have found the site so soon following your SAH.

 

Try and take time to read some of the Introduce Yourself experiences of others. You will find much help and support from these as you read about how others have coped. This site is over ten yeas old..... there is so much to learn about SAH and recovery from the comments of those who have been there.

 

You were so fortunate to have been able to continue driving until you found a spot to direct the Ambulance.

 

Your return to work on the 3rd of February, less than a month after your bleed is very premature. Your brain has suffered a major trauma in the bleed, and the only way it has a chance to heal is by resting.  The stresses of work so soon would certainly contribute of the fatigue and signs of irritability that you mention.

 

You will see from the comments of other members that at least three months initial recovery time and thereafter a very structured phased return to work would give your body and your brain the best chance of healing. During this time you will be constantly assessing how you feel and adjusting your work and lifestyle accordingly.

 

Are you able to tell us what support you have by way of friends and family? Those closest to you will also have been greatly affected by what has happened to you and they too are looking for answers. For example, the irritability could cause difficulties with your relationships with others. However, if understood, then it can be dealt with in a way that is positive for all. Many issues resulting from SAH can ease given time and understanding. For some these can be more permanent and changes of work and life habits have to be considered.

 

So it is so early days for you. Please as Chris says... be patient, keep well hydrated and talk with those closest to you about your feelings. They are there to help you through this. Give your early return to work serious consideration.

 

I am sure another member will comment about your hair loss.

 

Please keep in touch. We are here to support you.

 

 

Subs

 

 

 

 

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Hi,

 

My SAH was on New Years Eve and my coiling 3 Jan so just 3 days before yours.

 

I am also fortunate to have come through it with no lasting damage, just headaches and fatigue which thankfully have now eased.

I also have a matching bald patch at the back of my head which at first I wasn't too impressed with, but the hair is growing back, it's just fluff, but I consider it my war wound and a symbol of recovery. I can hide mine with longer hair on top, you could also grow yours longer on top to hide it a little but seriously, don't worry about it, the hair will grow back. I was recommended Nioxin which helps with hair growth.

 

3rd Feb seems very early to be back at work - try not to get stressed, you need to be looking after yourself right now and taking it easy, your brain needs time to recover from such a traumatic event.

 

Your irritability may be down to the fact that you are pushing yourself too much too early. I was irritable for the first few days of getting home, I had a lot to deal with emotionally coming to terms with everything, but took it really slowly and the irritability disappeared. Try and rest up as much as you can when you are home and hopefully you will be back to your old self soon. 

 

Take care

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Hi :)

 

A very warm welcome to BTG.

So glad you managed to get to somewhere you knew to direct the ambulance services....how scary !

 

Well done on getting back to work so soon, but i do agree with the others, that it seems very quick after such a major trauma to your brain from the bleed.

I was given some great advice from Karen who created BTG....she said be kind to yourself and listen to your body. When you are feeling irritable slow down and take a break. Your brain is working over time trying to repair at the same time as functioning as normal.

 

Did you start a phased return to work?  Most find this gently eases them back into work with less stress.

Here is a link posted by Super Mario, you may find this helpful:

 

 

 

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

 

Take care

Tina.

 

 

 

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Hi Ticks

 

Hope it grows back but Bobby Charlton had a comb over,  just kidding you.

 

Good to be alive isn't it.   Things do get better but if your brain says you are tired listen to it xx

 

There is an item on here "It is your brain talking to you"  it puts what we have been through into perspective (did I spell it correct)  Help me Someone xx

 

Hair will grow back I hope and as everyone told me drink water.  Also my Surgeon said  Stress is not good for you so I was warned about that so if you see a song it is me getting Stress free.

 

You will get better and this site is so good as we all have been there.  I cannot walk very far as my back aches so much but they said I'd never walk now 200 yards !!

 

Be well and if down come on here and type away it really does help xx

 

Win xx

 

 

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Thanks for all of the support everyone! It is fabulous to have a group of people to communicate with who have a similar experience. 

 

I see a lot of comments that I should not have returned to work so soon. I'm in the U.S. where it's dog-eat-dog and every man, woman, and child for themselves. We're not expected to be sick, and if we are, we either fend for ourselves or go bankrupt.

 

I could have remained out of work for 6 months on medical leave, but my vacation and sick time were running out and I would have been without pay. As I live alone and all of the bills fall to me, that would have been stressful, to say the least. So there was some incentive to return as quickly as possible.

 

Thankfully, my boss is understanding. If I need to take off early, or come in late, he takes care of me. I haven't had much need of that though. I only had one day that I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed and come to work. I do truly feel fortunate to have not suffered a more debilitating injury. 

 

As for the hair, I'm intrigued by members like Julie Green with long hair who say that it covers up their bald patch. They shaved right across the top of my head the first night in the hospital so they could put in an external ventricular drain (EVD).  I woke up the next day with somewhat of a reverse mohawk.  Not a good look! So once I left the hospital, I opted to clip all of my hair to the same length to let it grow out.  Anyway, is the EVD not a common practice?

 

Again, thanks for all of the motivating messages folks. It really makes a difference.  :-)

 

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It does help a lot to have somewhere to go to ask questions and seek advice from others who have been through a similar experience, it has been a great help to me since I got home from the hospital. You are extremely lucky (as am I) to have come home with little more than a bald patch, and great that you have an understanding boss, just look after yourself though, and don't feel pressured to do as much as you did at work before this happened, take it a little slower if you can and ease back into it. 

 

I didn't need an EVD so I didn't go through the shaving experience (thank goodness) and others will know more about that than me. I did have the onset of hydrocephalus but didn't need a drain. Although my hair is growing back at the back, it's growing back blonde whereas I have dark hair at the back so it's very noticeable. It's the only sign that I had brain surgery so I don't even feel uncomfortable about it anymore....if people look at it so what. I guess procedure may be different between the US and here in the UK so I'll leave it to others to explain their experience with EVD.

 

Good luck with your recovery.....and Donald Trump !! :)....then again, you might be a supporter of his?

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Julie,

 

I did read that the hair might grow back a different color or texture. It seems you are experiencing that. Mine hasn't even begun to grow back yet. Hopefully, it will soon.

 

They put the EVD in before they addressed the coiling. They must have thought the pressure  was high enough to warrant it.

 

As for Trump, well, I wouldn't shed a tear if you took him. :-) 

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Try some Nioxin, I bought a treatment, shampoo and conditioner on-line. Mine has only started growing in the last week or two so yours should follow soon.

I was given the all clear to drive last week which was a huge relief, are you driving yet?

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Yes, I was cleared to drive on February 3rd when I was cleared for work. Thank goodness! There's nothing like being stuck without a vehicle.

 

I've been taking a multivitamin that has a heavy dose of biotin in it. I'm usually pretty careful in using pharmaceutical products. I've also heard that once a person stops using Nioxin, the hair loss returns. That would be frustrating.

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Wow, that's early for driving clearance, I really had to persuade my Doctor that I was fit to drive, I was going crazy stuck at home.

Not good news about the Nioxin, I didn't know that, so useful to know. 

You are doing really well, you must be very relieved....it could have been so different for both of us. I still have more aneurysms to deal with and will know more when I next see the consultant at the end of this month. They've cleared me to fly so I can only assume that I am safe for the time being.

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Ah the work stress.  I also had an EVD.  I was actually making work phone calls from the ICU with a tube in my head.  Of course, I don't remember all of them.  I went back to work quickly as well, but I just learned to take breaks and listen to my body.

 

As for the bald spot, some of us didn't need much shaving!  My EVD went in on my upper forehead, where nature and age had already cleared the ground for it.  So at least you have hair to grow back!

 

Keep up the great attitude and heal quickly!

 

Chris

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Julie, My neurosurgeon was consistently surprised at my progress so I don't think he saw any reason to keep me from driving.

 

Well the good side for you is that they are aware of the others now so they can deal with them. I hope they are able to treat them all through non-invasive procedures. That has to have you a bit on edge.

 

I am clear for now with a scheduled follow up scan in about 5 months. The thing that worries me is that I had a brain scan 9 months before my bleed and there was no aneurysm visible. So mine went from zero to bleed in no time. Time will tell if I develop more at that pace. 

 

It's good to be alive and well though, isn't it? :-) 

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Yes it helps to think that they will be keeping an eye on me, and actually I'm not overly concerned about the ones they haven't dealt with......it may be different once I find out more info as I have no idea what size they are yet.  Although I have made a good recovery so far, I am aware that I'm not out of the woods yet. I am hoping that they are small and that no treatment is necessary.....and will try not to worry about it until a scan reveals that they are growing.

 

It is concerning to hear that 9 months ago your scan was clear...could it be that it was missed on the scan? Then again I have heard that an aneurysm can come at any time. My Grandmother died of a brain haemorrhage so in my case it's probably hereditary. Do you have any one else in your family that have had one? How was your blood pressure before the bleed?

 

Yes it's great to be alive and well and I'm positive for the future

 

 

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Welcome to BTG!

 

I'm at the point now where my baldness nearly covers my hair!  Seriously, I wouldn't worry about it.  The point is, you're alive, you're back at work and the only visible sign you have is cosmetic and that will disappear soon enough.

 

Eat well, rest well and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.  If you overdo it your body will soon let you know.  Slowly but surely is the way to go.  You have much to be positive about and I see from your picture that you wear a hat - problem solved!  Laugh a lot too, that's always good for your mood and those around you.

 

As for your scan, maybe the aneurysm was on the blind side, but that's academic now.  You are well, up and about and active again.  Just enjoy life.  Someone up there is looking after you.  Sounds like you have a great boss too!  Maybe buy him a bottle of something to let him know how grateful you are for the way he has treated you.  He, maybe, knows what a good worker you are and values your continued contribution to the business.

 

I wish you well

 

Macca

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Hi there

 

warm welcome glad you found us...

 

lots of good replies as normal sorry cant add about the hair mines eventually grew to look normal but wasn't like yours.

 

Wow! that's quick to get back to work but understand about being in the US so try to take it easy when you can..

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