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My mother has suffered a SAH May 2008


Guest ElaineW

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Guest ElaineW

Hi Donna - being strong and there all the time is very hard. Today has been another bad one for her - after leaving off the anti sickness tablets for a few days - the nausea and vomiting has now returned and I just don't have any more answers for her now to try to get her through this. In desperation I have faxed her Consultant today to put him in the picture with everything so we'll see what that brings along! Mum just feels she is taking 2 steps back all the time and i must admit that is the way it seems to be despite my best efforts all the time. Her GP has not been very helpful so I am not going down that road any more; you just feel so alone with trying to sort out the problems and knowing what is due to the SAH and what is not. I just don't know what path (if any) to go down next and in the meantime mum is getting lower and lower in spirits. She just seems to have made no progress and this nausea and vomiting is dragging her down so much (and me now). She is generally finding coping alone when I am not around extremely challenging and I am so sorry to say she does not feel lucky to have survived at the moment. I feel at my wits end.

Elaine :(

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Elaine, it sounds as though you really need a break ......it makes me feel so damned frustrated when I continually read that people are having problems with accessing help and support and have to reach breaking point..... is there another GP that Maggie could see at her practice? My first one was rubbish to put it bluntly, lovely bedside manner, but when it came down to it, he knew less than I did and wasn't doing what he should have been, so I changed GP's.....sounds as though Maggie is heading towards depression and her mental health also needs to be considered and her GP should be taking that seriously ..... You also need to keep your own sanity, is there anybody that can share the load with you and give you a break?

I can well imagine that Maggie doesn't feel particularly lucky to have survived at this minute and who can blame her .....

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Elaine, it might be worth you contacting the Headway organisation ..... http://www.headway.org.uk/ They have a free telephone helpline and many people on this website have found them very helpful .... The Brain and Spine Foundation have also got a helpline, manned by neuroscience nurses http://brainandspine.org.uk/helpline/index.html .... I have also spoken to people that have found these nurses very helpful to and hopefully either of these two organisations can point you in the right direction to get the help that you need for your Mum.

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Guest ElaineW

Thanks for the info Karen - I will have a good read up. The local Headway Group to us is located where mum was actually in hospital but no-one has offered us their resources so I will look into it. Mum now has a third UTI so I guess that will amount to some of the confusion. We have had an app come through today to see her Consultant at the end of September and I faxed all the latest to him yesterday. I am a bit concerned as her GP stopped all her hosp med's as they though it might be causing the vomiting but she has not had her BP checked for weeks so I have made her Consultant aware of that. She is also seeing Spec Neuro Nurse in 2 weeks.

Thanks so much once again

Elaine x

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Hi Elaine,

Your poor Mum having another infection ..... it's no wonder that she's struggling....

Headway do seem to do pretty good work and I wish I had known about them in my early days ...... it seems to be that the majority of us don't get any help offered and it's only when we're really struggling and reach crisis point, that anything seems to be done. It's such a shame that you have to keep on all of the time, but if you don't ask, then you won't get ..... it shouldn't be that way I know .... It's awful enough to have experienced a SAH and cope with recovery, without having to trawl internet websites to find the help that we all deserve and we deserve so much better....

Was Maggie on meds to control her BP? Hope that you get some joy with the Consultant .... Are you also able to contact the Neuro nurses via telephone?

Hope that you're feeling in better spirits yourself .... xx

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Guest ElaineW

Hello all

Mum had another big vomit tonight after feeling like it was going to happen all day so she is feeling sorry for herself (obviously). I have recently found out she suffered a basilar tip aneurysm. I know that depending on what part of the brain was affected it causes different problems and I just wondered if anyone had the same as my mum and if you experienced this terrible nausea and vomiting. I just feel at stale mate with it! I am going to the Natural Health Shop tomorrow as nothing from the GP seems to be working.

Elaine

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Elaine, I eventually had a balance assessment carried out at the local hospital as I had "dizzy" heads and felt spinny .... luckily, I was never sick, but often felt nauseous ..... my balance seemed to be okay, but we put it down to visual disturbance...

Does your Mum vomit because she has vertigo?

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Elaine, it might be worth asking the Consultant what the Basilar artery affects in the brain? Try emailing the nurses at the brain and spine foundation.....they should hopefully be able to tell you what it affects .....anyway, I shall do a search and see if I can find anything...xx

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Guest ElaineW

Yes I will ask the Spec Nurse next week. Mum was unforunately sick again today - awful she just left the table in time!!!! It happens that spontaneously.Went to Health Store yesterday and came away with two lots of tablets - you just get to feel that desperate you will try anything! She just does not look well - I am sure they are missing something.

Elaine (and thanks for your prompt replies).

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Hi Elaine,

I couldn't find much re: basilar artery .... but there seemed to be a lot about basilar migraine, where vomitting was a side effect......if she continues to vomit, then she needs to be sorted out, as I would imagine that she's losing essential vitamins, minerals and salts ....is it anything to do with vertigo? I think that it can also be a sign of a build up of pressure in the brain, so whatever case really, you're going to have to do some serious nagging with the medics.... if she gets particularly bad, then get her down to A & E and then you might be able to get her sorted out if they admit her ..... it's disgusting really that that's what it has to take .... makes me damned mad....

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Guest ElaineW

Just to let you know Maggie is now getting referred to a Gastroenterologist re her vomiting. We have an appointment next week with the Neuro Nurse so I will keep you posted. Her GP has started her on a new tab in the interim to see if its muscle spasms in her stomach causing her to vomit. I had to ring her GP in the end but it went OK

Elaine

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  • 1 month later...
Guest ElaineW

Hi all - well I have just booked myself one week in hopefully what will be sunny Tenerife. Mum is doing well still at the moment so I have put friends and neighbours on matron stand-by but I feel sure she will be fine. She is just worrying most about getting her meals but everything is all in place and she will have somebody calling in on her every day. She is so pleased we are getting away we had the cancel our last holiday in May when it all happened the week before. I will really miss her but a week soon goes by and I will text and ring every day. Hope you all have a good week and that I will have some happy stories to catch up reading when I get back.

Elaine xx :D:D:D:D

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest ElaineW

Mum coped very well whilst I was away but said a week was plenty long enough. Just to let you all know that she has her barium swallow app this Thurs (because of the constant vomiting she has had nearly every day) apart from the last 3 weeks whwich has been a godsend but we are still going to keep the appointment as she is still taking 6 anti sickness tablets each day but I can't notice that she has put any weight on - poor thing she looks like a walking matchstiick! I will try and get a photo of us both on the site soon.

Elaine

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest ElaineW

Maggie not doing so well again at the moment :(:(:( Following a barium swallow (to get to the bottom of the vomiting) it has started it all off as bad as ever after a 3 week spell of not being sick :( She is feeling very low and annoyed that it has all reared its ugly head again. Had a hosp visit last night due to excrutiating stomach pain and another visit with GP tonight - been told very eractic bowel spasms and another lot of tablets. Feeling totally down in the dumps ands dragging me down with her. Back to being unable to eat. Feel really sad as I had arranged a little surprise party for her this weekend with all the family and friends who have been so very kind to her but now looks like I will have to cancel. She is back to being very lifeless. I know she has done so well and been luckier than lots but i feel helpless again with no answers. How I wish I cancelled the barium meal as things did appear to be settling now its back with a vengeance. I could kick myself

Elaine :( :? :mad::cry::cry::cry:

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Hi Elaine,

Really sorry to hear that Maggie is feeling so poorly .... hopefully, things will settle down again in the next few days? Don't blame yourself, nobody could possibly know the outcome and you only have your Mum's wellbeing in mind.

Give her a few days and hopefully she'll pick up again .....

Look after yourself too, you're a good daughter ... sending hugs to you xx

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