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Hi I'm new, my mum has had an SAH


Guest Nyx

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Hi everyone

My mother (60) collapsed last tuesday with what the docs now know to be a severe SAH. She has still not regained consciousness as they cannot remove her breathing tubes due to a chest infection and so have to keep her sedated. I am frankly terrified about what to expect when she wakes up. The doctors still cannot really give us any indication as to what damage may have been done. The anurism (sp?) has been coiled but they said that because it was so large they didn't get as many coils in as they would have liked to. Basically we have not seen the same doctor twice and one will say that we should be optimistic whereas another will say that we should be cautious. I'm really hoping I suppose to hear some positive stories about people who have recovered from this shocking illness, but I'm also a realist and would be very grateful if anyone could give me some idea of what to expect when she does wake up esp. with regard to the level of care that she will need.

Thanx for listening.

Nyx

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WELCOME NYX

THE DR ARE RIGHT ON BOTH ACCOUNTS BE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC. THEY REALY HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN SHE WAKES UP AND THERE HAVE BEEN THOSE THAT DO BETTER THAN EVER CAN BE EXPECTED AND THEN THOSE ON THE OPPOSITE THAT CAN TAKE TIME TO RECOVER.

I AM A SAH SURRVIVOR AND ONLY CAN TEL YOU WHAT MY FAMILY TOLD ME AND THAT IS THEY WERE SCARED AS WELL AND THERE ARE NO ANSWERS, JUST A WAITING GAME. BUT YOU WILL GET A LOT OF SUPPORT HERE, SO DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK WHAT EVER IS ON YOUR MIND.

LOVE HUGS AND PRAYERS EVELYN :mrgreen:

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Mutti,

Thankyou for your kind words :D Yea, the waiting is the hardest, but she is alive and for that we are eternally grateful. Its good to hear from people like you who have survived such a terrible thing happening, so thanks again.

Nyx

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Hi Nyx

Welcome to BTG sorry to hear about your Mum. It is very early days for her yet stay strong and as positive as you can. Your Mum will need all your love and support in the coming weeks and months. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Janet x

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Hi Nyx :D A very warm welcome to this wonderful website.....you will get lots af support and advise here. I had my sah 11 months ago, i had to be clipped and had 7hours surgery......i am doing well...slowly but surely getting there. As Mutti has said causiously optimistic is right, recovery is varied....i do feel for you and your family it is a terrible thing and hope that all will be well for your Mum. Take care. Love Tinaxx

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hi nyx

welcome to bhg i hope mum is ok and im sorry to hear about mum theres got to be something about the age of 60 it is very early days my lin had hers in august this year and it been a hell of a roller coaster ride i was given the worst possible news but my darling is still with me and im still there for her you are going to go through horrible periods but as long as mum fights for her self you will find everyday something new lin was out of it for over four weeks all i can say is take each day as it comes if you have questions ask them at the hospital you will find a particular dr will come to the forefront and untill mum comes out of icu all you will see are nuerosurgeons when she is transferred to a ward then you will have a dedicated dr nuerogist who will take mum through the recovery i have found out through practice they just dont know whats going to happen it will only be time i can only use my experinance of what i have seen with lin each day theres something new but its also very confusing as well just hang in there and take one day at a time most frustrating believe me but its who mum makes the running hold in there best wishs if you want to contact me by all means pm me take care and good luck lots of hugs and cuddles

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Hi nyx

I had a SAH in June, spent 6 weeks in hosptial and didnt remember anything much. I have two daughters who were very worried about me but the one piece of advice they were given was to be patient - easier said than done I know! I was coiled and had a shunt and am now making good progress. Take care and PM me if you wish.

love Caroline

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Hi Nyx

Welcome to BTG and so very sorry to hear about your mum. Like everyone else has said - be cautiously optimistic - but also let your mum know that you are there and talk to her, touch her etc. No one can say whether she'll be aware that you're there but it's worth a try. Everyone's recovery is different - I'm over 2 years in now and apart from not being able to cope with stressful situations as well as I did before, I've made a complete recovery.

Do not lose heart my friend, stay positive and remember there will be bad days and good days in her recovery, don't be disheartened by the bad days.

We're all here to support you and answer any questions that we can.

Take care

Love Sami xxx

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Hello Nyx,

Welcome to BTG you've found a wonderfull site and wonderfull helpfull friends here, i am new also, joined in oct 08.

I am so sorry to hear about your mum, but the doctors are right no-one knows how anyone will be when they wake up but try to be positive, its early days.

Sending you and your mum love and hugs,

Michelle C

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Guest ElaineW

Hi and thinking of you lots - my mum had hers in May 2008 and she is doing very well at 76 but as others have said it is a roller coatser ride. You can read a lot of my postings (under Carers - my mum had a SAH). No two days are unfortunately the same, there are downs but there are also ups. It is very daunting when you don't know what to expect and as you will find out from this fab site everyone's recovery is different. My mum's was coiled and she is now back at home' living independently with her beloved cat. I can't say that the last six months have not been stressful and hard they have - the best advice I can give you is keep talking to your mum albeit it maybe a load of rubbish at times, hold her hand, never lose hope and most of all if she responds better one day don't get too upset if the next day is not so good. It happens. My mum didn't wake until for weeks and also had pneumonia.

Anything you want to know just ask

Elaine

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Guest Beth1957

Hi Nyx,

So sorry to hear about your Mum.

It's natural to be worried; it's also natural to want answers from the hospital staff, and to be frustrated when they can't give them!

I hope you get good news soon, & I'll be thinking of you both & sending positive vibes your way.

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Hi again all

I cant tell you what it means to me to read your posts. We've had a bad day today as mum is now suffering vasospasm which has got worse so they upped the blood pressure which caused problems with her heart. They say her heart has not been damaged but cannot really tell us more. So its good to come on here and read your positive messages, because sometimes, like today when the doc comes and tells you about yet another complication, you think that that's it, no hope, so thanks again from the bottom of my heart. This probably isn't the right place to post this question, but I was wondering if anyone else suffered this sort of severe vasospasm and if so did it affect your recovery?

Again, thank you all :D

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Guest mojojojo

Hello Nyx

Just updating myself with your post. My Mum was 60 to when she had her SAH, you will find all the help and support you need on here, i recently joined here and have found so much kindness from everyone. Sounds like you as the others on here are going through a rollercoaster ride. I wish you all well and if you ever need a shoulder to cry on just give us a shout. My heart goes out to anyone who suffers SAH is know how so very hard it is xxxxx

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Guest ElaineW

Hi Nyx -sorry to hear your mum had an off day today, here's hoping for a better one tomorrow. If you look under SAH discussion and scroll to the third page there is a whole topic designated to vasospasm on this site which you may find helpful. Before I found this site I read a lot up about this on the internet and I gather vasospasms are very common soon after the SAH so try not to worry too much though I know how hard it is not to. This didn't happen to my mum but there are other experiences on here.

Elaine

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Hi Nyx

I had SAH 8 months ago, and a week after my operation I had a vasospasm. I knew who people were but couldn't remember their names, but I was very aware of what was happening. Anyway I went back to theatre where they injected a drug directley into the site (via a vein in my leg). I was then put into critical care for 4 days as they put your blood pressure up really high and increase your fluids to stop any more spasms. The Dr told me at the time that it was very likely that I would have more than one, but lucky for me this was not the case. He also told me it was more common in fit/skinny people because of lower blood pressure. The good news is that I have made a really good recovery, and so far have not had any problem with memory etc.... maybe a bit more emotional but I think that is still a bit of a "Why me?" thing.

Hope this is of some help :D

hugs

shiree

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Vasospasm is a constriction of the arteries feeding the brain which typically occurs between 4 and 10 days following a subarachnoid haemorrhage. It is one of the major complications following SAH and causes stroke like symptoms. A drug called Nimodipine is usually given for 3 weeks following SAH to help reduce any effects of vasospasm.

Hope this helps

Keith

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Hi all, thanks again for all your words of support.

ElaineW, thanks for the pointer on vasospasm, I guessed there was probably stuff on here about it, but I'm not thinking straight at the mo. and probably missed it. Your mum's story has also given me a bit of hope, (she sounds great btw :D ) so thanks for that!

Shiree - thanks for your post, its interesting because my mum is also pretty skinny and very fit - she is a swimming instructor. By the sounds of it the docs are treating her in much the same way as they treated you. But they're having to be v. careful as pushing her blood pressure up is causing problems with her heart.

Paul- thanks for your kindness and I hope that you and Lin continue to do well, I have been reading your story, and Christ what a time you've had of it!

And thanks to everyone else who has posted as well, I've said it before, but it really is a help to hear from people who have come through this or who's relatives have and just reading all your stories is an inspiration. :D

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