Doctors with NASAH

[AMI]

Hi all

How many in this group are medical professionals?

My question is

 

Are there any particular problems faced by doctors with SAH when returning back to work?

I am a neonatologist,  a baby doctor. I don't seem to remember faces of patients who I met for the first time, in the time period of about 4 to 5 months prior to SAH. My memory was excellent earlier. 

[ClareM]

Hi

welcome to BTG glad you found us. 

 

I work in the NHS and too suffered an NASAH just over 4 years ago. 

 

My memory of events a few weeks prior to my bleed are sketchy and I too had an excellent memory pre event. 

 

I sometimes struggle now to remember patients names though I recognise their faces. I have been told by my neuropsychologist that I have problems with attention caused by the bleed.

 

I can be with a patient through a consultation, leave them for 20 mins then when I meet again I can’t remember their name. 

I am still learning strategies now to overcome my memory deficits. Writing everything down and using prompts. 

 

Its a  long road but gets better with time. 

 

Good luck. 

 

Clare xx

[AMI]

Thank you Clare. Feels good to know I am not alone. 

[ClareM]

You aren't alone, there is always someone here on BTG who will be happy to offer support. Be good to hear more about you and your event, feel free to post in the Introduction section with your story.

 

This site has been a godsend to me since my bleed so it's nice to be able to give back.

 

Take good care 

 

Clare xx

[Daffodil]

Hi Ami

clare gives some good advice and any neuropsychologist will tell you that the effect of blood across the surface of the brain has a very different impact on short term memory than say a traditional stroke. You may find that you can’t retain the new memory in the same way to previously and so have to do things differently to be able to retain And keep facts and information but more importantly to retrieve the memory is a little broken/ corrupted. 

 

main thing I learnt ( and I had an amazing memory pre SAH) is write it down at the top of a pad if I am meeting someone for the first time ...and that doesn’t mean I don’t still get names wrong and I’m not a doctor but do work in a business where people recognition is important , I have been up front with people about my injury but you may decide that’s not appropriate for you so I would just say, I apologise if I get your name wrong , I tend to find it takes me a few goes for names to stick. Loads of people without brain injuries forget names, we are now just one of them...but seriously, wrote it down,give yourself a break. 

 

Also I’m going to say one thing that’s really important . Slow down at the start of the meeting and your consultation. Look a5 the person, pause. Say their name back and consciously write it down. That may help. Ask if they would be happy for you to take a picture and keep in file?  You are different so try to adjust to that and well done for being back at work. . We have a few doctors come through and @frmertd is someone at present on site who shares your vocation. I’ve shared their latest post and you may want to look back  through some of their posts and replies and who knows they may be along to answer as well.

 

@Catwoman23also a medical professional who has had patients and friends with SAH and probably will be able to share some good advice and I’ll try and post some links from previous docs. 

 

[Daffodil]

Just adding link to post which has some links in it to other threads from doctors who have had a SAH or NASAH. Click through to their profile to see some of their stories 

Search and look at some of @kpaggett historical posts as also worth looking at , she is a neurologist I think so had some pretty good insights to share but no longer comes to site. 

[AMI]

Thank you so much Daffodil and Clare. So glad to have found this site within a month of my SAH. You guys are extremely supportive and understand exactly what we go through. 

Will post my story soon.

 

Thanks again. Going through the posts that you suggested.