My Dad

[Dadd]

Hi all, 2 weeks today my dad suffered with a large burst aneurysm. He is off the ventilator obeying commands but still not fully with it. He is opening his eyes and knows us. Is it normal that 20 minutes of stimulation plus physio etc can cause him to be out of it for the rest of the day ???

[Kirk5w7]

Absolutely. I used to sleep far more than I was awake after my BI.

It's very early days, be patient there are many bridges to cross xxxx

Janet

[Dadd in reply to Kirk5w7]

Thankyou any other information is greatly appreciated

[Kirk5w7 in reply to Dadd]

Hi again Dadd,

Cat's reply is quite comprehensive, by BI was caused by encephalitis and my recovery process has taken a different path, I was in coma/hospital/ rehab for a total of 3 months. I've since learnt far more myself than was provided by the experts.

I relearned everything I needed to by remembering how children learn, lots of repetition, colouring, jigsaws etc, etc. The damaged pathways in the brain have to be re-established, they won't do it themselves. Initially I was appalled at how much I could it do, I couldn't even feed myself, just watch a toddler and then think of a 59 yr old woman spooning her food down herself, dropping toast or similar on the way to her mouth. In rehab I learnt to laugh with the other patients when they said" watch out, Janet's here, don your aprons" 🤣

I can look back on it with a smile on my face now, hat was 5 years ago, and I get around mostly independently now but I still have physical issues. I will never be the person I was but I have recovered with no change to my personality, other than learning to be far more patient now. In the NHS nothing happens swiftly!

Remember to take care of yourself during this time too, that's just as important, your Dad is in safe hands.

Love Janet x

[Dadd in reply to Kirk5w7]

Well done to you, you sound like you have done so well. Humour is the best medicine. My dad has a long way to go but we will get there xx

[Dadd in reply to Kirk5w7]

Xx

[cat3]

Absolutely. I've no recollection of my first month after a Subarachnoid Haemorrhage 5 years ago, but my family told me I was either begging for a cigarette or unconscious.

Your dad is at such an early stage of his illness and only after many more weeks of rest will you see some semblance of the person he is. Please don't worry about his sleeping. It will seem excessive to you, but it's how a brain heals itself and all the time he lies sleeping, remember his brain is invisibly 'mending'.

Has your dad's anuerism been clipped or coiled ? x

[Dadd in reply to cat3]

Hi, thanks for your reply. It burst in not sure I haven't asked. He has been sat in a chair but then slept for 2 days. How long did your recovery go on for x

[cat3 in reply to Dadd]

There's some, more immediate, recovery involved (as in headaches reducing in frequency and improvement in mobility) but getting back to something like 'normality' is a learning process which can take years rather than weeks or months.

And every brain is so unique that there's no actual timeline for progress ; my consultant said the best he could offer was 'What will be will be'. But for me, I'd say it was 3/4 months before I could walk (unsteadily) unaided to the local shops but a couple of years before I even started to find coping strategies for my short term memory loss. And even now, after 5 years, my word recall is only just beginning to improve. And my balance is still poor.

So it's anyone's guess how quickly your dad will progress or to what degree ; I'm afraid that's the case with any brain injury. Many people are changed emotionally and this is something I've also struggled with but, though life is different afterwards, I'm so grateful to have survived and appreciate my life 100%.

It's all about time (& loads of patience). Brain rehabilitation can't be rushed.

We're always here m'dear when/if ever you need to talk. All best wishes for better days ahead for your dad, you and all the family. Cat x

[Dadd in reply to cat3]

Thankyou so much, good luck with everything xx