Non aneurism Subarachnoid brain haemorrhage at 42, this was a complete shock as I keep good health.

[Vonny1979]

Hi everyone, I am 42 and suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage, this was a shock to me and my family as I keep very good health and exercise plenty and not overweight and no health issues. The doctors told me there is no reason for this. It was a non aneurism brain haemorrhage I had. Anyone please share your recovery.

[Pairofboots]

Hi Vonny, welcome. This is a friendly group of survivers and carers, please have a look at the Headway website, they have a lot of information, they also have a helpline, and have day services if appropriate, details are pinned to this page.

Every injury is different, and recovery is often very individual. Unlike other injuries, there isn't an average healing time, this can take from weeks to years. Common themes, fatigue is often underestimated, people attempt to carry on regardless and push through, this is a loosing battle as we all learn. We have to learn to live with fatigue and respect it. Brain injury has a global effect on the body, so fitness takes a hit. Mood and emotions can become stretched, and clinical depression is something to be aware of, no one is immune, and if this occurs, it is better to get help quickly. Why you? We all ask this, as the hospital said, there isn't any rhyme or reason. The hardest thing is acceptance, this can be a real struggle, whether this is a minor hiccup in life or a major struggle, this will change you.

Ok this seems all doom and gloom, I don't mean it to be, but I can't sugar coat what is a life event. There are difficulties, but there are rewards, they are just different that before.

Ask what ever you need, nothing is too small, if it is in your mind it is worth asking, always reach out for help. Best wishes 🍀

[Vonny1979 in reply to Pairofboots]

Hello, many thanks for your reply. This group is brilliant. It is good to hear I am not alone. I try to be positive every day even for the little things I achieve. I am worrying a lot of my future and whether I will be fit for working in my finance role again. I will need to try and get some financial help , sick pay and a full time wage is a massive difference. I have 2 young kids and loads of bills to pay. The whole thing just seems like a nightmare, as this was out the blue for me and had no health issues. The tiredness is very difficult to deal with. Thanks Yvonne

[Pairofboots in reply to Vonny1979]

I know all the worries you have with finance, bills. It depends on your employment. There is legislation that will support you with employment. Don't be in a rush to return. I don't know how practical it is. Your basic pay is protected for six months, it then reduces to half pay, but if so benefits kick in. Regardless of employment, it might be that you will qualify for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). If you are assessed unable to return to work, then there is pension, and discounts around council tax. So rest assured finance can be resolved if it is needed. Let's hope that you make a good recovery and you won't have to worry. At this stage take one step at a time. I hope that you have good support at home. Fatigue is difficult, you are better when possible to listen to your body, if you need to sleep, or just to close your eyes in a darkened room, then it is better to go along with it. We have all tried to battle it, and we all end up having to go with it. Unfortunately, unlike a broken bone, there isn't a known recovery time, how long is a piece of string? Again, I hope you make a good recovery. Best wishes Ian 🍀

[Alibongo60]

Hi Vonny, I suppose that must be more worrying as to what caused your bleed, as it wasn’t an aneurysm and docs don’t have an answer. You don’t mention what your problems are, but recovery like pair of boots says can vary but can be manageable and overcome. Survivors on this site will always support and offer any advice they can to help you, take care love Alice xx

[Vonny1979 in reply to Alibongo60]

Hi Alice, thank you your reply. I struggle with fatigue very much and worry about this happening again. I have 2 young children and cannot do as much with them as I would like. My head gets so tired easily, cannot take long conversations any more and my brain just shuts down. I have been off work since it happened 3 months ago, I work in finance and worry I won’t be fit for some time yet. It’s difficult not to stress about the financial impact. Sick pay opposed to full time wages is a huge difference. I feel my recovery is going very well, the mental side of things is much slower though. I am mostly out walking every day. Some days I have no motivation for anything. Thanks Yvonne

[Hobcat64 in reply to Vonny1979]

Hi

I had a non-aneurysmal sub-arachnoid brain haemorrhage almost ten months ago. I know how you feel -it came out of the blue too whilst I was swimming. When I came out of hospital I could barely waIk, was utterly exhausted and had memory issues. I was off work for three and a half months and went back part-time. It was hard, as I work in an office and I couldn't remember passwords or what I had done that morning. Was a real struggle taking in too much information and making sense of it as well as trying to learn new systems. I was easily stressed and emotional.

But now, I work full time, my memory is much improved although I still can forget things that I do recently. The fatigue and tiredness has reduced but it still comes and goes but overall things have improved significantly over time.

Each day I feel I am improving. The only thing is I am very anxious at doing exercise or getting physically stressed because my BH occurred whilst swimming. If anyone has any tips at helping me reduce my anxiety about -that would be greatly helped as I used to really enjoy partaking in sport.

So, it's early days yet and you will continue to improve. I did lots of memory games like small jigsaws and word searches and suduku and quiz programmes etc to help exercise my brain and I knew I was improving when I could manage to do longer words in Countdown and solve some of the maths questions.

Everyone's recovery occurs at different pace depending on how bad it was or what part of the brain was affected but I'm sure you will continue to make progress in the coming months. Good Luck. TamCat64

[Vonny1979]

Hello

Thank you for telling me your story, and I am so sorry to hear about your BH. That’s great you are back working full time now.

I hope you manage to get help with your anxiety for doing sports. I am sure you will be fine and have nothing to worry about.

I was thinking about going back part time in the next month or so, hopefully when the kids start back school again, having the kids all day is change enough for me as I work from home.

I am just scared about working as my brain does not function as efficiently as used too. Same as yourself, forgetting things and I don’t cope with situations as easily anymore. But work might help me have more confidence.

I will try doing some games, that’s a good idea.

Good luck and take care xx

[cat3]

Hi Vonny. My SAH was in Dec.2011 --and a complete shock one morning at 2am. I was hospitalised for 3 months and pretty disorientated & worn out for months afterwards.

It's important to understand what a long-term process it is adjusting after this type of brain injury. My surgeon told me my life would never be the same but, with time and care, it could still be a good life.

I was hell bent on proving him wrong and immediately bought a new bicycle ! I was the one proved wrong and it took a couple of years to adjust to the 'new me' by accepting the changes.

You have a job and children, so many more responsibilities than I did (retired) but even so it was hard going. Can I ask, do you have support of any kind getting through each day ? Cat x

[Vonny1979 in reply to cat3]

Hi Cat, thanks for sharing your story, I am so sorry to hear of your BH. That’s a long time to be in the hospital. Did you have an aneurysm? I was In Hospital for 1 week, my mobility was good, just difficult managing the headaches and the extreme tiredness. 3 months on and I am feeling it hard to accept what has happened and the lack of energy and fatigue I suffer.

My family are there for me every day and help me with the kids and give me time to rest.

I am now thinking of attempting to go back to work part time initially, hopefully I can manage the fatigue and it will be ok. Famous last words!!

Take care

Yvonne xx

[cat3 in reply to Vonny1979]

Yvonne, I mentioned my 3 month stay in hospital to emphasize what early days it is for you. I'm astonished you were in & out within a week and feel you should have been advised to rest as much as needed, and to avoid returning to work for as long as possible.

There's a natural tendency to return to normality after illness, but this isn't something you can shake off at will. The headaches and fatigue are your brain's attempts to make you slow down and recuperate. Eat healthily, drink a litre & 1/2 of water daily (really important), take light exercise (gentle walks) and don't fight the fatigue.

Mine was a ruptured aneurism but doctors had no answers as to why. My surgeon was reassuring in telling me I was now safer than others as he'd seen inside my brain and fixed the problem !

Take care m'love and get extra support from the Headway helpline on 0808 800 2244 (freephone - office hours). Xx

[Alibongo60]

Hi Yvonne, I too returned to work after four months but found my brain wasn’t retaining info, memory was poor,and fatigue was a real challenge, I’d gone from thirteen hour shifts to four and was struggling, I was a senior in a residential home and ended up reducing my resposibilities down to carer as brain was struggling, sick pay was ridiculous how they expect you to run a home on that I’ll never know. Anyhow I did enjoy the reduced resposibilities in my role, and I did carry on for couple of years until my aneurysm regrew, and became a liability again so I have now medically retired, still have head pains, fatigue, struggle with word finding, I have penguins in my garden instead of pigeons lol but I’m still here and have to be grateful for that. I wish you lots of luck, take things slowly if you can, we will help if we can love Alice xx

[SmillieD]

Hi,

I’ve just joined this forum and seen your post and wondering how you’re getting on?

I had my NASAH in July 2022 on holiday during sex with the hubby. I didn’t present to hospital until day 5 and was then in hospital for 6 days.

I work 2 jobs, so was off for 7 weeks for the tutor job I do from home, but was off for 13 weeks from my dental nurse job. I am still on reduced diary for my tutor post as it’s mentally tiring but going to attempt to up my sessions in new year. My nursing job is another story. I have been plodding along but this week they asked me to do some extended duties which I felt were beyond me yet to be met with the reply get on with it as nothing on your ohs report says you cant! Hence emergency contact with ohs to get things in place. I still feel I need to be in practice to have support around should my head need a break and to be in the controlled environment of the practice and not out in care homes. I feel work think I should be back to “normal” and yes normal was said like that in an email!! Im not quite 6 months recovery yet and feel frustrated enough that I’m not back to my old self. Frequent headaches though manageable ones now with painkillers and the fatigue! Im forever sleeping!! Work in clinic one day and in bed by 7 that night!! Work don’t see that side! It’s very much an invisible illness. And the anxiety around things! Im doing my best, but realise that that’s not good enough for some people and I think a lot of people don’t appreciate the seriousness of what I had and the recovery and anxiety.

Sorry for the long post. Hope you’re doing ok now and interested to hear how your recovery going now?

[Vonny1979]

hello, nice to hear from you. So good to hear you’re doing well.

I am 8 months since my haemorrhage. I have not returned to work yet, I work in finance and I know I couldn’t handle that yet. I am getting used to handling my own finances and struggle with that. I really can’t handle negative situations well or stress. I try my best to keep positive. I had 6 sessions of cbt that has helped too. My headaches really only occur if I am stressed or anxious about something.

I am really surprised you have been managing to work through this. Well done. I was very poorly for months after my haemorrhage, fatigue and headaches were so bad. How did you eventually realise you needed to go to hospital 5 days after your haemorrhage?

I have 2 young kids, and my time is so precious with them. I sometimes feel it was due to stress that I suffered a haemorrhage as I was working full time.

I want to fully recover and enjoy my family time.

Nice to speak with someone with the same illness as myself.

Take care and have a great Xmas

[SmillieD in reply to Vonny1979]

Thanks for replying.

I hope you had a fabulous Christmas with your family. Both my children and partners came home this year and I was very emotional and grateful that we were all together. It could have been a completely different Christmas! However, 48 hours non stop and now I’m floored sleeping loads and headaches. Off work for the hols for 2 weeks so know I have the time to recover.

I do actually think I went back to work far too soon but I forced myself too as I had only been in my new job (tutor) for a week before I fell ill and although they were super supportive, I felt bad and wanted to get going.

I manage to work but to be fair, it is work home and sleep pretty much now 🤣 I do go out with friends but not as much and as long.

I def feel the pressure as people say, you look fine, and sometimes it’s so hurtful and frustrating when I want to act like I used to but just cant. Or if I do, I’m floored for days.

I feel so lucky to have just been left with the headaches and tiredness, it could have been so much worse. I have no follow up appts and trying to see a doctor face to face 🤦🏽‍♀️

It is nice to speak to someone who has had the same/similar experience and can talk too x

[JULIETstevens]

hi there. i was 35 when i had my TBI. IT was also a complete shock and has taken years to come to terms with, but i have now and have re-built a newm happy life again.... it is possible. how aer you doing? juliet x great to be in touch with another relatively young TBI survivor, as we may be able to understand the shock and trauma of what each other has gone through..... anyway, message back if you want to... juliet x