Hi Everyone,
I am someone who really valued the physical and psychological benefits of exercise prior to my ruptured aneurysm. I am recovering well and my main symptoms are intermittent periods of exhaustion, headaches and a feeling of disconnect from the rest of the world!
What are the guidelines you have been told about exercise? I am seeing my MD next week for a 6 week outpatient appointment and this is on my list.
Thanks everyone!
Nanette
Hi Nanette!
Welcome to the community! There are a ton of wonderful people here from all over the world and we are all committed to supporting one another. I ruptured back in February and have been walking ½ mile per day for the last 2.5 weeks, along with the PT exercises. My doctor cautioned me not to try to lift anything greater than 20 lbs for the time being. Like you, I’m recovering well with fatigue being the biggie. It comes on quickly and without much warning. My main focus has been on just getting my body to move as easily as it used to pre-rupture. I’m also still monitoring my blood pressure several times per day and doing my absolute best to keep my life as stress-free as possible.
Welcome and Good Morning! Your discharge papers should give you your weight limit and duration. When the doc goes through the femoral artery (groin) is a longer recovery time than through the radial artery (wrist) but I was allowed to pick up more with the femoral than with the radial. I don’t recall the limits but I’m on a 40 lb limit for life. I don’t follow this rule close enough, truth be told I could say I pretty much ignore it. I don’t recommend ignoring the rules we get.
Lists for the doc is the best thing we can do, don’t forget to take someone with you who’s good at note taking. I always share BH is not a good one to take. After our first appointment, I was asking what the note meant and there was not telling. I took a notebook in at first, then I used to give my phone to Dr.Q-W and she’d rattle off the answers without me knowing what my question was:zany_face:
. The first PA she had was phenomenal and Mr. William would translate for me. Then there was a change in CMO’s and Dr. Q-W lost Mr. William and was given a NP that I didn’t play well with. Eventually another CMO came and Dr. Q-W was allowed to hire a different NP. We play well together, just a couple of hiccups along the way, easily straightened out for the most part. She taught me about using the patient portal and set me up as I’d always just call. Now, before I go in, I send my list of questions and Ms. Ryann and Dr. Q-W can reply so I know the answers before hand. It makes the appointments go faster and smoother.
Walking is a sanity saver, walk what you can tolerate. Remember you have to get back home so count that in. I walked my driveway and my parents’ driveway (longer and not as steep). I was in PT since I’d stayed in NSICU for 26 days and a few in the step down unit. There was a really nice elderly gentleman who’d take me for a walk at the step down unit. We eventually were able to walk the entire unit. It seemed huge at the time and exhausted me to no end. We don’t have sidewalks where I’ve lived but we did have some nice parks. BH and I would take our new dog and walk her. We also started taking my parents’ dog. We’ve moved to a larger place and I just take walk abouts in the yard. The dogs can walk about in around 2 acres, they can access some of our woods but choose not to so I take short excursions through them a few times a week.
If you can get into PT, that will help build your muscles back up, significantly. I can’t remember why, it’s a bad brain day apparently, but their machines can allow you to pass the weight limit once you’ve been there a couple of weeks. The first thing I always had to do was walk before any of the stretches etc. I couldn’t do the treadmill very well because of foot drop, but I could do the exercise bikes. I’d have to switch from the pedal to the hand pedal ones, I couldn’t do both at the same time back then. I also couldn’t do the long outside stairs. Stairs were my nemesis, as my brain couldn’t remember to stop walking down or up them when they went to level ground so I was always falling. That’s improved exponentially because we now have a house with stairs everywhere.
You’ve probably already read Dr. Q-W’s mantra that I share on headaches and fatigue- hydrate, eat protein, hydrate some more, repeat. Try it and see if it helps. I believe from personal experience it will. One of the things I had to do after each procedure was drink 3 bottles of Gatorade, I think their 32 ounces, they used to cost $1 on sale, and either twice or three times that in water for two to three months and then just water. My protein is minimum 90 gms as set by the RDN student as it’s what the US recommends, the WHO was up to 120 mg last I checked which has been awhile, our brains are protein hogs so feed accordingly. Ask your doctor what you should be doing.
Again welcome! I hope other members will share what they’ve been doing.
Hi @Nanette and welcome to the BA Family!
I, too, ruptured but had some tangential issues occur, so it took me longer to restart exercising.
I really have no restrictions in the long-term, with, of course short-term (e.g., after surgeries) being limited by weight, distance, and/or time.
However, I am back to alternating between walking (2-3 miles with ankle weights), weights, and aerobic/cardio. When I am bogged down, I do have one of those leg exercisers I had used in my earlier days when I couldn’t do my routine, so I could at least do something. [I should get some more yoga in there too is always a goal as well!] My goal is every day, knowing that life interferes and it really means 5-6 days/week, but recovery days are good too.
So wonderful to hear that you are recovering so well! You are representing us so well!! 
Remember, you are not disconnected from the world anymore, you have us!!
Fin Whale Fan 
I’m certainly not trying to patronize anyone, but I saw this released a few days ago and thought it might be helpful for folks wishing to get into or back into a yoga routine:
I don’t think it’s patronizing at all. In fact when I joined a Tai Chi class, early on in my pat rupture years, my balance was so bad I had to start it in a chair. I had company, a fabulously funny woman about 30 years my senior. I imagine there’s lots of free YouTube videos out there.
Also I just notified that this topic was posted under the BAFs topics so I’m moving it.
Your doctor will need to give you guidance.
Tomorrow is my 10 year anniversary. My aneurysm ruptured at the end of a workput while I was at the gym.
I thought Id never work out again. Today Im 44 and workout 5 days a week.
Working out is probably my buggest outlet for stress and feeling down.
I am sure with care and caution you can workout again.
Thanks so much! I am seeing my MD on Thursday. It’s interesting that there is so little info about subarachnoid aneurysm recovery available where I would normally find health info! I can’t wait to exercise again, it was my medicine! I am so happy to hear that you are doing well after 10 years. Thanks for responding:)