I was in neuro ICU for 3 weeks and then finally got to go home with PT. While I was in ICU, I unfortunately got the flu and pneumonia, which led to spending quite a bit of time on a cooling blanket. I’m grateful to be alive and consider myself extremely lucky. One of the largest problems I have is absolutely no stamina and relatively high BP. Everything wears me out and the doctors have had me on a beta blocker for the last few weeks. I’m also mindful and working on things as best I can.
I was working at the time and never had a headache at all. I remember getting nauseated and then extremely cold and apparently stopped making sense. My wife, thankfully, was paying attention and called 911. The next thing I remember is waking up in neuro ICU about a week later.
Glad you are here with us 
. Keeping you in my prayers 
Blessing to your wife 
Thank you! I’m grateful just to be alive.
Welcome Benjamin, we’re glad you found us! I ruptured as well and spent 26 days in NSICU. I believe the fatigue is partly due to your rupture and partly because it’s really hard to get good rest or sleep in NSICU with all the activity that goes on, your stuck in bed for a good long while and muscles get weak during that time. Your brain is still healing, be kind to yourself and others during this time. An important part of healing is my Neurosurgeon’s mantra- hydrate, eat protein, hydrate some more, rest and repeat.
A student in the RDN program came by my ICU bed and told me I had to eat 90 gms of protein a day. I wasn’t eating because I don’t like to eat when I don’t feel well, they threatened to put a feeding tube in me and had called BH for permission. I use protein bars, shakes (I like Fair Life chocolate the best as it’s easier to shake up in plastic) and yogurt that all have 30 gms each. Every time I had an angiogram I had to drink three bottles of Gatorade (28 ounces) and twice that in water for each bottle. Check with your surgeon through your portal on how much of each you should be taking daily.
Just remember to take one day at a time, think of healing in terms of a marathon, not a sprint.
Hi @c0nsilience!
Welcome to the BA family! We are so happy you are here as well, and I feel exactly like you do - immense gratitude just to be alive!
Oh my goodness, I am also delighted to meet you as I also ruptured, but I did not have a thunderclap headache either. I am glad to meet someone else who also did not have the classic symptom.
I also have had to adjust to a new life with fatigue post-rupture. Certainly as @Moltroub said, resting, protein, and hydration help a lot. I had a number of speech therapists along my journey, but my last one was my best as she was a Certified Brain Injury Specialist.
Besides all the traditional speech therapy things, she also helped me to not only understand the signs of when I was getting fatigued (I had no idea what my body was saying), but also what to do and how to manage it. Almost two years out, I cannot do what I used to do, but I know how to better plan and manage my energy so that I can thrive in this new world. She made all the difference to me!
I too am on a beta blocker (plus) too, and now practicing mindfulness to better manage stress. It does help me a lot, and as terrible as I am at it. 
We are so grateful you have found us, and please let us know what we can do to support you!
Fin Whale Fan 
Thank you for sharing your story and for the great insight and tips. I more than appreciate it. I lost 25 lbs after three weeks in ICU and I certainly wasn’t eating well - I did start drinking the Ensure protein shakes and I’ve continued that since I’ve been out and have added oatmeal and yogurt with flax seed, which has seemed to help. My rupture was coiled and I had vasospasms for awhile, so I was getting scans daily while I was in the hospital. I’m seeing my primary care physician soon and will see if she can get me a referral to the neurologist I initially saw as well as the neurosurgeon that put the coil in my ruptured aneurysm.
I’m absolutely taking it one day at a time and keeping things in perspective. I’m grateful for this community’s existence.
Hi Fin Whale Fan,
Thank you for the response and kind words! It gives me immense hope and it is also nice to chat with someone else that did not have the classic symptom. I was reticent to start looking around the internet for information on brain aneurysms as most of what I initially came across were frightening statistics. Lots of doom and gloom. I’m doing a lot of physical therapy and the fatigue has been unreal, but I’m still very much grateful just to be alive and breathing. Every morning I wake up, I consider myself lucky and think about what I can do to extend kindness and compassion at every available opportunity. I’m excited to have stumbled upon this community! Thank you again for sharing your story and for the words of encouragement.
I completely understand the avoiding the Internet!
I actually didn’t join the community until my 1 year anniversary, and I did not do much Internet searching during that time as well, as I know I would go down some very dark rabbit holes. My goals in that first year were to do what my medical teams said (let the experts be experts) and let my brain heal. Our brains need time to recover (think months and years, not hours and days), so allow yourself the time you need. There were definitely some cons to it, but I stil beieve it was the right decision for me personally.
Everyone’s journey seems to be unique, but many of us experience fatigue, for sure! To me, we almost need a new word for it in Engish as fatigue pre-rupture is very different post-rupture!
Our friends across the Pond were kind enough to prepare some discussion about fatigue after a brain injury, should it be of help.
Honestly, I am very cautious about social media platforms and I am on almost none of them, but I read many posts pre-joining and I believe this is an shining example how websites/virtual commonities can be. Three cheers to BAF, Ben’s Friends, and our Moderators for making this community such a caring environment!! 
Fin Whale Fan
I’m with Finn.. I didn’t rejoin until after 20 years rupture and they found another… I think the support is awesome because there’s so much that we learn new each day…
You are definitely not alone on fatigue… That’s the biggest issue I see a lot of people battling. Sending prayers and good blessings you way
You shouldn’t need a referral to either your Neurosurgeon or Neurologist, check your patient portal you may have a follow up appointment. Or just call them, it took me a long time before I was taught about my portal, so I’d call. I had vasospasms for 21 days, seems every time I turned around I was getting a CT scan and ultrasounds twice a day somewhere starting in the second week. I lost 0 pounds in my stay, they found a pituitary adenoma so I get to have that followed now. I’m also coiled, had my six month check and was gifted with more coils, about a year later gifted with more coils having a balloon assist and then in 2020 my stent was installed, with even more coils. I call myself a wired, caged airhead now.
If you can’t remember the names of your doctors, ask whomever came to the hospital to visit you, it may be family or friend, either might know their names and be able to teach you how to get on your portal. The hospital may have given you a code in your discharge papers if you know where they are.
Thank you for the info! I called the neurosurgeon’s office that did the coils the day I was released from the hospital and then called his office again a few days later. Radio silence so far. I do understand that they are busy, but I’ve even had a difficult time contacting my PCP. Communication was a lot better when I was still in the hospital, that’s for certain.
Thank you! 
Yeah, I don’t mess with any social media either. To much of a polarized time sink, imho.
I too had a ruptured aneurysm. I really don’t remember much of the day it happened. I didn’t have a headache either that I can remember. Our daughter stopped at our house and I was sitting on the couch with my jacket half on and I was unconscious. She called 911 and I was taken to the local hospital then transferred to Halifax .
I went to town that morning shopping, cooked a roast beef dinner and made chocolate truffle. I have no recollection of doing any of this .
I had coiling done on January 9th 2025 .
I was in the hospital for 3 weeks.
Wow, I’m glad you’re alright, Ellie and thank you for sharing your story. It’s a good thing your daughter stopped by.
Thank you . I am very lucky my daughter came to our house . I don’t think about what my outcome would have been if she didn’t.
I understand completely!
Try the RN hotline if your surgeon has one, the office should be able to give you their number. That being said, when you go through your portal it becomes part of your medical record. I learned that here! All my docs have a portal it seems, I miss just being able to call. But they reply within 24 hours unless I’ve sent a message when the office is closed.
Will do! I also believe there is a case manager affiliated with the neurologist, which I’ll look into as well. Thank you!