Hello, I am Melinda from South Texas. I want to Thank y’all for accepting me. I was diagnosed with SAH (subanchronoid hemmorage) on 10/7/2018. I searched all over the internet and I finally found this support group.
So I am thankful. I have read a lot of aneurysm stories but have yet to come across a story like mine. I was hoping to reach out in this group to see if anyone else has been diagnosed with SAH?
I have noticed several symptoms that those that had aneurysms I can relate to also on some of the comments I have noticed the severity and I pray for you all💕 This is hard and not knowing what this is kinda makes it harder to understand. I find myself not wanting to do too much as I feel that something I might do will make me go through the whole process again if not worse which would be death. I am a Christian, I believe in my healing and I have faith but I have my moments. Ok I am gonna end now because one of the many after effects i tend to deal with is my vision and looking at this screen for too long causes blurred vision some dizziness and causes a headache. Till next time.
Peace, Love& Thankfulness
~Melinda
I was diagnosed with SAH, but really that was a result of my unknown aneurysm bursting. The SAH is active bleeding in the space between your brain and the surrounding membrane… are you sure you don’t have any other diagnoses?
My neurosurgeon said I did not have an aneurysm
He was gonna do the procedure where they go in through my groin and input dye. He ended up going with the CT scan where they injected the iodinated contrast. He said it came back clear enough that he was able to see where the blood was and that the brain would heal on it’s own. He did take the precautions.
I was in ICU for 2 weeks and 1 day. I was on Nimodipine and Keppra for the duration of my ICU stay and 2 weeks after I was released from the hospital.
I just had my last CT scan done and with the iodinated contrast I am scheduled this Friday to go in for results and discuss how far I have come and to make sure no other problems.
Should I ask other questions? I don’t know. He says I look good and seem to be recovering well but I know I am not well. I tell him what I go through but he says that I am healing and it’s my body recovering and my brain soaking up the blood…
Till Friday, I await. But if you have other info that you know of or you’ve gone through please let me know so that these will be questions I can ask him.
Thank you for your reply. I am greatly appreciative 
Melinda~
I see… I notice on the info page for SAH that it is usually caused by an aneurysm, but there are also other causes. What were your symptoms that brought you in? When my SAH occurred I started having seizures and got sick. Luckily I was not alone and an ambulance was called.
Though you didn’t have an aneurysm, I’ve gone through a lot of the same things as you with the SAH. I was in the ICU for 3 weeks and on a lot of medications, including Keppra for a couple weeks after I left the hospital. My post op appointments included an angiogram (the procedure you mentioned that goes in through the groin). I was extremely tired for months. I slept 10+ hours a night and usually took at least a 2 hour nap during the day. I was off all medications about 3 months after I was out of the ICU. Slowly but surely I got back to normal - though even now I must admit I sleep at least 9 hours a night when I used to survive on 6 or 7. I was out of work for 3 months, though am lucky enough to return to a work environment that let me ease back in.
I know you must not feel like yourself even though your doctor says you are recovering well. The recovery is so slow as all our doctors are always telling us. Take your time and try not to get frustrated that you don’t feel like the same old you. You’re now the survivor of a traumatic brain injury which in itself tends to change people. My doctors told me my recovery was the “golden standard” of a burst aneursym/SAH. And even though I feel “back to normal” most of the time, there is a little something different after surviving something like that. I mean that in a good way.
I too suffered a SAH, due to a ruptured aneurysm. I was taken by ambulance and had no awareness of what was going on. I woke up in ICU and was told that I had the aneurysm and SAH and also stayed for 2 weeks in Neuro ICU. I came home on 12 different meds, including the nimodipine and keppra. Thankfully I am off of all of those now except for the blood pressure meds.
I was off of work for 10 weeks and am now exactly 5 months(today) out from rupture and craniotomy. While I would love to say I am back to “normal”, I have a ways to go. I am able to work part-time (I too have been blessed with a work place that allows me to ease back in) and function mostly as normal. I do get very tired and, as I recently found out, get pretty bad headaches when I over do it. I’ve been told that it is similar to a post concussive syndrome that lasts longer. You have to rest and take your time healing. As frustrating as that can be, you have to take time for you to get better.
When it happened, it happened suddenly out of nowhere. I had an excruciating headache starting in the left temple it was like a clap sound I googled it and it is called a thunder clap headache. My pain was severe. I had enough strength to get up and get 2 Tylenol and sit back down to see if it would help ease the pain.
I figured it was some type of migraine. I googled my symptoms on my phone and in the process of this all my head is still pounding, throbbing, pain unbearable.
I got all kinds of " what it could be" , by then we’re already 10 -20 minutes in from when the headache hit.
I noticed the pain shooting back to my head then to the other side of my head and this pain, mind you, is horrible, piercing, throbbing pain! By then my neck gets stiff and I start praying on myself because I am freaking out!! Then immediately I get sick
I start vomiting and projectile vomiting at that.
I finally get a sense of something is totally wrong. I text my husband told him i didn’t feel good.
He says go to the ER. Now mind you I am home alone with 2 children. I end up being able to put something on wake my 2 girls up from sleeping. One is 10 the other is 8. I told em mommy is sick, we need to go. Now this is about 40mins in. I am dizzy, light headed, still off and on vomiting, My vision is sensitive to light.
We get in the car. I drive myself to the ER ( by the grace of God) I make it to the ER which is about 7- 8 miles away.
I get there,I can’t talk. I am in so much pain. I was able to tell her enough of my problems. I sit down in the lobby with me and my girls. I waited maybe 5 minutes or less . I get to the back by this time I can’t really see my eye’s were so sensitive to light and I start vomiting again. They ask me my symptoms then they send me for a CT scan. I called a friend to come pick up my girls for me and tend to them while I was in the ER. She did.
By this time so much has happened. The ER Dr. Came in and said Ms. Melinda we need to rush you outta here
You have bleeding in your brain. I really don’t remember much after that I can tell you my life changed in an instant. I try to learn as much as I can about SAH and why or how this happened to me so that I can prevent it from happening to me again. I am hesitant to do anything that causes any strain to me or my brain
Or excitment or anything. I just as calm as I can be.
I don’t raise my voice at my children. We have explained to them that mommy is not the same and can’t be after them all the time. They seem to understand as much as a 10 and 8 year old can, I guess.
Anyway, it’s a lifestyle change for sure.
Same here. I have noticed if I do too much or on my phone looking at the screen too long or if I move around too fast I get dizzy, light headed and headache.
I seem to get a headache often. I have to tell myself take it easy, Melinda.
I don’t go back to work yet and I know my workplace would accept me with limitations they are a good company. I go to my neurosurgeon tomorrow 11/16 to go over my CT scan to see how my ruptured blood vessel has healed and how I have progressed from day 1. Plus I need to tell him of my new symptoms I have been experiencing. I noticed ringing in my left ear and the other night I experienced a motor sound in my head
I get dizzy often but if I stop for a moment and regain control I’m ok but shortly after I’ll get a headache.
I want to Thank you for taking the time to reach out and I will keep ya posted after tomorrow’s follow up w my neurosurgeon.
It has really helped me to be able to read others words about their journey on here. Everyone’s experience is different, but some can be similar and that makes me feel just a bit more comfortable about what I am going through. Good luck at the doctor, I hope you get some answers!
Hi Melinda,
How are things going for you?
Danielle
Well as of today, I am awaiting an appointment to go over CT angiogram w/ contrast with a Dr. that my Neurologist referred me to.
I had my last appointment with him on 11/16
We went over my CT results as he explained to me that I have a abnormality in my vessel. He claims that our vessels have 3 linings that make a vessel and that one of my linings is weak and is where the blood seeped out and caused all the problems I experienced and still experiencing. He then tells me he is going to refer me to another Doctor to evaluate my results and schedule to do the cranial angiogram and based off of that angiogram we are then to determine if a stints is needed in the weakened vessel. Ughhh!!!
This is so much to go through He should of done this we I was in the hospital like we were going to but he cancelled it and now he wants it done. :frowning
I still have headaches, everyday I still get dizzy I noticed not as often but I still do. Some days better than others.
Plus I have to take care of FMLA for work and that’s a whole other story in itself.
All in all I am good I just want to get back to being ME
I keep telling myself one day at a time, Melinda
i get impatient and I get down sometimes but I pray and I know God is here with me and I am thankful for my faith I have and for my supportive family.
Thank you for reaching out to me and will keep you posted.
Melinda~
Saying a prayer for you Melindago.
I had a SAH 8 months ago and it does take time to heal the brain. I also found that I was having a hard time mentally and asked the surgeon if I could be having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He said it was quite common after being in ICU for weeks and going through all that surgery and almost dying. I then went to a therapist for assistance and that has helped me through the anxious nights and I can now fall asleep with the use of an app called Calm which has sleep stories that I fall asleep too. Also has lots of Mindfulness guides for the daytime. I have trouble with loud sound like at movies or crowded events which trigger a headache. I try and avoid those types of places. I had trouble for months with too much work on the computer that required thought and math type stuff. But am fine now, it does just take time and some acceptance that life did take a curve and adjustments have to be made for awhile.
Thank you so much for reaching out to me and for your prayers
Hi, Melinda. My name is Tammy. I live in a suburb of Houston, and on 11/22/18, Thanksgiving Day, I suffered the Thunder Clap and was diagnosed with SAH. I had NO idea what it was, but of course I had heard of brain aneurysms, and their severity, so I was scared to death — as was my husband. I was in the ICC (basically ICU but for heart and brain) for 10 days. I did not need surgery (except the angiograms) thank God, and was just treated with medication. Fast forward to today, Christmas, I’m home and doing a lot better, but I am having a lot of the side effects you speak of… headaches, etc. and most of all, the crazy fatigue that seems to come out of nowhere. At 48 years “young”, I’m still admittedly taken aback that this has happened, but reading all of your posts has helped me tremendously, so thank you, and please let me know if I can help you in any way. I will keep all of you in my prayers. Merry Christmas, and God Bless.
Mine came on very suddenly as well. I was on vacation with my wife and family. The only symptom at first was I felt a stiff neck. I took an an Aleve and I scheduled a massage. I got into a hot tub it was cool outside and gently raining. As soon as I submerged something happened. I was very scared and I got out standing in the rain and I either fell down or sat down I don’t know. No one else was around but there were two men working nearby. I cried out “somethings wrong please help me“. One of them was a former EMT worker. The other went to get my wife. Someone called an ambulance and they took me to emergency room. They did a CT scan and found that I had a brain bleed. I was about two hours away from a hospital. From what I understand from that point I was driven to the hospital which happened to be one of the go to facilities for neurological disorders. I was cold, dizzy and really uncomfortable. I think I was given another CT scan and scheduled for an arteriogram. One of the doctors told me this might be sufficient; another doctor said you’re probably going to have to have surgery. I was not very conscious for a long time. Throughout the process my wife and niece were present and talking to the medical staff and learning about what was going on with me. The last thing I remember was talking to the anesthesiologist and then waking up after the surgery…
That was almost 4 months ago. After the surgeries I went to acute rehab. This was extremely depressing because the reality was beginning to set in for me that I had had a stroke. Everyone was trying to help me. I was really fortunate and this helped me to put everything in perspective. However I left the safety of the neurological institute where I was treated and returned home from there to an unknown future. I’m still improving. Looking back I remember that there was a former EMT worker nearby who could help me, a treatment facility close by where they specialize in helping people like me. I had family around me and I’ve been fortunate to have knowledgeable people to work with me.
Good evening Tammy,
I am glad to know you are doing well and are recovering one day at a time.
I think that’s about all we can ask of our bodies considering what we’ve been through.
I apologize for not replying sooner
Due to the holidays and family and flu season
I have just been doing as much as I can when I can.
Thank goodness the holidays are behind us and we recovered from the flu and back at as normal as we can be. Lol
As for myself well
My headaches aren’t as often as they were
Still hit me unexpectedly here & there but I’ve noticed they don’t last long.
My hands still fall asleep n tingle
Sometimes i still feel as if i hear something in my brain
No I’m not losing it. Lol Doctor says its normal. So if you are experiencing something like that just know its normal.
I’m still tired most of the time
Hungry too I have gained some weight but I started walking as I cant run just yet
Doctor says to walk and get as much Sun as I can get
Some days are good. I have energy and I feel I can go on and on and most days I just dont have it
I have to push myself to do daily chores
Laundry cleaning cooking ect but I do it because i have to
Thankful for my family my husband and my kids all in all I’m happy that I’m alive.
I do get depressed sometimes but I pray and talk to God and thank him for all that I have.
Seems to keep me positive. I know being outside helps me too. Doctor says he can’t give me a definite date when I’ll feel like myself again but I will, one day I will be Melinda I was before this happened and I know you will too
We will overcome this and learn from it and be able to be here to help others like us to understand what we are dealing with.
The unfortunate thing is there is no explanation for it because nothing I did caused it per my doctor it just happened!!
So I have accepted it and I live with it and once again thankful to be alive.
I pray for you Ms. Tammy and I’m glad to know you are recovering and doing as best as you can. I say to you like my neurosurgeon said to me. You’re gonna be the You that you were before this happened it will take time but it will happen
Start walking as much as you can handle and get some sun when the day is sunny and beautiful go outside and soak a little up
Be blessed and hope to hear from you soon
Melinda
I had my SAH in Oct. 2011. It took 9 coils to fill the rupture. I spent 2 weeks in ICU & came home. I’ve had a headache everyday since my rupture. I’ve seen 5 neurologists since my rupture, 4 of them diagnosed me with tension headaches, the one I’m currently seeing has diagnosed me with chronic migraines which he says I’m more susceptible to since my rupture. I’ve had 2 rounds of Botox which has helped in that I’m not waking up with a headache every morning but usually have one by the afternoon that lasts the rest of the day. It’s also helped with the severity of pain.
I had no symptoms before my rupture, it just happened. The first pain I had was a horrific headache behind my left eye, within a few minutes I had really bad pain in the back of my neck & didn’t want to move. My husband insisted I go to the emergency room, they immediately sent me in for a CT scan where they found the bleed. Fortunately the ER Dr knew of a neurovascular surgeon at another hospital about 30 minutes from where we live. They took me by ambulance & I had surgery for the coiling procedure. I see my surgeon on a regular basis & he continues to monitor my coils. During a routine angiogram last year he found an artery in my neck that was 85% blocked. I had a stent put in that area. This happened in a matter of a year.
Do what your Dr recommends & don’t skip any follow-ups.
Wishing you the best
Hi , my name is Aysel, i had an SAH in 2016 i was in intensive care for 3 weeks, 2 weeks in rehab, i had a coiling thru the groin i was 72 at the time.I had 1year later a contrast exam done thru the groin,and everything was normal, i am due to see my neuro surgeon this year! I feel excellent, not like was before i do still need a nap in the afternoon and sometime . I do get dizzy some memorie issues i am on no medication at all. I wish you well, have faith that all will be well! God bless Aysel