Hi my name is Sharon and my dad had an ruptured brain aneurysm on January 1St. He was unconscious for a month and had a respirator machine and a feeding tub. He woke up and was in rehab for 3 month and just came home.Physically he will be OK but there is cognitive damage. I know it has been only 5 month ago but my family and I are trying to understand how to deal with so many things.
He is very confused about the year his age his kids but he recognize us and calls our names when we are in front of him. he can play chess and other games like that and give general knowledge.
He doesn't understand what happen to him and says we are wrong, sometimes insisting he was in a car accident. He sleeps a lot !! about 15-20 hours a day.
My question is did anyway go through the same thing? should we try and wake him up (so he will wake more) or let him be as he gets upset when we wake him up.
Another problem we have is his vision. He doesn't see well and we are told this is a cognitive problem but is comes and goes. Which the Occupational Therapy lady that works with him said she never had that kind of situation before. Had anyone had the same condition?
I live in the state but my family lives in Israel which is a small country and therefor doesn't have a lot of people who had brain aneurysm. So any advice on the matter would be highly appreciated!!
thank you for having a support like The brain aneurysm foundation and for it's wonderful members who I can see are very attentive and supporting each other!
hi sharon./, i had a similar story-sah and in coma for 5 weeks,its been a long journey for me literlaly taking baby steps-my physical therapist told me it took 3 o them to get me up and walking,an i said What? couldn't recall that-she was surprised i couldnt! i think your dad will improve -please read my blog-it's the little things- i think thats the title-if you can't find it search my name then go to blog section when my page appears. Repitition seems to work well-i know its tough to repeat yourself over & over but try it, I'm sure they told me a hundred times-you had a brain anuerism rupture, you had a SaH. The first 20 times it went in one ear & out the other- i heard but couldnt comprehend,i remember wondering how in the world did i get 20 miles away to center city Philadelphia -they told me by helicopter-still have no recollection 3 years later. i can't help wondering if your dad had a vivid dream about a car accident since i believed there were cats in my hospital bed for weeks because of a dream -hoping and praying for him and all your family, May God Bless you & yours.hang in there please tell dad this. I could not have even typed this at such an early stage- Your friend Ron ps- maybe he is in denial not believing in reality. My cat dream was more real than the bizaar reality
I must ask you...What has dad's neurologist told the family of his condition?
Also, I have seen many here at BAF who have had many of the same symptoms as your dad and often took 1 to 2 years to heal....but will still have some of the issues...it is hard to come out of a brain aneurysm and be the same....dad needs lots of patience and love right now....
Thank you Colleen,your work and dedication here is admirable!!
Thank you so much for your reply!!
In our country the health system is free and public (like in Canada) it meant the rehab was free which was good but on the other hand my dad had only 3 month in rehab and then was sent home.So we do not have a doctor yet except our family Doctor. This all means we have so many question and no one to guide us...I will keep on using this wonderful site and read other people experiences in the hope of getting more understanding about my dad"s condition. If you have any suggestion how to proceed from here it would be very appreciated !!
Hi Ron. thank you so much for your reply!!! In this kind of situation you feel so alone and a little bit of support goes a long way!!!
I wanted to know were you very confused when you came home? if so how long was it?
My dad sometimes has hallucination and thinks people are after him. it has been 4 month since he woke up form his coma. I have read a lot of people discussions here but could find anyone who had the same symptoms. Do you know of someone who had that and if so what did they do to try and help those symptoms?
Thank you again for your kind words!!! i wish you and your family health and happiness:-)))
I can relate to no "guiding" all of you Sharon...even in the states we see so much of this from our Neurosurgeons...truthfully and this is my opinion...I still think professionals...donot know enough about the brain...it is such a unique system in the body...and it's reaction to crisis...
Dad truly needs lots of rest...and he needs to use his cognitive mind...puzzles, books, etc., the old saying..."use it or lose it" and above all...lots of "I love you's..."...
My dad has alzheimer's so I know much about cognitive issues...and I know how it breaks a daughters heart...
Will keep you and your family in my prayers...~ Colleen
hi sharon- i didnt have severe confusion after i came home from hospital just slowness and i didnt have paranoia,my memory is bad but i think its slowly getting better and i believe your dad will too since it only been a half a year-keep thinking positive. i'm hoping others can give you some helpful advice-hang in there,i really like Colleen's comment of love &patience-love is the best healer-the first couple of weeks i was very confused and disoriented-good luck and may God bless-ron
Sharon, I had tremendous vision damage...the various cranial nerves affected are related to the anatomy of the aneurysm and its access route(s). Was this anatomy (artery/segment) explained to your family and which cranial nerves can/may be affected?
Google cranial nerves and by anatomy...CN II is the main one attached to the retina (some part of the eye), and CN III called oculomotor relates to some vision aspects; there are 3-4 more that relate to various muscle control in eye rotation/movement and light/dark changes (photophobia?).
Are his eyes in normal form; i.e. pupil in the center or gearing toward the inner (nasal) or outer (name?); any swelling? Also, ask your dad if has any pain behind a pupil, and if they are dry.
Does he blink nomally when he is awake?
Do you know if he has any hearing loss? I did/do have hearing reduction (both ears); the left w/tinnitus; the CN VIII is the vestibulocochlear nerve and check that anatomy.
If you do not know name/segment of the aneurysm, ask the doctors for it to google its anatomy which should note the CNs and areas it supplies blood to. Research will help you/family ask the doctors for explanations/advice on continued therapies, etc.
As for sleeping...he needs sleep; on the other hand, he may be awake when your family is sleeping; circadian sleep patterns can be affected; mine is.
Prayers for your dad's recovery for him and all of his family; for their health in the recovery process as it that process can impact their health.
Thank you Colleen for your kind words!!
I agree with you… No one really knows what the brain is Capable of doing …
As one daughter to another your advice to just be there for my dad hit a core… I will take this advice to heart
Wishing you all the best !! Sharon
Hi Pat , thank you for your replay.
My dad’s vision was never good as he was hurt in one eye as a child but there is no doubt the his vision got hurt, however the doctor’s say his inability to read or see things is actually a cognitive. He can see a Letter once but the seconded time he reads it he either doesnt see it or he sees a different letter.
The occupational therapy team are very confused about the whole thing as it comes and go . He can read the word and ten minutes later he can’t . Have you ever had or know someone he had this condition ?
Your explanation regarding segment of the Aneurysym really HELPED me understand what to ask his doctors regarding his treatment
Thank you again for taking the time to answer me !! It means a lot to me!!
Sharon
I have no expertise, just experience(s)...I could not see the same thing twice; too often, not once...my therapist was snippy when I could not look at what she told me to. She wanted me to look at her page, and my eyes were looking at the wall across the room... I could not control the muscle rotation. She was not advised on the transfer records of the visual deficits but was advised of hearing loss, aphasias, balance/gait, and cognition. You may want to know what the occupational therapists were advised...I'll cringe if they were told stroke... because that is barely a fenestration to the damage.
Not related to med therapy, I went thru 14 months of vision therapy; did not regain upper right peripheral vision (cannot remember exact terminology); a neurologist had suggested prisms and later did the referral for therapy. I cherish him. Other members here have had eye surgery. I am yet slow at reading/memory; tho therapy did bring back reading/ comprehension. I have learned to go back to the old school read / outline, read/outline (repetitively). Yet, get surprised finding an outline that I do not remember why/when and what generated my interest to learn (which I could not remember!) Fatigue days do follow several days of brain-taxing attempts to learn, to accomplish.
Sharon, I shared a little more...just to let you know that overcoming visual field deficits may not result in full recovery...tho I certainly view it as my fenestration to recovery...
