Like everyone else has said please don’t rush yourself. I went back to work after three months and tried to work full time in a physical job, didn’t happen occupational health had me doing lighter duties but I still pushed myself and the year later my consultant thought I had suffered a stroke onto of my aneurysm. I had to take a further year off work. I have since had rehab and counselling to help and make me realise I need to slow down and that my life has changed.
My employer now has changed my job now so I don’t do any manual handling, bending down and try to keep my stress levels to a minimum. I also only work Monday to Friday 9am -2pm and when I get home need a sleep, my life has changed but I feel happier knowing I can still do a bit of work then come home and rest. Please get all the support you can at first when you have an aneurysm and a bleed you still feel the same but you now have a different life. All the best x
On May 1st, I made two years since my emergency surgery. I need a nap at some point through out my day in order to have a complete productive day. My body does not function the same with out one. We have been blessed to survive. Its frustrating but one has to come to terms with that fact that we will never be the same people we were before the surgery, listen to your doctor. I have been told that this is a long recovery process, years not months, but everyone is different. I have not been back to work yet. I can not focus for very long, I get tired and very cranky, edgy and agitated. Good luck to you.........
I had a subarachnoid aneurysm (ruptured ) 2007,I was in hospital 29 days.I had mine coiled I returned to
work 4 months later for 3 days aweek,every other day for 2 hours, I increased this by 1 hour each day,4 months later i was back full time,I had it recoiled in 2013,had 2 weeks off,now back full time.Good luck and take care,listen to what your body is telling you.
I had a subarachnoid aneurysm (ruptured ) 2007,I was in hospital 29 days.I had mine coiled I returned to
work 4 months later for 3 days aweek,every other day for 2 hours, I increased this by 1 hour each day,4 months later i was back full time,I had it recoiled in 2013,had 2 weeks off,now back full time.Good luck and take care,listen to what your body is telling you.
I think in the 13 months since my wife's ruptured aneurysm, I've learned everyone is different. I think you'll know. My wife was similar to you, wanting to return to her old life. She is a college professor, and survived a Grade 4 rupture. 4 months to the day, after 24 days in ICU, 14 days in rehab, she returned to teaching a limited schedule. The following semester she was back to a full load. She has occasional fatigue and has had loads of shunt issues (she's on shunt #4) but the benefits she got from returning to work heavily outweigh the small issues of fatigue and some short-term memory issues when she first went back. Her case is quite unique. She somehow made it through everything with no deficits. I think if you feel like going back, do it. You will know if you're capable or if you're not. And as everyone says, take it slow.
I agree with you about the frustration of realizing that you are not the same person as before the aneurysm. I think that was the worst part of it for me. Everyone told me I looked fine. Little did they know I was anything but fine. It is almost eight years since the ruptured aneurysm. I still tire very easily and tend to not be able to focus when I am tired. I no longer nap, just end my day earlier than before. My husband notices that I say the wrong word, or can't come up with the word I want when I am tired. Good luck to you in returning to work.
You know Sharon I get the same response from family and friends, wow you look great Joe and I tell you if only they new the struggles i deal with internally. I just recently came to grips with the fact that I survived this near death operation. I don't know what else to call it, My wife told me that when I came out of surgery, something was off. I was talking and laughing and joking, they told my wife that I would be experiencing different emotions when I got home. I did none of those things. I acted as if nothing happened. This was my first operation ever, but of course my body was not reacting as positively as i wanted it too. I was very short fused big time about the smallest things and with everyone or anyone. wow my wife the main person there taking care of me and making sure I had everything I needed was my punching bag. I felt horrible. My short term memory is super bad and that was the main thing for us because she would tell me one thing and a few minutes later i'm asking her the same thing again and telling her that she did not telling me anything. That lasted for almost a year. Then I started feeling overly sad and emotional. That was bad, I would start crying for no reason by my self or around my family, while driving it was crazy. I was going to look for someone to talk to but then I started looking at the stories on this site and just like that I made a realization that this was real but I was not alone and that I would never be the same as I was before the operation. My wife seems to think that I needed to mourn the lost of whom I was and I did. Then I started feeling better I just keep telling my self, I survived and I'm alive and that was great. I started appreciating that fact, I started smiling instead of being sad or angry. When those emotions would come on I would start blocking them by saying to my self i survived and i'm alive. God is great........ I just felt like sharing sorry for going off topic. LOL
I found all the above posts so helpful. There is a "new normal", and it takes a while to find that balance. I am looking for work, as I lost my job after the aneurysm. I am considering a less stressful position, or different field. Question for any of you forum members, being medically "cleared" to go back to work by an OT evaluation, would I qualify for any kind of temporary disability assistance? unemployment? Wondering the experience of others.... I am concerned about my lack of motivation, considering the state of finances. Another post aneurysm trait! I have never before applied for unemployment etc, Thank you in advance
Once that you came back to your home, you starting to realice that things are quite different! and it is time to learn again over several simple things as to drive and pick up your children; going to buy something to the supermarket, and so on.
I juste want to share my own experience; and let me tell you that doing all the days the exercises to improve my memory is the only way to improve my own development every day. If we are still here, is for some reazon: our families, so lets keeping on and doing our therapy for improve every day. Our movie is not finish yet.
With my best whises
Miguel Rodríguez
Joseph A. Diaz said:
You know Sharon I get the same response from family and friends, wow you look great Joe and I tell you if only they new the struggles i deal with internally. I just recently came to grips with the fact that I survived this near death operation. I don't know what else to call it, My wife told me that when I came out of surgery, something was off. I was talking and laughing and joking, they told my wife that I would be experiencing different emotions when I got home. I did none of those things. I acted as if nothing happened. This was my first operation ever, but of course my body was not reacting as positively as i wanted it too. I was very short fused big time about the smallest things and with everyone or anyone. wow my wife the main person there taking care of me and making sure I had everything I needed was my punching bag. I felt horrible. My short term memory is super bad and that was the main thing for us because she would tell me one thing and a few minutes later i'm asking her the same thing again and telling her that she did not telling me anything. That lasted for almost a year. Then I started feeling overly sad and emotional. That was bad, I would start crying for no reason by my self or around my family, while driving it was crazy. I was going to look for someone to talk to but then I started looking at the stories on this site and just like that I made a realization that this was real but I was not alone and that I would never be the same as I was before the operation. My wife seems to think that I needed to mourn the lost of whom I was and I did. Then I started feeling better I just keep telling my self, I survived and I'm alive and that was great. I started appreciating that fact, I started smiling instead of being sad or angry. When those emotions would come on I would start blocking them by saying to my self i survived and i'm alive. God is great........ I just felt like sharing sorry for going off topic. LOL
My 24 year old son was found to have an aneurysm last November. Had surgery Thanksgiving weekend. He was strong healthy and in good shape. He is still having headaches and gets tired when he tries to do too much. He is so depressed and mad he cant go back to work yet. Then last month he had a seizure for some reason. This has thrown him for a loop not knowing why. Doctors have put him on seizure meds now. He is so tired of being in house, looking at television. Trying to get him out of mood he is in. Getting him out of house walking and trying to build up strength. Doctors put him on sleep meds to help with sleep, but told him it might be another 6 months or so before somewhat normal. It could be worse, but need advise too from others on meds they are taking for headaches. Just found this web site
Roy, I had my rupture last May it was followed by a questionable seizure. I say questionable because my husband was the only one in the room. So followup with neuro involved eeg which showed seizure-like activity(whatever that means) anyway am on anti seizures meds as well which I know can tire you out. Usually I don’t have trouble sleeping so maybe his will get better with time. At 55 im having a hard time with this(along with cancer treatments ugh) can’t imagine what it’s like at 24. Best of luck to you and your son!
Thanks everyone for all your responses. they really helped. I have organized with my boss to go back to work at the end of the month part time and slowly build back up to a full work day. I am looking forward to going back, but in the mean time i am going to enjoy my time off.
I am applying for SSI I have unruptured. Can you all please tell me any and all symptoms. As for going to work or back to...Not possible for me. Tired all the time and I require naps. What is it like for any and all.
Yes, the tiredness and lack of motivation is my main issue too. I have less ability to tolerate multi sensory stimuli... especially auditory. Get overloaded and it brings on anxiety. I have learned to pace myself. This site and a support group is invaluable! Only one who has experienced these things can truly understand what the "new normal" is. I am fortunate, I had a ruptured frontal aneurysm, and surgery to clip. I am cleared to work, drive. But outside appearances dont reflect the thought and processing changes. Hang in there and stay in the day!
Had a full craniotomy Jan 8. I have not yet returned to work. Over stimulated and processing confusion. I think you need to give yourself more time! 6 weeks is really, super soon. I totally get not feeling like yourself…I am trying to get used to the ‘new’ me. Best of luck! ️
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