Hello! I’m Rosie and yes, I’m one of the 15% of stroke survivors who had a sub-arachnoid brain haemorrhage ( bleed in the brain) in April last year. (When I tell people that term they seem to think it’s something to do with spiders! ) I think I was quite fortunate in that I don’t seem to have suffered any major physical after effects apart from tiredness but I am realising that sometimes I am having a bit of a struggle with memory and getting my words out. Be good to hear from anyone else who had the same as me as most seem to have had the more common stroke. So pleased to have found this site as felt a bit abandoned to my fate by medical profession!
Hi Rosie - glad you've found this site, you will get good support and advice from the wonderful SSs here. Hopefully you won't feel so abandoned now you'll always have others to talk to.
Best wishes xx
Dear Rosie
Do you have the same permanent brain damage that many of us have ? eg did your spider attack kill off a bunch of cells ? I imagine that the answer is yes. In which case you are a fully paid up member of our club.
I am friends with one stroke survivor who had a very similar stroke to me. But our "damage" and outcomes are not similar. No two strokes are the same. So no two of us will have the same problems.Having said that, many problems are common to many of us. And it seems that "post stroke tiredness" is the biggest issue for most of us. I call it SF as "post stroke tiredness" doesnt tmean anything to us non medics.
Do explain if I am wrong, but the type of clot or type of bleed doesnt mean much, once we are medically discharged from the hospital. What does mean a lot is being able to discuss SF or those awful loss of memory incidences or some of the issues that I am delighted you havemt been afflicted with. Only another SS understands what we go through and I am pretty sure the bleesres and the clots merge in to one big family.
I had mild aphasia and for six months the words wouldnt present themselves nor would my mouth say them. Things eased a lot by six months and were of only small significance by 18 months.
The memory probably wont come back. I am trying to fathom out how we lay down some of our current memories. Chunks of my pre stroke data banks have gone completely. It is hard to accept this, as things I ought to know keep popping up as a total blank.
I am an FCA so I should be helping out people with tax, pensions and the like. But I know I cant do it any longer. I wait on tables, make tea and coffee and do the tiniest of voluntary admin jobs. At least I am being useful but it is hard for me to do these new tasks when I am used to being "in charge". In many ways its nice to make tea. I was retiring in any case.
So welcome to our forum Rosie and enjoy sharing with others
Best wishes
Colin
Hi all, I've just joined this forum and am finding my feet as everything technical now seems to be a major challenge, bearing in mind I used to be an IT consultant writing database software all over mainland Europe. My memory is now shocking, including my spelling so please make allowances. Looking forward to touching base with whoever and sharing some experiences and maybe solutions.
Hi Geoff,
I too used to be an IT consultant before my Stroke 8 years ago.
After four and a half years of often fruitless job searching, I finally managed to get back to working in IT and now both work full time and travel solo internationally when needed.My IT skills are probably further on now than they were prior to my Stroke, probably because I’ve had to learn new ones in the differing roles I’ve held in four years of working full time.
I kept my skills current by doing more IT hobbies, building a PC single-handed and using a Raspberry Pi and other Single Board Computers.
Getting back to how you were may feel unattainable now but it Is certainly possible and I’m sure you will prove me right in time.
Take care now and don’t give up!
Damian
Hi Damian
Many thanks for your positive response and good luck for the future yourself. I've started to look for work and would love to get back to an IT related position, time will tell.
Take care yourself
Geoff
You’re welcome, Geoff.
Anything is possible with right attitude and determination. Anything!
Damian
Hi Rosie, I had a subarachnoid hemorrhage 9weeks ago I think I've been very lucky as I haven't suffered any physical after effects either I do get the tiredness though. I don't remember anything about the day it happened or the following few weeks although my husband tells me that I was conscious at times &, spoke to him , unfortunately I don't remember any of the visitors I had either. I am now home which is great but I do feel that once you're discharged from hospital you're pretty much left to get on with things & it can be scary at times because even though I don't remember anything about that day I do have a slight panic if I have a pain in my head as I wonder if it's going to happen again.
Dear Katy.
There is an instinctive fear of another stroke. I reckon its the brain telling me it doesnt like stroke and making me scared so that I run away ! It does ease as the weeks drift by.
I was discharged very early and given six weeks care by a crack team of stroke specialists visiting my home 5 days a week. That was very good and helpful. The day they left, apart from lots of tears, I felt that I had been lowered off the cruise ship into a rowing boat and then left in the Pacific ocean.
Do try and go to your local stroke group. Meeting other SS is very good. Only another SS has a clue what we are going through. When I first went to the local stroke group I felt as though I had been wrapped in a warm blanket.
The lack of after care is severe and unfair. I now understand that each one of us is different, so after care is hard. But to have next to nothing is not nice.
My GP is decent. I soon learnt that I had to present problems in a way he could deal with. So no mention of stroke and set out concisely what is wrong. He has helped with many issues.
The SA booklets are very good. Do read them. There is an information pack containing the leaflets. GP surgery, hospital stroke unit or easiest, contact the stroke asociation. Things are changing rapidly.
We are all here for you. We can share our experiences and you can pick out the bits that might apply to you.
Be positive
Smile lots of times each day
You are not alone
Colin
Hello Rosie. My memory has, at times, been bloody awful. But other times it's still very sharp, so this can be confusing. I have to be honest though and say that I do use it as a cheeky little excuse when I haven't done the washing up ;-). Jokes aside, I can't tell how I'm going to be from hour to hour. I have spells when I feel absolutely 100%, like the stroke never happened, then the next few hours I'm struggling with all sorts. I suppose the best answer is to take things as they come and be greatful to be in the 15%. We're a lucky bunch. Take care, Aaron.
hello, I am 43 with a 22 month old son and I’m a single mum and an English teacher. I had a seizure and then a stroke in the night 2 months ago, was in Southmead for ten days and now trying to live life as a post stroke survived. I have no physical outward signs, but I do have the fatigue, and some problems with balance, vision, memory, words and spelling - and was about to start a new teaching job in a private school in September. I missed the last month of my job at my old school and don’t recall anything about the stroke or the following 2 weeks. I’m finding it very hard to adjust, my mum is pretty much living with me to help with my son, I’ve sold my car and surrendered my licence - and I’m not sure when I’ll be able to return to teaching but I need the money to support my son. I have headaches all day every day and am on painkillers and anti seizure meds, and they are investigating possible vasculopathy after my angiogram. Haven’t spent a single night alone since as frightened to be in my flat by myself with my son in case it happens again, and don’t hear him cry at night as sleeping too heavily - could that be the drugs? Scared and feeling alone and as if I’ll never get my life back. ☹️