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Haematoma

Hi,

My husband collapsed 12 days ago and was rushed to the hospital. The neurosurgeon operated on him to drain the blood from his head. They said that he had a "big bleed".  My husband had no history of high blood pressure. He did complain of a headache s few days before his collapse. When they operated on him, they said they found no abnormalities in the arteries or veins, ruling out aneurism. They also performed an angiogram and reported they have not found any abnormality. They are still uncertain as to what caused the bleeding.  A suggestion is that it was a spontaneous type of bleeding. He is still unconcious, with his left bone still not attached to his head. My husband is in a stable condition I am advised, but he is still "asleep".  I have also been advised it may take a long time for him to wake up, and then they can not guarantee that he will.

I am looking for some answers - what caused the condition and what are his chances of recovering and leading a normal life?

Worried wife,

Revilla

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Avatar universal
Dear Revilla,
My heart aches for you. I am, of course, curious how your husband is doing, and also wondering how YOU are doing?
Your last posting was a couple of months ago.

My heart was warmed by the lovely story by Steff about her father.  My father also had a massive hemmoragic stroke (following his second brain tumor surgery) caused a stitch ruptured in the recovery room. He was 82 then, and we had many days when he appeared to be almost comatose. Few had hope, but with lots of TLC and gentle loving stimulation, he roused and made an amazing, albeit slow, recovery.  Today, 3 years later, he is probably as recovered as he will ever be -- he's generally healthy though fragile, and he has partially regained the majority of his abilities. Tenacity has been his greatest virtue.  

Betty's response is probably the most important thing for you on this page. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! The stress of a situation like this is incredible! My mother's MRI today revealed that she has a brain bleed (preceeded by blurred vision and dizziness), and we wait now to see where this will take us. She's been the primary caregiver who has felt indispensable . . .and we all know that is usually where the greatest risk really is, and where the biggest toll is taken.  So take care of yourself!  Best wishes to you and your husband! Take one day at a time!
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Avatar universal
Hi Betty,

You asked me to keep you posted, so here is an update.  My husband has now been in hospital for 1 month.  He is still unconscious, although he has been showing more signs of "consciousness", i.e. he opens both his eyes more often now. He responds to touch, especially when I pinch him to try to get some reaction.  However, I don't know if he can hear us.

He still has his trachy and feeds via a tube through his nose. Everything else is normal - his blood pressure, temperature and oxygen level. They have stopped monitoring his ICP (cranial pressure?) once he was transferred out of ICU.  They still haven't put his bone back, so his left head is showing a marked indentation where the bone should be.

You also asked me where the actual bleeding was - I was advised it was mainly on the left parietal lobe.  Can you tell me what the implications are?

I am hoping very much that he will wake up soon.

Thanks for your time.

Revilla
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Avatar universal
I spoke with one of the doctors from the Neurology team looking after my husband. I asked her if she could tell me exactly where the bleed occurred.  She referred to the file and told me it was in the "left parietal lobe with some escaping to the right parietal lobe". She said it was mainly in the left. The nerosurgical team advised me at the outset it was a "big bleed".

Unfortunately, when my husband complained of the headache, he did not describe where it was, and I confess I didn't ask him, thinking it was just an ordinary headache.

I would like to thank Betty for taking the time to respond and helping me to have a better understanding of what's happening. Thanks to Steff as well for the story about her dad - somehow it gives one hope.

Revilla
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Avatar universal
Dear Revilla,
My dad also suffered a very large bleed on the left side of his brain 5 years ago.  He was 72 years old at the time, and we were told that his prognosis for recovery was poor.  It was a long road for him and my mom, but he is doing very well.  He is in a wheelchair because of limited movement on his right side, but in every other way (speaking, etc.) has fully recovered.  He is enjoying his grandchildren and just celebrated his 50th anniversary.
I hope it will be the same for you and your husband.  My dad took about two to three years to get to the point where he is now.  Your husband is much younger so hopefully it will be quicker.  God bless you both.
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Avatar universal
Revilla,
  Hi, I once again want to tell you that you and your hubby are in my prayers and I do hope for a speedy and full recovery, 44 is so young for this to happen. And with no history of Diabetes or high Blood pressure I am even more surprised.
  You said the angiogram and MRI did not show any cause, I would like to know the area of the brain the bleed occured in. Do you know what part of his head the headaches occured in was it left sided temple,rear, all over etc....
   I would think he did have a AVM or something like that. Did he ever have a head injury of any type. The patient I knew of I don't think they ever found a cause either for his bleed. they suspected a AVM but could never confirm this at any time. I think he was about 29 at the time...He made a full recovery with only some slight residual right sided weakness and some short tren memory loss and some right side visual deficit..But all in all he did well, I believe he was asleep as you say for about 7 weeks....
   Please take care of yourself and i am praying for you and just keep in mind that doctors can do alot of things and miracles can happen, And there have been some cases of people with head injury or bleed after bleed or even one isolated really big bleed that come through it after time just fine..Did they say if he had a small bleed or a large bleed...
  Any way take care and hang in there, stay strong and have faith. Talk to your neuro and ask him all the questions you can he should be quite forthcoming with anything and he knows the case.tell him any fears and concerns you may have and be sure to be open and keep an open line with the doctor, and a good thing would be for you to talk to your husband as much as you can, stimulate him, play his favorite music, talk about the things he loves to do, touch him, rub his hands and stroke his face, let him know you are there always...
Keep in touch and post to let me know how things are going. please...Take care   Betty
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Avatar universal
Thank you very much for your very quick reply and for your prayers.

My husband is 44 years old, was a smoker and indulged in drinking with friends on some weekends.  He does not have diabetes.  He complained of headaches for at least a week before his collapse. I didn't notice any speech troubles. I heard the neurologist mention that the bleed happened in a very unusual area. I didn't know what he meant by this, all I know is that the bleed happened in the left side of his head.

If you require any other information, please let me know and I will find out.

Thank you all very much.

Revilla
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Avatar universal
Hi,
  I wish I had some answers for you, as I am sure the CCF doc did too. The only one who can answer your question is your husbands Doctor..
   I am so very sorry to hear about your husbands troubles.I will keep the both of you in my prayers and i do hope he recovers soon and a full recovery as well.
   May I ask how old your Husband is? Does he have diabetes? Did he have frequesnt headaches prior to his collaspe, or just a bad headache and collaspe...Did he have any speech troubles or any thing like that?
    I ask this because i am trying to compare this to another case from my school days that sounds a like,he made a full recovery, but it took many weeks to awake...
    Hang in there and take care of yourself as well...get some rest and Eat, because your Hubby will need you to be strong and healthy when he does wake up....Take care  Betty
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Avatar universal
Dear Revilla:

I am really sorry to hear about your husband.  We will all keep him in our thoughts and prayers.  The story you relate sounds like your husband might have either a hemorrhagic stroke, AVM bleed, tumor such as an oligodendroglioma, or an aneurysm bleed.  Alot depends on where the bleed in the brain occurred.  People have strokes for various reasons, smoking, drinking, high blood pressure, diabetes, athrosclerosis, heart problems, infections and any of these can give a hemorrhagic stroke.  An AVM is usually a congenital lesion of the vessels in the brain, which carries a 1-2% of bleeding per year.  Most often we have no idea we have one until we either get a headache in a particular area or have a bleed in that area.  An aneurysm is often the same way.  Although it occurs in females more frequently, we see it in males also.  There are those that are genetic or congenital (from birth) or acquired (usually from hypertension, trauma, systemic disease, etc).  Without knowing the complete history and where the bleed occurred it is difficult to tell.  I would see if the neurosurgeon can give you some answers.

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD
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