Hi today i went shopping with my daughter inlaw and grandson came home watched my grandson while she put messages away after an hour took him back.my husband came home from work but i nevrr felt right but i think i have just done to much does anyone else get that that
Hi - that sounds like quite an exhausting day - lots for your brain to process. It's not uncommon and as long as you take a good rest hopefully you will feel much better. You have to adjust to your current energy levels, and try to take a break before you feel that you need it, stay a step ahead if you can. Take care, rest up, xx
thank you feel a lot better hot bath hubby made tea and just chilling just did to much cant do that again
Gosh I’m amazed youmanaged all that. I was impatient to do things when I was discharged and ended up going to bed early and doing nothing thenext day. I had a wobble on a long walk with a friend, I had to stop and hold onto a tree!
i pace it better now ?
fatigue is normal with us, take it easy. Lots of rest. Take care
Yes, it’s a learning curve but your energy levels do improve over time. Just take small steps and don’t be frightened to tell your family you need to rest more regularly at the moment. Veronica
Definitely did too much, I went to town shopping with my husband today , first time since my stroke in September, way too much, ! Even though I stopped and had a rest, the dreadful fatigue was winning. We really do need to take it easy, rest and pace ourselves. I am beginning to realise it is along slow process. Best wishes, Lyn x
It does get better, Lyn. John can do more now than he could a few months ago but he’s 22 months down the line. Even so, he still needs to pace himself. V&J
thanks sandy i keep thinking my stroke was in april am fine i can do things by its minding the grandchildren that tire me out i need to rest more
thanks lyn its true we do need more rest think i can do anything but i cantx
thanks veronica i am going to rest more today has taught me i cant go rushing around
Fatigue is a bit of a hidden effect of a stroke or TIA. It sounds too "trivial" to talk about. Physical, cognitive and emotional impacts are seen to be significant and need rehabilitated. I found it slightly embarassing to mention "feeling tired" until i joined this forum and found put how common it is. I'm now much more open to discussing fatigue (a far better word than tired). When it kicks in it can be quite debilitating, but I'm learning how to cope better with it.
I have two types of fatigue:
The first is caused by me pushing myself a bit further than usual, and I don't mind the consequences as it's a result of my own actions.
The other comes on quite unexpected, when I don't feel I have done that much. Obviously I have, but not consciously. That irritates me a bit as it feels like it's out of my hands.
Thankfully, that second type is becoming more infrequent.
It’s so randomly up and down. I’ve been fine all week but today I’ve crashed, tired, headache but not enough to take anything for it. So today it is feet up in the sofa time. It’s grey cold and raining today so not a day for going out. ?
Good decision xx
Dear Sandy
I wonder if the peaks and troughs are truly random. Many of us report that when they do "too much" it is followed by high stroke fatigue.
If I do too much on Monday then its SF on tuesday and then SF wednesday.
Colin
I Agee Colin, it can be. For me it comes randomly as well. I didn’t do much yesterday. Anyway tomorrow should be good
I like it when I have rested for a day, exactly as you say......tomorrow should be good.
I rarely get completely random SF. Lack of sleep or too much mental effort or too much physical effort will bring it on. It is so variable that I never know to what degree the SF will hit. Today its high, probably because I have been putting up xmas lights.
Nevertheless I am still going to venture out in to thisawful wet weather to get a chineses take away. I better enjoy it after that.
Colin
I think you are right. Yesterday I went to see my boss to discuss my return to work, it was a relaxed meeting in a pub over a nice burger and a soda and lime. Non confrontational and no pressure to go back. I think that set my brain off.
This week I too have done the tree with additional lights and decorations inside and outside the house, nice and festive to welcome my daughter back from uni.
So I may have to plan a quieter week
keep well Colin, I enjoy our chats they are very helpful
Thanks sandy that is what i have done today just sat and watched xmas movies after yesterday
My husband had his stroke in March 18. Some days he has energy, others totally exhausted for no reason. Doctors etc say this is to be expected, but it’s good to hear from people who are going through the same traumas. He gets so frustrated and emotional, especially as he has severe aphasia as well and finds it hard to describe how he’s feeling.
Many of us get stroke fatigue. Indeed I think its most of us. The medical diagnosis is "post stroke tiredness" but in laymans term it is not being tired, it is utter exhaustion and a failure to cope.
It does ease, but we generally need many many months to improve. If he gets insufficient sleepy sleep then the SF will not improve. So he needs to get a good nights sleep every night. There will likely be a million problems trying to sleep, but we need to get our full quota. For me its 7.5hrs but it might be different from 6 hrs to 10 hrs for instance.
I have no medical knowledge, but it seemed to me that whilst my brain was rewiring itself (medical term is nuero plasticity) it needed to close me down and that came as stroke fatigue. It is essential to rest when the fatigue descends. In adition to a nights sleep. It is vital at his early stage of recovery, to supply the brain with water. Brain will not ask for it, it just takes it from the rest of our bodies, so he needs to drink extra water. I hated this, but I hate the SF even more, so keep drinking ! If his swallowing is very bad then i imagine he will be put on a drip.
Irrational emotions are common. A few people laugh when its not approptriate, most of us cry. This is hard for us males to cope with. Men dont cry. They do now.
There is a big problem explaining to others how we feel. Do not expect much sympathy. He will soon look well but in fact will be far from well. Others can not hack this at all.
I would urge him to keep a stroke diary and to jot down the severity and times of the fatigue. And other things like pulse rate, BP, weight and so on. And hours of sleep.Then he can look back and see how far he has come. I also urge him to have his medical diagnosis to hand. That will best be the letter that the hospital writes to his GP on discharge. Staff at the GP surgery should be able to give a copy if he hasnt already got it.
The stroke association leaflets are a very good starting point for trying to fathom out stroke problems.
There is so much to learn.
But I promise him that things will improve.
He needs to smile a lot (amazingly effective) and be positive.
Look at what he can do and not what he can not.
I have read this forum for over three years and it is those with a positive attitude who recover best.
Do come back and ask anything. Quite a few of us are here for him, and indeed here for you
best wishes
Colin