It’s now exactly 9 months from my stroke which was very mild compared to some,a slight tingle in left arm and leg ,I didn’t even know I’d had a stroke ! I was off work for 18 weeks and have been back full time since then . However I’m now feeling worse than before .my leg feels very heavy and I’ve got a definite limp ,loss of sensation in my fingers ,I didn’t have this before and it’s worse after a full days work ,I do a fairly heavy manual job .Also get a bit of dizzyness ,
Do you think I’m still in recovery period and maybe need to take it a bit steadier,I’ve been offered redundancy next month and am very tempted to take it ,I’m 64 btw.Any thought please .
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@Yellowdog sorry to hear you’re suffering. In stroke terms it is still early days in your recovery & you did go back to a heavy manual job quite quickly. Its very possible that this is whats causing these symptoms & you may need to take some time out to rest.
If these are new symptoms for you though you should get yourself checked over by a dr. I developed a heavy leg after my stroke & I still get the dizziness - worse when fatigued.
Its very possible you’ve overdone it & need to take it easier.
I suffered some of the symptoms you have described and when I tried to go back to work the symptoms seemed to get worse. I attribute this to what is often described in these forums as stroke fatigue. Eventually I had to take early retirement 4 years ago when I was aged 60.
Now in retirement it is a bit easier to manage my fatigue and dizziness. I have had to change my lifestyle to adapt to a new way of living.
There is always help around and sharing ideas on these forums has been helpful.
Thank you ,I have the option to take the redundancy in the next few weeks and in all honesty I’ve had enough now , getting up early and humping heavy stuff about ,I’ve talked to my Dr a few weeks ago but I’m afraid they just don’t get it !
I had a cardiac ultrasound a few weeks ago and then a heart monitor for 7 days and nights which have all come back normal ,I’m just so tired most of the time.
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Yellow dog. Nine months is very early in the recovery stage. I still aim for improvement after nearly seven years. As the others say, you have a very demanding job. Redundancy is a good option provided you can manage until you reach pensionable age. Check with Citizen’s Advice about benefit payments and do talk over your symptoms with your gp.
Shwmae, just to share some thoughts and not make any definitive prognosis. The first six months after stroke can deceptively feel like progress is being made, it’s at this time the brain is doing a hefty amount of it’s own self-repair. That’s why these first six months are crucial for sleep, food intake, and gentle physio. After six months the brain stops doing this and the remainder of recovery is a matter of longer term management. Many stroke survivors, myself included, learned this the hard way, with proper medical guidance on the matter, many of us may have been a bit better off in the long run. But it’s fairly common for survivors to hit a plateau after six months or so. As always, monitor your symptoms, and if they become acute, visit the hospital. As I don’t know your medical particulars, I can only reflect my own experience and what I come across from medical sources and other survivors.
Also, avoid the boom-bust cycle, if you push through fatigue and don’t rest before fatigue starts to set in, it can make symptoms worse.
Hope you aren’t feeling too much of the Autumn chill.
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I too have taken early retirement after my stroke. I’m now (14 months on) considering whether to look for some part-time work as I’d like the money, but there’s no way that I could do a manual job, and like yours, my stroke didn’t seem very severe at the time. Do look after yourself and rest and report any new symptoms to the GP or hospital
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It is 3 years since my stroke. I went back to work as quickly as i could as i ran a small business. In the end my friends and doctor convinced me to take more time off , so i took 1 day off a week but eventually after struggling w8th everything i ended up closing the business down. Now it is 7 months later and i know it was for the best, especially my health.
I think it is so temptimg to go back to work too soon and we often do, something i know regret.
You should take care and talk to family and friends and definetly take more time off working and do consider perhaps retiring
Best of luck!
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Thanks again everyone ,Ive had a word with Hr today and think im going to take redundancy while its on offer ,got to decide by Friday.
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Hi Yellow dog sounds like your doing really well as you are only nine months post stroke and back working well done you but as like lot of will tell you in this forum you have to take each day at time as some days I feel great on top things and really great mobilising well then other days totally warn out in lots pain numbness remains my worst issue on my left side some days that is better others but my left foot and hand are worse can’t really grip things well with my left hand and left foot remains numb and heavy most of time so I have been signed of from work indefinitely I was auxiliary nurse on heavy orthopaedic ward acute tumour surgical ward for 38 years I semi retired from last July only to have stroke on Boxing Day last year only six months from semi retirement but that as now turn into permanent retirement but I am mobile and after eleven months are getting stroke rehab physio which is helping a lot so I am lot better of then lot and I am most of all same as everyone in this forum including yourself a stroke survivor so I am determined to get on with my life and make most of time I have left as when I got result of my stroke I was also informed after having echocardiogram while in hospital that I have heart failure to so yes we have to make most each day but when you know body is telling you you need to rest you need to rest but it seems you are doing really well and hope it continues that you at for you take care stay safe and stay warm Kaz61
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Well only gone and done it ,told my HR person I would take redundancy.Got a meeting next week to discuss the details and that’s it .Feeling good 
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@Yellowdog i bet you feel better now you’ve made the decision. Now you can think of all those things you’d like to do with all your time. Along with resting of course
I’m glad you reached a decision with your well-being in mind. There are always other ways we stroke survivors can make a bit of extra income if we find the right vocation.
Thank you all ,I’m actually looking forward to it now ,it’s going to be a big change obviously as I’ve worked every day for the last 48 years !
Redundancy pay is enough to last a year so no rush to jump back into another job ( part time only ) .I’ve got lots to keep me busy ,metal detecting and motorcycling for now and redoing the bathroom after Xmas so onwards and upwards as they say,
On a different note one thing that does annoy me and I’m sure it’s happened to some of you is that when I went back to work after the stroke workmates and colleagues asking how you are and saying how well you look etc and then they say “are you better now ?” If only they knew !!
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