Hi, I’m Adam

I’m Adam and I am recovering from a stroke I had seven months ago. One minute I was getting ready for work the next I was on the floor unable to get up. I had no idea what was happening. My wife luckily came home acted quickly called an ambulance and I was taken to hospital.
People flurried around me I still didn’t know what had happened until I heard blood clot and St. George’s being spoken about. The next thing I knew I was in another ambulance with blues and twos going. I couldn’t understand when they said stroke (not me I’m too young too fit they must have got it wrong)
Five hours after the stroke I had had surgery to remove a clot in the major artery of my brain. I have to say from that moment on my memories are vague. My knowledge was sound though, I knew I couldn’t walk, I had trouble swallowing, couldn’t feel my left side and I was in trouble
Spent ten days being wheeled about on a Sara stedy in St. George’s having no idea what the future held. I told the consultant all I wanted a was a stand up wee. LOL😊 I just felt helpless like a newborn baby, so dependant and vulnerable. I was struggling with choking so was on thickened water and soft chew. After ten days I was on my way to another hospital St. Peter’s in chertsey for rehab. Honestly at this point I’ve never wanted home more. Made some progress still unable to walk, everything was an effort. It wasn’t until I got to the Bradley unit in Woking that I made more progress and like a new foal I began to walk unaided after much help from fantastic physio team. This place helped me tremendously but I needed to come home. I was released to the early discharge stroke team which were simply outstanding.
I’m making good progress being at home , I’ve got a lot more use in my left hand. I can do a zip and even undo a bottle top. Everything you do, socks trousers are an effort now, I have to have my wife cut my food still as I struggle with a fork but all in all I’m getting there.
Physically I’ve improved a lot but mentally I feel strange, my communication is not what it was I have to think now before I talk. This thing called a stroke has totally changed my life and my ability to work. I am a gas engineer and need both hands, but I’m positive that I’m going to make a full recovery but there are days when I think is this it?
I’ve been hanging around the site reading peoples stories but wanted to share mine

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Thank you for your kind words and your supportive feedback nice to know I’m in good company good luck with your recovery

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HI Adam–It’s amazing the way that the brain can heal and rewire itself to make connections . Don’t ever think “this is it”-because it almost never is. I am 77. 3 1/2 years ago I had a stroke that left me totally paralyzed on my left side. (I also drank thickened water for a while.) Walking seemed an impossibility as well as playing the piano ever again. You are only at the seven-month point(very early on in stroke recovery) . I went through months of regular physical therapy after I came home, and I continue to improve to this day. Continued physical therapy is so important. If you can’t get that for some reason, maybe you can develop a daily program of exercises. I can now walk by myself 2 miles, and I can play the piano again and have taken up the ukelele. But I have worked hard at it all this time, and I will continue to work at getting even stronger in my activities. Never give up! :wink: My downfall is pushing myself too hard to get better. Then I overtire myself, and that works against my progress. So, beware of that. I’ll remember you in my prayers tonight. :slightly_smiling_face: :heart:Jeanne

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Thank you for your encouraging words it really does feel like my
Brain has made some new pathways I am now remembering things from years ago with such detail this is anew thing almost overwhelming the detail I can remember now

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Thank you for sharing Adam. Stroke affects us all in different ways. Fortunately you are young (I was 72 when I had mine) so have a high chance of making a good recovery. My left hand, after six years, is much improved but my partner has to cut up meat like steak or bacon. For the rest I eat American style just using a fork.

The key to improvement is repetitive exercise and strong determination. Please utilise your weak hand as much as possible. Good luck with your recovery.

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Great reply, you have left me in awe. You also made hope turn in to fact. Have a lovely day.

Thank you for your advice which is sound as I have decided to invest in a mini home gym to help my recovery. I was a avid gym goer for twenty five years so I miss it terribly so hoping this feels the gap. Good luck with your recovery too, I have realised that it’s a marathon rather than a sprint
Take care

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Truer words were never said. It is a marathon, not a sprint . The home gym is an excellent idea!! It will help you so much in your recovery, to get you stronger. I kept a little journal just to track the changes over time. It was very rewarding to see the progress down in black and white, since it was often hard to “see and feel” the progress, since it was a slow procedure. My best to you. :slightly_smiling_face: :heart:Jeanne

Hi @Adam1 , and welcome. As others have said it is still quite early days (I am about a month further on than you). I’m sure many on here can relate to your experience but you have a great positive attitude. I guess you will already realise that you have good days and bad, with some things being frustratingly unpredictable, such as fatigue and anxiety.
I too lost the use of my left side but pretty quickly got back up on my feet (thanks to great physios and a handy stubborn streak). I have returned to work part time at the moment and slowly increasing my hours but I would advise taking things very slowly as I overdid things and had to scale back. I’m sure with lots of practise you will regain a lot of dexterity but it will take lots of effort (I still struggle with numbness in fingertips)
The home gym is a perfect idea which will enable you to easily monitor your recovery. I would advise keeping a log of what you are able to do when you start so you can look back at you progress.

Good luck with your recovery.
Mark

Thanks mark the gym has been amazing I can train every body part now even the weak side as machine has independent levers
I got round my weak grip with some hook straps just have to adapt my training now do wot I can do not wot I can’t there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel

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Hello @Adam1, it sounds like you’ve been through the wringer but you are here, so that is good news. Welcome to our community, we are getting stronger, and together we can map out ways to help everyone of us reach our full potential after stroke.

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Hello Adam. Great to hear your recovering well. My Stoke happened 1 Yr ago last Sunday. Physically look well but mentally get brain fog fatigue, anxious at times but you learn to work with it to keep moving forwards. Find the folk on here very supportive and a fountain of knowledge
keep looking forwards

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Thank you I have found the community to be very supportive sending positive vibes to all

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Hi
That’s good that physically you are recovering well but completely understand the brain fog. I find watching tv with subtitles has been helping to fire the grey matter. Keep going never give up

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