Hi new here

Welxome @Dexi hopefully youll find lots of support here x

Hi Lorraine, I wondered if you have tried any Calm sleep stories you can get free on YouTube. I’ve used them in the past and since having Covid and doing less than I was I’m thinking I’ll start them again. I liked the Nordland Night Train read by Erik Braa, but there are others you can try. I don’t know how they work but I never got to the end of the story I was off to sleep before it finished. I use ear phones when I listen to them. You’ve nothing to loose by giving them a go. Hope this might help as insomnia seems to make other stroke symptoms a bit worse.
Ann

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@mum2two hi Ann,

They sound like a great idea. I sleep ok these days but wish I’d known about them before. On the odd bad night I might just give them a tru.

Thank you.

From another Ann :grin:

If you type Calm Sleep Stories- You Tube it gives you a list of stories. You know they are from Calm as they write stories as STORies. Hope you find some you like. Here’s to peaceful nights for us all, it helps in our recovery.
Ann ( spelt the same as yours, no e)

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Hi Chris
Thanks for posting and welcome to the forum.
I was 63 when I had a small stroke in 2009 ,caused by a blood clot that had gone up the vertebral artery to a part of the brain that affects eyesight,balance and fine detail use of the hands and fingers.
Not life threatening but life changing as i am no longer allowed to drive.
On the plus side I have adapted to any defects and can live an almost normal life.
The fatigue is always there but you learn to do things in short spells.
Short term memory is suspect so I write to do lists and shopping lists.
Emotionally I had a poor first year or so but this has lessened over time as I have begun to do things again that I thought had gone for ever.
Small victories on the journey add up to progress.
I force myself to do things but have to plan how rather than ad-lib .
I was a ski guide and chef in the ski chalet industry in France and after a gap of several years was able to ski again adapting to loss of peripheral left-side field of vision,I relearned my stance to overcome balance problems and cooking has been a therapy as it is something that I enjoy .
There have been setbacks on the way,as there likely will be with yours.
Learn to pace yourself to avoid tiredness,build in rest in between activity.
In your position I would have an honest talk with your wife as I think her support and understanding would be beneficial to your progress.
I write this on my laptop in a ski chalet in the French Alps where I am on holiday.
Weather is awful today so staying inside catching up on admin things.
Best wishes and good luck on your journey

Tony

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Thanks for that yes I will give anything a try even tried acupuncture which was quite expensive and dident work. Thanks again will give ago.

Hi Sue,
if you are going through my experiences I can assure you theirs light at the end of the tunnel!
can I suggest anti esteem as I found it very good and relieving due to my sensitivity around my lips and eyes :+1:t2:,
my overall balance and brain fogging is also getting better I found reading also really helped.
I wish you well and a healthy and speedy recovery
wayne

You have my deepest sympathy. Everyone thinks I am back to my old self following a massive stroke in July 2022. I wish. It’s tiring putting on a brave face whilst feeling scared of the future. Every day is a bonus but … Wishing you all the best. You are not on your own. We are Stroke survivors and must live our lives as best we can. Xx

Thank you for this advice will definitely give it a try. :heart:

Give it 6mths it will right itself with time, I had exactly that but can sleep now.
Over 2yrs post stroke now and sleeping through the night once again…just like a baby :grin:
In the beginning all I could do was shut my eyes and hope for sleep. During the day I’d do my physio in bouts between “naps” i.e. sit down and just shut my eyes. That was my sleep for months on end. Nigh time was the worst, lying in bed, the endless waiting for sleep to take, 'til my head would throb and I got up again. An hour later I’d try again, head down, shut eyes, up again a few hours later. But I felt it was important to at least shut my eyes to give the brain a rest at least.

The brain is so active in those first 6mths repairing and healing the damage done from the stroke. Is it really any wonder it’s too active to actually for a full on 8 hour sleep. Just go with it, give it what it wants, what it needs, get up in the night and do something…read…watch tiktok/tv…wash dishes…have a snack…whatever, and just keep on doing that. Gradually you will find that you did have a sleep…when you wake up from it! You may not feel the actual effect of being tired for a year or two yet but a pattern of sleep will reform itself over that time. It’s exactly what new born babies are doing all over the world 'til eventually they start sleeping through the night. Don’t fight it, don’t force your brain to go against itself, that could do you more harm than good in the long run. Just accept it is what it is for now and let it get with the healing.

Thank you for this nice to know theres some hope 2 years snd 3 momths have suffered this insomnia am at my wits end with it but as you say you just have to battle on . Noticed my so called naps are the same as yours just closed eyes . Thanks again for the positive words, and hope your revovery continues.

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Hi, I had an TIA just after I lost my husband of 64 years. Having nursed him at home for many years, I was aware of the seriousness of his condition but rode above the waves… I was dumbfounded that I suffered this TIA, as I aways felt so strong and capable. I read a lot of your reviews and can feel the many handicaps mentioned are similar to my own at times. Learning to cope is yet another issue to come to terms with and tiring. I push to keep going and made myself join two groups. No two days are the same due to how my body is behaving on the day. The medicatin also can give me weid sensations. One big problems is rushing pins and needles in both arms and legs. I found this slightly releived by stopping caffine and fruite juice. Taking notice of my body languages daily is now how I deal with fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath and body cramps. Resting is the key. Getting my family to accept I am not as able now as I was is hard at times. Grief has played a big part in my recovery, some days needing to be as strong as my husband was, other days I just cant do it. Thank you all for all your interesting and helpful comments

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@Maureen1 welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear you lost your husband of 64 years. That is some total to reach.

Having a TIA at a time when you were grieving for your husband must be very difficult.

Listen to your body & rest when you need to. Your family will hopefully come to realise that you can’t do everything you used to. And anyway after caring for your husband i think you’ve earned an easier time.

Wishing you all the best.

Ann x

Welcome to the forum! I’ve not been a member long but it’s a great place!

Thanks for your message RaksP . I am doing my best to keep going with this ghastly feeling in my head but there are times when I just have to go to bed . It does help to talk about it here . Also if I actually do talk about it on the phone I Am quite likely to weep uncontrollably which is no good to anybody . Problem is ,how can I make plans in this condition. I am 9 months in and can’t imagine an end . Sorry to moan

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@Gay and others too.
There’s two things, maybe more.
Come to this forum, use it. It is full of kind, caring people and has lots of interesting and useful information.

Have a good moan, you’ll get sympathy and support.
We’ve all been there.
No need to apologise.

Those tears let you start to deal with the stroke. They are good, let them flow.
You aren’t the only one to be overcome with emotion every now and again.
It is something both men and women experience.
Don’t fight it. It will make you stronger.

Do what you can, but learn to be kind to yourself, take a rest, repair and recharge.

keep on keepin’ on
:smiley: :+1:

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Hi Bobbie , your message came when I was feeling about as bad as I ever have and made me cry again . This afternoon I began to feel so giddy and shaky I simply had to lie down as in the early days when stroke fatigue struck . Why? , I keep asking myself . I am not getting better but seem to be getting worse. My walking used to be really strong , now I feel I need that stick when I used to go without . It is hard to keep positive . Thanks for your booster.

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@Gay so sorry you’re feeling that way. If you feel like you’re going backwards is it worth getting yourself checked over by a dr? There may be something they can do to help.

Look after yourself.

Sending you a big hug :hugs:

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Hi Gay, I agree with @Mrs5K, I think it would be wise to get checked out with your doctor just to check there’s nothing underlying issues you may not be recognising.

You are also grieving the loss of your husband mere months ago…sending you hugs :hugs: :hugs: :hugs:
This is not a good time to be isolating yourself from your family and friends. You need them right now, they don’t need to understand your stroke, they just need to be there for you and for themselves too; so you can all just talk and reminisce the good times. They need that as much as you do; it’s all part of the grieving process.

This is a great forum to come and off load. We’ve all been there at some point and understand what you are going through…even bereavement. You can even start your own post if don’t want to keep tagging onto this one. If you need help with that too, there are plenty of regulars who can explain how…including myself :slightly_smiling_face:

Lastly, I’m sure there are local stroke support groups you would probably benefit from attending and they would love to have you…because they are full of fellow stroke survivors who know and understand exactly what you are going through.
There’s a huge list of them which @SimonInEdinburgh has put together in the linked post below. All you need do is click on it and it will take you to the post, then just scroll down 'til you come to an area you recognise :grinning:

And even though I know I’m late here, welcome to the forum, best to laugh, cry, joke, scream or just talk about anything you need to get off your chest without any need to apologise :hugs: :kissing_heart:

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Shwmae @Gay, from my own experience, I have found rebuilding from stroke to be not a linear process. I haven’t gone from strength to strength, I have, in fact, dipped and slid, regressed, made progress, and then relapsed back to where it all began. But I do believe this makes sense for some brain injury, as our daily environment, needs, challenges, perspectives, thoughts, and moods change every day - this will also affect the brain’s ability to achieve what it wants to achieve. Today, coming home from my spontaneous holiday, I felt “off” in the car, but had to remind myself that before stroke, an early morning car ride would have affected me uncomfortably, so add that on top of brain damage, and it feels like going backwards but actually isn’t.

It is also good to remember that the first six or so months after stroke can be misleading, the brain is doing self-repair, so a survivor has extra help in feeling capable, but after six months, this repair slows down or stops, and we must encourage it to make new pathways.

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