Mum came home from hospital on the 19th January and had to be readmitted exactly a week later with fluid on her lungs. They wanted to discharge her on the Thursday but she was sick so they kept her in, then they wanted to discharge her on the Friday but her heart rate was elevated so they kept her over the weekend, then she was confused and agitated overnight but because she didn't display this during the day they discharged her, exactly a week later. Mum came home very confused and her arm seemed to be worse than when she went in. Over the week her mobility has got better but she still seems very confused at times. The hospital keep telling us it is because of the aphasia and she can't get her words out but there is definite confusion at times. There was no dementia before her stroke could this be the start of it?
Hi Meg, When I had my first stroke in 2017 I was readmitted a week later with a TIA when my words were completely garbled and I couldn't remember the word for watch. Then I had a seizure a few months after and another one a whole year later. On the dementia you mentioned not getting your words out is a feature of a stroke and a neighbour of mine hasn't got dementia but has the same problem. Unfortunately you'll just have to wait and see how she progresses. It is early days yet. Sorry to sound a bit pessimistic, she could well have a real improvement. The brain can heal itself. My thoughts and prayers are with her, Hilary
I had aphasia and it has improved a lot but is still present five years later. I will never go back to how i was pre stroke.
everyone has some dementia. The cells in the brain die off and get replaced by new ones. We really need a word to describe when this process is worse than the norm.
when the aphasia was at its height, i needed all my patience and all my brain power to get the words out. So other functions would be pushed aside and no doubt i looked and acted confused.
nowadays i am on a par with plenty of people who are not blessed with top notch brain power. But for 68 years i had above average brain power and very good number skills. I have to accept this new situation, which is really hard because people who know me expect the old me. In fact i notice how frequently people jump in with delight to correct me.
i keep reminding myself that the stroke had finished on day one and the following 2,000 days are recovery.
Would my dementia be less worse if i hadn had a stroke. Probably.
say hello to mum
best wishes
colin
Hi Meg, I guess I am just repeating what Colin and Hilary are saying, again from my own experience. Mum has suffered a brain injury which will have impaired different things. The immediate changes you see are the effects of this sudden injury. I would not try and categorise them as dementia, I assume that mum wasn’t diagnosed with this before the stroke. I had to learn to talk and recognise things from picture cards like a child would. Mum will have to do some relearning and practising when she feels stronger and less traumatised. Try and go with it one step at a time. Reassure mum that the words will come slowly. Accept that her slowness and confusion is as the hospital said, is because of the area affected by the stroke. Mum will be in a jumble but things will settle. As much as we all want a quick visible recovery, stroke recovery is different to a broken arm. Invisible for the most part, and measured in months and years! Don’t let this dishearten you but adjust your thinking if you can, don’t let your thoughts race ahead and imagine all different outcomes. Reassure mum, notice small improvements, tell her that the recovery is all going on beneath the surface of her head. Like an iceberg, only 10% is above the water and 90% is unseen but still there.
Thank you for your kind reassuring words, they mean a lot x
Thank you for your kind, reassuring words, they mean a lot xx
Thank you for your kind, reassuring words, they mean a lot xx