Hi Kevin and welcome. Firstly let me say you are doing well to be on here and communicating quite clearly so soon afterwards. It will all feel very strange at first but over time things will start to settle down. I had my stroke in May 2019 which affected my RHS and was a bleed in the brain rather than a clot. I live alone so it was a bit of a struggle to call for an ambulance as I kept dropping the phone and had trouble dialing but they were very good and whisked me off to hospital. I was back home quite quickly after the stroke and did get a call from a speech therapist the following day to see how I was doing with speech, she said she could understand me just fine so I obviously didn't need her and that was the sum total of the 'follow up care' I got. I did get called back to the hospital for an MRI scan followed by a visit to the consultant to talk through the results of that.
So it was more or less a case of getting on with things. Yes there were a few things I struggled with at first but I was very aware that my brain was struggling to heal itself by rebuilding the 'pathways' that it had lost. So I worked on that a lot at first and kept trying different things which really helped. Not being able to drive was a major frustration as I live 'in the sticks' with no useful bus service so you can probably imagine how tricky that was.
Fortunately I have three dogs and the consultants advice when I left the hospital was to keep on walking them which I have done and that has been really useful and very helpful. Yes I got the awful exhaustion which was hard to deal with but even that is much better now. So overall, nine months post stroke, I am starting to feel better and more positive. Happily I am retired so didn't need to worry about going back to work but I was doing voluntary work (one of my dogs does therapy work) and I got back to doing that once I got my licence back after 4 weeks.
The one thing I have noticed on here is that everyone has their own experience of stroke, some lose more than others and the help available varies arond the country. If you share on here you may find someone with a similar experience who can help and tell you what they did. I am guessing you are in Yorkshire if you were in LGI? I lived in Yorkshire myself before I moved down here to East Anglia.
Hi everyone I had a stroke on the 29th October last year, physically I have got over the stroke part as within a few hours I was able to move my hand and leg by the time I arrived in the hospital, mentally I have had a rough time my speech was quick to come back but every so often I get my words mixed up and speak what I call I’m speaking rubbish which is when I’m tired which I’m able to laugh with my family what I say sometimes
I went back to my work on the 8th feb this year and found it easy when I was going in 3 hours a day last week then this week I went in for 6 hour each day on Monday and Tuesday I was really tired both days and hasn’t helped this week as I am a carer in my work and have found it really stressful going back into the house I took ill in, I am being phased in over a month so I’m working 75% of the hours I do next week and not looking forward to going back to my work, I said I was dreading going back to the house where I took my stroke and it requires 2 carers so I have another carer with me but don’t know how long I’m going to get over this part of my recovery
first hurdle I had was I had anxiety attacks and gp and hospital kept turning me away until I ended getting tablets
My dad fell out with me as I was being really horrible to my parents so it put a strain on me and my dad, my mum was brilliant she had managed to stay strong for me and explained to my dad that it was because of the stroke
During my journey since I took ill it’s been a hard time since October as the doctor put everything down to having a stroke and not been very helpful at all
i can’t stand the smell of cooking and my taste has changed completely I have got over having really bad pains in my back and tummy when eating but feel squeamish if I eat greasy food and have started eating more vegetarian food as I find it easier on my tummy looking on the bright side I have managed to loose some weight which has been good in a way
I’m still having a problem with whether I can keep my driving license because when I was due to being allowed to drive I went to the doctor and asked if I will be able to drive after getting my anxiety tablet he said because he didn’t know me he was unwilling to let me drive so I got forms from dvla and it’s still not sorted out
i have had amazing support from my stroke nurse and the occupational therapists and the stroke unit in Aberdeen and my mum and daughter x
just hope the tiredness gets easier and being back to work also
You are doing so well within six months, excellent.
Your brain did not like a stroke at all. So when it sees the site where it got you, then there is very likely to be a reaction. This will ease over the months.
Sight, smell, hearing, taste, appetite and everything else is quite likely to get hooked into the stroke aftermath.
My appetite has improved dramatically afetr stroke. before stroke I was a right faddy eater, but I took to hospital food and my appetite has been good.
he driving licence thing is a nightmare. Not sure why things have been made so difficult for you. There is an automatic ban for the first month, but I am lead to believe this is not recorded. I phoned DVLA and they said they didnt need to know.
If you are satisfied that you are fit to drive and your GP does not say you are unfit, then I dont see why you need anything on your licence.
So many people fall out during the stroke recovery. Many married couples split up. Other people just havent a clue what you are going through. "you look so well" is the bain of many of our lives.
I am however surprised that Dad fell out. Perhpas he could read the stroke association leaflets so that he understands a little more of what goes on.
The tiredness, which I call stroke fatigue, does ease. How fast is variable. And how complete the recovery is also variable. But it does get easier and also you get more able to cope with it.
hi all my name is jonno just joined the forum - good to be able toaccess it and have a chat with you all will add some more in a bit see you all soon - keep strong:)
Your brain is trying to cope with a lot at the moment. The trauma, the stress and the damage. So it might well insist on clearing the decks whilst it sorts itself out.
Hence the vacant position ?
When my wife goes away for a few days, I certainly benefit for being able to "sort my brain out".
I look forward to the warmer weather and longer days. That will probably trigger some improvement.
The stroke team were brilliant for me. Do make the most of their visits and try to take on board whatever they suggest.
March next week, so warmer weather is not far behind. I am thinking of all those vegtables that I can grow. Especially the asparagus which arrives early in the year.
for nearly 3 yrs Warwickshire adult social services have been dumping me back in my unadapted home without any carers and without a safety assessment to check I have things like food, electricity etc. They once left me in a wheelchair with no heating or food or access to a toilet to or bed. My family were completely unaware that I was out of hospital. After 3 days and nights sleeping in the wheelchair drinking only cold water and pissing in a plastic milk bottle the fire brigade found me and got me a blanket. This is now the 26th time they've sent me home without care.I have spent every last penny of my inheritance on help, equipment and adaptations they should have provided. They get away with this by lying in my care needs assessment and air brushing out the facts that I can't walk, open a simple food packet or use my left hand and that I'm so blind I didn't see a double decker bus that nearly hit me when I did venture out to get money and food until my fingers were stuck in its radiator grille. I'm sick of fighting for my rights and being penalised for complaining. I've just been made to wait another 3 months to have yet another care needs assessment by yet another social worker who has left out all my disabilities and medical conditions and just said that my problem is that I was born in Africa and didn't come to this country 'til I was 8yrs old. Does anybody else find this racially offensive? Now they've finally admitted they've got a budget which I could have been using to pay for carers instead of using up my weekly state pension,but they claim they have to control every penny of that money because I'm such an abusive racist and I get a bit shirty with the social workers when they try to 'help' me so I am not fit to be an employer and, Unless I sign over control of my budget to the same social workerwho thinks that coming from Africa is some form of disability but hemiplegia is a life choice, I will be left once more alone,trapped in my house , unable to look after myself and getting further into debt as my pension and disability benefits go to pay for the help I need to survive. and not on bills food and taxi drivers to get me out of my house to appointments etc