Hi everyone. I had my stroke on January 1st this year and I'm making a good recovery. My dominant side is unaffected thankfully so the weakness is on the left side. The paralysis was very dense for a week or so then bit by bit thinks started to improve. I can now walk wobbly indoors without stick, the hand is slowly coming back so I'm doing well but the fatigue is overwhelming and today for the first time I've been really tearful and frustrated and somewhat bored. I've done an hour of exercises and been sorting out my painting gear - I draw & paint - I have done some sketching since day 13. So I'm not sitting feeling sorry for myself.
and my taste and appetite are very poor. I am forcing myself to eat but without pleasure. Is this the effect of the stroke or the drugs I now have to take, I'm on atorvastatin, clopidogrel and lansoprozole.
oh dear this sounds like lots of complaints but generally I'm very positive and getting on with it.
Welcome Spocklet. Sorry to hear of your stroke. Being tearful is not unusual and probably springs partly from the frustration. However, a stroke is not an illness, but a brain injury that knocks both the body and the emotions all over the place. Your body sounds as if is recovering fairly well, but, for most of us, recovery slows down over time, albeit still continuing.
Fatigue is a bugbear for many of us. After four years I still need an hour's nap every lunchtime. I just get a fuggy feeling around noon each day and have to rest. So glad, though, that you can continue your hobby. Your positive attitude is clearly helping you. Keep up the good work!
Welcome to our forum. Sorry to hear of the stroke that bit you. What a new years day gift that was.
It is lovely when the paralysis fades away . Made me feel so grateful that everyday things were coming back to life.
It is good to keep all muscles and joints moving.
Emotionality is very common. It does ease over the months. I still cant suumons the courage to attend a funeral.
The fatigue is such a menace. Or "Post stroke tiredness" as the medics say. It does improve as the months go by. And many find it goes away completely. Mine wont go but perhaps thats just me, we are all different.
Before stroke I was a right faddy eater. But from day one post stroke my appetite increased. I loved the hospital food ! My taste buds are wonky. Sometimes food tastes foul. But its improving.
No two strokes are the same. Some of us react badly to the medication (Atorvastatin didnt like me at all) some of us do not.
Smiling and positivity are so beneficial. Well done Sproclet, you are doing the best you can and indeed progressing very well indeed.
This forum is great for having a whinge, so let off whatever steam you like. Us SS (stroke survivors) understand what you are going through, so this is the place for you.
Hi - that does sound like a few things but don't worry there will be people who have been through similar. I can most certainly relate to the lack of appetite as that hit me too and I lost quite a bit of weight which was a worry as I wasn't overweight to start with. I put it down to the drugs although they were different drugs to the ones you are on. It has more or less come back, 9 months after mine but I did struggle at first. It helped me that I bought myself a Ninja Foodi which is great for cooking for one and experimenting with it has challenged me to create new things. Speciality at the moment is chocolate fondants! Wicked but good fun.
I also struggled with the tiredness, very difficult to deal with but I just rested when I needed to but made sure I got out every day and gradually increased it - the dogs helped with it, a lot.
So all in all you sound like you are doing well so soon after your stroke, stay positive and I am sure improvements will come.
Hi Sprocklet and welcome. It sounds like you are doing well and you will see from this forum that you are experiencing similar to a lot of us. Well done on keeping up the art as that will help you in so many ways. There are some art therapy groups specifically for stroke survivors so you might want to look into that too. Xx