Share your story

Hello I’m a newbie and I’m no good with technology. I’m a survivor of stroke 10 months Just wanted to say Hi

2 Likes

Hi sharsonjd69, welcome to the forum! :smiley:


Share your story or read about the lived experience of others in this category. It could be your recovery journey, how you have been affected by stroke or even something funny that happened to you. You’ll find lots of helpful and supportive advice on this forum.

2 Likes

Hi nick so pleased you have opened up to the group but sorry of course that you have had to. My recovery journey has been very emotional. I cry every time someone says something nice to me. It’s a rollercoaster of trials and tribulations but it sounds like you have an amazing family helping you. Just learn to go with the flow. It’s a long journey but we are here to listen and to share. Best wishes for your ongoing recovery regards Suzywong

2 Likes

Hi Suzy, thank you so much for your reply and words of encouragement. I too find I am overly emotional at the silliest of things, but hey, better to get it out that keep it in. I feel quite lucky as I am making a good recovery, and although I have some aches and pains, lack of feeling… I am gaining my movement and strength back. As you say its a long road, and I need to learn to be patient and respect my limitations whilst carefully pushing those limitations to get back to my best self. I’m positive and hopeful. Knowing there are others out there that understand and offer encouragement really helps.

2 Likes

Its good to know others understand, and reassuring to have confirmation that how i am feeling is quite normal. Thank you.

3 Likes

I am new to the forum iam 84 had 4 heart attacks 6 year ago last may had stroke.it has been a struggle but i am stlll hereI am.able to walk and fo most things for myself . My legs ache quite alot Have hAd lot of trouble with statins been on injections bit had to stop them . It id good to know i can discuss problems

2 Likes

I’ve just come to say hi @oliveirving and welcome to the forum. I hope you find the answers you’re looking for here. We are all a friendly crowd only too happy to help wherever we can, you can also have a good just stop for a chat when needs be.
Take care :smile:

Hi I’m new to the forum. My mum had a severe stroke in June. She is back home with my dad now but she is being very verbally nasty, saying he doesn’t care and doesn’t do, which is totally wrong. He cooks all her meals, takes her in the car, helps her at home with showering. It really upsets me and I’m not sure how to approach this. I’m getting extremely stressed about it.

2 Likes

You’ve arrived in a good place for support. You and those around you will need it
Don’t underestimate the challenge for all. A stroke effects everyone in the family

I’d guess You’ve much to learn about the journey. The first thing is that things do improve :smile:

3 Likes

Welcome @oliveirving
You’ll find a friendly supportive and knowledgeable crowd here .

We’ve been consolidating the sort of things we say to folks beyond hello and welcome in a post that you can find here

Best wishes on the journey
Ciao
Simon

1 Like

Hi, i am Nick, 52 thougt my self reasonably fit… and 3 weeks aho whilst climbing in Cantabria, Spain… i suffered an ischemic stroke. I was helicoptered to the nearest hospital and undewent emergency stroke treatment. I received first class treatement in Santander hospital and went home 4 days later. I have right facial paralysis and problems moving right finger and thumb. I realise i have been very lucky and am not one to feel sorry for myself… but i have felt alone as i struggle to come to terms with what has happened to me… its a shock. I have felt very emotional, moody and tired. 3 weeks on and things are improving day by day… but emotionally i feel quite strange, up and down all the time.
As i am still in Spain and well supported by family and the medical team here, i still feel a bit isolated hence i thought id give this forum a go.
Thanks

4 Likes

Hi @Linc71 and welcome to the forum. I do hope you took Simon’s advice and called the help line as they will be better able to find the right kind support needed right now.

It may just be a matter of time for the brain to heal and repair the damage done from the stroke. The effects are individual and vary in so many ways both physically as well as psychologically. Some are only short term, recoverable in the first 6mths or so and other aspects are measured in years. But for now, you can only take it one day at a time.

In the meantime, you take care of your dad and I sincerely hope the Stroke Helpline come through for you all, take care. :people_hugging:

2 Likes

Hi @Linc71

Welcome although I’m sorry you have had cause to join us

There’s some generally useful stuff in the Welcome - what we wish we'd heard at the start

I suggest that the stroke association 03 30 helpline that you can find on their website would be a good place to start they should be able to suggest some agencies and some expertise that might be able to advise

If you Search here there is stuff about people having similar challenges you might be able to message some or read their posts for some ideas

2 Likes

Hi @sharonjd69

Sharon? Hello

WELCOME TO THE STROKE SURVIVOR AND CARERS COMMUNITY

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

The first few weeks / months are going to be a proper fog I’m afraid.

Please have a look at the

https://forum.mystrokeguide.com/t/welcome-to-the-forum/7/21

So sorry you’re on this journey. I am 10 months in too.

I had 3 ischemic strokes on 22/11/22 and it is hard for my friends and family and me!!. but there are good and bad days!

Please also just have a browse and reply to anything you think is relevant and use the search - eg type fatigue and see what you get!!!

Keep talking to us.

So sorry you are going through this but we will all try and help!!

I’m really think of a 10 monther!!! If you struggle to post etc ask friends / family or ask us!!!

Kieran

And here is a picture of some polar bears to cheer you up!!!

Earth Day 2022: Save polar bears by protecting mothers and cubs, experts  say - Good Morning America

1 Like

Hello there!

This sounds like how my mother was after she returned home from her stroke over 2 years ago. She recovered very well physically in 6 months-1 year (some of it was spontaneous). Her walking, use of affected hand/arm, speech, balance, memory, and reflexes were all very good after 6 months as well, as well as many of her overall cognitive functions (read, write, spell… was very sharp-minded at times). Sometimes, her old self would re-appear and her sense of humor would lighten things up. However, that is where the party stopped: she was very mentally ill. She wanted my father to do “everything” for her, even though she was more than capable of doing many things herself. She sometimes would make herself a cup of tea or a sandwich…but that was it. Things just got worse and worse over time.

Her issues:

pathologically dependent on my father (and on me, to some degree)

severe apathy

poor attention (only got worse over time)

OCD over temperature (have thermostat changed 15-20 times a night + opening and closing windows)

OCD over needing to use the toilet, even though most of the time she never needed to go)

combative with my father in the night

paced between living room and kitchen all night long, making my father go with her (he would just flat-out refuse after a while)

became progressively less interested in her overall appearance and hygiene (didn’t want to wash her hair anymore, take proper bath, etc, …she let my father wash her with washcloths sitting down in a chair )

refused to take her contact lenses out at night, when she had done so all of her life

There are a few more things. But, as you see, my mother was very mentally ill after her stroke. Things only got worse over time. I don’t know what will happen with your mother over time, but her complete dependence on your father is not good, and needs to be addressed.

They told us she had no vascular dementia, or any other neurological issue. It was said that she may have had some PTSD, but it was never made official.

By the way, my mother, sadly, died from 5 months ago from sepsis in hospital. But, her mind was gone and she was never going to get it back.

I hope things get sorted out with your mother to some degree. If not, you and your father may have to get outside help. My father and I stuck it out until the end, leaving us terribly exhausted and sad. We should have done more to get help, but we didn’t know what to do. We were stuck in a daily routine of pleasing and caring for my mother; it took all of our time. We refused to put her in a care home. We felt so sorry for her, that we couldn’t do anything but what she wanted most of the time. She was 24/7 care, even though she was physically recovered after 6 -8 months (just some right-hand weakness)

My father developed a urinary infection from not going to the bathroom enough during the day. He held his bladder because he was so taken with caring for my mother. He also had severe sleep deprivation ( I did, too, but a little less).

I am sorry to paint such a bad picture of things. This was our experience. I am just letting you know how that things may not get better and that you need to know the truth of what can happen when a stroke patient is behaving like your mother. That said, things could improve a little – I can’t say, as stroke behavior and trajectory are just not always predictable.

Best of luck and stay in touch. Stay strong, take care of yourself, and talk about your issues with others. Please don’t be afraid to seek help. Also, make sure your father is doing alright. It’s super hard. He is probably very sad and exhausted from caring for your mother 24/7. He needs to care for himself and get breaks doing something he enjoys. I know all too well.

2 Likes

ihad this pressure in my head a couple of months, a virus for three weeks, told doc about it, but she asumed it was virus, had stroke sunday 8th of may 2022 was 75 we were walking from huntspill sufolk to warpole, but went wrong way so had to turn back making it 5 miles instead of 4, going through the village of coakly, very rural as a lot of sufolk is, we had been staying at whipple tree cottage in cratfeild a tiny villlage with only a church, very old building. i was tired, so climbed tall gate to sit, but as i put foot down leg jarred , i struggled to walk. we had meal in pub in next village where we were staying, i was ok to eat, next day, next day went to southwold. i . was stumbling a lot we had meal in cafe, got lost coming back from tiolet, someone helped me find it, at the cottage kept stumbling as i got out of car i struggled to get upstairs so sleptt down in another bed, my hand was swelling, so we decided to cut shortt holiday, the night drink i made ended up on the leather settee, part one

2 Likes