Just started my fourth year as a stroke victim. Have moved from being completely voiceless with a dead right arm and a leg unable to support my weight to re-learning how to walk, talk, play guitar and keyboards and do some of my share of the housework. None of these things I do particularily well especially the talking, but never stop trying. I am keen to contribute by answering problems other people have encountered in their recovery.
Deigh
Well said Deigh. I am coming up to two years as a survivor. What a journey. I felt a bit like a child. I had to learn to walk again, tie shoelaces, climb stairs. I can cook, do housework and, like you, a bit of housework. My left arm is still a bit unstable, but has improved no end.exercising has been a great help. I still have low days, but always fight back. I can even get in and out of the bath, but would not do this if help not nearby. I still get post stroke fatigue, but wonder sometimes if this is not because of lack of stimulus. Made myself do quite a lot today. Important to continue to set and meet challenges. You are a great example to us.
John, Thanks for that. I'm tickled pink at being a great example to someone!
At school I was nominated as the person most likely.
Deigh
Hi Deigh,
It’s really inspiring to hear your story of recovery. My mother suffered a stroke out of the blue on the 29th of January. We’ve had tears and feeling of hopelessness but I’ve really seen her pick her determination up the last few days to learn how to walk and use her right hand side again.
Any tips, encouragement or advice that I can pass on? At the moment she’s frustrated at the slow progress. For me the speech has improved hugely but the physical movement haven’t changed much.
Many thanks
Kevin
Kevin, I am two years post stroke. After initial improvement progress does slow down, but the important thing is that it continues. If there are things Mum would like to do, it is important she plans how to do it, then break the task down into stages. In the beginning, it might take several hours to complete a task, but this improves. I can now cook and bake again and change my bed.
When it comes to walking, Mum will need to start off small, but then add a few more steps each day, I manage a walk daily, using my stick. I also utilise my weak hand as much as I can. Tell her she will break things and get very frustrated, but she must carry on. Small triumphs are big triumphs and they all add up. Tell Mum I swear like a trooper when I cannot do things. I never used to. Tell her to learn to laugh at herself as well.
It can be very disappointing to find how long it takes for improvements to occur. I work very hard at my speech but the results are tempered with just how tired I am. This tiredness I get under control most of the time but often I get put under pressure to perform and that can really knock me back.
Are there any real signs of progress from Mum yet?
Deigh
Hi Deigh, it’s great to read success stories! My Dad had a stroke in September and whilst there is some feeling in his left arm there is not much in the way of movement, a tiny bit in his thumb and he can pull his arm in when I am holding it for physio. How long did it take for your arm to recover, we are not giving up hope Dad may regain some more movement?!
hello all, I wanted to say thank you to those who are a long time post stroke. I am two years plus now and have drawn much encouragement from others sharing recovery stories anI amsure wil be in need of further reassurance as the months go by. I have found it useful to recall how I was in the first weeks after coming home from hospital. very dependent and fatigue was unbelievable. I could barely walk, shuffled around using a tripod stick to balance Two years on I still have no function in my left hand but I do have the full range of passive movement thanks to help I have received in therapy. so I keep hoping. I was able to return to work which continues to be difficult, but I can get by. I just got the go ahead for driving, this was unimaginable two years ago. I have to wait to get my car adapted. but while I am not the same as I was before the stroke I have discovered reserves of courage and determination that I have needed and didnt know I had. I get knock backs continually especially when the fatigue hits and I just can't do anything. I am blessed by the love of my family who encourage and challenge me and have prevented me getting sorry for myself. it has been without doubt the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with I learned a helpful little exercise. which is to list all the little things I am grateful for. before the stroke I didn't think twice about my ability to walk, I lost it, and it was very hard. I have recovered it to some extent, and so celebrate what I can do now. I think I can improve it further andI am encouraged by your stories to keep on going. it is a strange new life and I am different as a result. part of it is getting to know this odd wonky person. it is not how I imagined I would be, and there is an odd sort of grief about losing the person you thought you might be, if that makes sense. I guess this is part of the discovery process of the long term recovery maybe I should think of it as discovery rather than recovery?
keep posting. I hope I can find you. the new site is a bit tricky, can see the intentions but it is still hard to find things
it is a good life and wahey we survived!!
Tony
Well spoken, Tony!
Well said Tony and well done you! I suspect none of us anticipated our new lives, but learn to accept and move on.
I'm only 13 months in but people like you give me hope tony, I too have noticed little improvements which to other people don't seem like much but to me they are. Long may the site and people on it reign.
I'm only 13 months in but people like you give me hope tony, I too have noticed little improvements which to other people don't seem like much but to me they are. Long may the site and people on it reign.
Dear Tony
Discovery not recovery. What a thoughtful comment. Your whole post is great. I do hope those who are struggling will read it. And most of us struggle quite a lot.
I only drive for a short time, ie dont go far. But it is such a boost to independence.
How do you manage to go to work ? Is it a case of necessity or just sheer determination. I have taken on a tiny voluntary job. Just a few hours a month. No way could I do full time employment, or even part time employment.
Lists are a real boost arent they. I too look for all the positives. I am sure this keeps our discovery on track.
Colin
Well said Tony. You survived and continue to survice through your self belief, courage and I suggest a real forced of personality.
Keep going, keep posting and I for one will keep supporting.
Regards
Tony
thanks Colin
i work partly from home but I get cab fares subsidised for when I need to go to the office or meetings, I work part time, but my hors were reduced too much. It was by necessity rather than desire or determination unfortunately. we needed the income. I was not earning for most of a year zwhich hit us hard financially. I have a senior management role in a small charity. it is very hard to keep on top of it at times there is a lot of face to face work, which I can usually manage and sometimes enjoy. report writing and anything with deadlines is stressful. I have only 2days a week, which is difficult to organise for a senior role and again the loss of income has been difficult. I wanting to renegotiate my duties to see if I can get something more satisfying and less stressful. but I cant think it through properly my employer has not been very supportive. they tried initially and knew they had to support me but did it clumsily. I even had a meeting with them to which I brought my OT. that helped but getting back was still not easy. while I was away the organisation was restructured. I nearly lost the job altogether, and returning under those circumstances was hardly a supported return I don't think they wanted me back. charities are not always very charitable places to work.
still I struggle on because I have to. and as I read somewhere necessity drives recovery, or perhaps discovery in my case.
things will change and maybe if I can find a new role it might ease up.
well done for getting into the voluntary work, I hope you are enjoying it
take care
Tony
tha k you Tony I really appreciate that
having a bit of a tough time at the moment. so will go back to my gratitude lists. support from others like yourself is on my list, so very grateful to hear from you and good wishes for your own recovery or discovery journey
take care
Tony
Hello, I had my stroke, out of the blue and with no risk factors exactly one year ago. It was a shock going from being active and loving walking and the outdoors to being unable to walk or move my right arm or hand and blurred speech. I was in rehabilitation for eight weeks and relearnt to walk with a quad stick and my speech gradually improved. When I came home I slept downstairs and visited the local sports centre to shower.The community physio visited once a week.
I persevered with exercises for my right leg which has improved my walking, as now I have just managed to walk a mile with a stick along the river. It is very hard but you have no option but to keep doing the exercises. My arm is still nonfunctional but I can now move my fingers. I hope for further improvements but progress is slow.
Reading your posts are always encouraging. So sorry you're having a rubbish day and hope better times are with you soon. Thanks for your support xx
Thanks for your posts, Deigh. I have received lots of support and words of wisdom which have helped me so much, I almost feel guilty, like I don't deserve to know so many fabulous people being generous with their encouragement! I'm very grateful and humble in equal measures. Keep posting pal xx
Hi Tony
i too had my stroke just over 2 years ago and returned back to work part time after almost a year
yes they can make a return quite difficult and it seems the organisation that should be ok like your employer and mine can be the most difficult, but on wards and upwards
mine also had a restructure and my job had changed when I got back, expected me to be able and even demanded that I do the physically impossible and I had a relapse
i had help from access to work (DWP) for special equipment and help with transport to be honest they were a godsend without them I would have been finished at work
things are now getting better,
take care and things do improve, not as fast as I would like, but then I am impatient lol