I wrote a few months back about Stephen who had his stroke in 2020 . As well as being unable to walk unaided he has a peg feed and vocal
Paralysis on the right vocal cord which resulted in leaving him with no voice also he has difficulty swallowing .
I would like to thank you for all your replies and one lady (emerald eyes i think ) in particular that recommended a small machine for strengthening the lungs . He has been using it and it’s helpful . Unfortunately we think he had another small stroke a month or so ago . We are still waiting to see a neurologist to or for an MRI to see if his medication needs to be increased . However latest setback has resulted in us starting from scratch again to build up his strength and motor skills. Previously he was with my support and a crutch able to walk round the block but now he is only able on a good day to walk a few yards from our house and back . Stephen used to work as a Gardener and we would bike and walk for miles but now he tends to watch a lot of tv as his eyesight is not good enough even with new glasses to read very well. However Stephen seems to have accepted the situation much better than me as I feel so sad for the life he once had . Friends and family are amazed at his resilience and how personality wise he is still the same with humour and impatience wanting everything done as of yesterday. Although I work 3 days a week , Stephen fortunately has a mobility scooter and often he is out for a good part of the day which means we can go out together or if I’m working then before I leave I can assist him on his scooter and track him with the aid of our phones and when he gets near home I can leave work to assist him back in . He also wears a lanyard for emergencies . However I do worry whether this is “as good as it gets” as his balance is very unpredictable and some days he is so weak it’s an effort for him to get from one room to another.
From what I understood with a stroke you either improve or plateau . Any advice or information is greatly welcomed.
Best wishes Annabella
The brain has mazing capacity to rewire itself. I believe that as long as you work on your recovery you’ll continue to improve. It’s over 7 years since I had a stroke and I’m still improving. (I do work hard at it).
Hi @Annabella1 , so sorry to Stephen’s had another stroke but don’t despair, there is still plenty of hope and room for further recovery, never give up hope!
No you continue to make improvements it’s just the first 6mths after a stroke is when you see the most quickest signs of improvement. After that it slows down, and yes, it does plateau, but that’s merely the brain processing all that’s it learnt so far and rebooting itself before the next climb. I always see it as the intermittent landing up a long flight of stairs.
It doesn’t matter how far he goes, he’s still walking, therefore that can still improve with time and practice. If he liked to read, there are still options for him, and may help. Audio books are a good alternative, if he hasn’t got something like a Kindle or the likes get him one. They can do audio, but also enlarge the print/font to a comfortable reading size for him.
If all you say about him and going off on his mobility scooter, even after his mini stroke, then I’d say he’s doing well for himself. He’s accepting his new way of life and that’s the best way to recover. And the days he just sits watching tv, that’s his brain taking a “time out”, going offline while while it processes or rests, don’t try to fight that one, you’ll only hinder his progress. I always called them my nothing days 
Though I still get the odd one from time to time, they’re not nearly as frequent as they were in that first year post stroke.
But what about you? Who is caring about you? You are a Stroke survivor (SS)too, you are in this together and you need to be cared for too! He’s come sounds as though he’s come to terms with this but you haven’t yet. How are you getting on with your life, are you talking this through with anybody? Maybe you would benefit from the "Here For You telephone peer support service (I’ve put the link below). It’s times like this that you really start thinking about your age and mortality. You’re looking back at what it “used to be like”. In time you will learn to accept and move on, looking forward to how good it could be. And to get there you need to talk, get it out there in the open and face it. Stephen needs time to recover, you need to talk to recover and here is a good place to start:
There will also be in person stroke groups, both for the SS and their carer, local to you which you could attend. You may find one in the link below:
…or by entering your post code in here, just click on the blue text.
Take the first step towards moving on with your new way of life
@Annabella1 sorry to hear that Stephen has had a set back in his recovery. It sounds like he has the right attitude though so there is every hope he will continue to improve. As long as you eork at recovery then there is always hope for improvement. It may slow a bit but doesn’t stop.
Dont forget you are just as important in this journey & you need to look after yourself too. @EmeraldEyes has provided loads of info for you on this so i won’t repeat it.
Sending my best wishes to you both.
Ann xx
I like his attitude. He is doing just fine for all that he’s been through. Just go one day at a time. He’s taking the initiative to get better. That is SO crucial for stroke patients. That’s exactly what is needed to go forward. My mother gave up from the get-go, other than her wanting to walk again, which she ended up getting back almost perfectly. Emotionally, she got worse and worse…but that was her. You all can go a different route. My mother was in her 70s, so I don’t know how much her age impacted her will to get better.