Dear fellow survivors
I ve been taking a break from the forum recently. But thought I'd mark my 5th anniversary of the stroke with a brief post
So still here. Anniversaries are odd things and bring up all kinds of feelings not all of them happy! I didn't recover in the way that perhaps I would have liked. But some things have improved and others haven't. Mainly I'm reasonably well for the most part, but chronically disabled and I am still learning about that. The future is not as fearful as it was, Covid notwithstanding, that's a stress for everyone! But I can go into year 6 with a bit more hope than perhaps I did in previous years.
Thanks to all you guys who I have exchanged notes with over these difficult years. You've been a great support
All the best
TONY
Well said Tony. I am 5 years too, but had the blip of a second minor stroke last May. It was a bit of a setback, but not too damaging. I am still partly disabled but try to remain positive, although we all get down days I'm sure. Wishing you all the bes.
Well done TonyYou have given me hope as I am 3 and a half years past stroke but had a Tia last week which set me back a bit. But I am recovering all be it slowly but I was getting frustrated thinking it should be getting better quicker but I suppose it is early days yet. My stroke was unusual it affected my head and my eyes with double vision but thankfully that has gone at last. I have done away with the prisms atlast. I only hope that my head will get better now my eyes have improved. I hope you continue on the forum I really enjoy reading other peoples ideas and thoughts. Very best wishes Norma jean.
Well done Tony and thanks for sharing all your advice. I do think you were given a 'bad' time from your employer which knocked your recovery back somewhat and no-one should have to go through that as well as trying to recover from a life changing happening.
I'm fast approaching my 4th year anniversary of the first stroke and at the end of April, it will be 6 months since my TIA. Life has changed a lot for me since 2017 - not all good. I have enjoyed reading your posts and they have been a true inspiration for people. Don't be a stranger - keep letting us know how you are. Take care.
Wishing you the best Tony... ☺
Thanks
I am much better since leaving my employment. Though it has taken/is taking a long time to recover from that bruising experience
But generally in a much better place now than those days, don't miss it.
TONY
Thanks John jeff
The second stroke is I suppose most stroke survivors worst fear. I am glad you are pulling through that with you usual determination and good spirit. I never imagined I would be disabled what seems like permanently, but it isn't in any way hopeless as I am sure you will agree. I have huge support at home from my family, and I'm very fortunate to have that, I know many people in our situation don't have that. So as they say hereabouts there is life after stroke.
With very best wishes as we enter year6!
Tony
Thank you Ruby
That's kind of you to respond.
All the best
TONY
Hi Tony, always good to hear from you ?♀️. I've benefitted so much from your posts, and gained insights into stroke over the last 3 and a half years since my husband's stroke - thank you for sharing. All good wishes to you and hope your progress continues.
Thanks for the kind words
I ve benefitted also from your own posts and positivity. It is hard for the person closest to the survivor. The grief and stress carers experience isad little understood as that which a survivor themselves experiences. My wife has been to hell and back with me. From the early days of emergency hospital admission to the long tedium of physio, and then the trauma of the employment debacle. But she's always been there and still is an absolute God send without whom I wouldn't have got this far. I m sure yor husband would echo that. We're very fortune those of us who have the solid support from family. I know that many don't and have to go through it alone. I can't imagine what that's like and can only stand in awe at the resilience of some people.
Thanks for the note and best wishes to you both.
TONY
Dear Tony
I am so glad you feel more positive, and that you feel that you have recovered in all these years. Please, don't lose hope of recovering even more, I have read somewhere, I must find the article, that people can recover even after 10 years after a brain injury.
I know it is not much to go on, but, 1 year and a half after his stroke, John started moving his leg, and now has a little movement in his arm, on a 1 to 5 scale, the therapist said he is a 1 this is better than zero to me.
I always say, medicine is advancing, now, that things have calmed down a little with covid, you will see, medical universities will concentrate on research on stroke again, soon, soon, there will be something amazing for all stroke survivers, in the medical field.
Keep going, never give up, and keep safe.
Dear Tony
I have just read your post with interest. It's uplifting to hear you face the future with hope and less fear than previously. I'm 15 months post-stroke (right middle cerebral artery) which left me with left-sided weakness. I can walk indoors (with very poor gait), using a quad stick and a splint for my drop foot. Walking is very tiring, my legs often feeling leaden. My community neuro physios discharged me last October, since I'd reached the dreaded plateau. I'm currently trying to arrange some private neurophysiotherapy in the hope that a fresh approach may effect some improvement. Like you, my arm has no movement, although my fingers move slightly and recently I've managed to raise my hand ever so slightly. I've not really had any physio on my arm, all physios seem to concentrate on walking, understandably I suppose.
I do count my blessings - cognitively I appear to have come through the ordeal unscathed and I'm lucky to have my husband and son as my carers. I try to be optimistic, not easy but then I read a post like yours and it's a great help.
With very best wishes for the future; we all have to keep striving for improvement.
Anne
Dear Anne I am glad you found some solace in my story
My Stroke was of similar origin clot in Central cerebral artery affected the motor control of my left side. Similarly walking ihas been a long hard struggle. I progressed from a quad stick to a tripod stick to a single point stick which I use both indoors and out. I had an FES device for a while to help with foot drop. I still have it on extended loan from the community rehabilitation team who have been brilliant for me over the years especially the first two years. I can walk to some extent now without the FES, and the foot drop doesn't seem to be quite such a problem now, though it hasn't completely disappeared. While I can make progress walking it continues to be laborious and I don't have anything close to a normal walking gait yet. I have decided not to set goals to any great extent but simply to make sure I get out regularly to practise. I don't want the pressure of goal setting, in spite of what my therapists would say. It served me well at the appropriate time but it isn't what I need now. As for the plateau, I read somewhere that a plateau is just the point where you re think your strategy and start again. So for me I need to strengthen the left leg after losing momentum over lockdown. I lost a bit of confidence also, so building back up again really slowly.
I hope you can get another booster of physio input. Every now and then we just need some encouragement!
So let's just keep on going. Let us know how it goes.
Thanks for the reply
Best wishes
Tony