Home – Our Stroke Recovery Journey
The purpose of this blog is to share how a stroke affected our lives, and how through our stroke recovery experience, stroke survivors, stroke victims, caregivers and others might find peace, hope and encouragement.
As the spouse of a stroke survivor, I wanted many people praying for 
my husband throughout his recovery process. I sent out emails to family and friends with updates of his condition with specific prayer requests. This kept them informed of his specific needs, and also kept them praying. They forwarded the emails to prayer groups, Bible studies, churches, and even coworkers; and the response was overwhelming. The recipients were being blessed as they prayed for us, and as a result of their prayers, God was moving on our behalf. They begged me to keep sending the updates.
On the suggestion of my daughter, I developed this blog to share these emails in a public forum. Please feel free to share your thoughts and questions. The chronology of events can be found in the Archives or Stroke Recovery Journal.
Here is how our journey began…
Saturday, February 23, 2008 began as an ordinary day for us. About 1:30 in the afternoon, Steve developed an unusual little cough that sounded like he had a hairball. I asked him if he was a getting a cold, and he said he didn’t know what that was. His headache came back again, too. This was three days in a row he complained about a headache. He has a very high tolerance for pain, and in the 40 years we’ve been married I knew he wouldn’t complain unless it was really severe. But he took some Tylenol and we just dismissed it.
That evening, Steve awoke at 10:00 PM from a 2-hour nap and asked me to turn the TV to the news. He didn’t look right. His face was a little droopy and he had been making odd breathing noises in his sleep.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
“I’m really thirsty, have a headache and I have to go to the bathroom,” he answered. He got up from the couch and hobbled to the bathroom using crutches to support the left ankle he had broken three weeks earlier.
I got him a glass of water and some more Tylenol, and set it down on the end table beside him as he came back in and sat down. A few minutes later, he was holding the corner of a tissue, lifting it up in front of him over and over again.
This looked so strange, so I asked, “What are you doing?” When he spoke, his speech was garbled, so I ran over to him and commanded, “Steve, look at me! Say my name!” He couldn’t do it.
My 59-year old husband was having a stroke. Immediately I called 911 because I knew time was of the essence. I heard about the clot-busting drug that could reverse the effects of a stroke if administered within 3 hours of the first symptoms. Little did I know that it was already too late.
As I explained to the operator what my emergency was, Steve objected, slurring out the words, “There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m alright.” He took a drink of water holding the glass with his right hand, and the water poured out of the left side of his mouth. It would be a week before he understood that he had had a major right-brain stroke that paralyzed the left side of his body.
In the 15-minute wait (which seemed like an hour) before the first responder arrived, I quickly called two people and asked them to pray. In the ambulance ride to the hospital 12 miles away, I called each one of our four daughters, and then called a few other friends and asked for prayer. By the time we got to the emergency room, one and a half hours had passed.
Steve was quickly evaluated by one doctor who then consulted with the neurologist on duty. They took him for an MRI to see if there was a ruptured blood vessel in his brain (hemorrhagic), or if the stroke was caused by a blocked artery (ischemic). They found that it was an ischemic stroke.
The minutes were ticking away, but determining the time of the first symptom was crucial, and I kept telling them it was at 10 PM when his speech became slurred. They said if they gave him the clot-busting drug after the 3-hour window, it would be fatal, so I had to be absolutely sure. And then they asked if he had any headache before that, and I remembered that the headaches came on earlier in the day and even three days prior. It was then that they refused to give him the drug tPAbecause it would cause an instant brain bleed and kill him.
Steve was admitted into ICU where he spent the next 3 days before being moved to the hospital floor. He had suffered a blockage in the large right middle cerebral artery, resulting in a major stroke that paralyzed his left side. It also caused some dysarthria—a condition affecting the muscles that control his speech and swallowing. He experienced confusion and couldn’t understand why he was at the hospital, stating that he was just fine. At times he became belligerent and insisted that I bring his crutches so he could walk out of there. He didn’t know it yet, but he couldn’t even sit without falling over, let alone stand because his core balance was affected.
Steve never felt a thing when the stroke occurred other than a headache. He expected a stroke to cause pain like he had with several heart attacks. Just like that it happened, but I can’t say it was without warning.
He had experienced several Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs) without realizing it, and he was in the high risk category with factors of high blood pressure, tobacco use, artery disease, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, inactivity and obesity. He jokes now that if he had known he was going to live so long, he would have taken better care of himself.
Continue this stroke recovery journey with us and read the next sequence of events that took place in Steve’s hospitalization and recovery process, and feel free to ask questions or comment on them.
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Kathy and Steve,
This Blog no doubt will be used as a tool and tremendous help (the links are excellent) plus such encouragement and hope are poured out along w/ testimony that glorifies the Lord and draws the reader to Him.
Love,
June 12th, 2008 at 5:40 amrenee
Dear Kathy & Steve. Thank you for sharing your journey about having a stroke and surviving. Your detailing and journeling is truly God inspired and a testimoney to all who read. We continue to join with you in praying for a total recovery for Steve.. And look forward to that day. We love you both. If there is anything we can do, please do not hesitate to call. Love Julie & John
July 17th, 2008 at 6:11 amI am a 60 year young female and a 3+ year
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:15 amstroke survivor.Like so many of us, I have been forced to make a lot of adjustments to my life. The stroke affected the left side of my body, I don’t have the use of my left arm yet, however I can type with one hand. Praise God He created me right handed. Daly I discover new and more officiant ways to get things done. I love to cook tho I don’t do as much as I once did. often in the middle of something I find out I can’t( detest that word) complete “safely without help. As the other night, I baked a ham for supper but couldn’t get it out of the oven wrestling A cold pan is a lot “easier” than a hot one. So think Carla, turn the stove off, bet you had already figured that out, well me too because I’d done it before!! You know how a lot of TV Chiefs, start their dishes with what they call the trinity. ( chopped onions, celery, green peppers, and of course garlic,) Some will add things like carrots. For my soup starter or anything eith rice this is the way I
start, with the carrot I mean. This summer while visiting my brother and sister-in-law we were chopping vegetables for salsa. We were using a “Vidalia Chop gizzard” And I chopped almost all the veggies. I don’t like tooting my own horn, but sure made me fell good for something. I’ve also discovered putting a clean towel or papper towel on the cutting board stabilizes almost anything. I am anxious to hear how other survivors are conquering their their challenges.
Sincerely Carla From Missouri
Cooking isn’t my only interest
I am writing to you from Canada. My 44 year-old wife suffered an ischemic stroke on January 8th and is now in rehabilitation to regain the use of her left arm and leg.
I read your blog tonight and take comfort in knowing that others like you and your husband have gone through what we are going through right now. It’s truly inspiring to know that the Lord has ontinued work in your lives through all of this.
Thanks for taking the time to document your experiences. It’s important to my wife and I. I look forward to your next update on your husband’s progress.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:02 amKen, I’m so sorry to hear about your wife’s stroke. She is so young, so hopefully that will be on her side in her recovery. I’m glad to hear that the blog is ministering to you.
My husband is still struggling physically, but it’s the emotional struggles that are harder to deal with. He feels like he is a burden to me…like he’s not pulling his weight to help me around the house. He’s feeling useless and depression wants to set in. But truly God’s grace is sufficient for me, because I don’t feel like he’s a burden at all. I believe being his caregiver is God’s assignment for me at this time in my life, and I want to be found faithful in completing this assignment.
God’s grace is sufficient for you too Ken. The most important thing you can do for your wife is to continually encourage her, pray for her, and be optimistic. The more knowledgable about stroke that you become, the more you can help her.
Please keep me informed of her progress. I’ll be praying for both of you.
Kathy
February 9th, 2009 at 6:10 pmThanks for sharing. In August 2005 I had an AVM (bleeding stroke) when I was 49. I spent almost 5 months in the hospital and am still doing rehab re-learning to walk and talk (it is a challenge) — part of the things we take for granted. Like you I am trying to use technology and send out a monthly e-mail about the stroke and the challenges that happen after the stroke. I am just starting a blog. As a stroke survivor I know how much work is involved for everybody. The fun is just beginning! Hope you and your husband do well. Vangi Uribe
April 25th, 2009 at 12:26 pmI will keep your husband and you in my prayers. On Monday April 6, 2009, I awoke with a migraine headache. I didn’t think much about that, as I’ve suffered migraine headaches since my mid 30′s (I am now 50). I took my perscription medicine for migraine and went to work. Tuesday, I continued to feel disoriented. I was dizzy, my vision was fuzzy, almost like I’d had a couple of martini’s. Wednesday April 8th, the symptoms continued. About 2:00 p.m. that afternoon I was sitting with a co-worker and couldn’t remember who she was! I immediately called my family doctor. I saw the doctor at 4:00 p.m. that day and he scheduled me for a full work up the next morning. Before leaving his office, my doctor’s last words of advice to me were: “If things change, do not pass go – do not collect $200. Go immediately to the emergency room at the hospital in which I have scheduled your tests.” About 9:00 p.m. that night my wife and I were getting ready for bed. I looked at her and said, “You need to get your clothes back on, I just lost all feeling on the left side of my body.”
Like your husband, it was too late for me to get the tPA shot. I was given baby asprin and a shot of blood thinner. By 12:00 p.m. they had diagnosed me as having had a stroke. By 3:00 a.m. I was admitted to a hospital room. Over the next two days I went through the standard battery of tests: CAT scan with and without contrast, MRI with and without contrast, echocardiogram, and EEG. On Friday the neurologist suggested I be transferred to a rehabilitation hospital.
I spent exactly one week in the rehabilitation hospital. I knew that we had hundreds of people saying thousands of prayers for me and my family. God was merciful, each day function was returning to my left side. By the time a week had passed after the initial migraine, I had relearned to swallow and my speech was no longer slurred. By Tuesday of that week, I was walking with a cane! By Thursday of that week, I had been discharged from the rehab hospital and sent home!
Two weeks, to the day after the stroke, I returned to work. I now had a cane to help me walk, tired easily, and had to take frequent rest breaks during the first two weeks. I googled and read all I could find on stroke and stroke recovery. I continued outpatient OT and PT.
Using earlier experience as a Master Fitness Trainer for the U.S. Army, I designed a home exercise program for me. Every morning I spend the first hour doing nothing but physical training. I start with a full series of body streches, do a light lower body workout that was given to me by a PT therapist in the rehab hospital, do an upper body workout with light dumbbells, and ride an exercise bike.
It is now a just slightly less than 60 days after my stroke. I have recovered 100% of my mobility, speech, cognition, and memory! I know that this miracle is due to God’s presence and healing in my life. It is also due to the dedicated support of a loving family.
I encourage you and your husband to hang in there. Recovery is possible. Attitude is so important, for me daily prayer was critical. My wife and I also run a Christ-centered 12-step program through our church. I think getting my eyes of myself helped a lot. I encourage both of you to keep reaching out and getting support. I am just beginning to understand how dramatically my life has changed and that recovery and keeping good health will be a lifelong process.
God bless both of you.
Dan
June 3rd, 2009 at 8:02 amThank you, Dan, for your testimony of God’s faithfulness and healing, and for all your prayers and encouragement. We sure can use them right now.
Prayer and a positive, faith-filled attitude really makes a difference in the recovery process. It is truly miraculous how quickly you recovered. Thank you for sharing.
Blessings, Kathy
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:16 pmHi Kathy~
My then 4 year old daughter had a spinal stroke (she has vascular disease) last May. I also blog her recovery process.
Take care and good luck on your journey.
June 19th, 2009 at 7:23 pmHeather Alessandro
It is always interesting to read about other people who have recovered or are recovering from a stroke.
Three years ago I had a hemorrhagic stoke (a brain bleed) on a Thursday eve. I thought it was a sudden severe migraine headache. I took 4 ibuprophen and went to bed. It hurt the next day I went to work and a friend gave me an emitrex for migraines. (That could have killed me! But we did not know that.) My speech was not slurred, but I did not make sense sometimes. I could not read. I did not think there was anything wrong with me and refused to go to the Dr.
On Sunday I stayed home, Sunday PM we had company, AND I went on a bike ride later that eve. Sunday PM my sister called, which was unusual, and since she works in neurosurgery she recognized symptoms of a stroke in my voice. Her colleague called me early the next AM, asked me a couple of questions and said, “Go to the ER immediately!” That was Monday!!
July 9th, 2009 at 7:08 pmI do not recommend waiting 3 1/2 days!!!!
The ER neurologist said that I did not have a stroke. I transferred to another hospital where I rec’d the best care in neurology.
I was born with an AVM and it caused a vein to burst and bleed into my brain. I bled for 2 to 3 seconds. If I would have bled 4 to 5 seconds, it would have killed me. God was not finished with me.
Within the next two months I had brain surgery and they removed the AVM. By January I was working again. Slowly, but at least working. I have fully recovered, I run 3 miles a day again, teach classes at church, and am as “normal” as ever. Thank the Lord!!
Kathy & Steve,
July 9th, 2009 at 8:58 pmJust to let you know I will be praying for you both also, I am a caregiver for my mom who is fighting cancer now & my eyes were opened from your blog Kathy about God’s grace, I feel I was lead to your blog for me to understand this is what God wants me to do now in my time of life, take care of my mom and yes I want to do the same as you I want to complete if for our Lord, he gets all my praise, he is always there & he’ll never leave us. Thanks for sharing your story, God bless you both. Debbie
very enlightening and inspiring story. Would like to know where Kathy found the legal documents she prepared and had notarized.Would like to do the same. Thank you.
July 10th, 2009 at 9:51 amStephen,
The documents I used were modified from legal documents we hired an attorney to draw up for us about 17 years ago. My daughter and her husband also recently had an attorney draw up some papers for them, so I used some of that information too.
I painstakingly re-typed everything that was pertinent, and I also did much research online to help me understand what was needed. Once they were in my computer, I just made the necessary changes and personalized them.
There are many resources available online, but be careful. I’ve had a little experience with this type of thing, so I was more aware of what to look for. Some hospitals will give you free of charge some of those forms (i.e. Living Will, POA for Healthcare), but they might not address all the information you want to specify.
I hope that helps.
July 10th, 2009 at 12:17 pmHi- Since my stroke on 4/6/09 I am trying to pay more attention to my life. You see my stroke was a gift from God. I know that sounds crazy. I had just got into work that Monday morning and after my usual round of games on the computer, looked at my stack of work and said “Oh God I don’t want to do this anymore.” Soon after that I realized that my body wasn’t doing what I told it. I was afraid to try to walk.
August 5th, 2009 at 12:59 pmCareful what you pray for, I was in emergency within 20 mins and admitted soon after. I was there for 4 days then transferred to rehab. I had a left side ischemic stroke’, I am right handed. I was in rehab for about 2 1/2 weeks. I had 10 outpatient visits. I am grateful to have had insurance but my responsibility is about 6K. It ran out after 90 days. I can not work (which I am not unhappy about) but how am I supposed to pay these??? Oregon does not have temp disability SSD-if they don’t deny you takes 6 months to get a check. So because this is my “Gift from God” I am not going to worry about the mail or when the phone calls start because I know I will be shown what I am to do. Right now I am working on restoring my health, and it is hard work. My first task was to go to the bathroom, eat, and dress ALONE! and without help! Now 4 months later I can walk without help a short distance, I can hold a pen and write my name so it is legible, I can go to the bathroom, eat, and dress…alone. I am hoping that I can make progress to get me back – 100%. When people ask how I am my reply is ALWAYS, “I get better every day.” Even if I am not feeling it, because I want it to be a self-fulfilling prophesy. I am so glad to have found this blog; I am not alone. Thank you
I’m hoping that someone can help me. I had a brain aneurysym and coiling done in September of ’08. I then had the follow-up angiogram done this year. Unfortunately, it came back requiring a craniotomy and clipping. I recently had that done, went through rehab (actully flew through rehab – I guess I was one of the lucky ones). Anyway, Everything was going great, I feel pretty good – except I have this hoarseness in my voice now. The weird thing is 3-weeks ago I didn’t have it. Not at all. I had almost no deficits (other than a left shoulder issue). I had my normal voice when I went through rehab. I did catch MRSA in the hospital and my PCP put me on Bactroban to try to knock it out of me. Those of us who have been unfortunate enough to have a stroke – know that after the stroke we’re a walking pharmacy. So, I’m thinking the hoarseness in my throat could be a drug interaction. But, I’m not sure. Has anyone heard about losing their voice 8 weeks after the stroke has already occurred? It’s frustrating because I was fully on the road to recovery and now I’m scared about what this new thing might be. Any help or advice would be so appreciated. Thank you.
September 11th, 2009 at 7:47 pmTodd, I’m not familiar with the condition you’re experiencing, but it very likely could be a temporary side effect. You still are on the road to recovery, so do not fear. Little setbacks may happen, but you’re still making great progress. Fear can be crippling, so keep a positive outlook and stay in peace.
September 11th, 2009 at 10:07 pmThnks for that Kathy. I actually just stopped by this blog in hopes of finding other survivors who had similar experiences and knowledge. After reading all the posts here I may have found something that I’ve been searching for for a long time. I could tell you my complete story but that would take pages and pages. The one thing I will say is that at some point during this whole ordeal I completely lost faith in both our medical community, for a ton of reasons, the latest of which was after having a craniotomy and clipping done by one of the best neuro-surgeons in the world I called his office complaining about headaches, a sense of dread, feeling miserable, etc. I got the advice to drink more water – that night after the clot I had the bleed while on the blood thinner Coumadin. That was a pretty bad night for me. A great neuro-surgeons work completely destroyed by an inept nurse or assistant. This was the latest screw-up in a series of unbelievable horror stories I’ve experienced in our healthcare system. I will say there are some absolutely amazing and “saintly” people in our system. But, there are also some really awful people that should only be allowed to treat me when I’m lying in a coffin. On that last day lying in a hospital bed with a breathing tube I not only lost complete faith in our medical system but, I lost my faith in my Lord. My heart has since filled with rage, hate and anger. However, after reading this blog and the people sharing their experiences as well as Kathy helping me with a simple answer and yet one that means more to me than any answer given by somene with M.D. after their name. It truly gives me hope that one day I will find love, peace and compassion in my heart again. The sad thing is I know just by allowing Jesus and the God back in they will heal my heart and fill it with all I desire and yet if you heard my full story you would gasp. On the positive side (because like Kathy says there aways is that side)… Anyone who has heard my story will try to help me as best they can. I’ve been on so many countless prayer lines. So, I may be suffering but I can thank all of the people who pray for me as saving my life time and time and time an time and time and time and time again.
September 12th, 2009 at 5:29 pmKathy, Steve, all the respondants to Steve’s story: I am astonished by each of your stories, admire your strength and determination to recover, I admire your faith, and the people who have been there for all of you! My story is so different and reading all of yours makes me cry. I was 47 when I had my strokes (8)of them at once. I had gone in for a general checkup, as I was moving to a new job. I was told by the doctor the angiogram showed I had a blockage in my heart, therefore I needed a angiogram done – so we scheduled it. I was in the recovery room – I had a piece of plaque break off and traveled to my brainstem – causing bleeding on my brain with 1 massive stroke over my speech (right sided)and 7 little strokes all over – plus a blood clot in my heart. I spent over 2 months in the Rehab. I was born into my disabled life on 10-02-07. I am alone. Mo help from no one! The friends I had are gone, I guess my life now is too hard for them/ My cardiologist told me my heart was fine – healthy. I asked himwhy the angiogram then. He said the echocardiogram gave a false positive. I lost my whole healthy life.
October 11th, 2009 at 6:04 pmKathy and Steve, this is an amazing chronology of your post-stroke life. You are honest and candid. The stories and videos are fascinating. I am particularly interested in the FES systems Steve has used during his rehabilitation. Does he still use them? What is his hand function like after the rehab?
October 14th, 2009 at 4:59 pmHi Andy,
Thanks for visiting our blog and your nice comments.
I’m not familiar with the term “FES systems”. Are those hand rehabilitation systems?
Steve only used the Bioness hand rehabilitation system when he was in out-patient therapy at the hospital a year ago, and then it was only a few times. It took too long to set it up and that used up too much of his scheduled therapy time. We didn’t see any improvement at the time. But now I help him do arm exercises at home, and that works well. He is getting some hand and arm strength back, and he’s able to grasp with his fingers.
I hope that helps answer your questions. If not, please let me know.
Kathy
October 14th, 2009 at 8:14 pmKathy, thanks for the update. FES stands for Functional Electrical Stimulation. It sounds like the exercises you are doing are helping. Have you heard of “constraint induced therapy”? There’s a lot of enthusiasm in the scientific community about it.
October 14th, 2009 at 9:37 pmYes, I have heard about the constraint induced therapy. I don’t think Steve has enough arm strength yet. He still can’t lift his arm by himself; I have to support it for him, and then he can move it. Or, if he’s lying in bed, he can slide it across the bed and sometimes move it up to his chest. He wears a GivMohr arm sling during the day because for the most part, his arm is flaccid.
October 14th, 2009 at 9:55 pmI’m going to take a look at the sling you’ve suggested. Please forgive my curiosity, but what kind of exercises do you do with Steve? How long do you spend doing them each day? How long have you been doing them? What kind of improvements have you seen?
October 15th, 2009 at 9:59 amAndy, I don’t mind your curiosity at all.
We do stretching exercises first. It’s almost like we have to prime the pump. I start by moving his arm back and forth, up and down and across his chest, while supporting the weight of his arm. Then when he’s ready, we repeat them, but I only gently support his arm or hand while he does the moving. Sometimes we do the Bobath technique when he’s lying down. In that exercises, I just hold his arm at the elbow while he brings it in to touch his hand to his face and extends it straight up again. An excellent OT showed us this, and the first time Steve did it, he burst into tears because he didn’t know he had that kind of strength in his arm yet. This OT was the only one we had that really worked Steve’s arm like that, the rest made him do all the work. So when Steve couldn’t, it was discouraging to him. I was in every therapy session with him, so I learned all the techniques. But the best ones are the stretching exercises first, and no one did those with him. It does take a lot of work for both of us, but that’s been the most effective. I’ve always worked on doing exercises with him…from the time he was moved out of ICU until now. And as I learned different techniques, those were added along the way.
We only work on the arm for 10-15 minutes at a time at the most. It takes a lot of Steve’s concentration to do this, so he is easily mentally fatigued by them. We do some movements in front of the mirror in the morning so he can watch himself put on deodorant and push his arm through the sleeve. In both of these routines, I support his arm while he extends it, but his hand is doing the grasping to hold the deodorant. He is getting better control of his arm to move it across his chest and to extend it in front of him, but in all of these, he needs me to support it, except when he’s lying down on his back. He can do the snow angel by himself.
We also work on moving his fingers…grasping and releasing. The releasing is the hard part except when he yawns or is aroused. His arm will extend and his hand stretches open completely. Yes, that’s right and sometimes it’s very funny because I know exactly what he’s thinking. It’s called dyskinesis where the brain sends the message to the wrong body part. But as a result, his hand has stayed supple and pliable.
Steve has gone from having no movement in arm and hand, to being able to grasp and move his arm without twisting his torso. It’s still not functional, but at least we’re seeing improvement. It has become easier for him to move it without having to concentrate so hard to do so. One thing I do is prompt him to concentrate on certain muscles, and I’ll have him move his right arm or hand first so he can see and feel which muscles are doing the work. This is a very effective technique to isolate the correct muscles. And it’s been more encouraging to him when he sees that he can successfully do this.
All of these routines help the shoulder subluxation as well. His arm is getting stronger and his endurance has increased. Before he would easily get a headache after only 5 minutes, but now we can go 15 minutes before he gets tired. There are so many more exercises that we could do, but it’s physically hard for me too so we only do what we can.
October 15th, 2009 at 1:04 pmThanks for the detailed answer. Could you use the givmohr sling to suspend his arm such that he could manipulate things on a table, for example? Would that put too much stress on Steve’s shoulder? There are other devices, like desk-mounted arm slings that can accomplish this, but they are usually a little pricey. Perhaps the givmohr can accomplish the same thing, allowing you to extend his exercise sessions.
October 16th, 2009 at 8:57 amThe GivMohr is useful only for reducing the subluxation in the shoulder. It isn’t 100% effective, but without it, Steve’s shoulder is very painful. It slips off his elbow when his arm is moved, so I don’t think it would work as you described. I wish we could come up with something better, but haven’t found a good alternative yet.
October 16th, 2009 at 7:32 pmKathy, thank you for your email. Your story is so much like mine. I printed your story up and I’m going to show it to my husband. May give him more encouragement.
October 26th, 2009 at 5:39 amthank you
I am almost overwhelmed at the impact stroke has had on not just you but the thousands of people I read about online.
December 10th, 2009 at 5:13 pmMy best friend’s father suffered a stroke when we were just out of High school. He has regained much of his motor function in his arm.
He never gave up and worked hard to rehabilitate. It can be done. Persistence is the key.
I just found this blog, and I’m hoping to be able to talk to other family members, spouses, about their experiences. My husband had a stroke, and his right side is partially paralysed, and his speech is impaired, although in the 6 years since the stroke (that’s right!!) it is getting better. He is continuing with therapy still, but not speech. It was discontinued. We are thankful that we live in Germany and he has German health insurance, so they still cover most of his therapy costs. Our problem is his anger and depression, which is causing our family, and me, a lot of frustration. He will not fully recover, that is clear, but he doesn’t want to deal with the emotional disabilities that come with it. Does anyone have any good advice?
December 30th, 2009 at 9:18 amBarb, That’s wonderful that your husband is still getting therapy after 6 yrs. We’ve heard about German health insurance paying for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) for stroke survivors. That will be our next course of therapy, but it will be all out-of-pocket expenses. Did your husband get that? If so, how did it work for him?
In regard to his anger and depression, that comes with the stroke territory because it’s part of the grieving process. But after 6 yrs. you’d think there would be some type of acceptance of his disability by now. His loss must have been very profound for the anger and depression to continue so long. Or, the stroke could have affected the part of his brain that controls these emotions.
There is a natural remedy that may help. Another remedy for depression works very well too.
My husband uses a remedy from the same company to treat a seizure disorder, and it’s quite effective and doesn’t have side effects. He hasn’t had a seizure since he started taking it, so these products do work well. I wish you well, and please let me know how things turn out.
December 30th, 2009 at 5:11 pmMy Grandpa had an ischemic stroke stroke December 31st 2009. It was on the left side of his brain, which controls the right side of his body. We were able to take him home from the hospital the day after the stroke- but he has no movement in his right arm. It is very frusterating for him to not be able to do things for himself, seeing how last week he was walking the dog 3 times a day and caring for my grandma. His hand the past 2 days has been moving “involuntary”. Is this a sign of re-gaining movement in his arm/hand, will he ever regain movement in his hand?
January 6th, 2010 at 11:19 amHi Caitlin,
If your Grandpa was discharged from the hospital after only one day, his stroke might not have been very severe, so thank God for that. Recovery depends on the type and severity of damage the stroke caused in his brain.
Yes, involuntary movement is a very good sign that the nerves are trying to reconnect. The involuntary movement is working the muscles, so that’s a good thing. At least they won’t get stiff and atrophy. It’s hard to say how long it will take for him to recover, but it sounds like he is doing well. Was only his arm affected? How about his leg?
Do you know if he was given the clot-busting drug tPA? If he was, it could reverse the effects of the stroke and he could regain all or almost all of his arm movement back. It may take a few weeks or months, so he should be patient and keep doing the arm exercises with his therapist or anyone who will help him. Here is a link to a video of my husband doing arm exercises at home with an occupational therapist.
My husband has voluntary and involuntary hand and arm movement. But it wasn’t until 8 weeks after the stroke that there was any voluntary movement at all, and it was very small…only in one finger. Now, 23 months later, he can grasp with his hand, but he can’t lift up his arm without support. He did not get the clot-busting drug because his symptoms started more than 3 hours before he got to the hospital. If it was administered after that 3-hour window of time, it would have caused a brain bleed and killed him instantly. I do know a few stroke survivors who have received the tPA, and some of them made a full recovery.
January 6th, 2010 at 4:01 pmMy husband had an ischemic stroke December 21st 2008. He is still paralized on the right side and unable to speak. I have put him in Gods hands. Just wondering the time frame for recovery. I’ve had therapists say that if he hasn’t gotten anything back in a year, he won’t get it back. I don’t believe that. I don’t believe the Lord is finished with us yet. Any input on recovery would be greatly appreciated.
January 10th, 2010 at 9:39 pmCindi, I’m so sorry to hear about your husband’s stroke. You are right about stroke recovery. It can go on for many, many years after stroke. The most improvement is seen in the first year, but the thinking that recovery stopped after that has been debunked by newer technology. You can read more about that in the following books. I highly recommend that you get both of them immediately because they will so encourage you and your husband.
Stronger After Stroke: Your Roadmap to Recovery and Conquering Stroke: How I Fought My Way Back and How You Can Too
Another thing I would do is look for some other therapists who are more updated on recent breatkthroughs in stroke technology. Both of you need people who will encourage and motivate you not to give up. Recovery can be slow at times, but perseverance and patience pays off. Continue to read about my husband’s stroke recovery on this blog because I share so many things we have gone through that might be of help.
In all of this, God is still the God of all hope and he holds you in the palm of his hand. He is not finished with you yet. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.
My love and prayers,
January 11th, 2010 at 5:40 pmKathy
Hello, I live in Accra Ghana. Michael, the husband of a friend of mine just had a stroke. He was released from the hospital yesterday but can not speak, or move his right arm and leg. Do you know of a website that we could refer to to find exercises that he could do to help him recover? The resources available here are almost non-existent. Thanks so much. Lisa
January 17th, 2010 at 6:48 amHello Lisa, I’m sorry to hear about your friend’s husband. There aren’t any professional websites that I have found that show the actual exercises. My husband’s therapists worked with him and when he was ready to come home, they gave us illustrations of exercises to do. And I videotaped him in stroke therapy, which you can see at http://www.strokesurvivorblog.com/about/more-videos/
Here is a webcast of doctors who give their expert opinion on stroke therapy.
The most important thing is to get Michael moving again. It’s like teaching a baby how to walk. First you have to work on reestablishing his balance. My husband had to learn how to sit on the edge of the bed without falling over because his core balance had been affected by the stroke. Then his therapists had him reach forward for items while sitting. Please make sure Michael is wearing some kind of belt that someone can hang onto while doing these exercises so he won’t fall. And make sure his right arm is supported with a sling so it won’t become dislocated from his shoulder.
Below are some links to websites that can help with his speech
http://expressiveaphasia.blogspot.com/
http://www.ghosters.com/
Also, check out this Google link that shows videos of people in stroke therapy: http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=stroke%20rehabilitation%20physical%20therapy&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wv#
I hope this helps.
January 17th, 2010 at 4:27 pmKathy
I am a 61 y. o widow. Was working full time as an RN then had a dibilitating stroke that stopped my life as I knew it. I live alone so anxiety and depression are my companions. I have very poor balance, can’t use my left arm due to weakness. Anyone else out there trying to do it on their own?
January 25th, 2010 at 7:43 amgood day! my boyfriend had a stroke last dec.23.. he is just 30..
February 7th, 2010 at 5:09 pmas of now i can see his improvements but the only thing that has no improvement is his right arm, he cant move his arm, but his speach,his legs has improvements.. and also his eyes is affected, sometimes his having a double vision,, im asking for some information or video that can help him for his recovery! thanks and God bless u and steve!thank god for u kathy ur a blessing! ur an
inspiration!
The arm and hand are usually the last to come back after a stroke, so be patient. Continue to encourage him, and help him do some arm stretching exercises. Do these range of motion exercises gently so as not to cause him pain, but enough to keep the arm from freezing up from lack of use. The only video of arm exercises I have is Steve working with his occupational therapist at home. The double vision is something I can’t help you with because Steve never experienced that, but I know of other stroke survivors who have. On the Resources and Links page there are a number of Stroke-related organizations listed that may help you. Hope this helps.
February 8th, 2010 at 10:08 pmKathy
thanks a lot kathy!!! maybe his vision was affected because of the accident.. he got stroke while his riding in a motorcycle… maybe thats the reason why… he doesnt have a helmet(safety gear)… well thanks a lot ms.kathy! ill pray also for ur husband’s recovery!!! God bless you both!
February 12th, 2010 at 2:38 pmJust found this site and God Bless all of you through your journeys. My husband age 46 had a stroke in November in the right cerebellum. Thankfully, he has no paralysis, speech defects or optic nerve damage, but his condition is still disabling. He has some short term memory loss, difficulty processing information at times, lightheadedness to the point of almost passing out, and what he refers to as an “electric brain” sensation. Our neurologist refers to this as anxiety, but my husband says it’s not that. There is so little information available on cerebellum strokes, I am hoping that someone here can point me in the right direction. Best wishes to all, and thank you all for sharing your stories.
February 18th, 2010 at 10:48 amHI Demie,
February 18th, 2010 at 12:31 pmIf your husband is having an “electric brain” sensation, I highly recommend that you start him on Epi-Still, a natural remedy for the electrical part of the brain. It has been very instrumental in treating and preventing seizures in my husband after his stroke, and he hasn’t had one since he started the Epi-Still. Seizures are caused by the electrical part of the brain, so please don’t wait until he has one because that does more damage. My husband had 3 of them and they affected the motivational center of his brain. My best to you and your husband.
Kathy
2 things for stroke:
February 19th, 2010 at 9:30 pmCerebrolysin available on the Internet.
Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy.
Richard, Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy is our next source of treatment and Steve will be starting that in a few weeks. Please come back to this site as I post updates. I never heard of Cerebrolysin, but I’ll check it out. Thanks.
February 19th, 2010 at 9:46 pmInosine should be checked also.
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:46 pmtPA does not always work.
March 24th, 2010 at 10:35 pmI received it within an hour and still it killed off half of my motor cortex and all of my pre-motor cortex. As the ER doctor said you will have to settle for the slow rehabilitation miracle. And it is slow, four years now but still rehabbing.
I wonder what would have happened if you didn’t get the tPA…it could have been devastating or even fatal.
There are two people in our stroke support group that got it within the 3-hr. window. One of them recovered 100%, the other about 60%, so it must vary with each individual and the intensity of their stroke…different strokes for different folks.
Glad to hear you’re still rehabbing…keep it up because you’re an encouragement to others.
March 24th, 2010 at 10:45 pmMy 28 year old son had a stroke when he was only 9mos old as a result of a severe bacterial meningitis. Only 3 years ago went into a neuropsych program and is still seeing continued improvements. He has gotten back the use of all limbs, although still continues to have left sided weakness. I have recently heard of the Hyperbaric treatments for brain injury and I wonder if this could help him even after all these years?
March 26th, 2010 at 9:48 amHe struggles with reading and writing, but knows everything you’d ever want to (or not) know about Nascar. He has designed a car for a contest he entered.
Check it out and vote if you can.
Thanks for this blog. Many helpful tidbits…
Marietta,
March 27th, 2010 at 8:38 pmIt was so great to read that your son has the use of his limbs. It is possible hyperbaric therapy may help him, but it works best early on after the stroke by increasing blood flow to the shocked and dormant brain cells surrounding the destroyed brain cells.
Blessings
Hello Kathy – My wife had her stroke late one evening at our cottage 50 miles outside Ottawa. I was half asleep when she came to and said “I think I’ve had a stroke” – instant diagnosis. Then she went out in the dark to our privy 60 ft. away while I almost went back to sleep.
We chose to drive to the nearest hospital 16 miles because that was quicker than waiting for an ambulance to find us. At this small hospital they roused a doctor but after a half hour decided she should be moved to a hospital in Ottawa.
M.taught herself to read again, is active, swims, travelled with me for a fortnight holiday in England last year with our grandson, and has no paralysis. She suffered a hemianopia which means that she has lost her left field of vision because of damage in her brain. With her left-side vision gone she can no longer drive and I’m now the chauffeur.
She suffered a hemorrhagic stroke – which means a bleed in the brain. Clot buster drugs can be effective in treating an ischemic stroke in which an artery to the brain is clogged or blocked. With a hemorrhagic stroke, a blood thinning drug is that last thing a patient needs, since it may simply speed up the escape of blood into the brain, where it can do a great deal of damage. We were fortunate that the local ER doctor recognized what was happening and held back on treatment before sending M. on to Ottawa.
We have a useful Stroke Survivor Association in Ottawa which meets monthly to provide mutual support and activities. I’d appreciate learning about other stroke survivor groups – especially in Canada – if they could communicate through your blog.
Thanks, MMCassidy, Ottawa
March 30th, 2010 at 1:54 pmMike, finding a good stroke support group can be challenging. Even though Steve and I belong to one where we get together with other stroke survivors and caregivers about 8 times a year, it’s more of a social gathering than a support group…at least for me it is. So I searched online and joined a group that meets via email whenever the need arises. The SAFE Harbor has groups for stroke survivors and caregivers. It’s not as good as meeting face to face and building those relationships one-on-one, but when you have a concern or question, people will offer their help via email. If you join this group of people, they may offer assistance in your search for other stroke support groups in Canada. If I hear of anything in the meantime, I will be sure to let you know.
March 30th, 2010 at 3:17 pmKathy
I had my stroke on April 11th 2009, symptoms were head ache, blurred lower vision and some cognition problems. simply put I’m a lucky guy at 55. Spent 2+ weeks in a Boston area hospital then home.
Right now I go to work 1/2 time. I become tired at the end of the day, connot think clearly (unlike the old person I was). Physically I am OK, lower vision not so good, cannot drive and had a seizure two months ago. The stroke has also made me emotional for both sad and happy things (not so bad…actually and improvement from the other guy). I find the psycological issues, thinking what the other guy used to do in certain situations very hard to accept. I’m in therapy which helps but I have my days when I am really down, today is one. My wife has been a gem, but I feel like a burden to her. Each day she takes me to work, picks me up, and has other things she now does soley around the house. The depression is the tough part for me, looking back as it was before. I try to lift myself up but its hard sometimes.
As I read this blog I know many of you are batteling and living with greater disability. I guess I will have to let things take their course and be patient with my progress and remaining issues.
It has been helpful to write this. I’m going to go tell my wife I love her.
April 1st, 2010 at 3:16 pmMay God bless you Craig! Stroke in any form is so devastating, but you’re right, there is always someone who is worse off. My husband feels like such a burden to me, and I think that’s the hardest part for him. But I don’t think of it that way. I love doing things for him. He’s worked so hard for so many years to care for me, so now it’s my turn to do something for him. He is my priority and everything else can wait…the house, the yard, etc. I’m sure your wife feels the same way.
There is an online stroke survivor’s support group that you might be interested in where you can communicate via email with other survivors. Check out SAFE Harbor to join an email list of others in your predicament.
The joy of the Lord is your strength. Wishing you well.
Kathy
April 1st, 2010 at 3:40 pmMy stroke occured on January 8, 2008. At the age of 48 it has been a very difficult life changing event for myself and of course my family. When I was released from the hospital after 6 weeks of captivity my wife was fairly relentless in continuing my physical therapy in taking me to local parks to walk. No matter how much I complained or cried from the pain she pushed me that much further. I now after a little over 2 years of recovery go for small walks on my own. As I began the road to recovery, I was fortunate enough to join some friends in overseeing a small home remodel project which is one of the things I did prior to my stroke. when doing the project, I had reason to visit the project on numerous occasions. It was during that time I began to steal my truck keys from my wife and kids and began to drive my truck again (you can’t get into very much trouble when you can only travel at 25 miles per hour). I now drive pretty much anywhere I please, I just use careful thought and planning as to where I travel and the route I take as to not get into very much traffic(I only use back roads and pretty much stay off the interstates. I have joined 2 stroke survivor groups at 2 local hospitals and we have become good friends with some of the members and get together for dinners and games with them bi weekly. I want to thank you for your web page as it seems other stroke victims can come and share their stories and encourage others. This is surly a long winding trail to recovery we have engaged in.
April 5th, 2010 at 7:23 amGod bless you in your journeys.
Kerry
Kerry, thank you for sharing your experience. You have given us hope to keep up the good fight of recovery. We wish you the best in your continued stroke recovery.
April 5th, 2010 at 1:14 pmThanks Kathy, as I went for my walk today at the local minor league baseball park, I couldn’t get out of my mind that without struggle, there would be no increase.
April 5th, 2010 at 4:48 pmKerry
my nane is chris , on december 2 2006 i had several tia’s and 1 ischemic stroke. I was 39 at the time,it was in the right side of my brain and my vision was also messed up. My right eye was @20% out of alignment for my left, its was a huge problem for a long time, i wasnt aloud to drive for almost a year,i had to go to a driving school,and then had to get ok’ed from the state to drive again. i had to have special glasses made that had removeable lenss made by 3 m , it was very strange the glass’s were very helpful, it made me sick without them , i saw like 10 of everything, i have a memory problem , and still some trouble with balance,and walking sometimes, but im able to work every day and do the things i need to do, THIS AT MY SUPPORT GROUP IS WHAT WE CALL THE NEW NORMAL….i try to push my self every day,to get results and it works,its slow but it works,GET IN A GOOD SUPPORT GROUP AND LIVE LIFE WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT, IN THE SAME KIND OF WAY…
April 13th, 2010 at 7:49 pmThanks for sharing, Chris. We wish you well on your stroke recovery journey.
April 13th, 2010 at 8:01 pmKathy,
May 8th, 2010 at 2:35 pmI am 43 now and survived an ischamic brain stem stroke April 2008. Hospitalized for 6 weeks and unable to eat, walk and talk to name a few things…time.
Years are passing by and I am getting better although many things around me are changing…I’m always seeking other survivors for a self serving purpose to give me hope of one day fully recovering. In the meantime I am grateful for where I am and if my example can give hope to other survivors of getting better it helps me in another way.
Enjoy what we can and keep it positive it beats the alternative!
Jeff
Jeff, You are an inspiration to many. I can tell that without even meeting you. Your positive attitude and perseverance encourage others to keep up the good fight in their struggles. Thanks for sharing with us, and don’t give up. God has a plan for your life.
May 8th, 2010 at 8:37 pmHello Kathy, my name is Jenn. My 30 year old brother had a massive stroke 48 hours ago. I have to return to work in the morning, and could not stay with my family at the hospital. I have prayed and encouraged all my family and friends to pray as well. Thank you for your story. My brother, Jeremy, could not receive the clot buster either. I have been filled with what if’s for the last two days. I had to turn it over to the Lord. I fully believe that this is his testimony. God is so good. I feel confident that he will be restored, and I thank you for sharing your journey. We also have a journey ahead of us, but we are not alone.
May 10th, 2010 at 1:00 pmHi Jenn, I’m so sorry to hear about your brother. I’ll pray for Jeremy whenever I think of him. God is in control and he will keep you in perfect peace as you put your trust in him. The article entitled Peace in the Midst of the Storm may help you. I’d like to direct you also to TheStrokeFoundation.com, which is another great stroke-related website where there are many good articles, books and rehabilitation methods. The publisher’s 42-year-old brother also had a stroke several months ago.
May 10th, 2010 at 3:22 pmMy love and prayers,
Kathy
Hello Kathy,
May 15th, 2010 at 11:09 amMy name is Mike.I’m 38. I had a massive stroke last October 2009.My lower limbs recovery are pretty fast except for the numbness and weak ankle of my affected foot. I’m trying reflexology to make the numbness go away, and working with my PT to strengthen the ankle. I take 2 grams of Keppra each day which make it impossible for me to do anything including walking and standing upright without losing my balance.My affected hand isn’t functional yet.My vision was also affected , leaving me with a visual field loss,and not being able to drive.But I’m hoping I can find an alternative to Keppra and recover faster if I’m no longer affected by Keppra’s horrible side effects.Does Epi-still works?But doctors don’t usually recommend it,like my neurologist Did Steve develop visual field loss, and what was done to fix it?I hope everyone who became victims of stroke would share their story how they recovered.
Hi Mike,
Thanks so much for writing. I’m so sorry to hear about your stroke and your vision deficits. Steve’s vision wasn’t affected very much by the stroke. He needed a new prescription for his glasses, but that was all. The stroke must have affected the occipital lobe of your brain which controls vision.
You didn’t say why you were on Keppra. Was it because you already had a seizure, or is it being used as preventive medicine? Steve had a very bad seizure 10 months after his stroke. It lasted about 25 minutes and he was hospitalized for 3 days. The neurologist on staff put him on 500 mg. of Keppra XR while he was in the hospital. It made him so zombie-like that he didn’t want to take it any more. So after only 4 or 5 days on it, he stopped. I wanted to see if he would have another seizure without it, and he did have one about 6 wks. later, although it was much milder than the first one. He had it while he was sitting on a chair and he fell off and hit his head on the wall. Then within the next 6 wks. he had two more mild seizures. It was time to do something, so we went to another neurologist and he prescribed 250 mg. of the generic Keppra (Levitereceta), and he said it should be increased until Steve was taking 1000 mg. per day. But I didn’t want to increase it until we knew what reaction he would have with it. In the meantime, I read about Epi-Still and started him on that the week after he started the Keppra.
We went back to the neurologist twice for re-checks within the next year, and he wanted to know why Steve wasn’t taking the higher dose of Keppra. He said that the lower dose would not be effective in preventing seizures. But I told him that Steve didn’t have any more seizures, and I showed him a bottle of the Epi-Still. He said he never heard of such a thing. Most doctors have no knowledge about natural medicine, plus they don’t make money by prescribing over the counter products, they only get kick-backs from the pharmaceutical companies. That’s why they’re so eager to push pills all the time.
Well Mike, Steve hasn’t had any more seizures since he started the Epi-Still and he has no side effects with it. He takes 20 drops in a 1/3 – 1/2 cup of grape juice three times a day. One bottle lasts about a month. I can’t tell you what to do because I don’t know why you’re taking the Keppra. But if it were Steve I was trying to wean off the Keppra, I would start giving him the Epi-Still as recommended three times a day. After 3 or 4 weeks, I would reduce his Keppra by one/fourth, and continue to reduce it slowly over the next few months until he was on a dose he could tolerate, being careful to give him the Epi-Still as recommended. It will always be necessary for Steve to take Epi-Still because of his brain’s tendency toward seizures, but it’s cheaper than Keppra without the side effects. It is 100% effective for Steve, because he has been seizure-free since March 25, 2009.
May 15th, 2010 at 8:12 pmThanks Kathy.
May 16th, 2010 at 7:05 amI don’t know why I was on Keppra;I started receiving itthile I was at the rehab hospital.As far as I know I never had seizure.I’ll meet my neurologist this week to talk about Keppra which is so horrible because of the side effects.
Hi Kathy,
I was also given Lyrica which is for both seizure an nerve pain( whatever that is because no one explained it to me).
i was also given, Sertralline, an antideppressant pill, possibly to counter the side effect of Leppra and Lyrica.From Lyrica’s web page it says that”Drugs used to treat seizures increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior”. I stopped taking Sertralline. I switched to St.John’s Wort because it is milder ang gives me good mood without the side effects associated with Sertralline.About the field loss, I’ll visit a neuro optometrist to get a new pair of glasses so I’ll be allowed to drive again.
May 16th, 2010 at 7:46 amMike, Your doctor put you on Keppra as a preventive measure, because most stroke patients have seizures. The stroke causes scar tissue in the brain which is likened to a barn full of hay. All it takes is a spark to ignite it which would result in a seizure. So prevention is important. However, I believe the Epi-Still, if taken consistently as recommended, would suffice as a good seizure prevention. If I had known that a seizure could have caused more brain damage, I would have done something more for Steve. But none of his doctors ever mentioned the probability of seizures. The first seizure he had affected the motivation center of his brain. It set him back about 7 months in recovery physically, but then he gave up and just quit trying to get better afterward. So I can’t stress enough how important it is to take preventive measures to avoid having a seizure.
I doubt if your neurologist will recommend you going off Keppra, but you could tell him you’d like to try the Epi-Still instead. You can’t just stop taking that amount of Keppra all at one time. You would have to be weaned off of it, so be careful not to go cold turkey. If the side effects are too horrible to live with, maybe your doctor will support you in your decision to make the switch to Epi-Still. It would be a wonderful preventive measure, but I caution you not to get lazy about taking it because you feel good. Time may go by and you might say to yourself, well I don’t need this any more and then you stop taking it. I have to remind Steve all the time why he’s taking certain medications. So you need to be diligent, but at least you won’t have any side effects. I’ll pray that things go well with you and that you find favor in the doctor’s eyes. Please let me know how it goes.
May 16th, 2010 at 6:13 pmMike, Here’s a link to more info on nerve pain. Regular pain killers are ineffective for this type of pain…like you have in your leg and ankle. Steve uses a topical Lidoderm pain patch which gives him some relief. He hasn’t experienced any side effects with it, but he uses it only on small areas like his ankle, toe or knee. It helps but doesn’t relieve all the pain every place else. I’m not very familiar with the other drugs you mentioned. Steve used Mind Soothe for depression, which has St. John’s Wort in it, but his high blood pressure wasn’t under control at the time so he had to discontinue using it. But now that his BP is under control, he may try that again. An anti-depressant is what triggered his seizure, so I won’t let him take any more of those. I hope your vision can be corrected so you can drive again. Let me know how that works for you.
May 16th, 2010 at 8:53 pmKathy
Thanks Kathy.I tried Epi-still for a few days as a preventive measure for seizure, and felt so much better and seizure-free,though I don’t exactly know how it feels to have one.I also take omega-3,magnesium, vitamin D-3 and B-6,tocotrienol supplements and a homeopathic detoxifier regularly and they help me in my recovery.I regularly check Dr.Weil’s website and swansonvitamins.com for recommendations on how to improve health to enhance the body’s healing system. I hope to go back to work soon.
May 19th, 2010 at 6:27 amAnyone out there who heard of gastrodia or is using it?
May 19th, 2010 at 8:59 amGlad to hear that Mike. Thanks for letting me know.
May 19th, 2010 at 8:06 pmThanks Kathy. I took Epi-still for a couple of days, and it made me feel better and seizure-free,though I don’t know how it feels to have one.I regularly take omega3,magnesium, vitamins B-6, D-3, tocotrienol which helped me improve my recovery..Hope to go back to work soon.
May 20th, 2010 at 2:42 pmWho have tried NeuroAid?Testimonials and prliminary results suggest it improves recovery of stroke patients.
May 23rd, 2010 at 8:20 amHi Mike,
We haven’t tried this, but I was contacted via email by someone selling it, so I checked into it.
The clinical trials were done on patients that were no more than 6 months post stroke (see http://www.neuroaid.com/en/about_neuroaid/clinical_data) and it doesn’t say what kind of physical or occupational therapy they received while taking the NeuroAid. The best results only showed that 41.5% of the patients taking NeuroAiD™ recovered more than 55% of their disabilities after one month of treatment compared to only 31.2% of patients in the control group (e.g. who weren’t treated with NeuroAiD™).
In simple numbers it would be:
Out of 1,000 patients treated with NeuroAiD™, 415 reduced significantly their disabilities from stroke (more than 55%). And out of 1,000 patients, not treated with NeuroAiD™, only 312 did recover.
To me the numbers don’t overwhelmingly convince me that it’s that effective. It would be great if it was the magic cure, but I think good physical and occupational therapeutic exercises would accomplish the same thing. For its cost, I don’t think it’s worth it.
May 23rd, 2010 at 3:45 pmHi my name is Adrienne,
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:49 pmI just had a right pontin infart on Feb.28,2010. I was an over weight 35 year old female who swam 4x’s a day & had NO HEALTH ISSUES. My situation is so bad because I didn’t have insurance!!!! I was not given any info @ the time of my stroke. I woke up that Sunday morning w/a BAD headache as well w/out the ability to move my left side. It has now been a little over 2 months since I had my stroke & am completely recovered accept for my feelings of FEAR & INSOMNIA. Am I the only one who has these dibilitating feeling???
I had 2 sessions of OT & 1 w/PT. I know I am lucky but I feel like the medical community let me down because I was not insured. I now how medical in CA. but can’t find anyone to help me w/my feelings of FEAR & INSOMNIA. I am on AGGRENOX & an antidepressant also to help me cope w/my emotions. I hate the side effects of the antis but I was feeling so caught up w/my pain that I am making my families lives difficult. I have a ♥ing husband & two daughters who need me but I just want to be able to sleep & feel normal again. I pray every night for God’s help but I feel like I have been left on my own & there fore fear I will have another stroke. Am I just over reacting??? I am working out 4 x’s a week to make my self exhausted & have lost 20lbs, but I just want to feel better.
I ♥ this blog because it made me feel like I was NOT ALONE ANYMORE.
God Bless.
Hi Adrienne,
I’m so glad to hear that you’re completely recovered from your stroke. That’s amazing!
Your feelings of fear and insomnia may be a residue of the stroke, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with them forever. There are some proactive measures you can take to get rid of them. One therapeutic exercise you can do is to keep a journal and write what you feel when you’re fearful. Then read these scripture promises whenever you feel fearful and especially before you go to bed. Meditate on them and read what the truth of God’s word says, because God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear. Read them out loud and tell yourself that you CHOOSE to believe God’s word instead of your feelings. You may have to do this numerous times, but as you do, you will start to feel better. Once you have peace, I’m sure you’ll start sleeping better too.
If you’re taking measures to lose weight and reduce your stroke risk factors, then the best thing you can do is to entrust your future into God’s hands. Please let me know if I can help in any other way.
May 23rd, 2010 at 10:53 pmKathy,
May 24th, 2010 at 7:07 pmThanks so much for being helpful to everyone. You’re truly exceptional and a wonderful person.
Thank you Mike. It’s my pleasure.
May 24th, 2010 at 7:43 pmadrienne, I was so scared for nearly 3 years i couldn’t be alone couldn’t sleep at night felt like any min. I was gonna have a stroke. I’m sleeping at night now. I can’t get around so i bought a laptop it helps with the being alone feeling, hang out on facebook someone is always there. keeps your mind busy which is good for it, at the hospital they had me play bejeweled to help with the mind problems. I have added one on-line class I’m getting an 88 percent I can work on it when i feel up to it nap when i need to I joined a yahoo Group on stroke surviving get into that when I’m up to it physically and emotionally, I still have some problems with crying but the first 2 years i could not talk to anyone without starting to cry. so i isolated myself from all but my family made it hard on both of us. I’ll shut up now just know Adrienne you are not the only one.
June 4th, 2010 at 8:36 pmThanks Kathy. Did Steve had an EEG while on Epi-still?
June 6th, 2010 at 8:10 amYes, and everything came back fine…there was no further damage from seizures since he started taking it. How is it working for you?
June 6th, 2010 at 9:02 amThank you Kathy for the info. so far, so good. will have my EEG next month
June 7th, 2010 at 6:50 pmHi Kathy Did Steve has a seizure while on Kepra?
June 10th, 2010 at 7:37 amNo, he didn’t have any seizures after he started 250 mg. of Levitereceta (generic Keppra). One week after he started it, though, he also started taking the Epi-Still. His neurologist wanted him to increase the Keppra to 1000 mg. a day over the next two months, but Steve never increased it. He tolerated the lower dose quite well with only drowsiness as a side effect, so he just continued taking the low dose along with the Epi-Still. No seizures since he started it, and since his doctor told us that the lower dose of Keppra would not be effective in preventing seizures, I have to assume that the Epi-Still is the reason he’s been seizure free for a year and a half. Before he started it, his seizures were coming 3 weeks apart.
Are you having second thoughts about taking Epi-Still?
June 10th, 2010 at 7:59 pmThanks Kathy. Not really. I continue to take it since my neurologist decreased my Keppra to 1500 mg per day.
June 11th, 2010 at 12:14 pmWow. I had a stroke on that VERY same day.
June 16th, 2010 at 11:30 amAt the age of 42. My neck was twisted wrong (in a medical office) and I stroked out. Speech wasn’t affected, but I lost the feeling at the end of my fingers forever. I learned to walk again and the memory loss (“what’s that word”) is and was very apparent. I am not the same, but glad to be alive.
My mom just had a major stroke one and a half hours ago.I just booked my plane to seattle and was doing some research when I came apon this page.I dont know what to expect when I get there.I’m scared.
July 6th, 2010 at 4:29 pmRobert,
July 6th, 2010 at 8:17 pmEvery stroke is different so it’s hard to know what to expect. Your mom might not even be aware that there’s anything wrong with her yet. She may be confused as to why she’s in the hospital. Stay strong for her, but don’t be afraid to grieve the loss of her abilities in private. She needs all the encouragement she can get. I’ll be praying for both of you.
Blessings,
Kathy
April 11th, 2009, at the age of 31, I was sitting at my oldest son’s soccer game, I felt light headed, dizzy, could move my left arm, but could not feel it. I called my husband and told him something was wrong with me. He was at the games, but with our middle son. He came over to the field I was at and took me to the hospital with our 3 boys (at the time 17 months, 4, and 6). They later diagnosed it as a stroke. It was the scariest, most horrifying experience of our lives. I am a healthy young women, not over weight, never smoked, but found out through all of this, that I was born with a hole in my heart. After 2 weeks in the hospital and a heart surgery, I left to begin my “new life.” I do have complete use of my arm and hand, but have nerve pain from about the waist up on my left side on a continual basis, I also have little feeling in my hand and arm. I pray for healing. I know the Lord can heal me. I have learned to type with one hand, look for keys in my purse rather than feel for them, everything is very visual, so many things have changed. I will have my boys tested for a hole in their heart because I was told this is herititary. Thanks for reading my story! God Bless, Angie
July 8th, 2010 at 11:47 amCan any survivor tell me what they remember during the hospital stay? My mom had an ischemic stroke 3 days ago in her left brain. Last year she had a right brain hemmorhagic stroke which left her with some deficits typical to this type of stroke. Now she is hospitalized and not responding. She opens her eyes slightly and then closes them again. She is not moving at all. The doctors think we should just take out her breathing tube and let her die. I don’t want to do that but I don’t want her to suffer either since its likely with the severity of the left side stroke that she can not communicate any pain. Can anyone explain what they felt during the first few days?
July 13th, 2010 at 9:58 pmDear Kathi,
July 17th, 2010 at 7:24 pmNothing actually.I was dreaming all the time.I only woke up 3days later at the ICU.Mine was severe, but I’m so alive now
Dear Kathy and Steve,
I’m completely humbled with your stroke story. Hope all is well as you journey through living with it.
I’m not a stroke survivor, but a registered nurse in a neurosurgical intensive care unit. I see stroke patients all the time and do love reading about the patient’s perspectives and experiences. I also salute the caregivers! I am also especially grateful when I hear about how they’re doing beyond the critical phase in the hospital.
I recently started a website that will hopefully grow into a resource for neurology patients. The brain is so complex and so delicate that often families have a hard time grasping what’s going on. Hopefully it’ll help answer some questions
http://www.savingthebrain.com
July 17th, 2010 at 11:11 pmkathy and steve,
hi. i’ve only read as far as 18 responses and intend to read all responses but i feel that i need to share my information and knowlege on my road to recovery, my details:41 y/o aneurysm survivor, right hemisphere stroke blood clot on the brain, its the same story as to what happened to most stroke cases, migraine, headache.
July 18th, 2010 at 5:27 ammy left hand mobility is still a work in progress and same goes for my left leg an foot, but prayers gives me strength and i’m living alone, i’ve come across this book entitled ‘dr. dean ornish’s program for reversing heart disease’ its a gem for me in my recovery, god works in mysterious ways, bought the book even before i had suffered a stroke, now its coming handy and proving more than useful for myself and to readers of your blog, my two cents worth of helping stroke victims is through the pages of the same book, i’m from the philippines by the way.
i am glad i’ve found this blog my prayers will now expand to seeking blessings for you and your family for giving us a venue to ventilate what happened to us.
thanks.
Kathy and Steve,
I hope your road to recovery is going well.
I was not really aware that stroke’s also occured in children until a friend of mine’s daughter had one at 5 years old. A few people and I have created a Facebook Cause Page to help raise money and awareness for this terrible disease. If your on facebook we would love to have you as a member of this worthy cause. The cause is called Sophie’s Story
http://www.causes.com/causes/497106?as_id=853278&as_type=Sharing&
There is a video up of Sophie telling the world about her story and how she lives her day to day life. She is an inspiration of courage and determination, like many of you are that have undergone strokes. I hope that you will help us raise awareness of strokes by joining our cause. Below is an exuprt Sophie’s mother wrote about the day Sophie had her stroke. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.
See story below
Sophie’s Story
The Story of Sophie Elizabeth Husband
September 30, 2008, was a regular hectic morning or so I thought. Everyone was scrambling to get out of the house. Sophie, my five-year old daughter, mentioned her head and arm hurt. After checking the “usual” fever, not bleeding, etc, I asked her if she was okay to go to school. She said she was just hungry and once she ate she would feel better. Although she seemed quieter than usual, she ate and we were off to school.
Later that day, around 2:30 pm, I received a call from the YMCA after school program. Sophie had fallen in the bathroom and was incoherent. They said they were rushing her to Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Like any parent, I was deeply concerned and immediately left work to go and meet my daughter at the hospital. Sophie was immediately rushed into triage (a scary place for anyone) and an army of doctors and interns crowded around my baby looking to see what was going on. Sophie could barely talk and just kept mumbling. No one was telling me what was going on. I was hysterical and was taken out of the room. Two burly guys sat me down and said if I did not calm down, I was going to be taken to RI Hospital. Finally, after calming down, I entered the room where Sophie was. Staring at my child and feeling so helpless was an experience I never want to have to go through again. If I was scared, imagine how Sophie felt. At only 5 ½ years old, she had no idea what was going on. So, I held her hand and talked to her and waited to hear what was wrong with my daughter.
After what feels like waiting for an eternity I overheard an intern was on the colleague mention that they were looking at a 5 ½ year old stroke victim. I almost collapsed. Kids don’t have strokes, elderly people have strokes. I thought to myself, this cannot be happening, not to my child.
Shortly after, Sophie was taken to get some MRI’s to confirm what all the doctors thought. It was at this time I met Dr. Gita Harapanahally, Pediatric Neurologist.
Dr. Hara (as she is often called). Dr. Hara was a beacon of light for me in this troubling time. When your child is admitted to the hospital after an accident, you go through a series of strong emotions and become a walking zombie for a while. Thankfully, my husband, Mark, was able to help me up and step in to help for a while. He went in and held her hand during all the tests when I was unable to stand still trying to understand and get a grip on what was happening before my eyes.
After Sophie’s tests were complete, she was admitted to ICU. Not long after her being admitted, Sophie’s results were back and it showed a massive stroke affecting the right hemisphere of her brain. It also showed two small strokes at the base of her brain stem from when she was an infant. Now, it was a waiting game. The brain sometimes swells following a stroke and we had to wait 4 days to make sure all was well and she would not need surgery. On day 2 the team of neurosurgeons arrived at our door to say that they would be on call if Sophie needed surgery. I was nearly sick when they said this. Not only had my 5 year old suffered a massive stroke, but she might need brain surgery now. This was more than I could take. I had no choice but to wait and that is what I had to do.
4 days came and went and Sophie was finally out of the woods. I still had so many questions and demanded answers, but even doctors don’t have all the answers. Sure they know more than the average person, but they don’t always know. Medicine is not an exact science like I once believed. It is lifelong research and development.
Sophie’s stay in the ICU continued for several days. Slowly she began to speak and eat. Little by little she was returning to herself. So many doctors came in to meet Sophie and the ones who actually had witnessed and treated stroke patients and survivors told me that Sophie would make an excellent recovery because of the “plasticity” of her brain. Strokes have devastating effects on the elderly and adults but in children, the impact is far less and their recovery is greater. Sophie stayed in the ICU at Hasbro for one week and then was transported to Spaulding Rehab Hospital in Boston. At Spaulding, Sophie would stay for 5 weeks and have daily physical; occupational and speech therapy. This is where she would make the greatest gains in her recovery.
It has been almost two years since Sophie’s stroke. Her recovery has been remarkable. When she first arrived at Hasbro, she could not walk or talk. Now she is running and has returned to the ball of energy she always was. Today, she still has difficulty with her left arm and often needs her right hand to open her left. In addition, the left side of her face seems to be still slightly frozen and her smile is a little crooked. Experts say that it can take years for children to fully recover from a massive stroke. Now Sophie takes daily aspirin therapy and does outpatient PT/OT
To this day, we still don’t know why she had a stroke, but blood tests revealed that she has Factor 5 blood. This is a blood type that clots easily. My brother in law has the same blood type and has been on blood thinners all of his life. They are still doing research on this, but there definitely is a genetic link as to why her stroke occurred. It looks as though with her blood type and her hyperactivity, she probably fell while she was playing and that combined with her blood type, caused a clot and ultimately a stroke. Thankfully, we live in a day and age with modern medicine. Sophie now takes Ritalin twice a day to calm her hyperactive behavior and aspirin to thin her blood.
The fact that this happened is so rare and most people won’t ever have to worry about this happening to their child; however, it does indeed happen. Some kids have strokes as babies, some have it when their moms are giving birth, and some have it, like Sophie, when they are young children. CHASA is a wonderful agency to help parents and children connect with others from all over who have also suffered strokes.
Please help support CHASA and raise awareness of this terrible disease.
July 22nd, 2010 at 6:13 amThank you for making this blog. My father had a stroke 2 days ago and I cry every night when I come home from the hospital. To see such an independent man become so dependent all of a sudden is heart breaking. Your blog has answered a lot of questions that I have.
Thank you and God Bless.
July 25th, 2010 at 3:45 amhere’s something to give stroke victims a push:
August 5th, 2010 at 10:25 amhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ZuKF3dxCY
Thanks for sharing this Mike. I first saw Nick (the man in this video) on TV and was very impressed with his attitude. He’s an amazing man…full of faith and inspiration for all who are feeling they’ve got it bad. While watching him, you see more of his heart and not his disability.
August 5th, 2010 at 3:07 pmReal life experiences may help more than many books that fills our libraries. For this purpose we re encouraging stroke victims to share and document their stories. A theatre lab with amatorial actors working with patients is my dream. This should be a way to break the wall of shame and reserve on the disease (very strong in Italy).
Francesco from Italy
August 23rd, 2010 at 5:31 amGlad to have found this blog! My husband had a stroke 6 weeks ago, was given tPA, regained all of his movement within 15 minutes, then lost it all by the time the drip stopped. His left side went back to completely flacid. I have never heard about anyone else having this same thing happen to them. Is he the only one? Does anyone have any explanations?
August 27th, 2010 at 9:53 pmThat is really strange Anne, because the way tPA works is to break up the clot causing the stroke. So I wonder if something else happened to contribute to the relapse. There is a small risk factor (about 6-7%) of tPA causing a bleed in the brain. That may have happened, thus explaining why your husband was improving and then relapsed. It may have broken up the clot that caused the original stroke, but then it caused a bleed leading to another stroke. How unfortunate! The benefits of tPA outweigh the risks, but there is that small percentage of an adverse reaction.
August 28th, 2010 at 10:09 amNobody I’ve encountered has given an explanation, Kathy, but your viewpoint seems like a valid one. It seems as though my husband was a rare case all around. He is a healthy, 42 year-old, 5’5″ 150 pounds. The only thing he had was a cholesterol level of 213, but no high blood pressure. His stroke was in the Pons, which doesn’t seem to have any sort of explanation. So we’ll just take one day at a time, with an aspirin and blood thinners!
September 3rd, 2010 at 12:33 pmThank you for telling your story. My wife Madelyn had a stroke on June 3rd, 2010 – exactly three months ago today. Like Steve she also had an ischemic stroke, but unlike Steve she had a left brain stroke. So, she has a weak right side and aphasia (trouble speaking). Just prior to her stroke she had some bad headaches, but we though she was coming down with the flu – never even considered stroke. My wife did get a tPA which probably did help her recovery, but which did also cause some bleeding in the brain.
September 3rd, 2010 at 1:29 pmThanks to Kathy and Steve for sharing their journey. My own father had a stroke just over a week ago. His speech is getting better every day. He has no mobility in his left arm or leg, but his is at a wonderful rehab facility, so we have hope for some recovery. My heart goes out to everyone here that has shared their own stories of strokes that have affected them. You are all in my prayers.
September 7th, 2010 at 1:54 pmhi kathy i was paralysed i had a spinal injury about 3 yrs ago i learned to walk again about 6 mnths i had a stroke affecting my leftside i am recovering slowly my physio thinks i will walk again ppl am only 26 ppl keep telling me to think positive am finding it hard i keep thinking what if the stroke wouldnt of happened am goin to watch your videos now i have just got a mirror box thanks for posting videos an i hope your husband makes a full recovery it will inspire me
September 17th, 2010 at 11:09 amThanks for sharing Allan. You are young, so you have an advantage. The secret is to keep a “CAN DO” attitude. Find things to be thankful for and continue to work hard. Keeping a positive attitude is essential. So when you feel negative, talk to yourself and to your body and encourage yourself. As a man believes in his heart, so is he. Your brain will respond to your attitude, and it will tell your body what to do.
A good book to read is Healing into Possibility. The author overcame two brain stem strokes, and she shares her secrets. I pray you have a good recovery.
September 17th, 2010 at 1:24 pmMy daughter at the age of 21 had a massive stroke on the right side. Since then she has had 3 brain surgeries. I’m wondering about the oxegen therapy. I would like to learn more about it. This started April 9 2010. Jan
September 25th, 2010 at 6:55 pmJan, you might be interested in reading the book Conquering Stroke: How I Fought My Way Back and How You Can Too by Valerie Greene. She used HBOT to help her recover from a devastating stroke, and now she speaks about her recovery all over the world. Another book is The Oxygen Revolution: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: The Groundbreaking New Treatment for Stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Arthritis, Autism, Learning Disabilities and More I hope that helps. Wishing you and your daughter the very best in recovery. Kathy
September 26th, 2010 at 7:09 pmHi Kathy,
September 27th, 2010 at 9:10 amI just realized that I can’t push,push myself to recovery.The body and muscles react negatively to it by getting stiff. Only when the brain can control the muscles after doing several light therapy and exercise will the muscle control return to the brain. It’s only during this time when I can do more work to get the muscles stronger.
Hey I am Jenny and my best friend is a TBI survivor. I am trying to contact the owner of this blog to help one of my best friends Doctor named Dr. Ivanhoe is trying to start a Renaissance project to help people with TBI in many ways! She is trying to get a grant from the pepsi refresh project to get this project on the right path. You can read more about it at http://www.refresheverything.com/theivanhoefoundation
You can help us by voting everyday, and passing on the word.
Here is what I wrote in my own blog:
Hey everyone please do me a favor! My best friend who has a TBI from a boating accident and I are rallying for a great cause. It is for my best friends Doctor named dr. Ivanhoe.. She is trying to get enough votes to win money for her cause on Pepsi refresh project. Most of her paitients are low income due to a horrible accident they went through. it is only a few mins of the day everyday this month and you could be helping give money to a deserving cause. The only thing you will loose is only mins a day, so it is a win win situation Vote and spread the word. Feel free to post the website and anything useful on your fb, myspace, twitter, webpage, send info to work buddies, church buddies, and such to help us spread the word. Go to http://www.refresheverything.com/theivanhoefoundation
it explains what she wanted to do. Trust me it is a worthy cause *vote everyday* and *spread the word* thanks guys!
If you can post a blog for us we would be so grateful! We need a lot of votes and support from everyone! God bless and thank you so much!
October 5th, 2010 at 10:57 amThank you so much for this web site. My brother just suffered a major stroke and I need some information to read on what to expect and how others are dealing with stroke victims.
October 10th, 2010 at 2:53 amTerri, I’d like to recommend that you watch the following YouTube video–Stroke Recovery Lessons. You can email the author, and she will send you a DVD that you can watch with your brother. Also, go to Resources & Links for a list of helpful information.
October 10th, 2010 at 4:32 pmI had my stroke last October,2009, and I am recovering at home. I had excellent PT and they got my right leg useful, to the tune of about 85%. My right arm is the issue as all the priorities were on the leg. Three weeks ago I started seeing an acupuncturist and it has helped greatly
October 10th, 2010 at 5:47 pmI have started my own blog -A stroke survivor’s tally in Google blogs
Best wishs to all and keep the faith and do those excercises!!!
Wow, I was surfing the net and just found your site! Praise God for you. I can’t read too much tonight at it’s 1.30am here in Brisbane Australia but I can not wait to come back on.
October 12th, 2010 at 9:33 amPLEASE pray for my man Leon he has suffered a major stroke giving him paralysis in the left side, left shoulder subluxation and he also received a blood clot to the brain which resulted in them having to remove a big piece of his skull (cranioplasty) for the swelling as well…….waiting on a future operation to put that back in!!! Finances have hit hard as well as many other things and this is a very scary journey which i’m doing mostly alone!!! i can’t wait to come back and read through this to get some hope, some scriptures and other things! Thanks so much Vonny
My name is Ashley and I am working on a research study on people who have suffered strokes and their caretakers. It’s paid research and I thought you might be interested. We are looking for people near Norwalk,CT.
Ashley
PAID MARKET RESEARCH STUDY
We are looking for men and women who have had a stroke and/or TIA (also known as a “mini-“stroke) who are taking a prescription medication to lower the risk of another stroke.
Qualified participants will be scheduled for an in-person interview.
If you are interested in participating in our study please email us ASAP at
research@freshperspectives.info
To see if you qualify
Please include your name and a phone number for us to contact you.
Please respond with answers to the following questions to see if you qualify.
Have you ever had a stroke and/or TIA (“mini-stroke”)?
If so, what medications are you currently taking to lower the risk of another stroke and/or TIA?
October 13th, 2010 at 2:37 pmHello Brothers and Sisters,
My name is Tony Veal and I had a major ischemic stroke 03-12-2006.
I was only 36. It took my whole left side out.
After going to RIO, Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon and several months of personal therapies i regained my left side again. Fine motor skills are still coming back slowly after 4 years.
Like many others have said, I look at this as a gift from God.
Since the stroke, I have become a better person in so many ways.
I want to tell everyone here to stay positive and wherever you are in your survival, keep going.
Last month, I volunteered to help special needs folks play golf.
I was paired up with John ( who went blind 3 years ago )
I would line him and the ball up and he hit it well, it was beautiful. ( he played golf before the blindness )
Man, When i think of his survival skills it gives me courage.
I wanted to spread some love and share this story.
I’m here for anyone with questions and support in anyway.
Nice,
Tony Veal
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:42 pmtony@gogreenbrand.com
Portland, Oregon
What do I do when my 61 year old wife had a stroke 1 and a half years and is still in the nursing home and really isn’t eating only two to 5 bites each 3 meals and her speech is preaty good and can balance on her left foot but hasn’t moved enything.Whe are praying to lord to heel her or take her cause I am going down there 3 times a day and I am getting preaty bord going down there everyday and i am 63 years old.What do I do.
November 7th, 2010 at 6:58 pmDavid, It’s very hard to be there for a loved one who is in a nursing home, and you may not be able to be there everyday. I know just what you’re going through, and it can be boring at times. Going to visit 3 times a day is a lot so I can understand why this is wearing on you. For your own sake, you may want to cut back a little on the frequency of your visits. Once a day is enough, but make it the best quality time for your wife. Make a schedule for yourself and post it on a calendar or a dry erase board in your wife’s room so she knows when you’ll be coming.
Now ask yourself this: Do I want God to heal her or let her die so things will go easier for me? If that is your motivation, perhaps God is working in your heart as well. You and your wife both need God’s strength and grace to go through this, so ask Him for that instead. Ask Him to fill you with His sacrificial love for your wife, and ask Him to show you how to encourage her. Just being there means so much to her. If this is hard for you, can you imagine how hard it is for your wife to be disabled and stuck in a nursing home? This is where the depth of your love is being tested. If your love is too small, then ask God to increase it. Every caregiver struggles with these same things, so you are not alone. But God is able to show himself strong on your behalf if you ask Him to help you.
Kathy
November 7th, 2010 at 8:07 pmOne of the best stroke blog…http://recoverfromstroke.blogspot.com/
December 2nd, 2010 at 9:05 pmWhat is the name of the belt like thing that the man was wearing in your youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OkHIBhNWs8
Could you pls say the name of that instrument which seems to be helpful in holding the affected hand of a stroke patient?
Pls help
Thankyou..
December 4th, 2010 at 12:11 pmRegards,
Ramesh
Thabk you for your website, my husband had a stroke just two weeks ago during an angiogram. His temporal lobes were affected which affected his language, understanding and memory. The sense of loss was hard for us but we know the Lord’s help through it. I am doing a lot of work at home with my husband and he is improving evry day.
December 6th, 2010 at 9:53 amYou have written a great story about stroke recovery. I’ve also touched on the topic in the context of self-healing, whic you may find interesting. Please come and see.
Thanks
Lihua
December 30th, 2010 at 3:09 pmLihua, I enjoyed reading your blog and I agree with your views whole-heartedly. Thank you for sharing your insights.
December 30th, 2010 at 4:58 pmMy idea of recovery….
After months of studying recovery and trying to recover, these are what I learned:
1. Recovery is a consequence of the increase in the cortical representation of the affected limbs. In other words, the survivor must be able to relearn the movement that was lost because part of the brain got damaged.
2. Repetitive movement of parts of the body changes the landscape of the brain.
2. Less weights or resistance means more repetitions and more of #2 and #1.
December 31st, 2010 at 1:21 pm3. Save strengthening after muscle control has been reestablished.
4. Recovery is SLOW and HARD.
5. Avoid contractures because they kill recovery.
6. Make recovery fun so you can sustain it. Only a few folks can survive the mundane task of doing repetitive movements without losing interest.
7. Young people who had had stroke recovers quickly because they can find rehabilitation activities that are fun (or games).
8. Speed up your recovery by eating well and taking lots of nutrients and sleeping around 8 hours. I prefer more than 8 hours of sleep after long rehabilitation hours.
9. If you don’t believe me, Michael Jordan used to be a scrappy basketball player. Constant practice made him the greatest of all time. He used to complain that he wasn’t tall enough. Just like every survivor couldn’t move enough. So keep on practicing those lost movements.
Has anyone out there recieved Long Term Acute Care in the Denver area? I am looking for personal recommendations as to where i should take my wife when she is stable?
December 31st, 2010 at 4:06 pmMy wife Aileen is 36 years old and had a heart attack the evening of Thanksgiving she was in a coma for 18 days afterwards and is still in critical condition. The lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain caused 5 major strokes and 5-6 minor ones. Needless to say she is in bad shape right now. The same losses in blood and oxygen flow have severely damaged her internal organs as well. She is in renal failure and her liver is damaged, she also has severe pancreatitus. But she is one heck of a fighter and keeps surprising the doctors.
We two young boys 6 and 11 and live in Rapid City SD, and we will have to move her somewhere so I need the best care I can find so if you have any experience with brain injury in the Denver area please help with some guidance. Thank you very much.
Hi Mike,
January 6th, 2011 at 5:27 pmI’ve heard very good comments about the Rocky Mountain Stroke Center in Denver, although I don’t have any first-hand experience. They have excellent facilities and great support groups. I hope that helps you and your family.
Kathy
Hi,
As a practicing occupational therapist based in the uk working with clients experiencing difficulties following a stroke I’ve found your blog a really interesting and useful read. I’ll make sure I recommend it to client’s and fellow professionals.
Thanks
Matthew
January 12th, 2011 at 4:52 pmIt was my great good fortune to find this blog this afternoon. I’ve spent the last couple of hours reading everyones stories and saying, God I’m Not Alone!!! A little history first. My husband was diagnosed with lung cancer in Jan/09. We were married for 43 years at the time, and I spent the next months watching the love of my life die in front of my eyes. I neglected my health and avoided all the symptoms that were coming at me because I so intent on him. On July 27 I suffered a stroke!! I was left with right sided imparement to my hand and foot and mild numbness in my face. I spent three weeks in hospital and then when into outpatient OT and PT. During my hospitalization my poor ill husband came everyday to visit and then continued to take me for therapy after I was released. On Sept 30 he was admitted to hospital where he passed away on Oct 10. We buried him Oct 15, which would have been our 44th wedding anniversary. I miss him so much, but I will not let him or my God down. 2009 was not a year to be remembered for fun times, but instead I found and renewed my faith in God. He brought me through this and even though I do have bad days, I will make it! I will include all of you in my prayers tonight!!
January 17th, 2011 at 4:35 pmThanks Matthew, and if you have any suggestions, please share them with me.
Kathy
January 19th, 2011 at 5:08 pmBonnie, thank you for your prayers. I’m glad to hear that you renewed your faith in God. I’d like to recommend a video to watch featured on Gospel Truth TV. It’s the healing testimony of a man who had a stroke. Here’s the link for the video at Andrew Wommack Ministries Just click the link under the video box that says Gospel Truth TV – January 17, 2011. I hope it encourages you as much as it did me.
January 19th, 2011 at 5:14 pmThank you Kathy for sharing the link. It’s truly a remarkable story. One of my therapists while I was still in the Rehab hospital gave me the book, The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Doidge. What a remarkable read. I highly recommend it to all survivors. He also has a wonderful website. The book gave me such renewed hope that I could and would recover. My OT and PT told me on Thursday that they think by the end of February they will probably only need to see me once a month instead of every other day! I’m certainly not 100% but I’m striving towards that goal. With perseverance and determination and lot’s of prayer, I will get there. Regards, Bonnie
January 22nd, 2011 at 10:29 amhey steve, good luck my friend, i had mine in 2007 have been on disabilty ever since, do not like being a burden on my family but don’t know how to end this torment.
February 17th, 2011 at 12:13 pmKathy and Steve,
February 26th, 2011 at 10:18 pmAs a physical therapist, I just want to say that reading through your blog, and the many posts from other stroke survivors, I really feel blessed and inspired about my choice of vocation. I am glad that people like you take the time to provide such wonderful opportunities for stroke recoverers to connect and share this tough journey together! I would love to put a link to your blog from my own blog, if you don’t mind?
I had my stroke just a few months ago. I was lucky. I have no paralysis except sometimes when I drink it runs out the left side. I fight with other symptoms. I have nausea, memory loss, headaches, muscle weakness, bright light hurts my eyes, dizziness, and constipation. My doctor is dumbfounded because I had none of the diseases that would cause me to have a stroke. I am 42 years old and healthy. I have had what feels like every test under the sun and nothing has been found. I have started a blog to offer support for stroke sufferers and their family members. I write everyday what I suffer with. I hope to be able to reach out and help. Good luck and prayer to us all. With Jesus I get through.
February 28th, 2011 at 9:47 pmMy name is Shemaqua (Sheh-MAK’-wa) in Shawnee;
Yona Equa (yo-NA eh-KWA’) in Cherokee:
‘Big Bear’ in the words of the Shemanese (Long Knives a.k.a. WHITES);
[In German - Großer Bär; French - Grand Ours; Dutch - Grote Beer];
Don Warden in the world of the Shemanese. My Anglo name is actually of Scottish origins.
I am a PROFESSIONAL Living Historian, Scouter (I am a Camp Councilor), Indian Crafter and STROKE SURVIVOR.
In May of 2007, as I was preparing for another 8 weeks in the woods with a total of ~ 5,000 boys between the ages of 10 and 18. I was stricken with a major STROKE. Needless to say, I didn’t make it to camp that year and there were many that said my days as a camp councilor were over. I wasn’t hearing that at all. Immediately after the STROKE, I was moved out of the ICU and upstairs to the Accute Rehab Unit where the Doctors want you to set goals for yourself. I had only one goal. – to get back to camp in 2008. Thge Doctors looked at me like – Yeh. Right! Only my therapists seemed to take me seriously. And we began work!
March 4th, 2011 at 8:56 amWithin three weeks I had gone from bed ridden to walking with a cane for short distances. I went home and three days later suffered a massive Heart Attack, caused by the same clotting condition, and had to undergo quad-bypass surgery. That delayed any further rehab by more than a month.
When I was able to continue with rehab it was on an outpatient basis and again the only person that did not bat an eyelash when I gave my return to camp as my goal was my therapist.
It was working. I was regaining strength almost daily. I was returning to camp just one year after a major STROKE and Massive Heart Attack. And then it happened. Easter Sunday, 2008, setting at my mother’s dinning room table I had yet another STROKE.
Back into the hospital and Accute Rehab, this time with a very specific goal. I had six weeks to be ready for camp. One week of Accute and Four weeks of Outpatient Rehab with the same therapists and I made it and I’ve made it every year since despite several more strokes. Bottom line, it was my love of the Boy Scout Program and the type of work carried on by Stroke Therapists that I have been able to do what I love to do.
I am a stroke survivor….I had a non hemorrhagic stroke Aug 17 2008. I went to the hospital with the thpought that something was wrong but couldn’t place what it was. I was checked out in the ER ,labs , CT , physical exam and nothing was found to be wrong. I was kept overnight for observation and in the am woke up with full paralysis of my left side. I lost the ability to use everything from head to toe.My neurologist said i was lucky to be alive and i may never walk again. I started my own therapy in the bed that very morning by lifting my affected arm and moving my affected fingers with my good hand. I was transferred to an acute rehab center and the after two weeks I went home to continue therapy. After one year of intense home therapy, pulling weeds,lifting cans of tuna as weights, repetitive motion therapy at home. doing both occupational and physical therapy and many hours a day in a gym I am back to work in my full capacity after a year and three months. I had to fight for my job back to prove that someone who had a stroke can work in my professional capacity. I am a paramedic on a 911 ambulance and have no limitations although I had doctors that tried to make me permanently disable and retire me out of service.I am a testament to hard work and to the support of family and friends being a huge part of wanting to succeed.I get the opportunity to help others through the first minutes ot their stroke and be there for them in a caring and understanding manner. My goal in life among many other things is to help others especially younger patients realize that there is a possibility of recovery and not to give up. And to help family and friends realize what a strong part they have to play on the recovery. Please feel free to email me with any questions if you need help with your stroke or helping someone who has had one.
Daniel Smith micp (mobile intensive care paramedic)
March 14th, 2011 at 11:58 pmWow Dan! What an incredible story!!
That just goes to show that a person can do anything they put their mind to doing. I just wish more medical professionals would realize that instead of taking away a person’s hope for recovery by their gloomy predictions.
Thank you so much for sharing!!
Kathy
March 15th, 2011 at 3:27 pmHi everybody; we are not alone, my Grandma has 83 years old and she had a stroke on February 10, 2011. We live in Puerto Rico and it is hard for the family be in care of a person who had a stroke. But thanks God she is alive. I was looking for information on the web and I found a natural medicine that apparently give some hope to this patients. Have anybody knows about Neuroaid? If somebody tryed this medication please tell me!! I hope this information will help others!! Thanks..
March 23rd, 2011 at 7:16 pmHi Celia,
We haven’t tried NeuroAid, but I was contacted via email by someone selling it, so I checked into it.
The clinical trials were done on patients that were no more than 6 months post stroke (see http://www.neuroaid.com/en/about_neuroaid/clinical_data) and it doesn’t say what kind of physical or occupational therapy they received while taking the NeuroAid. The best results only showed that 41.5% of the patients taking NeuroAiD™ recovered more than 55% of their disabilities after one month of treatment compared to only 31.2% of patients in the control group (e.g. who weren’t treated with NeuroAiD™).
In simple numbers it would be:
Out of 1,000 patients treated with NeuroAiD™, 415 reduced significantly their disabilities from stroke (more than 55%). And out of 1,000 patients, not treated with NeuroAiD™, only 312 did recover.
To me the numbers don’t overwhelmingly convince me that it’s that effective. It would be great if it was the magic cure, but I think good physical and occupational therapeutic exercises would accomplish the same thing. For its cost, I don’t think it’s worth it.
March 27th, 2011 at 4:09 pmEnjoyed your website. Just wondered if I could
March 31st, 2011 at 6:48 amget help in recovering from left side disability
from ischemic stroke April10, 2009. Have had
continuous Pt ad ot but now starting year 3
still have not had return of ankle and front foot dorsiflectiin
making it impossible to walk without braces
and help. Also have tone which creates claw
toes when trying to walk. My priority is trying to
overcome internal rotation of hip knee and ankle
Please help. Thanks. Maggy Scherer
Hi Maggy,
April 1st, 2011 at 12:25 pmPerhaps Botox would help the tone. For the other issues it will take continual repetition. If you put a deadline on your recovery, you will be discouraged if you don’t meet it. So continue to do the exercises faithfully everyday, and you will slowly see improvement.
Hi Celia Flecha,
April 3rd, 2011 at 9:07 amNeuroAid is all hype. 4months after my brain bleed, I told a Chinese doctor about NeuroAid. He told me that was way too expensive considering all the ingredients can be bought in China for USD1. If you can find a Chinese herbalist, inquire about the Great Restoration Pills.There’s nothing magical about the herbs. Probably,they just enhance rewiring of the brain. But rewiring only happens when the patient try to move the affected limb over and over again. If active movement is impossible, you can begin with passive first. Some exercises can be found here:http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/patient_education/pages/index.aspx?topic=55#61
I believe NeuroAid is overpriced because of the cost of marketing and clinical trials. You can’t blame them because they want to earn a profit.Recovery can be slow at times, so be very very patient. Encourage the patient to do the home rehab everyday. I do my rehab with no expensive equipment.
Hi Maggy,
April 3rd, 2011 at 9:10 amPassively moving all affected joints help a lot. Heat packs and massage help if you hate meds because of the side effects. Once you can do active movement, do it over and over slowly.
Hi Celia,
April 3rd, 2011 at 9:22 amIt’s called the Great Yang restoration pills (http://www.getherbs.net/products/286-great-yang-restoration-teapills-bu-yang-huan-wu-wan-chinese-herbal-formula-plum-flower-mayway.aspx) It’s not magical pills that will bring things back to normal. Ask a Chinese herbalist before buying it.The concept of recovery is rather simple: (1)Use it or you lose it (2)Use it and boost it. (3)A critical degree of effort must be involved. (4)As age increases, training requires more focus, effort and time (5)Repetition matters.
Hi All
April 7th, 2011 at 12:54 pmThank you for sharing your lives on this blog. I have such great respect for the work you have done in recovering or helping your loved ones in their recovery. I am a nurse and work with stroke patients. I know that the lengthy recovery period is very frustrating to live through. But you are all so right when you say that you must be willing to work and work, even when you do not want to. Many times we see patients discharge to rehab and know which people will be the ones that have the best recovery. We know because they have the heart or they have families who are committed to getting back the highest level of function possible. Stroke recovery proves the adage: “you get what you give”. Unfortunately, I wish that hard work would guarantee complete recovery but we all know that is not true.
It seems God’s will for us, truly, is what He planned for us from the beginning, mysteriously and wondrously made in our mother’s womb. How we go from there tells others about our faith in Him. Can we accept the “bad” life when it is the life He chose for us? The thing we forget is that we are just passing through this world on our way to eternity. How we react to such adversities as this reflects His glory and not our own. How we lean on Him, how we gain strength from Him, how He guides and comforts and loves us. I could not face a day without His love and strength. Life overwhelms even the strongest of us, how can I expect to survive without the love and support of someone so much stronger than myself. I was late to enter into a relationship with Jesus (I was 39). I had worked hard and had a moderately successful life but still felt “unsuccessful”. Not socially or financially, just in my heart and mind. So one day I challenged God, dared Him even. I told Him if He could show me that He loved me than I would be His forever. I told Him I wanted to be loved according to how He loves not wimpy, weak and imperfectly like we humans love. What happened next cannot be explained in writing but I speak from personal experience that I have not been the same person since. I have no doubt that I am His and He is mine. He now and forever will carry me through all that this life dishes out. He doesn’t mind the little bit of weight that I am in His arms. He does not mind your weight either. He is not only willing to carry you, He is eager to do so. Even now He turns to you and calls to you, longing for your company. You just need to start talking to Him and He will show you His love and mercy. He is able to carry you through.
I had my stroke at 27 after a drunk driver hit me!told i may never walk or talk again. I haven’t shut up since!the fastest way to get anything done is tell a woman she can’t!
April 15th, 2011 at 8:15 amThank you for your reply to my questions
April 22nd, 2011 at 7:07 amI have considered Botox for the foot only but my PT
is a bit dubious about it. She wants to continue
with the daily exercise program with brace for at least
a few months longer. As I still have such weakness
and instability in ankle and knee she feels that
Botox make make it worse.
Has anyone ever recovered their independence
walking with such defect after so long in therapy?
Thanks again for the help. Maggy Scherer
Beginning my year 3 hope is still very much alive and well but it does get harder and harder when no significant walking and balance is achieved. Would be so pleased to hear from all your stroke survivors if anyone improved so as to be walking safely alone after so many months. I feel the lower leg extensor tone with the inverted foot and knee contributes to my instability. The knee is so weak still and hyperextends with walking or stress. Toes curl strongly under due to stress when balancing or walking. Do not really know what more to do. Any suggestions or advice would be a great help. Thanks so much. Maggy Scherer
April 25th, 2011 at 6:01 amHi Maggy,e-stim helps to strengthen and bring back the muscle control to the brain so you can keep your toes up. it can jump start fixing of foot inversion. Your PT should help you do leg muscle strengthening using weights ( I used ankle weights at home to strengthen my leg muscles.Since it’s rare to find PT’s who are so good in locomotor training, maybe you need an AFO so you can start moving to get your stamina back. Go to Peter Levine stroke recovery blog to learn rehab stuffs that work.It took me 6 months to ambulate with an AFO and regain my balance. I need another 2 months to ditch the afo and walk at the hand of real good PT’s
April 27th, 2011 at 10:45 amDear Mike. Thank you so much for your reply. Last night I downloaded the Peter Levine book and read it all. Today when my therapist arrived I suggested trying to walk without brace. I of course cannot do it and she was not too happy about it. However I am going to continue working without brace to see if I can get something working and also try walking again with Bioness or other estim. I do use estim every day but still haven’t achieved any eversion or dorsiflectiin when walking. Will keep trying as the book was super. All the best
May 3rd, 2011 at 1:08 pmMaggy Scherer
Thank God for this blog. I had been surfing the net looking for some encouragementand hope. I am a37 year old msingle mother of two boys ages10 and 11. My stroke occured unexpectedly after a night of partying with friends. I didn’t have the headache symptom I hear occurs before a stroke. I just woke up the next morning with cotton mouth and went to the kitchen for ice cream. I went back to bed with the feeling of being hungover. I awoke sometime later and got out my bed to use the bathrool, and fell. Afteer several attempts to get up and walk in the bathroom, I kept falling with the thought that my balance was off. I told my cousin who was visitingfrom illinoist that I felt like I had a stroke. To this day,I don’t know what mafde me say that. As I didn’t know anything about a stroke and thoughjt it was something reserved for much older adults. I was only 36 years and had a birthday approachingwitin weeks. At my request, my cousin called emergency personnel who rushed me to Southeast Hospital whic specializes in stroke care. After an MRI the neurosurgeon informed my family that I had suffered a massive Right dided isshemic stroke. He told them to prepare for me to be discharged into a nursing home. I whad no sensationin on my left side. I was unable to move and couldn not swallowand placed in ICU for about two days.I was in and out of consciousness the entire time. My clearest memories of my ordealwas after being placed in the inpatient rehab unit. I was angry, hostile, andun cooperative. My aunt brought me a book called Stroke of Insight be Jill Bolte which brought me some sense of hope as I was a mental wreck. Confined to a bed unable to walk or use my left arm with limited vocal ability. I looked at my children who had no one but me. I prayed and asked God to have mercy on me and my family. As my children are my greatest joy . Rigjt then I decided to participate in physical therapyand after perhaps2 weeks I was able to walk with the use of a cane.I had electronic stimulation which I feel is an un neccasary procedure. I was in the hospital for 2 monthes!It took another 2 monthes to regain some moblity in my arms and hand. Now 5. Monthes after my stroke, I am able towalk without my cane. I can now raise my hand over my head and tie my shoes which wad my ultimate goal. I feel so blessed. I still have my days but I’ve come so far. And I firmly believe God didn’t bring me this far so quickly to leave me. I’m Praying for a full recovery.And it took this stroke to help me realize how great G and powerful He is. Prayer does work better than anything I know of when dealing wit a stroke. I forgot to mention that I have not Had any phjysical therapy since leaving the hospital.
May 13th, 2011 at 1:59 amDear Tara. What a wonderful success story and so happy to hear of your great recovery. Certainly God gets the credit as you have put us all to shame. Year 3 here and PT and OT every day and cannot yet walk without brace cane and help. Still trying all the ideas out there.
May 22nd, 2011 at 12:39 pmLast week tried the “new” off label injection of Enbrel developed by Dr Edward Tobinack who has left California and set up shop in Boca Raton FLA. He managed to get interview on the local CBS news program so he can sell this shot to all of us who are desperate at $4000 per shot. After all the hype absolutely no improvement anywhere. Very disappointing. Maggy Scherer
i’m a 46 year old who suffered a strok emarch 2009. it’s good to hear others story stories of strugggle and survival. I was not in a risk category, no high bp or cholesterol, non-smoker, not obese.. I just got lucky. 1 month at the best rehab facility in California – Kaiser Hosptal Vallejo about 2 months of physical therapy, but after you plateau they kick you out, that was frustrating, so i found a ymca with a wellness program and tried that for a few months, but time away from work and cost i couldn’t continue. So 2 years later i’m still impaired on left side, but i returned to work full time, live alone, still able to drive and absolutely believe one day i will recover fully. TO ALL OF YOU IN THE STRUGGLE, KEEP TRYING, KEEP LIVING, HAVE A BAD DAY, BUT MAKE THE NEXT GREAT. YOU ARE ALL IN MY PRAYERS EVERYDAY.
May 25th, 2011 at 5:35 pmDear Aleta please tell us how you are doing and how is your left leg and foot? Do you have any trouble with balance and do you use any assistance (cane,walker etc). Certainly glad you are back at work and hope you are progressing each day. I am trying to use my new Pace ODFS stimulator for walking but not getting the settings right yet. I have such tone inversion pattern it’s difficult to place the electrodes in the right place. It’s a really amazing device but I have to learn how to work with it. Keep us all posted. The fight goes on and it has to get better someday! All the best. Maggie
May 27th, 2011 at 6:06 amDear Maggy
May 29th, 2011 at 11:59 amIt took me 3 months of intensive locomotor training using an Aircast stirrup ankle brace to improve my ankle strength and walking.not all PT’s are expert at locomotor training.Only the Aircast stirrup ankle brace worked for me. I tried 5 other ankle brace but didn’t work much.It feels great to walk in regular shoes.always visit levine’s stroke recovery blog because new stuffs are posted there.http://mindpop.net/ is a great site that is entertaining to read. keep it up.never give up though many times i felt like i should, but i didn’t because my PT’s are very enthusiastic.
Dear Maggy,
May 30th, 2011 at 9:26 pmWhat is Enbrel for?
Hi everybody I’m 45 yes old and had ishemic stroke in the right side,which affected my left side. Ju st completed3 weeks of inpatient ot/pt. can walk a pretty good distance with a cane. I got ankle and toe movement back about a week ago. (my stroke occurred on April19th of this year)I’m continuing my therapies on an outpatient basis, but I start Hbot tomorrow. i stilldon’t have arm movement below the elbow,soI’m very excited about the prospects of this treatment. has Steve started his? very curious how it went if he did. I’ll keep you posted on how mine goes. Thank you for this blog!
May 30th, 2011 at 10:02 pmHi again.
I just got back from my first Hbot treatment. It was liksittingin a tiny airplane for an hour. I fell asleep for half of the 1hour treatment. Felt very Fred after. Nothing really exciting to report(wasn’texpectingmiracles sfterone treatment) report. Back to rehab and another treatment tomorrow..keep on keeping on!
May 31st, 2011 at 9:00 pmHi Harvey,
May 31st, 2011 at 10:38 pmIt took at least 4 treatments before Steve started noticing a change. He had 18 in all, but he wanted to stop because he knew it was expensive, and the dramatic changes weren’t coming as fast as he hoped. He always felt better after HBOT and the pins and needles sensation left his arm and hand. I wrote more about it in the following post: HBOT Results on Stroke Survivor If he would have continued to at least 35 treatments, I think he would have experienced better results. But he didn’t want to deplete all our savings knowing that’s what we were living on. Keep up the outpatient therapy also, because that’s where you’ll see the most improvement. Please keep us informed how it’s working for you. Thanks for writing.
Kathy
Thanks Kathy ! good luck and good health to the both of you
June 1st, 2011 at 2:03 amDear Mike. Many thanks for all your help.
June 2nd, 2011 at 7:04 amThe enbrel injection was developed recently by a
Dr. Tobiack who has now opened practice in Boca Raton
Fl. You can google him and look at the testimonials
He was also on our local CBS affiliate so I went to
try it. He injects 16cc of generic enbrel in between 1 and 2nd
vertebra and then inverts chair with head down for 4-5
Minutes. At that point he is looking for positive changes in
condition. Sorry to say $4000 later absolutely no
improvement. Thanks for aircast info. Maggy
Our patient suffered from a stroke when he was in the womb, he is making great advanced and spreading the word about pediatric strokes; his story is inspiring… read out recent update in our blog…
June 3rd, 2011 at 2:25 pmKathy and Steve
You are both an inspiration to me and I was feeling so helpless until I saw your blog. I may send you a note in the next weeks. My mother in law had a right hemisphere stroke and I don’t have the full medical name but she has been going from bad to worse back to bad.
We are spending time with her at the hospital and my heart is broken but I am never going to give up
June 7th, 2011 at 9:41 amDear Janice,
I am praying for you and your mother-in-law. With God all things are possible, and he is your source of strength, peace and comfort in this difficult time. Please keep me informed.
Blessings, Kathy
June 7th, 2011 at 11:13 amMy prayers go out to you. I work in the medical field and I have seen the struggles and hardship strokes can bring not only in my work experience but with friends I know how have had a stroke. I have found that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can truly help someone with any kind of neurological injury or disease. I have made a strong effort to help people understand and receive the information regarding this therapy. We have a created a free website listing hyperbaric clinics and facilities nationwide. This truly can help to bring life back to normal. Our site is http://www.hyperbaricnation.org I hope this can help whoever reads this post.
June 8th, 2011 at 1:12 pmHiMaggy.
June 10th, 2011 at 9:43 pmLast Thursday, my PT saw me walking with my Aircast stirrup brace and cane, she sad my gait was near perfect even at a fast speed.I practice by walking at least 1 mile each day.I try to cover the distance for 20 minutes.I try to go faster because it challenges the brain to rewire even more.I also go to the gym and exercise to strengthen my calf muscles.Now I can outwalk “normal” people.
Hi again.
June 11th, 2011 at 12:01 amJust finished9th Hbot. I don’t notice any changes with my wrist, hand or fingers. If anything, my balance feels better when standing. I’ll let you all know if anything else happens. 31more sessions to go.
Hi Mike. Your recovery is tremendous and glad the aircast is so helpful. I ordered one but so far it’s not doing enough for me as my tone inversion and lack of front foot dorsiflection makes walking slow and placement for foot harder. Still trying to spend more time on treadmill but always some nagging problem keeps coming up. Ever since stroke have had severe nasal congestion and post nasal drip causing trouble with voice and coughing. Also always tired and no energy. Try to eat well and take vitamins but nothing helps much.
June 12th, 2011 at 8:38 amLife as we knew it sure changed. Always hope for a better day. You are really doing super and it gives us all encouragement.
Kathy. Having tried so many off label therapies plus two plus years of constant Pt and ot do you feel HBOT is too late for me and the fact that it involves so much time how would that impact my therapy?
June 13th, 2011 at 5:47 amHave thought about it a lot but there have been conflicting opinions. Would appreciate your input. Thanks a lot
Maggy
Hi Maggy, From what I understand, HBOT is more effective if administered within the first 18 months post stroke. If you have the money to spend, then go ahead. But just so you know, the results are slow in coming, and you must keep up your PT and OT for it to be effective in the long term. In my opinion, you should continue doing what you’re doing, maybe add a Theracycle or bike to your regimen to get your legs moving more, and continue doing your arm exercises. There is no “magic pill” when it comes to stroke recovery, but every little bit helps. If you have the motivation to get well, that is your biggest asset. Push yourself to do things you don’t think you can do (safely though). Every day do a little more than the previous day. If you have a setback, don’t give up. You fail forward to success. Try again and again, just like a baby does when he learns to walk. He falls down many times, but keeps getting up again. Don’t do things that will make you physically fall down, of course, but persevere until the task comes easier and easier to do. That’s how you rewire the brain. Hope that helps.
June 13th, 2011 at 9:49 amKathy
Kathy. Thanks again will keep you posted if any progress happens.
June 19th, 2011 at 5:39 amI agree that HBOT is too expensive and time consuming
That’s why I didn’t do it before. Will just try to get through each day without any setbacks. Maggy
Hi again, just finished 14th Hbot. Got a tiny amount of movement in my fingers. Not sure if it’s from Hbot or my pt/ot. I get bioness treatment at ot. I even tried acupuncture. No stones left unturned to get hand and wrist movement leg gets stronger everyday . The stronger anything gets, the more you use it. That means it gets stronger still. It just seems, once you get something back. The strength will come back fast. The hard work is actually just getting things started
June 19th, 2011 at 11:09 pmHi Maggy,
June 26th, 2011 at 5:05 pmI stopped using the Aircast after 2 months of using it to strengthen my foot.First time,I tried w/o the ankle support at the small Walmart,I was so tired focusing to make sure my foot lands in a neutral position.Now I was able to go around the WM supercenter and Lowe’s.It may take 3 more months to get the foot back and walk at a faster gait speed.You’ll get there slowly; at least 6 months of work deliver good results that will make you happy and jump start more recovery.On my third month,I felt frustrated because my foot was not getting strong enough to walk w/o the ankle support.I kept going and on my 6th month, I can walk w/o any ankle support.Good luck! Only effort and patience gives results.Stay safe; fall kills recovery.Exercise the unaffected side because it will become the dominant side.
Dear Mike. As I write this am in my aircast. Today I am adding the Pace stimulator to it and my Pt is going to evaluate how the two work together. My problems are many including general weakness so it takes me a lot longer to see any progress
June 29th, 2011 at 10:23 amYour recovery is wonderful and thanks for
sharing. Maggy
Kathy and Steve,
Your stroke story is similar to mine and wife Myra. I copied and pasted your blog link in facebook. Thank you for sharing!
June 29th, 2011 at 11:58 amI had a massive ischemic stroke last July 4,2008. To add I had a craneotomy. A surgery that saved my life. On one of my doctor check-up He told me “you’ve come a long way, at first it was devastating.
Fred and Myra
By the way,
June 29th, 2011 at 12:01 pmI was the one that had a stroke, my wife Myra became my caregiver,nurse,therapist,driver,cook for us 3,etc.
Thank you and God Bless!
I have read most of these stories and it brings tears to my eyes My heart feels good for all of the caregivers. I am a caregiver , My wife had a stroke Dec.15 2009 1:30 in the morning i was asleep and awoke hearing moaning she was on the floor beside the bed i do not know how long she was thee but I remember the look in her eyes I will never forget. I called 911 and they wee there in 5 minutes. they asked if there were signs like numbness feelings and all that stuff I said yes she has MS and the signs were the same I felt responsible and til this day I take care of her she was in the hospital 11 weeks she barly recanized anyone during this time she could not move only her left leg and arm I was scared but could not showw anybody they looked to me for strngth . but I was weak and prayed alot after a couple weeks in the hospital the doc said he would suggest putting her in a nursing home she needed 24 7 care I told him no we had a home I would take care of her little did I know hoew hard this would be.she was incontenent could not speak and I had to watch her eat so she would not choke from not chewing. getting her trained to go to bathroom took 6 months alot of changing we both raised families before we married eight years ago I was a widower she a divorcee so this was like taking care of a child do not get me wrong i love her but I am tired tired of not havoing conversation s with her tired of not being able to eat dinner at the same time as she dose i still have to watch her chew food and with a smile. she is getting better every day but the recovery is slow. I work 10 hours every day and pay someone to care for her while i am working but then when i come home it time to get back to careging cooking cleaning laundry taking care of the animals and maitaing the outside of our home sometimes it is overwhelming and then I see that she would do the same for me I hope. as far as fantasy land yea I think about it alot but only breifly then it is time to take care of her.she is alive and she knows I care but she dose not know how lonley I feel at times that is the hard part.
Thank you for letting me vent
July 15th, 2011 at 1:18 pmJust completed my 40 hbot treatments. I’m not sure how much it helped. I think my balance improved. I have a little more movement in fingers and arm. It’s just not the gains I was hoping for. It was expensive and time consuming. I’m just curious if others tried Hbot and got different results.
July 24th, 2011 at 10:43 pmMy mother-in-law had brainstem stroke last friday,I never see anyone has been surffering so much in her life. Over 40 years of diabete, over ten years of blindness, over four years of cancer and over three years of kidney kidney failure, and now the life threatening haemorrhage in the lower brain stem, she is in coma for five days now, could you please pray for her, we need her come back. Please help her.
July 27th, 2011 at 1:17 pmMing, if you want your in-law to come back, waiting won’t do much. Plenty of effort is needed to get the brain to remember the limbs and muscles.It takes a long time to recover.Be patient.The first 12 months is critical for recovery.I don’t know the stamina of your in law.If she’s weak, help her improve her stamina and muscle strength slowly.
August 5th, 2011 at 11:58 ammaggie: sorry it took so long to reply. i’m doing great. still left side impaired but no i do not walk with a cane i just hobble along. my balance is not perfect but i manage. i unfortunately can’t afford to purchase any stimulating equipment to try nd i keep looking for experimental treatments to try, i think if i get some intense therapy on my left foot it will come back. i’m going start swimming again soon which at least will provide exercise.
David K – i hope you find some relief soon. I hope your wife is in some type of therapy and will progress.
E-stim was a tremendous help to me. Also my first finger movements came from immmersing my hand in a bucket of ice
August 5th, 2011 at 8:29 pmhi im gino i have ahemorrhagic stroke since aug.15 2007 until now i suffered left sideparalyze Has anyone ever recovered their independence
August 7th, 2011 at 9:05 amwalking with such defect after so long in therapy?
Thanks for the help and GOD BLESS
i’m going to order and try the aircast brace. My left ankle aches alot and ‘ve beenwas looking for an ankle support, so i’ll let you all know how it works out in a few months.
August 7th, 2011 at 11:30 amsorry for the typos
August 7th, 2011 at 11:30 amGino, I had a massive bleed in 2009 and was left side hemiparetic.I have recovered a lot this year.I walk at 2.8 mph and relearning to run(it’s hard) and working to remove the spasticity all over my body because spasticity delays recovery.Spasticity is b****t!I left my fo therapists in December 2010 because they are BAD and dumb!I do my own therapy.I dont believe the thing that therapist= recovery because for me recovery= plain hard work for many hours.My belief is simple, if it’s too easy, it ain’t gonna work.
August 8th, 2011 at 3:39 pmgino i had left side paralysis after stroke in 2009. still impaired walk with a limp and can’t lift left arm over my head. As for Independence, i have it aplenty. Work full time, drive, travel often, live alone and take cre of myself. i agree with Mike in that you have to work on yourself therapists can’t fix it. Full recovery may never come, but i intend to live a full life anyway good luck!
August 10th, 2011 at 5:32 pmIt inspires us all to read everyones progress and hard work
August 11th, 2011 at 6:06 amNothing I’ve tried is a sure thing and each day is another challenge.
Can’t get balance back and confidence on the impaired
left side to walk alone. On and on it goes with not much
daily improvement. I do think a good therapist is essential to
overcome tone patterns and wallking stability
I would be lost without mine. Will keep in touch and send everyone all
the best wishes for continued improvement
God Bless. Maggy
I look forward to reading your blog – I read the first few days’ worth – although by the dates, I see that your husband is 3 years post-stroke. It’s hard to imagine the road stretching out so far. My husband had a stroke in January 2011, at age 37, and it’s been grueling to watch him try to regain everything he lost. He IS walking, which is a HUGE blessing, but he has yet to recover any use of his left arm, which is very discouraging. Anyway, I realized that I needed to get support from others that know what I’m going through. Thanks for sharing your journey.
August 11th, 2011 at 4:59 pmThanks for writing Jen. I like your blog as well. May God continue to bless you and your husband with strength on your stroke recovery journey.
August 11th, 2011 at 6:23 pmMy 50 year old husband had an ischemic stroke on May 21, 2011. He is a sports official and it happened while he was on the court. He was given the clot busting drug and had an additional procedure to remove the clots.
He has made remarkable strides in that the his only major issue is his speech (apraxia & aphasia), which he works diligently on daily. My struggle is that he will not slow down to give is body and mind to truly recover (granted I don’t know the exact time that is) and I am terrified. He has not been released by the doctor to drive or return to work, but has been behind the wheel today! He has made arrangement to ref every weekend as of today. I am scared, frustrated, mad and don’t know what to do.
Please understand me, I praise God for the blessing that he has given us and know that it could be so much worse. I just want him to wait for the clearances so he doesn’t hurt himself or anyone else.
August 11th, 2011 at 7:21 pmDear Kimberly. Your husband is truly blessed
August 14th, 2011 at 6:35 amand should be encouraged to do whatever he
feels up to doing but also rest a lot more than
he did before his stroke. Activity is great and he
is so very fortunate not to have physical limitations.
Hopefully all will go smoothly and he will forget
the whole event. God truly blessed you both!
Maggy
Dear Jen, 3 years and counting for me and
August 14th, 2011 at 6:44 amstill trying to walk and raise arm over my head.
Have worked very hard every day despite being
so energy depleted. So things just take longer
and every recovery so different.
Just never give up and do the therapy whether
you feel like it or not.
Life goes on and every day a blessing. Maggy
KIMBERLY,
GOD BLESS YOU & PLEASE BE PATIENT. I THINK FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS, RETURNING TO “NORMAL” IS OUR NUMBER 1 GOAL AND PUSHING ONESSELF IS WHAT WE FEEL WE NNED TO DO, BUT MY BODY WILL LET ME KNOW WHEN I’VE GONE TOO FAR, SOMEDAYS I JUST HAVE TO REST. YOUR HUSBAND WILL MAKE HIS OWN CHOICES BECAUSE HE’S JUST TRYING TO GET BETTER AND PROBABLY DOESN’T CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES, IF HE’S DRIVING ANYWAY, MAYBE HIS DOCTOR WILL CLEAR HIM FOR THAT SO HE CAN GO THROUGH THR RELICENSING PROCESS, TALK TO HIM/HER RETURNING TO DRIVING WAS ONE OF THE SINGLE BEST CONFIDENCE BOOSTERS FOR ME HOPEFULLLY HE WON’T HURT ANYONE OR HIMSELF BY GOING TOO FAST TOO SOON. GOOD LUCK
August 14th, 2011 at 12:01 pmi saw an ad for walk-aid in a magazine and decided to try it out. it’s a cuff with electrode pads attached to your leg and gives shocks when you walk to help lift your foot and “normalize”your gate. I called and set up appt in the local office, which was free, if you like take home for 2 weeks $388 or purcase for $4800. The shocks did make my foot raise up, but the shock was so painful i could barely tolerate it. Even if i could $4800 is way out of my range. This device not covered by my insurance(Kaiser) unless you have a spinal injury. I guess stroke patients aren’t worthy. Actually it’s political, because foundations like Chris Reeves’ lobbied for spinal injury patients this device was included in medicare guidelines and insurance coverage. So i keep searching for the “cure”
August 30th, 2011 at 5:49 pmGINO it will take time but recovery from a haemorrhagic stroke is well within reason. But it takes time. Can strongly recommend you read My Stroke of Insight which is inspirational.
I had an ischemic stroke in July 2008. Although I returned to work within three months I still suffer spasticity (left side) in the shoulder and leg. Would be interested if anyone has used botox to help relieve the spasticity.
Be well & thanks for the blog.
September 1st, 2011 at 10:50 pmJim, I posted several articles on the effects of Botox injections used for spasticity. Just type in the word botox in the search window and all the articles will be displayed.
September 1st, 2011 at 11:18 pmMy husband suffered a stroke four months ago
September 7th, 2011 at 5:17 pmhe is 34 yrs old. He can now walk on his own using a cane Thank GOD!!!!
The thing that he is very discouraged and frustrated bc he has a severe case of vertigo that never goes away. He also lost eye sight (nystagmus)
Has anyone else suffered any of these symptoms?
if you have please contact me jmunoz011@tx.rr.com
My friend aged 65 had a massive stroke yesterday. Reading this site has helped.
September 12th, 2011 at 7:47 amThanks
I read this blog with deep interest. My stroke two years ago was an ischemic stroke of the left brain and left me with slurred speech, a paralized right hand and arm and a severly weak right leg that took me a year to walk unaided.
September 12th, 2011 at 8:05 pmThe PT and OT for about a month tought me how to cope and speak slowly and in time I recovered my speech, leg and about 50% of my arm and hand. I was (so they tell me) lucky in that it was a “mild” stoke. The advice that I can give is that family support is the best therapy and one must not give up hope for more recovery. At my age (73) I don’t really expect a 100% recovery but I do notice the more that I try to get use out of my hand there are days that I can sense improvement. It might be imaginary but one can always hope. I take my meds every day to prevent a second stroke and a glass of wine or two can’t hurt. I walk with my wife in the Supemarket once a week and try to be as active as possible. Fatigue is always a problem but that is normal with a stroke at my years. God bess you all and I hope your recovery is at least as good as mine.
This is a great blog. I will be checking in often to see your updates. Thank you from one stroke survivor to another.
September 19th, 2011 at 1:41 pmHi Kathy and Steve
Thank you so much for sharing your story and creating this blog. People need to know about stroke and its warning signs. I had a stroke when I was 23 (I’m now 34) and experienced a lot of healing through hard work and good physiotherapy…and I saw people of all ages do the same. I’d encourage people going through stroke recovery or watching someone they love go through it to never, ever give up hope.
September 30th, 2011 at 8:52 pmThank you for sharing and making this information available for those out there who need help.
October 4th, 2011 at 8:29 amYou don’t really think of stroke until you have a close loved one who had one and you live it with them.
I learned so much about strokes and their aftermath when he had his….it was learning as you go..spending a lot of time on the internet looking things up…advocating for him and certain treatments that were new to the facility he was in.
There is so much more help for stroke victims out there than when dad had his 7 yrs ago. He passed 5 years ago.
Hi,
October 7th, 2011 at 9:09 pmMy husband had a stroke one month ago in the occipital lobe of his brain. He is 56. He lost the right side of his peripheral vision in both eyes. He has short term memory problems and trouble reading and thinking of the correct name for things. He got the tpa medicine which reversed right sided numbness and slurred speech. We know it could have been so much worse. Has anyone else here lost vision as he has? What can we expect? Thank you for this blog. It has helped me to read it.
Hi Melanie,
October 7th, 2011 at 9:29 pmYes, others have experienced the same type of vision loss and hopefully we’ll hear from some of them.
Hi Kathy. Can’t believe it’s October and all still
October 8th, 2011 at 6:43 amthe same with my condition. Nothing seems to
help with the left leg spasticity and internal
rotation of hip, knee, and ankle. Also loss of
balance and control even with hemi walker has
resulted in two falls luckily neither did lasting
damage. Is it likely that too much PT can make
tone worse? Often wonder if the body just rejects
all the manipulations. My poor husband is really
discouraged. Will pursue Botox soon. Maggy
This is a follow up to my post 198, Let this be a lesson to all stroke survivors.
October 8th, 2011 at 11:32 amAfter more than two years of being careful not to fall, I tripped on a snack table in my home and fell right on my stroke arm. I am now in a cast with a fractured wrist and have set my recovery back only the lord knows how much. In six weeks I guess I will know. So, the moral of this sad story is “BE CAREFUL NOT TO FALL”
Hi Maggy,
October 11th, 2011 at 7:30 amJoin us at young stroke survivor page at Facebook.You’ll get all the answers you need there.
Maggy, spasticity is .a complex thing. Contractures affect the ligaments and most therapist can’t distinguished it from muscle spasticity.Keep stretching those tight muscles.BOTOX isonly good for 6 months; it is best for people with foot drop.Which part of the leg is spastic?Guess it is the hamstring.Visit us in this page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5326941831/
October 11th, 2011 at 9:09 pmI am at my wits end and I don’t think I came across your blog by accident.
My father is a stroke survivor (six years in April) and has gained a massive amount of weight. He was mobile and active after initial rehab but for the past couple of years has been sleeping 12-14 hours a day. He claims his legs hurt and weaken on him but that’s because he’s carrying 350+ pounds on his frame now!
The foods I buy aren’t fattening per se but he will engorge himself on fruit and leftovers for the hours he’s awake.
i’ve been searching for info on how to lose weight after a stroke to no avail. If you know of a resource it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you and best to you and yours.
October 12th, 2011 at 9:39 pmHi Kim,
October 12th, 2011 at 9:54 pmI understand how frustrating it is to be responsible for the meals of someone else, and the patient isn’t happy unless he gets want he wants. Your father’s excess weight is killing him. So this requires tough love and a lot of discipline on your part to reduce his portions. Since he can’t do any exercise, that is your only option. Give him only half of what he normally eats, and if necessary reduce it even more after a few weeks. Avoid high carbohydrates like breads, sweets and starchy foods, and feed him lean meats and/or fish with fresh salads and vegetables. I know this requires a lot of planning and preparation, so be patient with yourself and start slowly to reduce his portions.
I am so thankful to have come across this blog. Blessings to all of you and may God give you continued strength towards recovery.
October 13th, 2011 at 9:29 pmI am still in disbelief with the situation here.
Last Wed. my beautiful 23 yr. old daughter suffered an ischemic stroke at school. This was a week following a concussion during a foolish ATV ride with friends. She was admitted with headache, amnesia, vomitting, dizziness, unsteady gait, etc. Her symptoms eased towards evening but she was still vomitting (less) and her gait was unsteady. I persisted in hassling the doctor as he was ready to discharge her, calling what she had ”a simple flu, a simple faint”! Through my persistence, a consult was arranged with an internist, who ordered an emergency MRI. That showed a ”bulge” in a vessel, just above her vertabre. There was blood flow, but the passage was narrowed. The event she experienced was a stroke. They immediately put her on heparin IV…..and following another neurological consult, Coumadin was started, orally. She remained in hospital for a few days for the Coumadin to reach therapeutic levels but because she was doing so well in every way….they discharged her and she is now taking Coumadin with bloodwork daily until she is stabilized at the therapeutic level between 2-3. Today she was at 1.8, so we expect that to happen very soon. She is to have a repeat CT scan in a month and again in 3 months.
From what I understand, she should make a full recovery.
The way she is right now, it would shock anyone to know that she had a stoke…..her personality, humor, mobility, gait, everything – is back to normal; she is attending classes and work. You can’t imagine how blessed we feel! She has always been a very healthy girl.
As a mother, I will continue to worry until the clot has dissolved and her MRI is normal.
But I have question:
Does this now make her at risk for another stoke, even though at a later date she has a normal MRI?
Or will she be able tlive a normal life without having to worry of further complications?
We were told that she will be on Coumadin for approx. 3 months while healing.
Forgive me, I’m just a worried, anxious and scared mom! I will ask the doctor, but thought so many here have much knowledge.
Thanks so much….any words of support would be so greatly appreciated!
God Bless you all!
Hi BJ,
October 14th, 2011 at 4:59 amThere are many support group at Facebook. Join us t the Young Stroke survivor pagewhere many young “strokies ” work together to recover
Thank you so much for the encouragement and insight. Blessings to you and yours.
October 14th, 2011 at 1:55 pmThanks Mike! I don’t do FB, but my daughter does, so I will send her over there.
October 15th, 2011 at 2:00 pmShe continues with daily bldwk with hopes that the Coumadin reaches therapeutic levels soon.
She gets the occasional headache, too. But otherwise, she’s back to doing everything she previously did, so she is certainly one of the very blessed ones.
Continued prayers for recovery to everyone affected here.
Kathy and Steve,
My prayers go out to you,
last Tuesday my mother got a stroke, she live all alone in the house, we were fortunate enough that she was out at our garden at the time of the stroke and in some time only our neighbors discovered her lying on the ground, they took her to the hospital. she is in ICU then after, city scan reports confirms that she has a large infarct in her left MCA territory, it has damaged upto 60% of her left hemisphere of brain, and my mother is not able to swallow anything, she is not able to move her upper and lower right limbs.
i am taking consultations from neuro physicians for the same. my mother’s recovery is not good so far. i am thinking of consulting Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar.
Thanks so much…any advice would be so greatly appreciated!
please pray for recovery of my mother and everyone affected.
Vinod Bhatt
October 20th, 2011 at 7:22 amVinod…..I am praying for you and your family. May God strengthen all of you and grant you His grace and peace during this time of struggle and recovery.
October 20th, 2011 at 11:12 pmMy mom had a stroke which lead to an anurysm on the left side of the brain on 10/2/11. She is curretnly paralyzed on the right side of her body. She does not have insurance so that is a delay in getting her into a rehab. I fear that this might worsen her chances of recovering motion to her right side. Can anyone provide me with inforamtion that I can use to assist her until I am a able to get her into rehab. Also can I ask that everyone prays for my mom and my family during this very rough time.
Thank you
October 21st, 2011 at 1:40 pmKae
Hi Kae,
October 22nd, 2011 at 7:40 pmYou can try moving the affected hand, leg , foot passively.Don’t tough the shoulder, it may have subluxed.A light massage helps improve blood circulation .Talk to a doctor and post-surgery therapists about what can be done.Usually therapists take over after the surgery.
Kathy,
First and foremost, your blog has helped me so much today. My mother suffered a stroke almost two years ago that left her paralyzed on the right side of her body and the road since then has been extremely tough. She has regained most of the movement of her arm and leg, but emotionally she is a wreck. I try to stay positive but some days it is hard. I am hoping you can share some tips or ways you have stayed positived throughout your husband’s recovery. Today has been extremely challenging for my father, sister and myself. Tonight my father is actually sleeping in his truck in the barn because he simply cant take anymore from her and it breaks my heart. They have been married for 33 years and my father has been by her side through it all, but apparently she cant get passed things that have happened in the past (might I add, pretty petty things at that). Seems to me, and I am certainly not a doctor that depression is setting in with her. I hope you might be able to shed some light on depression issues and see if you have had to face similar situations.
Thank you so much for sharing your story here and encouraging others to stay strong. Your blog has truly been my blessing today.
Lastly, any and all prayers are most greatly appreciated. Thank you again.
Sincerely,
October 25th, 2011 at 10:21 pmHolly G
Hi Holly,
Thanks so much for your kind remarks about my blog, and I’m so glad it has helped you.
I certainly understand how you and your father are feeling, and it can be frustrating at times to deal with someone who is angry and depressed. Steve became so angry and negative about everything to the point that at times I wanted to get away just like your father did when he slept in the truck. But now Steve is taking Lexipro, an antidepressant which helps with the negativity and anger. It isn’t a cure-all, but it does help. Talk to your neurologist about the right medication, because some of them can trigger seizures.
With your mother you must always remember that she has had a brain injury which alters the way she thinks. And she’s also very frustrated because she feels trapped inside of a body that doesn’t work the way it used to. That’s why she makes mountains out of molehills. You just can’t take those things personally…you must let them roll off your back.
What also helps me is to keep my attitude positive in spite of how negative my circumstances can be. I am in control of the way I react. I can be like a thermostat or a thermometer. One determines what the temperature is going to be, and the other reacts to it. So I must choose each day…am I going to be reactive or proactive? The closer I keep myself to God, the easier it is for me to have a good attitude when things aren’t pleasant.
God’s grace helps me. I can’t explain it. All I know is that He promised me that His grace would be sufficient for me and that His strength would be perfected in my weakness. As I trust in Him, He does the rest. It’s one of the privileges I have as His child.
Hope that helps.
October 26th, 2011 at 8:27 pmMy love and prayers,
Kathy
To Everyone,
I have been trying to find info on brain stem strokes,and those who have recovered. The dr’s told me it is rare, and I have had a hard time finding recovery stories.
My husband suffered a brain stem stroke this past June at the age of 51. After his time in the hospital and rehab, he is home, and I take him every day to therapy. As of now, he has terrible balance, so cannot walk, he has double vision, short-term memory loss, and speaks loudly, and is difficult to understand.
I have had a hard time dealing with the fact that I am no longer a wife, but a caregiver. He weighs over 200 lbs., and I find it very difficult to help him move. Although I have my moments, thinking about who he was, and what our life used to be, although very sad, I am starting to accept who he is now, but I’m still defiant in what my life has become.
So, are there others with brain stem success stories out there? How long did it take to walk on your own? Did you memory ever come back? etc. I know every stroke patient is different, but it help to have a goal to live for. Thanks
October 26th, 2011 at 9:11 pmI work in the hyperbaric oxygen therapy industry and I have seen and heard many testimonials to the miracle that this therapy can do for someone who has had a stoke. It helps the brain begin to function normally by saturating the blood with oxygen through permeation and osmosis. This helps the vascular system (veins and arteries) to start creating new capillaries thus helping the brain to fix itself and possibly return to normality. There is a website http://www.hyperbaricnation.org and it lists centers and facilities nationwide to help people find the help they need. If you are wanting to have a chamber in your own home go to http://www.hypernaric-options.com
November 3rd, 2011 at 2:25 pmHello everyone,
My uncle, 44 year old went to the hospital because he complained about a strong pain in his left arm. At the hospital they discovered that he had 4 blockages to his heart and needed a bypass heart surgery. The bypass surgery was done on October 18th, 2011. Everybody thought he would be fine and will be totally normal as most people are after that surgery. Anyways, the hospital staff tried to wake him up over the next couple of days, and every time he was conscious and alert, they claimed he was being aggressive with hand movements. In fear of that, they sedated him and put him meds for the next 2 or 3 days so, he slept most of the time. After about 6 days after the surgery they said he needed a surgery in his throat to better his breathing. Following that surgery, the next day when attempting to wake him up, they discovered he had a stroke. to the left side of his brain because of blood clot. His brain started to swell. He was air lifted to another hospital in Cleveland Ohio, where the did a surgery on his left side of the brain to alleviate brain swelling. His is currently in Icu on ventilator in stable condition. The doctor his advised us that his left side of brain, that constitutes the speech and right side of the body has been severely damaged about 70-80%. He is paralyzed in right side and they dont know if he will ever sit up and talk again. Over the last couple of days, he has been opening his eyes and moving his left arm and hands more frequently. 2 days ago I told his to squeeze my hand and he did and he also raised his left hand when I told him to do, but today he was not really responding. The doctors don’t know if he is following commands at this stage. Everybody has been praying for his recovery but, the doctors are very discouraging. I have been researching Stroke recovery blogs and they have been certainly been very positive, encouraging and informative. Can anyone please shed some more light as to how will the recovery be for a patient who suffered sever ischemic stroke and what are the chances of him making progress on right side of his body and speaking again? He is been in ICU for about 2 weeks now and will be transferred to rehab centre in about a week. Any Response will be greatly appreciated. God bless all.
November 9th, 2011 at 11:27 amwanna thank everyone for their posts, has really helped shed light on some things. Well my husband had a hemorraghic bleed on the right side plus had strokes on back of brain on both sides and near stem on Oct.6 2011. Stayed in one hospital for 28 days in ICU not responding, then transferred to another on Nov.4 2011 to a neuro unit. Has improved a lot but not enough to keep him on neuro so now we are headed home. He is alert can lift left arm and leg some.Moves head side to side, can’t sit up on own, not walking or talking yet but trusting in God to manifest. anyone give insight on this kind of stroke. May God bless you all.
November 21st, 2011 at 7:49 pmDoes anyone know how long a stroke patient should stay on keppra after a stoke…my mom had a hemerage stoke 4 years ago and never suffered any seziers, but is still taking keppra…can she stop taking know after 4 years??
November 23rd, 2011 at 3:16 amTherese, anyone who has had a stroke is susceptible to having seizures. Their brain can be likened to a barn full of hay, and all it takes is one spark to set off a seizure. Therefore, the doctor prescribed the Keppra as preventive medicine. Your mother can use a natural remedy called Epi-Still which is a proven herbal remedy to prevent seizures too. My husband uses it along with a very small dose of Keppra after he had 4 seizures, and he never had another one. The doctor told him that 250 mg. of Keppra was not enough to prevent seizures, so I attribute his success to Epi-Still.
Seizures can damage the motivational part of the brain like it did to my husband, so you want to take measures to prevent them. Just because she hasn’t had one yet, doesn’t mean that she may in the future. If she had a stroke, she’s susceptible to having them. So it’s a risk you have to take.
November 23rd, 2011 at 1:36 pmI am a man of 35 years,I had a stroke november 13,2010.It was early in the morning around7am,I was living alone,I stepped into the bathroom to take my bath and that was all I could remember until a while later that I opened my eyes to realize that I was on the floor,unable to stand or speak but I realized I could pray in my heart so I did pray for help and our merciful God heard me and sent me help in my twin brother who came by 9pm.the interval was 14 clear hours before I was rushed to a hospital.
November 25th, 2011 at 11:14 amI initially lost my left limbs and speech but gradually I started talking again and I stand now and move around.It’s only hand that is still coming on.
My major concern all the way has been my voice because that’s the instrument I use in praising God(I am a gospel music minister) Although I can talk now but I still have little difficulty singing like I used to but I believe I shall eventually get there.
I have few tracks from my music album released2009 @www.reverbnation. com/kennyolaalabi.
Living with the effects of stroke has been quite challenging but God has continually been my strength and as well I am glad to have stumbled on your blog where people share their experience.It’s always good and reassuring to find people like oneself to share with.God bless your life and heart richly.
Kenny Ola-alabi(kennyolaalabi @yahoo.com.
Ola-alabi Kenny (facebook)
Thank you for sharing, Kenny. Your voice may change, but no one can take away the praise you have in your heart.
November 26th, 2011 at 10:04 pmKathy and Steve, I hope you are getting better.
November 27th, 2011 at 9:32 amI am 49 and have a stroke on April 2011. I recognized the stroke a symptoms at 3:30am, rush to a hospital and the most incredible situation, I was treated for anxiety and got administered a shot that I lost conscinse of myself. My husband was out of town only a good friend trying to help. I was released after two hours and sent home then return to another hospital at 9:30am because I was getting worse (I don’t remember anything) too late for me because the 3 hour window pass and er Dr. refused to recognize the stroke symptoms and since I am not a Dr. so I have to live with a bad experience on the er. I am getting better but my big concern is the side effects of the plavix medication and the warnings.
Steve and Kathy good bless you and keep working to have a better journey until God decide what is best
I am a stroke survivor, age 71, a widow and recently returned to work part-time to pay for the drugs. I thank God each night that I was one of the lucky ones, It’s all about attitude to recovery.
November 27th, 2011 at 10:16 amKathy,
December 1st, 2011 at 7:47 pmThank you for your blog! My husband had a stroke this past Monday evening, and my emotions are on a roller coaster of faith! It has been a blessing to read these posts. It is difficult to understand the whys and how comes right now. My husband is the Director of Ministry Development for Truckstop Ministries, he needs clear speech and full mobile abilities. But God know that, doesn’t He?
Desiring prayers of those who really do understand,
Debra
Dear Debra,
I am praying for you and your husband. We don’t understand all of this, but God is in control and he wants your husband well. Please look at this testimony of a man of God who had a stroke. Stand on God’s word. His grace is enough for you. His power is made perfect in your weakness.
Love and prayers,
December 1st, 2011 at 8:33 pmKathy
I to had a stroke, open heart surgery, and cancer. I’m only 38 years old.
You have to laugh, Things happen for a reason. I’m a big believer in the universe, God is all around you.
I wish I could work again.
December 4th, 2011 at 8:40 amHello
December 8th, 2011 at 8:59 ami had a stroke in febuary. My biggest problem is that i dont look that bad, i walk with a little limp, and my speech is kind of screwed up,
my right side is slow learning, or is best as its going to get.
as i said, my leg is weaker, and my arm is the same,
but other than that, i am swell.my kids have dumped me, and my wife seems to have done the same thing.My insurance called the other day and said my long term is coming to an end.I have lived with this for a long time, but it does not seem to get better. its tuff!
DearDebra, Be strong for him and whelp him with a lot teraphy. I did it! He can do it too with your love and help.
December 9th, 2011 at 3:17 pmi had a stroke exctly on the 30th of may 2011. before i never knew about stroke.i celebrated my 50th birthday in hospital on the 8th of june, till now i can say tht ihv done evrythng starting from medecines physio, exercise but let me tel u all these wud hv bn of no use without a strong will power.On my 1s appointmnt wth my neurologue after one month in hospital, she was vry surprised to see me on my feet saying that its only prayers tht has brought me here, because she told my family tht i was in the danger zone. i was always thnking about other stroke survivors n was thinking to create a blog when i came across this one. there are so many things we can share, and i think we will make a superb club
December 13th, 2011 at 7:03 amDick, progress can be made for many years after stroke, but it takes determination on your part to keep fighting and not give up. You can’t change other people, but you can change you to become the man God created you to be. Strive for that and the rest will fall into place.
December 13th, 2011 at 10:46 pmI am trying my best< i just want someone to email that is like me,so we can talk.This is an excellant board you have here.
December 14th, 2011 at 8:16 amDick, here is a ink to an email list you can join. It’s called SAFE STROKE SURVIVORS: Also known as “Folks with Strokes,” a friendly group of folks, and the only support list on the Internet devoted strictly to the needs of the survivor. Some socializing, but generally on-topic, with lots of support and discussion about coping with stroke. Stroke survivors of all capabilities are welcome to join this list, even if help with the computer is needed, or if the survivor has some language and communication difficulties. A very active list.
December 14th, 2011 at 10:26 amI had a stoke, May 18,2010. I’m still healing. I’m 42yrs. when I had a stroke. Pray, pray, pray all the time. I own a gym, Powerhouse Gym Im selling it. Im broke,savings are going to the gym. But I’m still here and I’m still me. Good to be alive..
December 14th, 2011 at 3:21 pmStacey, nice to meet you, sorry about your stroke, it will get better.
December 15th, 2011 at 8:31 amits a tuff road, but we will help you through.
Dick, there are several stroke support group in facebook. people there are active and love to help other survivors.
December 18th, 2011 at 7:28 amMerry x’mas to all and we are chaps living and feeling all stroke, rejection, and all what we can do is live the best we can.
December 20th, 2011 at 9:10 amI just stumbled upon this and I am glad to hear your story. Thank you for sharing this because it may help save a life of other people.
December 20th, 2011 at 11:08 amHappy New Year Mike. Back in October you mentioned to me that you recommended Botox for foot drop. I have daily stretching of Achilles and work on everters but foot drop is still a problem without using stepsmart ankle brace. Do you feel the injections should be in calf to release those muscles? Have you ever done this and does it weaken overall walking strength? Would like to overcome
January 1st, 2012 at 10:30 amthe necessity of brace. Thanks and hope you are both doing well.
Maggy
I had a major stroke in 2002. Worked part-time in accounting till nov. 2008, then laid-off with 36 others.Very little physical problems till I took 8 State tests for jobs and founout I could not type 30 words a minute. Don’t know what my speed was before, but had typed forever, so pretty high. All of the tests were A or B, except I couldn’t type 30 wpm. IQ is still high, but cognitive thinking is impaired, and after all the practicing I do I still can not get a consistant 30 wpm. Does anyone know what type of facilities or doctors are successful at these treatments??? Any anf all ideas would be greatly appreciated. Am in northern Illinois. Thanks so much, Phyllis
January 5th, 2012 at 4:11 pmI had a severe stroke on sept.26th of 2008. I went from a 300 lbs to 205 lbs. Your story inspired me greatly. Now i walk 3 times a day. Trust me, it is not hard. Thank GOD FOR ANOTHER CHANCE. If we learn to put our trust in HIM, we can make it. I,m on long term disability as of now. I SAY NEVER SAY NEVER. GOD BLESS!!!!
January 8th, 2012 at 7:52 pmI had 3 stokes(hemorrhagic) in September 2011. All happened while I was home. I am a 53yr old divorced woman. Live at home with my boyfried of 5 yrs. I thought I was experiencing an extreme migraine headache. I had a right lobectomy to my thyroid 3 days prior to the strokes/bleeds. I was discharged after the surgery to the thyroid with headaches and they continued and got worse. It was the third day with the extreme pain that my eyesight started getting strained and limited. Phone calls were placed to my surgeon and primary physician and no one suggested I go to the ER. I decided i should when I could not see clearly. When I got to the ER, Immediate CT scans/mri’s showed that I had three areas of stroke(right frontal, left side and rear right occipital. There was significant cranial bleeding throughout.(aggravated by the imitrex ordered by my primary doctor believing I was having migraines).After 6 days in the hospital, I was released to inpatient PT/OT/speech therapy. I was weak, tired, slow, and not too limited with any functions except my left field of vision in both eyes. After four days in therapies, I was released to home to further rehabilatate.
January 11th, 2012 at 7:34 pmAfter 3 months of all kinds of testing to find the reasons for my strokes, nothing has been discovered. I had complications from some of the testing (2 hematomas from the angiogram-I could not walk for the pain in my legs from the extremem bruising). It has been concluded that my blood pressure elevated quickly post thyroid surgery could have been the cause. I am on meds for that for life.
I was supposed to return to work, but my employer does not want me to return for fear of not visually seeing numbers correctly.(was told this three days before Christmas) I am the only one in the office that does the job I do.(Altho my neuro-opthal. doc says I can function normally in this-maybe just alittle slower to start, and to use an index card to track myself if needed). My job involves numbers alot! I am now unemployed with no benefits and may not qualify for long term disability because my docs say I can return. My blood pressure is sky high, I shake, and I have very frequent headaches which I take Fiorocet. I doubt my abilities all the time and I fear I am becoming depressed with no drive or feeling of being anything effective.
I have been through so much and have come so far and was feeling so good about my healing, but now I have doubts.
Barbara, you have been through a lot but victory is ahead of you if you don’t give up. Doctors are only human beings with limited knowledge. They don’t know everything and they prescribe meds because that’s their answer. You were feeling good about your healing, so start believing again and don’t believe the negative reports. Believe for a better job. Picture yourself as a strong healthy woman. Ask God to give you peace…peace in your heart and mind. Peace will lower your blood pressure and remove headaches. The only place to get true peace is God. Please check out my post at Peace in the Midst of the Storm and Scripture Promises.
January 11th, 2012 at 8:20 pmMy 88 yr old father had a massive stroke in early Dec. 2011.
January 15th, 2012 at 4:36 pmWe now realise this was actually his second stroke – the first was a month earlier when we actually thought he had fallen of the settee trying to get up. He seemed fine though, so we thought nothing more about it till a brain scan showed the damage of two strokes.
He is now paralysed down his left side and his right seems affected too, although not as badly. He is blind in his left eye and very, very confused.Most of the time he isn’t aware of his condition – he can’t do a single thing unaided and is incontinent. He also has macular degeneration, pulmonary fibrosis and has had heart surgery for a leaking valve.
I just wonder how much more suffering his old body can take.
Thank you so much for such an informative site and sharing your story. I suffered a stroke Aug 18 2011 and am very lucky for the outcome so far. My physical impact has been somewhat minor so far but I am finding the emotional/mental impact hard to deal with.
I have started my own blog as well: http://eclecticauthenticity.wordpress.com/
Thank you so much for your site!!
Chris
January 23rd, 2012 at 8:42 amMy huaband had a massisve stroke in 2000. He was 61. We were healthy active adults western square dancing at the time. We thought we beat it. After 6 weeks in hospital, he came home in a wheelchair that he was supposedd to be in for life. He had 1 and a half years of theropy and then he went without a cane for 10 years. In the last 2 1/2 years it is coming back. I had to put him in the nursing home a year ago. He was 73. I don’t know what to do. This is not what retirement is suposed to be. He is considered a sucess since he had 10 good years. It dosen’t feel like a sucess.
January 26th, 2012 at 6:35 pmI stumbled onto this site & am relating to many comments & inspired by many others.
January 30th, 2012 at 7:03 pmMy name is Evo Gamboni; I suffered an ischemic stroke 23 Oct 2008. The stroke knocked out my left side, but I have made some progress. My left arm & hand are still out of commission but I can walk with a cane and a bioness L-300.
For anyone that has some mobility but must rely on an AFO, the L-300 works wonderful.
http://www.bioness.com/Home.php
I have tried many alternative therapies, HBOT, Molecular Magnetic Energizer (MME) & acupuncture. Hell, I even bought a mild Hyperbaric chamber for home use.
According to the MD that treated me in a hard hyperbaric chamber, pressurized with 100% O2. A mild portable hyperbaric chamber pressurized with air is just as beneficial provided you breathe supplemental O2. An oxygen concentrator works great
No miracle cure yet but I continue my search (that’s how I found this site)
I have also ordered and am awaiting receipt of a new bioness, the L-300 Plus which will help with my weak hamstring.
My mother suffered a massive stroke in November. Her side is greatly effected and she struggles with speech. She was discharged to a skilled nursing facility. The therapy was not aggressive and I feared she was getting too comfortable with her condition. I was able to get her into an inpatient rehab facility 2 days ago and the approach to therpay is radically different. I am praying she make more progress. She still isn’t able to walk or use her right arm. Has too much time passed for her to improve?
February 1st, 2012 at 7:18 pmIn regard to your question about whether too much time has passed for your mother to improve, the answer is emphatically no. She can improve for many, many years in her stroke recovery. The most improvement is seen in the first 18 months after stroke, and then it slows down a bit. But as the stroke survivor continues to persevere in therapy, gradual progress will continue even up to 20 yrs. post stroke.
February 1st, 2012 at 8:38 pmKathy, i foudn your story inspirational. My sory is grulling to say the lest. My husband at 57 had a massive stroke. He was a smoking of 30 years wiht not a good gene line. I tried to tell him what could happen but he thought he would be fine. So hard, went to bed on e night with all well, next day changed. Huband was a 6 figure guy, I was not but left tying to figure out how to handle a hugh cut in pay. That being said we have suvived, thanks be to God. The part that concerns me the most is my very thoughtful husband of the past seem to have filter when it comes to social behavior, very hard. He has a lot of other difficulities ; but that is a big one. He does not like to leave the house. Our life has changed soooo much for the worse it is hard to conform to the new life; I Definately am struggling afer 38 yrs,. of marriage. Almost embarrashed to ask but do you have any suggestings????
February 4th, 2012 at 9:52 pmI would like to know if vision recover completely post-stroke?
February 6th, 2012 at 1:56 amIts my friend who had stroke 5month ago & still no sign of any improvement in his vision he’s unable to see anything (both eyes) after stroke although his motor activities are quiet normal now am really concern about his vision.His treatment is still going on in hospital.Doctors are not v sure about his recovery.I would really like to know if any1 has been through same experience & recovered.its a v difficult time for his family ur suggetions would be of great help.
To: Steve and Kathy Boncher
I suffered a stroke on 16 Aug 2011. I was incapacitated on my right
side due to a right vertebral artery dissection. I had a very hard time with my right side. Now it is February. I am back to work. I went from walker to cane to just plain walking. I call it a miracle.
There is hope. I still have the occasional wobbles but they soon subside.
I have been watching this blog since my stroke and it has helped me a lot.I know a lot of stroke victims do not regain total body movement. I was panic stricken when i was in the hospital for 2 weeks which included a lot of physical, occupational and speech therapy. All I can say is “Thanks” and for the folks before my message is to, “Get out of the House and Move as if your Ass was on Fire.” Short Term Dis-Ability sucks. Thank you for having such a positive blog.
Francis
February 6th, 2012 at 4:39 amSue, those emotional changes can be so hard to deal with, and things will improve as time goes on. It will take patience on your part though as your husband regains those filters. The thing that has helped me the most is my relationship with God. I keep my focus on eternity and not on the present. We are on earth for a reason and I want to fulfill the purpose God has for me. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but that’s what makes it all bearable for me. It keeps me from feeling sorry for myself and dwelling on the life I once had. We need to let go of the past…we can’t change what’s been done, and we must reach forward to what lies ahead. The plans that God has for us are plans to prosper us, not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future.
February 6th, 2012 at 1:41 pmThank you all for your encouragement my husband also suffred a stroke four years ago and he still does’nt have mobility on the left side i too pray and send requests through my local church family, what makes it so difficult he’s still in a rehablitation-center with little improvement. please pray for us.
February 11th, 2012 at 1:39 pmHi Kathy, for the past eight years, my husband (age 53) appears to be having stroke like systems (according to doctors), but is not having a stroke. He has had every test there is and all they can determine is his front lobal area is not receiving info and it takes forever for info to get left to right, right to left, etc. He has been hospitalized and doctors and all have seen him in action and they have no clue. The only way we can describe it is loss of mobility, confusion, unable to speak and process thoughts, etc.; it’s like he is drunk but can’t move. You tell him to move his left arm and he doesn’t have the ability to move it. If someone saw him without knowing they would think he is drunk or on drugs. And then the next day, he is just fine…..It is so frustrating to not have a support system or any doctors that know what is wrong. He should not work, because he would forget what he was doing and walk away or stare into space, but there is no diagnosis so no disability. Barrows in Phoenix Arizona said there is nothing wrong with him, all his specialists say there is nothing wrong with him, but when I have to move his legs and arms for him and help him talk and everything else, there is something wrong with him.
I know your husband and mine are not diagnosed with the same thing, but I’m reaching for straws, trying to find someone who might know something. Some place to look or someone to talk to.
Thanks for your time. Jill
February 15th, 2012 at 2:10 pmJill,
Don’t give up just because those doctors couldn’t find anything wrong. Continue to look for one who will do more investigation. There is a very small and sometimes obscure area on the brain stem that is often overlooked in an MRI or CT scan. If the problem is in that location, they may be overlooking it. A neurosurgeon may have the answer. I will pray along with you that God will lead you and guide you in the way you should go. He knows the things that are hidden so He can reveal them.
Please keep me updated.
Hugs and prayers,
February 15th, 2012 at 5:30 pmKathy
Thanks for the encouragement. I’ll look into the neurosurgeon, definately and mention the obscure area on the brain stem. I feel so bad for my husband; as a former Marine, father of many, provider and now I have to keep a 8×10 piece of paper in his wallet with his address, and other important papers because he can’t remember even simple things. Thanks again…Jill
February 15th, 2012 at 6:18 pmI will be having botox injections in my lower leg to treat spasticity. Can anyone share their experiences with this treatment?? The pain is the biggest issue with this now and I would really like to return to work but I’m worried about being able to sit for 8 hours.
February 17th, 2012 at 10:27 amThank you.
Hi Janis,
February 17th, 2012 at 10:45 amSteve had a botox injection in his shin for a spastic toe. You can read more about his experience at Botox Treatment Successful
We just found out that my husband of 41 years of age had a stroke about six months age. For four years he suffered from what he called pressure headaches till the day he felt a balloon explode in his head. We live in Alaska where medical attention is very far away. After two medavacs to Anchorage he was finnally sent to Seattle, WA where we discovered how luck he is to be alive. He currently lives without use of the main part of the left artery. He was born with extra blood vessels which were able to reroute the blood flow. He now stutters and has a hard time getting the words out and some noumness in his leg, but the head pain he suffers from is debilitating. Before the stroke he was in exellent health other then the headaches and now the pain he suffers from sky rockets his blood pressure so it seems as if he is having a heart attack. The only thing that seems to help is vicadin but no doctor wants to percribe it to help him through this. He is so frustrated and has not been able to work and he hasn’t been getting better.
February 18th, 2012 at 8:12 pmI wish both of you well. Such an uplifting story. I have been experiencing stroke like symptoms for about a week now. Last Friday I was fine. Saturday I was okay until the afternoon. I all of a sudden became real angry and literally stayed home and cried all evening for no reason. Sunday, I was playing the Wii and became lightheaded and felt kind of out of It in the head and my vision was Sort of off feeling. It ended up going away after a few hours. Monday morning, I woke up, played the Wii again. Went to take a break and this intense tingling sensation overwhelmed my entire body. My vision became narrow and dark. Lost peripherals and couldn’t see out of my left eye when I looked to my right. I went and used the bathroom which Is when my left arm from the elbow down became totally numb. My son woke up so I went to make him a bottle and “forgot” how. I didn’t know what I was doing or where anything was. It ended with a headache on the right side. The major episode lasted about half an hour. And the next day or two I was left with weakness in my left hand, tingling, and shock like sensations through my arms, mouth, and head. Today I cant grip well with either hand, and feel mentally out of it. I DID goto the doctor on Tuesday and he blamed it on an anxiety med I was taking. I stopped it Wednesday morning. I just don’t feel like my doctor is taking it seriously. He made it sound like if I were older with high blood pressure that hed be concerned. I’m only 25. But I am so angry the last few days because I dont understand why I feel this way. I’m frustrated that all of a sudden I can’t do things I could do less than 2 weeks ago. I feel trapped in someone else’s body. I’m not sure what is going on with me, but this story inspires me that if I did suffer from a Sort of stroke then I can be so close to normal again and happy.
February 19th, 2012 at 3:47 amMegan, It is imperative that you see another doctor immediately…a specialist, preferably a neurologist. Call Ask a Nurse in your area and they can recommend someone if you don’t know who to call. Your symptoms are serious and a stroke can be prevented if you act immediately.
February 19th, 2012 at 4:44 pmKathy
Thank you. I called the doctor office today and they’re getting me in tomorrow morning for another look at me. Take care!
February 20th, 2012 at 3:49 pmDear Kathy,
February 23rd, 2012 at 7:25 pmIt was very inspiring to see your blog.
Exactly a month ago, my 63 year old father, slipped and hit his head on the floor.
By the end of the day, he was having trouble comunicating and was only speaking in monosilables. The next day his wife realised that this continued, and took him straight to the hospital.
He had brain hemorrhage, that effects the brain as a stroke. Luckily, he did not have to operate, and after 3 weeks was discharged from the hospital for home care.
His speech has returned, however his memory has not. At times he recognised people around him, and asks questions, but then all of a sudden he seems to forget and looks confused.
Physically he seems great, he does everything by himself.
Will his memory get better? I’m really nervous with all this. He seems to be having a great recovery, but I’m still very scared.
Kind regards from Brazil xxxx
Gabriella, this is quite common after a brain injury, but as his brain heals over the next few months, his memory should improve. Brain exercises will help improve his concentration like puzzles, Sudoku, reading. Just be patient and don’t give up. He’s come a long way. Here are some scriptures that will help you stay in peace when you’re feeling fearful.
February 23rd, 2012 at 8:00 pmKathy
Kathy,
February 26th, 2012 at 12:32 amIt is so good to have you answer me back. We don’t know each other, but reading your struggle really managed to touch my inner core.
You really think he can get better? I know its only been a month and a couple of days, but everything seems so long, and it feels like it will only take longer. I feel like our crazy bond has gone, he has always been my closest personal relationship, and its almost like I feel he is not in there.
I also read listening to music really helps.
He can get better then?
Kind regards,
Gabriella
Hi
Thought I would write on here as after my mum had a stroke I think I read every story here and it helped me lots. Thank you.
My story was this;
Mum had an ischemic stroke at 65. It was during night and she started pulling on the bed clothes and Dad thought she was being silly, she then flipped herself sideways off the bed (survival mechanism) onto the floor, at which point Dad realized she was having a stroke, her face was paralyzed and she was mumbling words. Dad called the ambulance and within 45mins she was in hospital. She was given a the BLood clot removal injection after 1hr 15mins or so.
The next day when we arrived at the hospital she could not talk, move at all and could only squeeze her left hand to yes or twice for no.
It was the most distressing and heartbreaking situation. The doctor called us in and said about 30% of her left brain was infarcted and no one can tell you the long term prognosis. Nor should they, as what I have realized is a lot of it is up to you and your family and friends.
Mum was a very fit and healthy lady who had high blood pressure and was just unlucky.
After two days we started to see some movement in the left hand and she could stick her tongue out.
Whilst the nurses and acute care was great it was this time that we all prepared ourselves for the long journey ahead because at some stage that was going to finish and we were going it be at home alone.
After five days she began to swallow again and we got the tiniest movement on her right thumb. After seven days we all got her standing and making her first step. One only but who cares. After ten days we got the right arm flexing about ten degrees and all fingers going and the story goes from there, it is now seven weeks and she is at home and we have the first words coming out and even a sentence today! She can walk unaided but prefers a stick for now.
The things I list below helped us a lot so hope they help you and thanks again for this website it helped me understand and get me through those long nights wondering if she will ever walk or talk again.
Get as much family support and friend support as you can, rehabilitation is a team sport.
Rehabilitation is about pushing progress and resting to recover. We never let up and Mum never let us stop. Early days are key.
Use anything to communicate in the early days, we used bells, etcha sketch, style boards etc.
iPads are great and have some great stroke apps.
And finally kids and lots of hugs work wonders.
Best of luck and thanks again guys.
February 26th, 2012 at 3:45 amGabiella, Absolutely he can get better!!! It takes about 6 months for the brain to heal from the trauma of a brain injury, so everything is worse in the beginning. Things may slow down a bit after 24 months or so, but with practice he will continue to improve for many years. Music is a wonderful aid to healing, so use whatever works, but make sure it has a calming affect on him, not anything that would cause stress.
February 26th, 2012 at 3:48 pmThomas, It’s wonderful to hear this success story! Thank you for sharing.
February 26th, 2012 at 3:51 pmKathy
My stroke happened on 9/22/2010 my wife and son came home to find me lying on the floor This is my first time o
February 26th, 2012 at 9:58 pmGlad to have you on board Danny! Thanks for taking the time to post a comment.
February 26th, 2012 at 10:01 pmKathy
Kathy, Your story is similar to ours. 15 years ago, my wife suffered a massive stroke and also did not get the clot busting drug. Charlene is an amazing inspirational woman who refuses to give up! Charlene, a stroke survivor for over 15 years lost her speech and has paralysis on the right side of her body, continues to do what she always has, be an over-achiever that makes us “normal” people look like whiners, and complainers. A gourmet cook, decorator, homemaker… basically a cross between Martha Stewart and Wonder Woman. Her full story is available on http://www.1Arm1Leg100Words.com We just finished our book that was released today. We are excited at the prospects of our story helping other stroke survivors not to give up, and to acquire a positive attitude, and that noting is impossible, and that God allows things like this to happen for a reason. She has blessed and encouraged more people since her stroke than before her stroke when she was normal. God bless you! Please check out our website. We would love to send you our ebook version by email. Where should I send it? Charlene & David Nassaney.
February 28th, 2012 at 1:42 amIam agreekstrokesurvivor,ihadmystroke onsept2009afterswimmingona wonderfulbeachand when ireturned home ihad mystroke, il was alone
March 2nd, 2012 at 6:53 amAthomesomyfriendshadto breake the door andoundmeunconciousonthe floor.ihadmy rehubinaperfectplace inswitzerland,ihadalot ofsuportfrom myson andnow iamveryoptimistic
Aboutthefuturmygoalis forthesummer tobeable toswimm sincewehave
Ahouseinmyconos where ifeelvery happy every time igo andi fel veryblesed forthatn. Manygreetings fromgreece vicky missiou
Kathy,
March 3rd, 2012 at 11:23 pmThank you for sharing you and your husband’s experiences. I’m an OT in an acute inpatient rehab unit…at least 50% of the patients on my caseload are stroke survivors still in the first few weeks of their recovery. I’m always striving to educate myself of how my patients and their families feel, and your blog is helping me to be a more empathetic and informed therapist. Thank you for helping me to understand so I can be a better service provider. From all the comments I have read, you are helping a large number of people. A stroke is a terrible thing to have happen, but you are using this experience to help others; finding good in a bad situation…hooray for you!!!! I look forward to continue reading your blog! God bless you and your family! -Jenna
My father had mini stroke, and he is doing well, except the frustration he has with his head feeling fuzzy. He does not like to tell me much as to not to worry me, any advice or are there
excercises to clear the head.
thanks
March 7th, 2012 at 12:22 pmThanks Jenna.
March 7th, 2012 at 4:03 pmLoretta, his brain is still in the healing mode and it may take while for the fuzziness to go away. I don’t know of any exercises, but maybe some of the other readers know of something that will help.
March 7th, 2012 at 4:08 pmCongratulations to Lisa Jimenez Robertson for winning Thursday’s free e-book drawing, One Arm One Leg 100 Words, Overcoming Difficult Hardships, by David & Charlene Nassaney!! Friday will be another drawing, Tell your friends to go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/1-Arm-1-Leg-100-Words/272733349462118 & like that page to qualify. We will be giving away 1 free e-book a day for a limited amount of time. Thanks!
March 8th, 2012 at 3:07 amKathy,
March 8th, 2012 at 3:14 amThank you for ministering to all of these people the way you do. You are a life line! We are going to start a blog too one day soon I hope, it just seems like alot of work right now, but I am looking into it. I hope you are enjoying our book.
Dave
Looking for blogs related to stroke survival. Helping my father who is caretaker to my mother but not doing very well of late. Frustration seems to take hold of him and I can not convince him about caretaker burnout and the need to fellowship with others who can help him better understand.
We encourage him all we can and try to “relieve” him regularly. Our sister moved in and helps a lot. She has an encouraging spirit — just like Mom.
Mom has aphasia secondary to the stroke. She is often unwlling to leave the house (she is at home following a 3 month stay at a nursing home)largely due to my Dad’s advocacy. it is hard for her to communicate and sometime processing information is difficult for her too.
My Dad’s comments and attempts at encouraging her to do things disintergrate into blaming and shaming. It is a precarious situation.
Your prayers are much appreciate. Pray for Bill and “Sis”.
Blessings
March 10th, 2012 at 6:20 pmI too have had a stroke nov. 4th and have had only two days without a headache.i am very depressed and wonder if life is worth it like this.any helps out there?also lost a lot of my energy. Louise
March 10th, 2012 at 8:03 pmHi Dave, Ive been so extremely busy that I haven’t started reading it yet, but hope to soon. Thanks so much and I hope you get great results on your FB page.
March 10th, 2012 at 9:01 pmKathy
Anthony, I am praying. Hang in there.
March 10th, 2012 at 9:02 pmKathy
thanks for sharing you road.I have a 50 year old son that 1year ago had a stroke,he received excellent care (ihe does remember how sick he was)New problem he broke the affected left arm that had returned 50percent.that shoulder was a problem from the start and now it is unclear about the healing of the bone, the pain management .
March 11th, 2012 at 2:01 pmDo you know of anyone that has faced this problem .we have a great ortho surgeon but any information would help,By the way he has been back to work and doing well for about year till now,
Hello kathy, I really liked ur blog and it is useful, my father 65y, got a stroke 15 days back,for me it was unknown desease, I didnt know any info about it, and it was extremely bad in the first days he stayed for a week in ICU bz this was not his first time, we prayed to God to help him and help us, he couldnt open his eyes, unclear speach and not awake,we were afraid and dont know what to do, his stroke is in the right side,now he will be released from hospital and we are trying to prepare our house as much as we know, can u advise please, and how manytimes shall offer training for his arm and leg?
March 11th, 2012 at 3:13 pmPeggy, We haven’t found anything yet that can help the shoulder except exercise, and that’s tough for the survivor to do that.
March 11th, 2012 at 3:15 pmSorry i forgot to ask u, he is complaining about pain in his left side specifically and in all his body genellry, is it normal?? i was thinking to buy a massage device maybe it will help him to reveal pain,dose it work??
March 11th, 2012 at 3:17 pmAmira, Here is an article I posted with some good tips on preparing your house: http://www.strokesurvivorblog.com/2010/05/27/how-to-care-for-a-stroke-survivor/
Pain is always an issue on the affected side. Steve experienced a lot of tingling and it was hypersensitive to touch. All you can do is try something and if it doesn’t work, try something else. It’s a learning process and what works for one, might not work for others.
Therapy should be done as often as the survivor can tolerate it, because the more repetition the better. But they get tired easily and concentrating often causes headaches, so small doses of therapy in the beginning is better. Then gradually extend the length of each session. Several times a day is better than one long session.
March 11th, 2012 at 3:23 pmThanks kathy for your quick response and you are really inspiring for many, although am living faraway-am in Egypt- but I do feel we are close as friends after reading most of ur advices.thanks again.
March 11th, 2012 at 3:51 pmHello kathy, is it normal that my father is saying unrelated things, he is connecting things to each other that is not real or actually impossible.
March 12th, 2012 at 8:01 amWith a brain injury such as stroke, all sorts of things can happen that we don’t understand. Confusion is part of that, however as his brain heals, he will improve.
March 12th, 2012 at 2:00 pmFor those of you who don’t know who I am, let me introduce myself. I am new to blogging, because I just started a blog myself.(http://1arm1leg100words.blogspot.com/) My wife is a stroke survivor for 15 years now. She has such an amazing story that we wrote a book, “One Arm One Leg 100 Words” and have a website, http://www.1arm1leg100words.com Instead of telling our lrngthy story here, feel free to check out our story on our website, blog, or book. Stroke survivors are amazing people, all of you that I had time to read on this blog sound just as amazing. Caretakers are equally amazing. I know this because I am one also. I am so glad I found this blog. God bless you.
March 13th, 2012 at 10:28 pmMy 54 year old wife ad a stroke 1 year ago. This has left her flaccid on the left side. I thank you for this site. I will read it in the next couple of days to see if you have any good tips from other services on how to reeducate the knee to lift her leg. We have no insurance and I am basically her therapist/nurse and if course husband.
March 16th, 2012 at 12:24 amThank you! thank you! thank you! For your prayers. I too will (if it is alright) pray for things here as often as I stop by. Will not if anyone objects.
Tony
March 17th, 2012 at 2:38 pmWe can all use prayers Anthony!! Thank YOU!
March 17th, 2012 at 2:53 pmi am a 36 year old female who had a stroke october 1st 2011 i am from trinidad and was studying to become a midwife .i experience depression and cant understand why my left hand keep curling up like that it also seems very heavy can anyone explain. my husband has also left and my 17 year old son is angry.
March 20th, 2012 at 8:07 pmLeslie-Ann, I’m sorry to hear about your losses. It sounds as if the stroke affected your left hand causing spasticity, thus the curling or clenching. It feels very heavy because the connection from your brain to your hand has been disrupted, so your hand won’t move automatically like it did prior to the stroke. Therapy will help this condition, and when it improves, I’m sure your depression will lessen as well. You can get better, but it takes hard work.
Several times a day massage your hand and fingers, opening and closing them. Then speak to your hand and fingers and tell them to open by themselves. Put a pencil in your hand and try to use it. It may take several weeks to move only one finger, but that’s still improvement. Don’t be discouraged if you experience only small movement in your hand in the beginning. That will be necessary before you get the big movements. Keep trying and don’t give up. As you continue to do these exercises, your brain will reconnect to your hand and it will become easier.
I pray that things will get better for you and your family. Go to the following link to read some words that may encourage you: http://www.strokesurvivorblog.com/2010/09/06/does-god-love-you/
March 20th, 2012 at 10:04 pmi wish i could be around positive people like you . i feel totally abandoned i felt so good to read u answer at least someone cares please prayer for me to complete midwifery dont know where that will lead to . i am suppose to return next month if the nursing council makes that decision .blessings to you and your family. i dont have internet so i go to a cafe to communicate.
March 21st, 2012 at 10:35 amHi , I need immediate advice for my dad. Pls advice ASAP. My dad suffered a brain stem stroke 2day back with cardiac arrest. He is under observation but the doctor says his brain is dead but his heart and respiratory system is working fine. He is able to pass urine and his lungs is also fine. Doctor says his survival chances are very less and we need your approvals to remove him from ventilator. I asked them to wait and figuring out some solution to revive him back because I love him a lot. Can anyone advice me on the same or call me at +919811823492 India and tell what should I do. I’m under stress right now and not getting any way from where I can review hi
March 25th, 2012 at 5:17 amPls confirm
Rishi,
March 25th, 2012 at 2:12 pmIf it was me, I would wait and NOT remove the ventilator just yet. Things can change in a few days, and the doctors are not God. With God all things are possible! He alone holds the keys of life and death. Do not let them pressure you to do something that you don’t feel right about. Wait on the Lord until you have peace in your heart about the decision. I’ll be praying.
Kathy
Thanks Kathy for giving me guidance. My dad is on ventilator for last 4 days today is 4th day. Hope his other function will not go down because of this problem. I’m worried . Pls advise for how many I should wait… This is a very critical time for me in my lid
March 26th, 2012 at 4:08 amRishi, I don’t have the answer for you as to how long you should wait before taking your father off the ventilator. All I can do is to tell you what I would do and how I would make my decision. I pray about everything because I believe God gives wisdom and guidance to those who ask for it. I always let the Word of God—the Holy Bible be my guide. When I have peace about a decision then I know I’m making the right one. This is what the Bible says:
March 26th, 2012 at 12:30 pmI love this blog! Hello friends, We finally have our blog up and running. We would love for you to check it out and/or subscribe. We enjoyed writing articles for Stroke Connection Magazine, (Nov. Dec. ’06, “The Grief Process,” and Jan. Feb. ’12, “Surviving With A Positive Attitude.”) We are excited about the release of our new book! Hope to see you soon! Dave Nassaney & Charlene Nassaney
March 26th, 2012 at 4:07 pmhttp://1arm1leg100words.blogspot.com/
so nice to see your photo. today was not bad i splinted my hand to stop it from curling it did not feel so heavy today.may God bless you always
March 26th, 2012 at 7:00 pmLeslie Ann, I’m glad you’re getting some relief with the splint. Use whatever works. Praying for you!
Kathy
March 26th, 2012 at 7:17 pmI am happy that you are doing better Steve. I want to thank you for this blog. I just happened across it looking up strokes and speech therapy. I am 49 years old and will find out tomorrow the extent of my stroke 2 weeks ago. Woke with slurred speech, could not walk. Have to have speech therapy for stuttering, and I am sooooo emotional. Then when I get emotional my speech gets worse, it gets worse, I get more stressed….round and round. I am scared to death! My Mother died in my home in 07 from a major stroke after suffering from numerous mini strokes. Here I am up at 5:30 a.m. I can not sleep well because I am scared that I will wake up to another stroke. Did you find yourself like that? Or did anyone else on this blog feel this way. Just venting, scared, frustrated and to be honest I am not ready to die. Thanks for reading my posting if you do and listening to someone who is scared. Praying for you both.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:30 amI am a 32 year old guy from Mumbai, India. I suffered stroke in April 2011… I stay with my room-mates who couldn’t understand why i was unable to move in the morning after the stroke …So I was hospitalized only AFTER A WHOLE DAY of getting stroke… I GOT that stroke in the right side of brain.. my reports suggested heavy smoking was the real cause of clotting in right side of brain.. causing my left limbs paralysis….Now 11 months on… i can type from my dominating right hand and doing well with my work-at-home jobs…. I can walk freely but not on busy roads…. my major concern is functions of my left hand fingers…. there is no spasticity now… no pain… but no movement in fingers at all…. has anyone seen someone recovering from this stage…thanks…
March 27th, 2012 at 7:39 amhi kathy can i contact you on the phone
March 27th, 2012 at 7:41 amAnd thanks a lot Kathy madam for creating this blog….May God Bless You and Your Family…
March 27th, 2012 at 7:45 amAman, Yes I have seen people recover functionality to their fingers. It takes work and perseverance, but you can do it. Every day, several times a day practice holding a pen or pencil in your hand. Close your fingers around it with your functional hand. Visualize your hand and fingers writing. I know of an artist who did that with a paint brush and practiced painting, and today she has full function of her hand again. Don’t put restrictions on yourself…just see yourself doing it and practice as if you are doing it even though you may not be able to at the moment. I’m glad to hear you are getting better and can walk well. There is so much more recovery that you can have if you keep trying and don’t give up. I’m cheering you on!!
Kathy
March 27th, 2012 at 9:23 amLisa, Not knowing what the future holds can be very scary, but living in fear is not a good thing. Here are some words of comfort for you that will help you feel peace in the midst of your circumstances. Praying for you also.
March 27th, 2012 at 9:33 amKathy
Thanks a lot for these really encouraging words Kathy ma’am..Yes practice can improve the functions of my fingers…Now i am more hopeful after reading of that artist you mentioned…thanks again….God Bless…
March 27th, 2012 at 10:54 pmLisa Calhoun…., Well after few weeks post stroke, I also used to be scared that I will wake up to another stroke…but there is a way to solve this problem.. Since in my case stroke was caused by blood clot caused by cholesterol plaque and higher levels of triglycerides, I was told by my doctor to get my lipid profile tested every month just for reassuring myself that lipid levels are well under control and there are no clot forming activities in the arteries…So initially i got my lipids tested every week just to be confident that everything is fine inside and there isno chance of another stroke at all….Please first find the exact cause of stroke and make sure it is prevented now…..you won’t be scared any longer and will be able to sleep peacefully (that is essential for good recovery).. a much better happy life is waiting for you…
March 27th, 2012 at 11:07 pmthis morning i had a beautiful conversation with God . he let me know that my life have nothing to do with my feelings he did not save me for my feelings.he saved me for his purpose.a friend said to me yesterday to wait for my season and its true we have to wait for our season. that is it am learning things in this time i simply did not know. big as i am .
March 28th, 2012 at 10:21 amLeslie Ann,
March 28th, 2012 at 11:10 amThat’s wonderful!! Too many times we make decisions based solely on our feelings. Or sometimes if we don’t “feel” the presence of God, we don’t think He is with us. But the truth is that if we truly know Him as Savior and Lord of our life, He is always with us regardless of how we feel. Our emotions will betray us, but God’s Word never lies. When it says that God will never leave us nor forsake us, we can believe it. He has a plan for your life. Please go to the Father’s Love Letter and turn up the volume on your computer. Listen to God’s love letter being read to you. It can also be read in 95 languages. It will surely bless you!!
Just dropping by to catch up some with folks and to say God bless you all!
March 30th, 2012 at 6:53 pmI have 15 now last year on Feb 18 I had my gallbladder removed, and I woke up in the middle of surgery and right after I started having awful headaches. So I got an MRI and they had no idea what the two spots on my brain were. I went a couple months with no answers. But they sent me to Oregen to see a specialist he said it most more then likely a stroke. I have never done drugs, My arms go numb sometimes and so do my legs. But it makes me feel better knowing there are more people out there going through this too.
April 1st, 2012 at 12:27 amwell today i spoke to some of the people who have to decide on my future in midwifery. one comment was you cant deliver a baby u cant and you cant and you should go medically unfit. one comment was your hand is not comming back . well i felt so low that it was probally better i died. i mean after i worked so hard and honest this they refuse me. i watch betany hamilton and nick and realise that the only thing that limits us is people . i wonder if these people would tell obama he could not be president
April 1st, 2012 at 8:46 pmLeslie Ann, You can do ALL things through Christ who gives you strength. Nothing is impossible for you if you believe!!! Prove them all wrong!!
April 1st, 2012 at 9:19 pmwell after i last shared with you all and thanks for being there for support. i decided to just go before god on the matter. i just let it go . well the last decision is that i will be seen before a medical board who will decide if i am fit to work or not . this is to happen before the 5 Th. in which case it does not happen i am to report to the midwifery classroom. that’s beautiful to me and i hope it motivates.please join me in prayer for favor
April 2nd, 2012 at 2:45 pmI’ll be praying!!!
April 2nd, 2012 at 3:06 pmHello,
but im desperate.
April 3rd, 2012 at 2:33 amim from Europe-Macedonia. In my country medical care is not no some good level so i want to hear your oppinion about my mother.
She had a stroke 9 years ago and she had demage on the left side of the brain, so her gight side was paralised but with a long recovery she was able to walk and take care of her self (bath and toilet). 1 week ago she had another stroke but this time on the right side od the brain. This time stroke is even bigger i can say massive. She was unconscious for few days and now she only opens her eyes but she viewed indefinitely. She doesnt eat she doesent drink, she doesnt move at all. Her heart is healty so the doctors say that she is allive becouse of that reason. please tell me your oppinion what are her chances??????
P.S. sorry for my english
I forgote to tell you she is 61.
April 3rd, 2012 at 2:34 amDear Marina, I so sorry to hear about your mother. With stroke it is hard to say what her chances are because so much depends on how much of the brain was affected. One thing is good…she’s sleeping a lot. That’s when the brain does its best healing, so that’s not a bad thing. Even though her condition doesn’t look good, things can change. With God all things are possible.
PS: Your English is fine…I understood everything!
April 3rd, 2012 at 4:06 pmI had a stoke, Novemver 4, 2011. I’m still on medical leave right now. when I had a stroke. I went back to work too soon, and keep get sick(heart pepetition or dizziness). I am off work for 2 months now, but still get dizzy when turning around qickly. Is this the symtom after stroke? How long will this symtom go away? My Dr recomend me to see the counselor and the counselor will give the anxiety medicine that get ton of side affect. I concern that I will get sicker by those medecine. Is there any suggestion?
April 5th, 2012 at 10:08 amPao, Many medications used to treat stroke survivors cause dizziness and heart palpitations (heart racing). What medications are you taking now? Your symptoms may be from the stroke itself, or they could be caused by the medications you’re taking. Before you take medication for anxiety, I would see if you’re experiencing side-effects from other medications so the dosage can be adjusted.
April 5th, 2012 at 7:28 pmMy 75 year old mother came to live with us not too long ago after 6 weeks in skilled care rehab after a fall she took in her house in Feb. Mobility has been decreasing since a fall last October. She had been using a wheel chair to go around her house since then. When she came to live with us she had a list of medications she should be taking and a bag of bottled meds that she was taking before she had her last fall that took her to skilled care. I was very confused by all the medications and what she should be taking and asked home health united to try and help me figure it out since they were helping us continue her rehab in my house. They couldn’t figure it out and recommended I set up an appointment with a local doctor to help me straighten it out. I did, he said, my mom went into the exam room on her own. He said “what are you doing here?” she said “exactly”(she’s never been one to take care of her health….diabetes,high blood pressure… lots of health risks) and he said to follow up with my family doctor and sent her on her way. Still concerned about her not getting the proper medication, when home health united came in again we tried to figure out the medicine and couldn’t so we called her physician back home that wrote all the orders. After a call back, we decided to have her physician call in all the prescriptions to the pharmacy she normally uses back home and my husband would pick them up the next day since he was going down there anyway. That was 11 days after she arrived at our house. That night she had a right brain stroke. It’s been 8 days since the stroke. We took her back home to a skilled cared nursing home for rehab via ambulance yesterday since that’s what her insurance would cover. She has left side neglect and short term memory loss. No eating problems. Can move her left side just cannot feel anything. she has not stood since stroke because she’s having trouble with her balance sitting on end of bed. I need some hope here. My brother and sister in law think she’ll never go home again and is already talking about selling her house. I had intended to help her with her rehab and get her back in her house when she arrived. Instead I made it worse and now she may never go back home because of me. I will never forgive myself. I need hope.
April 6th, 2012 at 10:26 amLiz…hold on here! The guilt you are feeling is a false emotion given by the devil, so don’t allow him to have control over your thoughts! You did everything right. It sounds like your mother was headed for a stroke anyway considering her health history and lack of self-care. There is no medicine that can totally prevent a stroke…they can only reduce the risks. You did not cause her stroke and you didn’t make things worse. You are a good daughter who loves her mother. Life is unpredictable. You are not responsible for your mother’s poor health. Whenever you have those guilty thoughts, read what I’ve told you here and believe it because it’s the truth, and the devil is a liar.
April 6th, 2012 at 11:56 amPao, Many medications prescribed to stroke survivors cause dizziness and heart palpitations (heart racing). What medications are you taking now? Your symptoms may be from the stroke itself, or they could be caused by the medications you’re taking. Before you take medication for anxiety, I would see if you’re experiencing side-effects from other medications so the dosage can be adjusted.
April 6th, 2012 at 12:02 pmHello everyone. May God Bless everyone who has had a stroke and to does family members that have had to live and help does in these situations? My mom is 57 years old. She had an Ischemic stoke about 1 year ago. Before the stroke she was an extremely active woman. She was her husband (my fatherS) care taker since he was diagnose with stage 4 colon cancer. Two weeks before her husband (my father) past my mother had the stroke. It was too much for her to handle watching your husband die slowly after a 4 year battle. Only God knows why things happened the way that they do. We all just have to have Faith in God and what happens to us in the process. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR SOMEONE THAT HAS HAD AN ISCHEMIC STROKE: WHAT DO YOU DO FOR PAIN AND HOW OR WHAT DO YOU USE FOR ARM AND SHOULDER PAIN OR WHAT KIND OF ARM SUPPORT OR STAP DO YOU RECOMMEND. PLEASE, IF THERE IS ANY SUGGESTION THEY ARE SO WELCOME. MY MOTHER IS IN SO MUCH PAIN THE DOCTORS SAY THAT THERE IS NOTHING ELSE THAT THEY CAN GIVE HER BESIDES MEDICATION.
April 6th, 2012 at 2:33 pmHilda, shoulder pain is Steve’s biggest pain issue, so I understand the frustration you feel in not finding anything that can help relieve your mother’s pain. The best thing we’ve come up with is the GivMohr shoulder sling. (See a picture of it at the link). If sized properly, it can be very helpful in reducing shoulder pain, but it may not eliminate it. I have looked everywhere for something to relieve Steve’s pain. We even considered fusing his arm into the shoulder socket, but the shoulder specialist said it would cause only more pain in another area. You would think that with all of today’s technology someone would be able to design a device that would help.
April 6th, 2012 at 4:41 pmThank you so much for responding Kathy. I saw your husband wearing the sling. I have just place the order. I hope that the GivMohr shoulder sling will also reduce some of my mothers left shoulder pain. I spoke to the inventor of the GivMohr sling and told him about the blog were I had seen the sling and how your husband was benefeting in reducing some pain. He replied is the man you are talking about Steve and Kathy and I replied yes. What a small world. Thank God for all this information. Thank you so much Kathy.
April 6th, 2012 at 5:22 pmhi everyone this is a depressing time for me . i have no family am staying by someone and even though they are trying i feel so down i know am in their space .i feel so depressed yet i cant even die am too scared
April 7th, 2012 at 6:05 pmLeslie Ann, I’m sorry to hear about your depression. All I can do is pray and offer you the truth of God’s Word.
“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing . You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever!” Psalms 30:11-12
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
“But may the joy of the Lord be given to everyone who loves him and his salvation. May they constantly exclaim, “How great God is!” I am poor and weak, yet the Lord is thinking about me right now! O my God, you are my helper. You are my Savior; come quickly, and save me. Please don’t delay!” Psalms 40:16-17
April 7th, 2012 at 10:17 pmHi sorry to hear about your husband I pray that he recovers. I needed some advice from you if you could email me back would be most appreciated my mother inlaw had a stroke on the 1st november 2011 which has left her right side of the body paralysed and her speech is affected. She is getting therapy at home to help her but what I would like to know is I was thinking of getting her the machine that lifts her up from one side to another but is expensive for me to pay for alone would NHS help with the cost as she already is a pensioner? May you be blessed and rewarded. Inshallah
April 12th, 2012 at 12:06 pmHi Kathy,
Recently my wife has a stroke because she was having AVM. She was perfectly fine and only 24, so its hard for us to believe the change in life in a second.
Her left side is very weak and I wanted to know how much time it takes to recover once AVM is cured and I landed here. I feel inspired and looking forward for my wife to gain her strength back again.
April 12th, 2012 at 8:46 pmHi my brother in law had a massive stroke 4/8/12. My sister and her husband are relatively young 44 and 53. I am just beginning to understand that john is not the only life affected by this. We are all going to be in it. they have three kids living at home the youngest is 12, (Help) I am trying to understand what to do next to help my sister. My brother in law had the stroke while visiting family in Costa Rica. He cannot be transported to the US yet. Does anyone know of any resources available to help us bring him back home safely and resources available to help my sister cope with this incredible turn in our lives?
April 13th, 2012 at 10:48 amwell am in class room and fighting. while driving the other day my car broke down on top a hill a very frightening experience for a stroke patient. thank god that i was able to call a passing young man for help he helped me roll it down the hill and got me a taxi to go to work.i guess many are the afflictions but the lord diliver you from them all. i even got a room in nursing hostel. which is exelllent
April 14th, 2012 at 6:24 amHi,
April 15th, 2012 at 5:18 pmI know what I am about to ask may sound a little odd, only because my knowledge is very limited and I might be asking for answers that are simply not out there. My Father in law had a stroke approx. 3 weeks ago. He had a bleeding stroke. He lost all verbal skills and his right side appears completely paralyzed. He has a trach in, on a ventilator although his breathing seems to be the biggest area of improvement and has a feeding tube in. His first week his breathing was so low and the bleeding continued that they weren’t sure he would make it. He is now breathing much better and 70% on his own. It appears he can squeeze your hand on when asked with his good side. Right now he is doing a lot of blank starring. My mother in law keeps getting responses from the drs that simply remind her of what a long process this will be. I just wondered are there benchmarks for improvement that will tell a little about his possible outcome? What does three weeks of being in this state mean.
Dear Jenna,
April 16th, 2012 at 11:50 amNone of the doctors can tell how long the recovery will take because each stroke is different, the damage to the brain is different, brain plasticity ( ability to create new neural connections) varies as well.
The doctors say the truth that it will be a lenghty process but the believe and determination help to go through that period. It is exactly 5 months since my husband’s stroke, all the left side of his body was paralyzed, he couldn’t swallow, his body temperatute was jumping up and down, he was in pain which noone could explain. Now he can walk , not gracefully but he walks, we have still a long way to go with his arm. He has spent 4.5 months in 4 different hospitals. We have met many stroke survivors – some of them 8-11 months since stroke. I know it seems like forever, but that time passes very quickly. Beginning is very frustraiting but I pray and hope that you father in law gets better quickly. When you see the changes, little improvements it always gives you more strenght and hope that tomorrow will bring new improvement, that is what kept me going…
Good luck, God Bless.
This is a fantastic site – I posted on another link here – but this site is so spiritually sound – My husband Thom had a stroke due to bacterial/vegatation that grew on his heart due to an infection – from a kidney stone no less – this was in 06 – he is now in a nursing home, left side paralyzed – as I work full time, he got pneumonnia while he was home, and suffered seizures – and tia’s..needless to say, the healthcare center is a very good place – like family to me – but as situations go – we have 6 children, 3 out of state – 3 about 20 minutes away, noone but me and his family (2 brothers and 1 sister ) visit him, and we did everything for our children – but Thom is so grateful to me, he still can use the phone which he does (11 times at work today:) but that is ok, I have been blessed with a great job and boss:) I have to use God as my tool for letting go of the children – the only time they visited was last November when he was dying and wasn’t going to make it through the night – he did survive and they haven’t been up since – so I have to “Let go and Let GOD” – thank you for listening – Peace…
April 18th, 2012 at 2:04 pmKindly give your opinion on the case of my 78years old father who has been down with stroke exactly 5 month now. He was able to sit and the speech is clearer now with improved memory. He is yet to gain control of his right limbs most especially the leg. Is there any hope? He is still continuing with Physiotherapy session.
April 19th, 2012 at 7:16 pmRasaq, There is always hope. It’s only been 5 months and he can recover much more in the next few years if he’ll continue with therapy. The arm and hand are usually the last to respond in most patients.
April 19th, 2012 at 10:14 pmHi Kathy & Steve,
Just a little note to say hi. I am almost 62 years young. About 15 years ago, I was diagnosed with have a stroke. After 6 years of taking blood thinners, etc, I ended up back in a hospital thinking I was having another stroke. ER doc couldn’t find a thing wrong. Sent me home! A fewbdays later, I was back in with my left side shutting down. Lucky for me, a neurologist was on call that night in the ER. It is not take long for him to come up with a new diagnosis….MS! So, 8 years of poking a needle in my every other day. Then another relapse!
By now you might be wondering what this has to do with a stroke….well about 8 months later I had an MRA that showed I had a blocked artery in my neck! I had had a stroke! I still have the blockage. U of I docs conferred and said that I should just leave it alone. So they did,
Did I mention that I am diabetic as well? Along with a few other things, like two cancer ops and a possible third one before summer.
I am still working my job…a traveling tool man! But thinking an early retirement might be in order. My wife of 40 years is retiring this June.
April 23rd, 2012 at 7:48 pmHi Everyone, I am going on 18 years post stroke. With years of physical therapy and botox shots. I have finally found someone that is treating the whole me without the shots. if anyone is interested find an Integrative Manual Therapist! also known as: a Hands on healer. Thanks to my Hands on healer i no longer get the shots, plus for the first time in 17 years(soon to be 18) I am seeing the possibility of getting the use of my left arm and hand back! Maybe not as well as pre stroke. but it will be working again. Please never, never give up hope. I refuse to! So please add a healer as part your heath care.
Thank you,
April 26th, 2012 at 7:23 pmCathy J
Reno, Nevada
HI ALL, Good news for all…there is surely hope, its personal experience.. i am on 13th month post stroke(left limbs) … now i can walk very freely but hand functions come really late.. still have to wait for that…once you get up and able to walk, things improve with every passing day but recovery does happen for sure.. have faith.. God is there for everyone..my hand was so spastic 8 months back it was always stuck against my chest ..that time i thout wont get better ever… and today when i walk on street no one can tell i am stroke survivor… time and patience are the only remedies.. have faith
April 29th, 2012 at 12:15 amHi,
I’m a 53 year old and I had what I’m sure was a stroke 6 months ago, I was taking antibiotics for a tooth abscess and my eyesight dimmed a little along with a head rush, at the time I thought it was to do with that and did not go to the doctors until the next day.
April 30th, 2012 at 12:50 pmHe thought the same and told me to keep an eye on it, 2 days later I was back to the doctors telling him that I was now a bit dizzy and not feeling well, so he said I may have a virus and gave me stomach meds.
It got to the point when my eyes got worse like everything was dark and unreal looking and I was waking up feeling really ill and dizzy, I got took to the hospital and they said it was stress, I visited the doctors again and he gave me anti-depressants, despite me begging him for a scan which I got a clear CT scan 4 months on, during this time I was taken to hospital due to my heartbeat dropping low and they said etopic heartbeat which I did not have at start, I now have to see neurologist.
I have no strength to get out of bed in the morning, my eyesight is worse, I’m very dizzy 24/7 lost most my smell and some taste, ringing in my ears 24/7 and wake up with fast pulse and confusion, I takes me 2 hours to get out of bed and I walk for 30 minutes because I’m frightened to lie down again, I don’t watch much tv because it looks strange, the latest thing that happened is that I woke up and the whole room was spinning wildly, that’s happened twice now.
I’m really scared and my whole life has changed, I have no interest in anything as all I do is take small naps and walk the floors for exercise, could anyone comment on this please as my doctors don’t seem to believe me.
Rasaq, there is always hope for improvement, so don’t give up. Stroke recovery takes time, but with perseverance and hard work great improvements can be made. With someone of your father’s age the biggest obstacle to overcome is the patient’s desire and motivation to work hard to overcome his disability. As long as he stays positive and optimistic with a can-do attitude, he will go far in his recovery.
April 30th, 2012 at 9:08 pmKathy, thanks for your inestimable advice. I appreciate your work. May God bless you and all other contributors. Thanks
May 3rd, 2012 at 6:12 pmHi All:
May 4th, 2012 at 7:17 pmMy mother went on vacation to see relatives in the UK and recently had a stroke. She is in the hospital and is on her 7th day. She is responsive but limited mobility on right side. Its very difficult as her family is here in the US. She wont be able to travel for 2 months. It seems so far away but understand she needs to get stronger before a 6 hours flight. IF anyone has been in this situation and can share with me thoughts on what can be done to get her home. please let me know. Thank you! God Bless!
David, Even though the doctors and I don’t have any answers for what you are experiencing, I know the one who has the answers. He knows the end from the beginning because he is the one who created you. When everyone fails you, he will never let you down. Even though things look and feel hopeless to you, the God of all hope will fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him. He is the God of all wisdom and his name is Jesus. I pray that he will lead you and guide you to the right doctor who can help you, that healing will be manifested in your body and brain, and that your mind will become sound once again. God does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind. The plans that he has for you are plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Call upon Jesus and ask him to help you. He is waiting.
May 4th, 2012 at 8:14 pmHi Kathy, Would you be so kind as to post this reminder to your bloggers to tune and call in for our first interview! Details below. Thank you!
A reminder to tune in and call in this Sat. May 13, from 7pm to 8:30pm. Call in to Blog Talk Radio & speak with the host and us at (347) 850-1527 within 15 minutes of show time. Save this date and time and mark your calendar. Thanks!
Dave & Charlene Nassaney, Authors of One Arm One Leg 100 Words, Overcoming Unbelievable Hardships. (Stroke Survivors for over 15 years)
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/joyce-lest/2012/05/13/momma-joyce-messages-of-hope-2012-3
May 8th, 2012 at 11:38 pmKathy, That was good advice you gave to David.
May 8th, 2012 at 11:41 pmA had a stroke; I believe it’s mercury fillings. I was hypotensive, dehydrated, lethargic and weak. I was on a monitor bed with a catheter, IV’s and a shockingly low blood pressure at 63/28. It’s 1999. Not good.
May 9th, 2012 at 9:06 amhere is a youtube stroke recovery video I ran across. It’s worth watching.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXQF5iRX1RA
May 10th, 2012 at 3:04 pmHi there, my nana had a stroke its ncie to hear some similar stories and know there are others out there!
Rachel
May 15th, 2012 at 8:38 pmHi there, my nana had as troke and its great to read about some similar stories and know there are others out there!
Rachel
May 15th, 2012 at 8:40 pmThanks for this great blog. When I had my stroke there was so little information for stroke survivors–pr so few ways to access it. Survivors helping survivors provides a great service.
In my case, my speech therapist assigned me the task “to blog” and now I use it to keep family and friend up to date on my progress.
Edi
May 17th, 2012 at 10:40 amHi Kathy & Steve,
I’m a second year Occupational Therapy student living in NZ! I found reading your story both interesting and sad at the same time. I hope Steve is doing well. On my first placement last year I worked with stroke patients which gave me a better insight into what strokes are and how it can affect someone. I was just watching youtube videos about strokes yesterday and ‘NeuroAid’ was mentioned, have you tried this? Apparently it is meant to help the patient’s stroke recovery
Ashley
May 17th, 2012 at 11:04 amHi Ashley,
May 17th, 2012 at 9:36 pmThanks so much for writing. I did some research on Neuro Aid and I wasn’t convinced that it would help any more than regular therapy would, so we never tried it. Perhaps if the expenses were covered by insurance, we would give it a try because it is very expensive.
Hi Ashley,
May 17th, 2012 at 9:36 pmThanks so much for writing. I did some research on Neuro Aid and I wasn’t convinced that it would help any more than regular therapy would, so we never tried it. Perhaps if the expenses were covered by insurance, we would give it a try because it is very expensive.