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 tPA because 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 belligerant 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.
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. Here’s a link to it: http://www.nativeremedies.com/products/anger-soothe-control-emotional-outbursts.html?img=1165&kbid=15607
Another remedy for depression works very well too. That link is: http://www.nativeremedies.com/products/mood-tonic-natural-mood-enhancers.html?img=49&kbid=15607
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