Stroke Survivor Blog

Aquatic therapy is going well, and Steve’s one on one time with a therapist has been extended for a few more months. He also joined a group class for stroke and head injury survivors, but it’s not as challenging as the individual therapy.

We finally got his ingrown toenail taken care of. This was absolutely necessary in order for him to walk properly. It was so painful that he was putting weight on the side of his foot to keep pressure off the big toe. This made walking very difficult and it used a whole different set of muscles in his leg. So now the toe feels better, but the muscles that were neglected are a little tight.

But I am so proud of him. He is doing so well in his stroke recovery. At times he has gotten down and felt he wouldn’t recover any more. It’s very easy for him to focus on what he’s lost instead of rejoicing over what he’s gained. Although the progress is slower than he expected, he’s still making progress. Today he was stretching out his arm (with my help) and he opened up his fingers. It wasn’t just a fluke, he did it several times. That is so huge, because all the therapists said that opening the fingers is the last thing to come back. I made him look at his fingers and said, “Look at what you’re doing…you’re opening your fingers!!” Steve can’t always feel the part of the body that he tries so move, so it’s important for him to actually see himself succeeding. He needs constant encouragement, but I don’t baby him like I did when he first came home in June. I make him do many things for himself now.

Part of my decision to do that was because I got tendinitis in my hands. Physically I had to take care of myself, so I forced him to do things himself even when he struggled to do so. That struggle is making him stronger. I keep reminding him that he can do all things through Christ who gives him strength, and that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in him.

Now that the short days and gloomy cold weather of winter has hit Wisconsin, Steve is experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as SAD. In previous years we would usually take a vacation to a warm place to help alleviate this. And it did help, but now with the complication of a stroke, depression is a high risk.

According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of winter SAD are: Depression, hopelessness, anxiety, loss of energy, social withdrawal, oversleeping, loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed, appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates, weight gain, and difficulty concentrating and processing information. Steve had many of these symptoms since the stroke, but now they’re amplified with SAD.

Recovery from the stroke is an uphill battle by itself, but with both conditions it’s imperative that he be treated with an antidepressant. We are also looking at alternative treatment with a light box to help him get through the winter. Please pray with me that Steve will come through this with victory. The joy of the Lord is his strength!!