Stroke Survivor Blog

The other day I talked with Rose, a friend of Steve’s mother who had heard all about his stroke and depression. Rose told us she was praying for him and knew just what he was going through. You see, Rose at 82 years of age, is a 10-year stroke survivor.

I was surprised to hear that, because she showed no evidence of a stroke other than using a walker, which was not unusual for a person her age. She told me that her stroke left her completely paralyzed on her right side and she could not speak because the stroke affected her speech. This is a condition called aphasia. Depression overtook this stroke survivor and all she did was cry for months and months. She felt like her life was over.

This is the same way Steve feels. His loss is so profound because he used to be able to do almost anything. He could design a house on a napkin and have the skill to build it. Since his teen years, his only profession was construction. He loved the outdoors and working with his hands. Physical labor brought him great pleasure and satisfaction. To lose the function of his leg, arm and hand made him feel useless and worthless. Depression set in and it really affected his rehabilitation. His attitude became extremely negative and he lost all hope of getting better, so he stopped trying. Unfortunately, these are emotions that almost all stroke survivors experience.

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Rose spent about two years in that condition until her husband asked how long she was going to cry about it. She made up her mind that she was going to get better. She forced herself to do therapy on her own even when she didn’t feel like it, working through the pain and failures. The progress seemed so slow, and the depression didn’t leave immediately. But the more exercise she got, the greater she felt, and the better she got. Even her speech so improved that talking with her today you would never know she had any speech impediment. The complications of a left-brain stroke like Rose’s which affects the speech is more difficult for a stroke survivor to overcome. Not only does their body not work properly, but they also have difficulty expressing themselves leaving them feeling trapped inside of their body.

This grieving process is to be expected, but we may ask, “How long will it last?” Family members feel helpless as we try to encourage the stroke survivor only to be met with comments like, “My life is over. I might as well be dead.” All I can say is this: Don’t give up on them. Continue to love them and be patient. We don’t know what it feels like to be in their shoes, trapped inside of a body that won’t obey the commands given it. They feel like a part…a big part of them died, and they don’t know if they’ll ever get it back. It is frustrating to their loved ones, but keep praying, helping and loving them back to health.

It took almost 10 years for Rose to regain what she lost in the stroke, but she didn’t give up. Don’t you give up the fight either whether you’re a stroke survivor, caregiver or loved one. All things are possible to him who believes!