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Hope for Stroke Recovery – Don’t Give Up
It’s tempting to give up hope for stroke recovery when progress slows down and you don’t see visible signs of improvement. But that’s the time to press in and don’t give up. The brain is still making new connections even though you can’t see any change. It’s just like a tree going into the dormant stage of winter. The leaves have fallen and it looks bare. No growth is apparent, but during that time, its roots grow deeper and it gets stronger, all unseen to the human eye.
It takes a strong fighting spirit to keep going when stroke happens to you or a loved one. Everyone wants to know “how long will it take to recover?’ There is no answer to that because so much depends on the extent of the brain injury, the amount of therapy received, and the attitude of the patient. For those who don’t give up hope for stroke recovery, the outcomes are very successful.
We met Mike and Linda, a couple in our stroke support group. Mike had a brain aneurysm 5 years ago and the effects on him were the same as a stroke. He can’t walk yet because his balance is so poor, but he does everything he can to regain his balance. His improvement has been slow and steady, and there’s still progress being made. Since we’ve met them, I’ve noticed a huge difference. Mike is getting stronger and his balance is getting better. He believes he will one day walk again and he’s working toward that goal.
The sad part is that Linda thinks all his hard work is futile and she wants him to accept his condition. I gently rebuked her for that attitude and reminded her that all things are possible to him who believes. Mike won’t give up and neither should she. The time is going by anyway, so why not keep trying for a full recovery. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
This topic is so important to me because my husband lost hope for stroke recovery after a major seizure in 2008 affected his motivation to get better. He gave up because his recovery wasn’t happening as fast as he wanted it to. It’s interesting to note that Mike sees how well Steve can still walk (even though it’s for only short distances) and wishes he could walk that well. If Steve would have continued his therapy, he would have regained so much more. He was doing so well before that seizure shut him down. But that’s no excuse…you have to fight toward that goal even when you don’t feel like it. Easier said than done…I know!
I wish we had unlimited funds to get professional ongoing therapy for Steve, because a spouse/caregiver can do only so much. It’s hard fighting against the will of another person. The last three and half years could have brought great strides of progress for my husband if he only believed and kept trying. But now he’s slowly losing what abilities he had gained because of his lack of use, and it’s resulting in much more pain for him as his joints tighten up. This cliché is so true: If you don’t use it, you lose it.
Even now, things can turn around for Steve if he’ll keep trying. There is always hope for stroke recovery, so I urge you…don’t give up!
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Recovering from stroke or dealing with any other chronic disease really takes its toll on your physche. The promise of regaining some of the lossed functions has to be palitable in order for the patient to really stick with the necessary rehab.
In my role at an in-home care agency, I have interacted with numerous stroke patients and their families and have been and eye witness to their struggles but also their triumphs! I have seen family caregivers pour hearts and souls into supporting the rehab process for a loved one and have seen that patient achieve goals that they never thought possible. Please take care of yourselves,family caregivers…arrange for frequent respite time to recharge.
December 8th, 2011 at 11:20 amFor additional support for family caregivers and stroke rehab info,check out
http://easylivingservices.com/blog-0/?Tag=stroke
What an accomplishment you have achieved in maintaining this blog for so many years. I know it’s helped many people. I’m finding it comforting to some extent. My husband, just turned 60 and had a stroke 3 weeks ago today. He’s still in the hosp. rehab, progress is slow. Unfortunately I have to be concerned about how we’ll be able to keep our house when his paycheck stops. He is a teacher in a small private school and once his limited sick pay runs out the disability benefits, plus my income just won’t cover our mortgage. I say this blog is comforting to some extent, only because I was a little disheartened to see how limited your husband’s activity level is (walking short distances) nearly 4 yrs post? I’m trying to manage my expectations. There is such a broad range of experiences. One day at a time….. I am very grateful for your generous sharing.
December 20th, 2011 at 6:18 amThank you Donna! And please don’t be discouraged by Steve’s slow-going. His lack of progress is only because he gave up after he had a series of seizures that affected the motivational center of his brain. Even today if he would believe again, great improvements could be made.
December 20th, 2011 at 9:56 pmHi There,
January 19th, 2012 at 8:23 pmI would like to comment on what you said about how important it is to stay positive and have patience and” Never Give up.I am 42- year-old woman who had a stroke on Sept9th of 2011. I was paralzed on my dominant left-side, but now with therapy for 12 weeks have regained use of my arm, however, my fingers have not come back yet, so I am now starting therapy again to work on regainging the use of them to work for fine motor skills as I am typing with one finger right now and it takes forever, but I have always kept a positive attitudsince my stroke, and I have never once thought that I wasn’t going to get better, and because of that attitude, I have succeeded immensely even though I had to relearn how to do subtraction and several other things too. I have even started my own blog to share things that I have learned how to do with one handand other things, please check it out at http://www.strokeofmidlife.wordpress.com
Tell your husband to keep up the good work. I like your blog, keep up the good work.
Thanks for the inspirational blog…I’m sure it was hard at times to keep up. I had my stroke August 31, 2011. Definitely a life changing experience for me and my family. I have been told I’m extremely lucky, although I didn’t feel that way early on. Everything I experienced was new to me, because I had never spent a night in a hospital until this happened. I have been told by doctors, therapists and nurses that my recovery has been amazing, and speending time in rehab with other patients has confirmed this for me. I had very little movement, and no strength, on my left side 5 1/2 months ago, and now I’m walking 2 miles a day and lifting weights 3 days a week, although lightly and leading a near-normal life, although with limitations. Undiagnosed diabetes was the cause of my event, and now I’ve changed my eating and exercise habits completely. I have also lost 42lbs and feel better than I have in years except for my weakness, but I’ll continue to work hard to improve. I attribute my recovery to a very loving wife and family, as well as the healthcare professionals in my area. And the therapists that were with me every step of my journey are nothing short of incredible. Once again, thanks for your inspiration, and good luck on your continuing journey back…
February 16th, 2012 at 5:48 pmYou’ve had an amazing recovery Scott, and I wish all stroke survivors could have outcomes like yours. Thanks for sharing. It gives us all hope!!
February 16th, 2012 at 7:14 pmmy husband has just had a stroke and this information is so helpfull thank you. I have not got a clue what to do so its great the help. maddie.
February 18th, 2012 at 5:32 am