Stroke Survivor Blog

The thought of being a burden is a concern for many stroke survivors including my husband, Steve, who feels like he’s such a huge burden to me. But yet I don’t feel like he is. I have to be very careful not to show my frustration to him when things become difficult for me. Sometimes [...]

Recovering from a stroke is hard enough without the complications of congestive heart failure. Just when we thought Steve’s heart condition was under control, he started having problems with CHF again. The symptoms he’s having are: severe swelling in his legs water retention weight gain shortness of breath cough bloating in the upper stomach area, [...]

I learned by “trial and error” how to care for a stroke survivor when my husband, Steve, had a massive stroke which completely disabled him. When he was in the hospital under the care of therapists and nurses, I observed what they did. However, nothing really prepared me for the daunting responsibility of caregiving until [...]

May is Stroke Awareness Month. This is a good time to learn how bodywork can play a valuable role in helping to prevent stroke in those who are most vulnerable, and help victims recover with dignity. Of the five million stroke survivors in the United States, more than three million have some resulting disability or [...]

As a caregiver, I’ve been on dozens…maybe hundreds of appointments with Steve where I must wait for him while he’s in therapy or having test. During those times, I like to read, so I plan ahead and bring along a book or two…jamming them into a large purse. Once in a while, I’ll forget to [...]

Increasing blood circulation is important for anyone suffering from stroke, heart disease, P.A.D., diabetes, and a host of other infirmities. The normal way to get your blood circulating better is through exercise, even if it’s just walking while shopping or climbing the stairs at home. However, with a physically disabled person, exercise is almost impossible [...]

With the hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) sessions completed, we have the results of 18 treatments on my husband Steve, a stroke survivor. Although I had hoped that he could have received the recommended 40 sessions in order to get the maximum benefit, we have still seen improvement in the few that he got. These are [...]