Return to work after Stroke by William Lo

Hey guys what’s going on?

Today I wanted to talk about returning to work after stroke. I find this difficult to talk about, because the act of actually returning to work after stroke means a different thing to everyone and quite often it’s a difficult goal to achieve. In the world of stroke, I think there is this huge emphasis on “coming back” which often gets in the way of actually recognising everything which may be required after a brain injury such as stroke, to effectively perform in the workplace. The reality is after stroke we may no longer be able to function in the workplace like we did before.

For example, one of the things I really struggled with was accepting I had to ask for help or do things differently to overcome my fatigue and physical limitations. Being an independent person, I did everything in my power to avoid asking for help, sometimes this was to my detriment.

It was difficult to accept I was different to before my stroke. But rather than focusing on the fact I was different I recognised stroke was a learning opportunity – it took me a while to come to this realisation.

Other people can also place these expectations on you and you may feel the pressure to confirm, for many of us these expectations can be overwhelming. It is important to remember you are not defined by other people’s expectations.

Recovery after stroke will inevitably come hand in hand with obstacles which are outside our control, such as cognitive and physical fatigue. My advice is let these be out of your control. Then take the chance and focus your energy on working on the things which can be controlled, especially when attempting to return to work.

This might involve extensive planning, to ensure that you are always working at your best. Of course, this requires A LOT of self-awareness.. This might be extremely difficult and may involve coming up with strategies in your toolbox to demonstrate your capabilities. For example, it might be trialing working part-time at first, maybe two to three days a week, before slowly progressing to a full-time load when comfortable.

Depending on the type of work, it might also involve taking breaks throughout the day to help manage fatigue, or asking for help in difficult two handed tasks.

If you are looking at returning to work, I recommend talking to your occupational therapist or a neuropsychologist. Your health professionals can provide sincere, honest guidance on what you can do, rather than listening to the mirror’s version of what you THINK you can do. A neuropsychology assessment in particular can help pave the way for a successful, and smooth return to work. Make sure to work alongside your employer too. The better they understand stroke and “stroke you”, the better your transition back to the workplace and your ability to demonstrate your work capabilities.

It’s important to recognise although it may be extremely difficult to accept we require extra assistance, or help, this is going to be necessary if we want to achieve our potential after stroke. You might like to think of this as “playing to your strengths.”

I like to think of stroke recovery like an artist painting a self-portrait. Before our stroke, we had a very strong sense of who we were, what we valued, and what we didn’t. Then one day, all of a sudden, either we or someone else spills white paint all over the portrait, leaving it blank.
Devastated by what’s happened, we eventually start to paint a new one, starting with big, broad strokes because it’s always messy in the beginning. As we progress in recovery, our strokes start to become finer, with each milestone along the journey.

Stroke recovery constantly changes us in different ways and one of the biggest changes we may have to go through before returning to work is how we view ourselves. With each brush stroke whether this be work or a rehab goal we begin to gain a greater understanding of ourselves, until after years of work, we are able to stand back and marvel at what has been painted. We barely remember what the old one looks like, and although this one looks different, we seem to identify with it more than our original one.

Ultimately return to work after stroke is just another opportunity to becoming the best “new” you. And of course you’d like to set yourself up for success right?

For advice or help in returning to work contact Stroke Foundation’s StrokeLine team on 1800 787 653 or ask a question here.

Best of luck with your recovery,

William