Cerebellum/Parietal lobe Stroke

Hi Ros,

I posted your question on our Facebook page and I have copied over the comments for you:

Glenys McLaughlin I had two cerebellar strokes that were both missed by the ER and a neurologist. I had nystagmus, couldn't walk, couldn't stand up without holding on to something. I was told I had vertigo. The strokes were discovered this year - 9 years after the first and 4 years after the second - when I had a third stroke, this time cerebral, rather than cerebellar. It only took 8 months to diagnose the third stroke LOL! I've had balance issues since the second stroke.

Leisa Curyer Glad to hear you are recovering well. My husband had an ischaemic stroke of the Cerebellum on the right side and is also recovering really well with all speech, movement and coordination pretty much back to normal. He is still having some issues with short term memory and fatigue but all in all he is very lucky. Good luck with your recovery.

Amanda Dhyani Clarke I’m sorry to hear you had a stroke and glad you came through it as well as you did! Something similar happened to me four years ago - right cerebellar stroke that was diagnosed as vertigo. It was finally picked up as a stroke 4 months later when I was still having problems with balance, nausea, fatigue and memory. No rehab was offered because it was a bit late and I was ‘managing’ I suppose. I havent gone back to nursing, still not working but the fatigue is improving. It really only still affects me if I get stressed, I get really fatigued and nauseous and it can take weeks to resolve. I guess my only suggestion is to take it slowly. Be gentle with yourself, and take as long as you need to recover. 
I found out much later that I could have accessed services like social work and OT through my local council, but by the time I found out it was a bit late. Try and get onto some kind of rehab if you can, it’s very lonely trying to do it on your own. Good luck. Keep letting us know how you’re going. Xxx

Rachel Harling I am finding this really disturbi g that so many cerebellar strokes are being misdiagnosed as vertigo. Drs need to be more aware of the simple HINTS examination which has high validity in determining Stroke vs non stroke when vertigo is a primary symptom. These strokes as we are hearing can be equally disabling and are complex to treat for therapists ( i am a PT).

Paul Hangan Hey. Just suffered a stroke few months back. U just need to keep going as hard as it is sometimes. U will recover over time and need to accept its a journey towards health. Get as much emotional support as u can. This def helps. Look at is a wake up call for a new you!🙂. Take care

Nathan Baxter Right cerebellar and then right middle frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, right frontal opercular region, left middle frontal gyrus, right occipital lobe all caused by atrial fibrillation that was undiagnosed for several years. That was last December. Coordination and movement all squared away now. Issues continue to be fatigue and emotional fluctuations. 

Fortunately I am still incredibly good looking and funny. So there's that. 

Hope that helps Ros

Eleanor McCarthy My husband suffered a stroke in a similar region from two artery dissections.
His neuro Physio taught him a lot of balance exercises as well as a fitness program that helped him immensely with vertigo and pain management 
Best wishes for your recovery, I hope you can access the health professionals you need.

Diana 

Hi Ros,

I have read through yours and others posts, such a great response to your call out and I hope seeing others stories about their own strokes helps with the isolation that can occur.  As Rachel has talked about above, I too was alarmed about this mis diagnosis of strokes.  I think of people  such as yourself being sent away from hospital, confused, concerned and the on going uncertainty this would bring to seeking treatment when they have not been diagnosed correctly.

Great conversation you have started!!

Have a good day!!

:-)

Sue

Thank you Diana for posting my comments on FB. I was beginning to think that no one else had had a stroke like/similar to mine. It looks like I was lucky that it only took 3 days to decide that maybe I had had a stroke rather than vertigo. That diagnosis came about because my husband and daughter kept saying that my speech was slurred. I was transferred to another hospital where a neurologist immediately began treating me for stroke before any confirmation came through. When it did, via an MRI, everyone was astounded! Firstly, because I didn't fit the profile of a stroke candidate, and secondly because my symptoms seemed to clearly indicate vertigo. It also didn't help matters much when the doctors were told I had suffered problems with my ears since early childhood. I find it helpful to know that I am not imagining my tiredness (fatigue); I do try to work through it but sometimes it is just too hard. I still walk a bit like I have had one drink too many so I use a walking stick when I go out to help push me in the right direction! It also acts a good deterrent for other shoppers/people, as they tend to give me wider berth than normal. I find sucking on a barley sugar helps ease the nausea. As for 'dark thoughts'; they are getting less but I still have the occasional moment when I reflect on my mortality. However, even this has a plus side as it is prompting me to finish ALL those half done projects that I always said I'd finish one day. Thank you everyone for your comments and words of support. I agree, strokes of the cerebellum really do need to be considered when symptoms display as vertigo. It needs more research and more public awareness.

Hi Ros,

Sorry to hear about your stroke and the misdiagnosis you received.

It’s great that you’ve received responses from both the Facebook and enableme community – it sounds like you can relate to some of the experiences shared.

You may the find the Resources section of enableme helpful, particularly if you would like more information about mobility, fatigue and mood changes after stroke.

If you’d like to chat about your individual situation or have any questions, please give us a call on StrokeLine (1800 787653)

All the best,

Lisa (StrokeLine)