Follow up attacks after first stroke

Read my post Stroke or not to Stroke that is the question especially the one I just posted . It may help then again it may not . 

Regards Ade

Hi Ade,

thank you you for your response. I actually read your post before posting and found it helpful to know the strokeline helped you. I’d be keen to know whether your still having these episodes? And if the doctors ever found anything.

Cheers,

reville 

Reville my last comment on my post should help with some of that.

Regards Ade

HI Reville,

Thanks for the chat over the telephone this morning.  I’m very sorry to hear about your wife’s stroke in October and her recent episodes. It sounds like you have both had quite a challenging time lately.

It’s great to hear that your wife’s rehabilitation was very successful in Melbourne and that she was getting back into her normal daily activities (including work!). Stroke survivors often experience highs and lows in their recovery, and it is important to remember that every stroke survivors journey is different and that rehabilitation is an ongoing journey, which can be frustrating and challenging, but also rewarding. It’s great that she has you as a support network and that you are advocating for your wife to understand stroke recovery and the available supports.

It is completely normal to experience fatigue after stroke, particularly when getting back into activities such as work.  Here is a fatigue podcast you may find useful to listen to.  If your wife is experiencing new F.A.S.T symptoms it is recommended that you to seek emergency medical care at your local emergency hospital.  This includes new symptoms of facial weakness, arm weakness, speech changes and increased headaches/ dizziness.  The medical team at the hospital will be able to complete a thorough history to understand the new changes, complete investigations such as an MRI to clarify the reasons for these clinical changes and provide guidance on how to manage moving forwards. 

Specialist neurology follow-up is important to help you understand your wife’s risk factors for stroke and the signs and symptoms of stroke is also very important. For your wife, this may mean maintaining a healthy blood pressure and cholesterol, maintaining a healthy and well-balanced diet, not smoking, limiting alcohol consumption and being physically active. If the neurologist has excluded stroke as a cause for your wife’s symptoms, they will be able to work with you to investigate other possible explanations for your wife’s presentation, such as migraines or other neurological conditions.

Reville, it is really important for you to remember that you are doing a great job in supporting your wife in her recovery journey. We are here on Strokeline if you wish you chat about this further 1800 757 653.

Wishing all the best to your wife in her recovery!

Thanks,

Maddy & Carol

They dont now enough i had 3 strokes after the big one in 2015 mar 4 . They cant see them cause theres so much damage but we know.   Most strength in my right leg went from 72 percent the 25 percent now it sitting at 50 percent..

I have got Chap Pack up and running l paint  i attend speech therapy i am a paid up member of pollanaters i put a song for 6530 -funtavia so even so just get going

Hi Rivelle,

Here are some other answers for you from the community:

Colleen: Hi my stroke was two years ago? And I still have ongoing symptoms almost like your going to have another stroke. Vestibular migraines with aura and vertigo, leftside weakness numbness very sensitive to light. Some days better than others but the worst for me is fatigue. I was told the symptoms could go away eventually or I could have them the rest of my life? I was 51 and in great health my whole life has changed. I take a day at a time now and I'm grateful I can still use everything. The stroke I had hit my sensory system on my right side of my brain my leftside was paralyzed. Rest as much as you can.

Margaret: I had exact same symptoms a week later opposite side of body. Some say is another stroke some say not. That side is where my deficits are. 6 months down. Found a hole in my heart and have had repaired. Starting to get life back on track. I was 41

Kerry: yes l get them some times.
lm my 55.
My son had a stroke also at 32 he still has what he calls funky feelings in his face and lower leg.
l think its a bit of aftermath and finding normal for you.
if you are tired it is worse.

Tanya: Hi Rivelle
My partner is nearly 12 months post stroke and is still having side affects and will have side affects from his stroke. It has been hard but please hang in there day by day and alot of rehab. 
It took 6 months for then to find out what caused his stroke so it took a while. Recovery is not the same for everyone. 
Hope this helps to know you are not alone.

Clare: Sounds similar to my husband... he was eventually diagnosed with a rare stroke disorder called Cadasil....

Helen: I had a couple of events....one was put down to a blind migraine which has similar symptoms to a TIA. Also I also had partial seizures which set me back quite a bit....being very out of it. I took me days to recover from each one. Also over doing it and not reading your brain and body also slows down your progress and can take time to recover.

Nic: I had a lot of episodes after my 5 strokes and my neurologist told me it was the brains way of telling you to slow down . Good luck with your recovery

Hamish: I had 2 at 24 and 2 “similar events”. I was told at the time that it wasn’t uncommon. That was 16 years ago and I fully recovered

Hi, 

Thank you all for your comments and support. Mattie (my wife) is doing really well now. She ended up in the ER again having a MRI and EEG done with nothing new or abnormal done. The neurologist explained after a few days he thought the causes of these attacks was stress/fatigue and hyper vigilance. Hyper Vigilance is apparently a state where you’re more sensitive to what is going on which to my understand feeds the stress and goes it a downwards circle.

The doctor stressed the importance to Mattie of pain management psychology and getting to a point where she would accept there wasn’t some underlying neurological problem. It was a pretty hard pill to swallow but she accepted it and she thinks now she can hold off these attacks. She’s started at a psychologist and outpatient rehab too.

We found Mattie some books she absolutely loves and she would practice speaking outloud to me or by herself. It was amazing that within a week her speaking was about 95% of the way back. She also pushed on with facial exercises we found online (before she started rehab) and found that as hard as it was she started to be able to move muscles in her face again slowly and regain her amazing smile.

I hope this hyper vigilance was the causes of the attacks and now we know we can manage it. I would be interested if anyone else has had a similar diagnosis?

Thanks again, 

Reville