My Mum had a stroke on the operating table.

I had three strokes during my botched triple bypass op in 2009.  I had a “redo” within hours of the first op, but have never really regained either my strength or stamina.  Notwithstanding that, I have had two holidays in Far Nthern Qld, a month in Italy (it almost killed me, especially getting on and off trains and doing the marathon walks they airports) and two weeks in Bali at Ubud and Candidasa.  I have moved from SA to rural Vic, have a daughter with two children whose husband walked out on her after having numerous extra curricular affairs and in between times am chair of the local men’s shed.  And at age 72 am having a job interview later this week.  And despite all this, I still ache, get stiff, tire easily and have trouble, at times, in maintaining vo'ume with my voice...and I have never been able to write again.  Thank god for my iPad.  Yes...life is hard and at times I think I might as well chuck the towel in.  But as opposed to that I look at ppl who are far worse off than I am.  I have a supportive wife, two supportive children, and two lovely grand children....so I also have much to live for.

i am also reminded of stroke survivor Emma Gee who used to be in charge of the Stroke Foundation website and blog areas beforetbey were taken down and replaced with EnableMe (IMHO not as good and spontaneous as the old site).  Emma is a remarkable young woman and on occasions I would travel into Melbourne to have coffee and a chat with her.  She has written a book and works as a motivational speaker.

You say your mum can’t read anymore due to her eyesight but maybe talking books would be an idea.  Most council libraries carry them.

And in closing, I apologise for any typos (I blame them on my iPad’s predictive text and the hour, as it is almost midnight).

I hope I haven’t bored you....🤪

Mitch

Hi Claire,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the Stroke Foundation. Thank you also to Mitch for sharing your story and your advice.

I am very sorry to hear about the difficulties your mother has, it sounds like she’s been through a lot. Unfortunately stroke recovery is not straightforward and it is different for everyone. Fatigue is very common in stroke survivors, however it is difficult to predict how it will improve. If she hasn’t already, I would encourage your mother to talk with her GP about the fatigue, just to check it’s not related to something else, such as a nutritional deficit. It is also important for her to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regime, as well as monitor her mood and sleep cycles. Is she sleeping okay at night? It is also a good idea to monitor the fatigue and be aware if it worsens at certain times of the day, if she feels better after exercise, and if her mood affects the fatigue. She might like to make note of when it affects her most and speak with her GP about it to come up with some strategies for managing it.

If you would like some more resources on fatigue, I would encourage you to check out our fact sheet on fatigue after stroke if you haven’t already. We also have a podcast about fatigue that you or your mother might like to listen to. You might also like to have a look at our main page on fatigue and some interesting conversations on our forum about cognitive fatigue and practical ways to manage fatigue.

In regards to your mother’s vision loss, she may benefit from seeing an ophthalmologist if she hasn’t already. They will be able to offer more information and advice about how to treat the vision loss. As Mitch said, talking or audiobooks are a great idea if your mother would still like to maintain reading. There are a lot of resources for audiobooks online, or there might even be an application she could use if she has a smart phone/device. You could also take a look at Vision Australia’s website, as they might have some resources that might be suitable for your mother and can help her with reading. 

I hope this information is helpful. Thank you for sharing your story, and feel free to ring our StrokeLine on 1800 787 653 if you would like to speak with someone in more detail.

Best wishes,

Meredith (StrokeLine)