Stroke Survivor looking for support and some answers

Chip
Chipon Monday, July 1 2019
3 Comments

Hi all,

I am 43 years old and had a rare arterial dissection back in August of 2018.  I am now in my 10th month of recovery.

I had the left quarter of my cerebellum removed affecting my left side and balance.  I am walking again after months of rehabilitation and I returned to work in March with a gradual return. The therapists were happy with how far I've come along in a short period. I was was moved to a rehabilitation facility in September of 2018 and was released as an outpatient in November where I returned to times a week for PT and OT until March of 2019 when I returned home.

My neurosurgeon said I should have a full recovery. Whatever a full recovery is fur a stroke Survivor. I don't know.

The muscles in my left leg are still somewhat tense and in my glutes. My shoulder and neck feel tense and my arm feels like it's just hanging there. My mobility with the left arm had improved but it's due going.

The left side of my face is still numb but I was told it should return. I have temperature sensitivity issues on my right side and can't sense hot or cold.  Also when I walk the nerves in the right sometimes task and make my right leg give out like being kicked behind the knees. It's frustrating to say the least.

Mood wise I try to remain positive and continue to try and improve my progress which includes Relearning the guitar.

Like many others after stroke I find I'm short fuse with some things and have a different outlook on life which I'm trying to deal with.

I have no one to really talk to add I don't know if anyone else that's experienced what I'm going through. My experience with stroke  survivors is that everyone is different.

My biggest concern now is will the muscles ever relax and will my arm ever feel normal again? I also have fuzzy feeling in my left hand. It feels temperature and surfaces like felt and fur fine. But am hopeful this fuzzy feeling good away. It's not quite numb but has the sensation of when your hand falls asleep. The tear ducts in my left eye s typed producing years so am using ointment and artificial tears to keep it ok. Hoping that returns again someday.

Has anyone experienced any of this and what are your results? I'm curious to hear from others on their recovery.  I know it can take years and there's are definitive answers but I would like to get some ball park numbers as what to expect.

Any feed back wood be greatly appreciated.

All the best to everyone,

JD

3 Responses
StrokeLine avatar
StrokeLine

Hi Chip,

 

It’s great that you have reached out on EnableMe, there is a great deal of support here from others who may have experienced similar feelings. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot, but it’s good to hear that you have made such progress.

 

Stroke recovery is a journey and each stroke survivor is different. It’s important to remember that recovery is ongoing, and you may need to continue having rehabilitation sometime after your stroke. Are you still seeing the PT and the OT? If you aren’t, it might be worth getting another burst of rehabilitation to help with some of your difficulties.  You might be able to return to the outpatient rehab facility you attended, or perhaps speak with your doctor about your eligibility for a chronic conditions management treatment plan, where you can access 5 sessions of allied health therapy such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

 

Do you know the cause of your tense muscles? If not, it’s a good idea to speak with your doctor about it to identify the cause of it. Many stroke survivors experience spasticity after stroke, and there are treatments available to help with this. You can discuss this with your doctor in more detail if you think it might be spasticity, or something else. A physiotherapist can also give you specific exercises tailored to your needs and the management of these feelings.  You might also like to read our fact sheet on pain management. There is also a lot of great conversation about post stroke pain on EnableMe. This post about managing pain after stroke discusses the importance of having a multi-faceted approach to pain management.

 

It is very common for stroke survivors to experience emotions or mood changes after their stroke. You can read more about this in our fact sheet about emotional and personality changes after stroke. You can speak with your doctor about this as well, and there are treatments available. Some stroke survivors find speaking with a psychologist and receiving cognitive behavioural therapy can be helpful, especially if the changes are impacting your daily life. It can also be helpful to write down when you feel angry or irritable to help identify possible triggers.

 

You might also be interested in seeking support through a stroke support group, you can find links to local groups here. This can be a great way of, meeting others who have experienced a stroke and possibly similar experiences to you.

 

It sounds like there is a lot going on for you, so we would be happy to talk with you in more detail if you think this could be helpful.  You are welcome to give us a call on StrokeLine Ph. 1800 787 653 to speak with one of our health professionals.

 

We hope this is helpful and do feel free to give us a call.

 

Kind regards

 

Meredith and Siobhan (StrokeLine)

Deigh avatar
Deigh

Chip,  Every stroke seems completely different, you will experience problems different to everyone else, it is quite remarkable. My advice is to see what problems you can solve yourself before seeking professional help. I'm in my fourth year of recovery and had many  problems getting back to guitar playing. Initially I couldn't even work out how to hold it properly! The fingers are moving a lot better now but is surprising how I keep finding some things impossible!

Loss of strength of both hands had to be overcome before I could hold strings down at all but my worst problem was holding the plectrum and I had to design a new one before overcoming that one.

Deigh

Toni avatar
Toni

Hi Chip
AS you mention, each stroke survivor's story is different and as such I don;t feel I can offer anything in regards to what you're physically experiencing. What I will say though is Enableme is a great palce to 'talk' to other stroke survivors and you can freely share your thoughts, experiences and emotions here with noone judging you but everyone supporting you.

Best wishes with your conitinued recovery

Toni

Loading reply form...