2 years on from my ICH Stroke - First post!

Hi Deni Ann,

Welcome to the community, and thank you for posting.

I have sent your question through to StrokeLine 1800 787 653. They are a team of allied stroke care health professionals that provide their expertise. I hope you get some answers from the community too.

There are some resources about memory that you may also find handy click here. And a podcast here.

Diana 

Hi Denise,

We are sorry to hear about your stroke and the difficulties you are experiencing, it sounds as if the last 6 months have been difficult for you.

Stroke can affect the way you think and perceive things and this may affect your daily activities including memory. Have you spoken to your local doctor about these changes? Any new changes should be discussed with your doctor so they can follow up any medical reasons for the changes.  If not, it would be helpful for you to discuss the issues that you are experiencing with you GP and or neurologist (if you are still seeing one). 

Other factors can also impact on memory, including fatigue, stress and mood. Fatigue is quite common following a stroke, and can impact on a variety of activities including memory. You can read more about fatigue after stroke here.  It is worth considering whether there might be other factors influencing your memory, especially if the changes have increased over the last 6 months.

Are you still involved with any therapists such as an Occupational Therapist or Speech Pathologist? Ongoing rehabilitation can assist with changes to thinking such as memory. If you are not still involved with a therapy team, it would be good to talk to your local doctor about a referral to a local community rehabilitation program, or a private therapist such as an Occupational Therapist or Speech Pathologist. An Occupational therapist can provide you with rehabilitation support, assess your thinking and perception skills and how they may impact on your day to day life. They can then provide you strategies to manage your changes.  You also may wish to discuss with your doctor a referral to a neuropsychologist for assessment, as a neuropsychologist can diagnose and treat changes in thinking, memory, and behaviour after stroke. There can be a high cost associated with a neuropsychologist assessment, so discuss this with your doctor before making the appointment.

It may also be worth discussing with your local doctor, your eligibility for the Chronic Conditions Management Treatment Plan. This would entitle you to 5 sessions of Allied Health therapy such as Occupational Therapy or Speech Pathology at a Medicare rebated rate.

 Some strategies that may also help with your memory changes include:

• Keeping a journal or list of items that are important. This might include a list of friends with their pictures by their names
• Reducing the distractions around you when you are trying to remember something, or taking on new information
• Using lists and checklists around the home and in your bag for when you are out and about

In addition to the links Diana provided, you can read more about managing your memory problems after a brain injury here.  

As Diana has mentioned, if you would like to discuss your concerns with a health professional, please do not hesitate to contact us at StrokeLine on 1800 787 653 or strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au.

 Wishing you well,

Shraeya and Siobhan (StrokeLine)