What information can your give me

Hi Mirijana.

Thank you for reaching out on EnableMe.

We are very sorry to hear you had a stroke in September. The changes you can experience after a stroke can be overwhelming and it is great you are reaching out on EnableMe to connect with others who may have had similar experiences. There is a vast community of survivors available to you through the EnableMe community online but there are also some face-to-face groups you might like to connect with. 

You can use EnableMe to find support groups in your area by going to this link Support groups | enableme and searching by your location. Please note Stroke Foundation does not run these groups and many of them are often run by volunteers. Locations and dates can change regularly and we encourage you to call the support group contact before attending, or even to get some more information about the group if you think you might be interested in attending. You can also call us here at StrokeLine on 1800 787 653 if you run into any difficulties.

With regards to the hemiplegia and your previous EnableMe question, here is an article published by Stroke Foundation Coping with hemiplegia... It is dated 2013 but very much still relevant for those learning to cope with paralysis post stroke.  You can also find more on arm and hand function here and leg function after stroke here. These may also be helpful for you.

In regards to continence issues after stroke, people can be affected in different ways. It is always good to talk with your Gp about any changes you have noticed, or any continence problems that have occurred after your stroke.   You can read more about that changes that may occur here. you can also get help from a continence nurse through your GP, or by calling the National Continence Helpline on Ph 1800 33 00 66 and having a look at their website here. 

Do you have any input from a Physiotherapist or Occupational Therapist?  It can be helpful to have a review or burst of rehab especially if you didn’t have rehab in September following your stroke.   You can talk with your Gp about a referral to a community rehabilitation Centre, or have some sessions with a private therapist through the chronic conditions care plan.  The chronic conditions care plan allows you to access 5 sessions of allied health therapy such as Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy at a Medicare rebated rate over a 12-month period.  REhabilitation is so important in stroke recovery.

 There can be many impacts of a stroke, and every stroke survivor is different.  EnableMe has some great information on the impacts a stroke can have on someone. A good place to start is here at the Resources page.   If you have specific questions, please reach out to us here at StrokeLine on Ph 1800 787 653 or email us on strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au. We are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm AEDT.   We would be more than happy to talk with you about what you have been through after your stroke, and answer any questions you might have moving forward.

Warm regards

Jo and Siobhan (StrokeLine)