Gayle

Such wonderful and meaningful goals Gayle!  It is great that you have started with the foundation of walking without leaning, and gradually built up your goals. It is good to see that you have included loved ones throughout the goal setting process and also a physio. Having the support of other people can really help and I am sure they will all be keen to be a part of your journey too. I look forward to seeing how you go!

Please don't hesitate to call us on StrokeLine 1800 787 653 or email strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au for further support achieving your goals. We are available from Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm AEDT. 

With kind regards,

Kath, StrokeLine

I was in the same situation following a haemorrhagic stroke. I had to learn to walk again in rehab. When I came home from rehab I relied on 2 trekking poles to even walk a short distance.  You can have one in each hand, held there by webbing loops, so you can't easily drop them. They really help with maintaining balance on uneven ground and the more you walk, the better you get at it.  It took a couple of months to be good enough to leave 1 pole behind, then a couple more before I could walk without them. I'm now walking on very rugged terrain (I live on a rural property and also like walking in a nearby national park, so the ground can be really rough) Basically, the more yuou do it, the quicker you recover. I also tended to push myself just a little bit beyond my comfort zone to help improve. Not so much that you take a long time to recover, just a little bit.

Hi Gayle, if you haven't already had your eyes checked by a Vestibular Physio, ask for that to be done. Sometimes this can be missed because everyone is working on the bigger more obvious issues. Its another thing that will help you 'straighten up' when walking in the long run. best wishes.