Recovery from a stroke: time schedule?

MJR,
I had a hemorrhagic stroke in November of last year in the right occipital lobe. A friend who is a nurse in a neurological hospital and my neurologist. Both told me there is no real timeframe but that recovery from a stroke is a marathon not a sprint. I find it very easy to get discouraged as well, the only thing I do is keep doing what I’m supposed to be doing and be happy that I’m still alive. I wish I had some magic answer for you, but I don’t.

Jim

I had a lacunar ischemic stroke on Christmas Eve, 2018. It left me temporarily unable to move my right side.

I was told at that time not to expect a full recovery. Since then, more than 2000 days later, I have made a lot of progress, but there is a long way to go.

Every stroke is different, and every stroke patient is different. It's not like a broken bone. Your body can heal; your brain has to develop new pathways. (I'm sure you've heard about "neuroplasticity".) There is no typical recovery time.

The main factor is *you*. You really have to work at it, every day. Your dedication to your recovery is the determining factor. One thing is for sure: If you don't work at it, you will not improve. And if you stop working at it, you'll lose the progress you've made.

The good news is that with effort and determination, improvement will continue, even years later. I'm still getting better, though slowly.

You might find my YouTube channel helpful. It covers my recovery experience via ~5-minute episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/@srlucado/videos
Good luck, and don't give up!

I don't know anyone who ever fully recovered. Mine was moderate, hemorrhagic on the left side, 3 years ago. My aphasia has worsened over the years, and my short-term memory is shot. I was an engineer, and now I don't engage with numbers. My wife took over the finances. Healing and how far it can go depends on your stroke and how you approach it. I embraced mine, since I couldn't get rid of it, and decided I would roll with it and adapt as best I could. Keep plugging away at it, and I hope you find some peace and patience with the process.

You’ve made impressive progress in a few months and you should be proud. It all comes down to your hard work and your rehab team as to how you recover.

Like someone else said, every stroke is different. But I had 2 bilateral strokes. And a basal ganglia stroke and was paralyzed down on my left side. What was interesting to find out Was that the paralyzation My left side was not weakness from my body. But the fact that there was no signals from my brain telling my body what to do. Excuse the writing errors and punctuation.As i'm doing talk to text type thing and it's just adding punctuation wherever it feels like it. But moving on, it was about 2 years and when all of a sudden, I started getting some memories. Remembering what the names of things were because I could know that I know what that bottle is but it would never come Out of my mouth or in my mind. Rehab rehab rehab is the most thing I can say because Using it repeatedly the parts of your body that don't work properly anymore It's most important but Also, remember that while doing therapy.Focus very much on your brain.Continuing to tell your body what to do?Think out every single move as if it won't do it If you don't tell it. that gets your brain used to communicating with the rest of your body again. I am 4 years out well minus a few TIAs since and you would not be able to tell that I had a stroke of any kind much less 3 major strokes in several T. I. A's, but as of about a month ago, my entire memory came back. And I can even remember Small details and actors names from different movies and things that I Would swear I never even watched before even though i've seen at fourteen times. Now I remember them..even detail. I remember things from childhood I couldn't before. I do still have remnants of the stroke specifically going down stairs It's still a cautious situation and maybe always will be. But it is a lot better than it was originally. I do have What? I call hiccups on that side some days. I'll just have a weaker side or just cannot not function all the way I'll start to walk and it will stop and then I'll just have like a hiccup where my leg will kind of sit there for a minute and then it goes back to normal. And I start walking and doing everything. I had a lot of people praying for me. God moved on me in a big way. Find a way to still do the things that you love...that is huge huge huge huge. If you like to sing, it doesn't matter if you don't do it well anymore. I used to do concerts before and just started singing again in front of people. Not as well but good enough. Continue to sing whatever music you love. Listen to it, let it motivate you. We live by the lake and had a boat and it didn't matter what they had to do to get me on that boat. And if we had to slowly go two miles an hour, just sit on the boat. So I can see nature and be outside. My husband would roll me outside in the wheelchair got me on to seat outside so I could be with them when it was pretty and just get up and out of the house even if just to the porch. I used to love to do puzzles until I could still write with my right hand I had a cousin, send me tons of puzzles and I sucked at them for a long time. And kept having to take a break and then go back. Had to look up answers at crossword puzzles (mind you, before the strokes i had a seriously high IQ, but kept doing them and over time. Start again and got more correct. Now I'm beating other people at word games and puzzles. Just continue to try and do things that you loved and inspired you. I pray for all of you.I have been there and it's a tough road sending my love to all of you

Awesome. The best part is where you got all your memories back. Good on you. I am not, and doubt I ever will be, all I was before my brain blew a major gasket. I can read "normal" but not half like I was known for. I've had a few true brain farts more, along the way. I can't count the TIA's, and don't even care anymore. Eventually, you get used to just picking up and relearning it again. One of the best things I learned along the way is the second time you have to relearn a skill, it always goes faster than initially. For me, the most important part was when I stopped trying to figure it all out, to remember it all. The past is not our current life. And it's sure not the future. By doing that, suddenly, and without warning, I'd be washing dishes or grocery shopping and some great big understanding of the past would just drop into my brain. Oh wow...it would make sense. And then, moving right along, life continues, with one more puzzle pieces back in place.

Perhaps the greatest therapy of all was when my sister came back into my life. She's one and a half years younger than me, we'd been estranged since the stroke happened, almost. Because my husband dumped me after 18 years, not too longer after the first and major stroke, and took the kids. Well, I couldn't take care of myself, so how could I take care of them too? He have me a $100 bill and said he wanted a divorce. So, anyone who sided with my ex, I'd cut from my life. 20 years later, she called. Our phone calls last hours, each time, from then on. She knew me and remembered, almost from when I was 3 years old. I didn't have to remember it all, she knew half of it, already. When she told me her side of when we were 3, I'd often remember the other half. With her, she brought my brother, and cousins, back into my life. Each of them remembered stuff too. They were all kind enough to not mention the painful things, being people who loved me. This side of heaven, there's nothing better.

Lots of excellent suggestions and support. May I add some thoughts?
I’m a retired OT where I treated severe strokes for many years, then had 2 myself 7 years ago. I’ve come a long way, just beginning to do curbs without assistance but I can walk miles a day, cook, clean, shop etc so do NOT ever give up, even if it’s still difficult or impossible today, keep trying. If you need a cane at night or in crowds, get a fold up one and carry it with you for when you need it. In fact, work hardest on the things you cannot do, but really miss doing, always challenge yourself with something new. Neuroplasticity at its finest. Builds new brain pathways.Be patient with yourself but relentless! Everything takes time but it’s worth all your effort. Don’t let anyone tell you anything negative and that includes doctors! You need only supportive people around you, those who will encourage you, let you try but help you if you need help. If you are ‘’working on something’’, don’t let someone help you until you have tried at least once. You won’t know until trying tomorrow if you have accomplished that task. Insist on being as independent as you can. NEVER try anything you can’t do safely, ie steps without using a railing, climbing a stool or ladder, using knives and scissors, etc.