Depression after a second mild stroke Cell
A year ago, November, I had a hemorrhagic stroke which changed my life forever. I’ve been very fortunate that I don’t look or sound like I’ve had a stroke although believe me, I did. I cannot walk without a walker, but having said that I’ve been averaging almost 200 miles a month walking. To my utter surprise, I had an MRI done Monday of this week just because, not because of any symptoms, but I also have CAA and I should get an MRI every year or so. The one on Monday discovered a lacunar stroke. No symptoms whatsoever it was just dumb luck on the timing. Since this little event that I found out on Thursday so a few days ago, I’ve been wiped out and depressed. It is not my normal state of mind even since the big stroke. Is this normal? I suspect it is but it’s very frustrating. My neurologist has ordered a whole slew of tests to do with my thyroid and also my heart. as of Tuesday of this coming week, I’ll be wearing a heart monitor for a month . None of that bothers me in the least but it’s really getting demoralizing . I work really hard to keep a positive attitude because I could’ve died very easily and I’m fortunate to be alive, but I’m finding it to really be depressing . Are these normal emotions? Any help from anybody would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Jim
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Brain & Nervous System Support Group.
Hi. Sorry to hear that you've joined a club that nobody wants to belong to.
From my experience (lacunar ischemic stroke, 12/24/2018), fear and depression are perfectly normal. You've had a traumatic experience, and it's not something that you just bounce back from, like a cold or even a broken bone.
It seems like now you're in a data-gathering mode, which is very stressful as there are so many unknowns. Hopefully, as bad stuff is ruled out, you'll start to feel better.
I combat my fear, anxiety, and depression by focusing on what I have to be grateful for, which is a lot. That takes practice, but it's worth it.
You may find my YouTube channel interesting. "From Recovery to Discovery". I have 32 episodes (and counting), about my experiences since the stroke. Each episode is about five minutes. I cover a bunch of topics, including Fear, Attitude, Pain, Perseverance, and even Humor.
Please take a look:
https://www.youtube.com/@srlucado/videos
I wish you the best!