I also work in the IT field and know what you mean! I had to gradually build up my work week over the month after my stroke, slept a lot to recover. I would get fuzzier as the week progressed but was fortunate to not to need meds, The more intense the week is, the fuzzier I get. I still, after 11 months, look forward to the weekend to shut my brain down for a couple of days!

On the bright side, I seem to have taken a corner in the last 2 - 3 weeks, I am noticeably more alert than in the past and my coordination and fine motor skills on my right side are much improved. I will guess my brain made some big strides with reorganizing itself. I have been playing the guitar for many years and the stroke impacted by ability to hold a pick, strum to a beat and find the strings when picking (and brushing my teeth, writing my name, using a keyboard and mouse, holding a pen, combing my hair....). Took me all of 2018 and a lot of work/rehab to get to the point where I feel more in control. I actually played guitar in front of a crowd last weekend for the first time in almost a year, I was anxious at first, but it felt so good once I started and I actually forget about the stroke!

You hit the nail on the head when you say "Unless you’ve been though this, people don’t understand", so true. I am one to internalize things and when I do discuss the challenges I am dealing with, people either don't get it or you can tell they feel uncomfortable when I talk about it. I very much appreciate having a place to go to ask others if they are experiencing similar challenges and find out what they may have done to get through them.