Cerebellar Stroke - experience/treatment/recovery

Ivon, I hope you are doing so much better! I do not have the balance issues so much like you, but I do have issues with crowds. Recently, I went to a great neuropsychologist in North Carolina and she has explained so much to me about the CEREBELLUM. I really like her ALOT. She is Dr. Karen Sullivan at Pinehurst Neurology in Pinehurst, North Carolina. She has several videos on facebook and Youtube about different strokes and the things they cause. She studied the cerebellum extensively and knows so much. She is far from me, but I travelled to see her because she answered so many questions I had about the things I was going through when no one else did. Here is the link to watch the cerebellar stroke episode she posted - https://youtu.be/tD7zImtrWNY - going to see her changed my view on a lot of things. From what she shared with us, the cerebellum is kind of like the brakes on our car. The brakes you can push down to slow the car down and not go so fast. Our "brakes" have been damaged so to speak being the cerebellum. The cerebellum is like a filter and causes everything we do to be "filtered". Our "filter" is damaged. Therefore, everything comes at us "FAST" with no brakes and no filter to slow it down. This sometimes causes us to see things as out of balance and out of control. For balance issues, I have read that there are vision therapy techniques that will help you in this area. You may want to check that out, vision therapy. With crowds, I still have issues, but I usually take someone with me. This helps me. I also can go to grocery shop at a less busier time. This helps. Or I can go to a smaller grocery store. We live in a small town so that helps. I hope all of this helps. God bless! Barbara

Wise words Barbara. Bright Wings

Great video! Thanks for sharing!

I am 44. My blood pressure and cholesterol have always been good. Honestly very healthy. I had a cerebellar stroke August 30, 2019. My neck had been extremely sore and tight the week before. That day I didn't feel exactly normal, but not anything too out of the normal. Things didn't taste the same as the normally did. I walked outside with my husband and all of a sudden, I had extreme vertigo. Luckily he was near me and slowed my fall when I collapsed to the ground. I couldn't walk, he helped me in. I was so dizzy which then lead to constant vomiting and I sweat was rolling off of me like crazy. I finally said I needed to go to the ER the following afternoon. The swelling was so extreme the hospital staff was amazed that I wasn't in a coma. They think that the clot reached my brain by a PFO. I go to the cardiologist tomorrow to see if that needs correcting. I'm very nervous to have it closed and nervous not to. I'm so blessed in the fact that I don't have any physical problems that are noticeable to the public. But I have odd side effects. Some vertigo, very tired. Shopping makes me feel crazy weird. And it's hard to deal with people expecting me to be back 100% because I look normal. My anxiety is over the top. Now I have panic attacks and honestly don't want to leave the house. Have you experienced these same issues?

Hello, I am Bright Wings. I am 69 years old and I had a stroke in nov of 18. No one would be able to tell I had a stroke today.
Attitude is everything.
Slow down as you need too. It’s ok. Baby steps are ok during this time. And PATIENCE.
I am an old Rn, an Intensive stepdown Cardiac nurse for 6 years. I was around when they did the first heart transplants.
Trust the docs and nurses. They do know what they are doing to repair things.
I will be around watching if more stuff pops up. Smiling at you cuz together we can do anything.

great video how do I get the next ones? Thanks

She has a Facebook page called I Care For Your Brain with Dr Sullivan OR you can search for it on YouTube / glad helped

Thank you - I hope help someone

"Vertigo, very tired. Shopping makes me feel crazy weird. And it's hard to deal with people expecting me to be back 100% because I look normal. My anxiety is over the top." Been there on all fronts with the exception of vertigo. I used to get the same in stores or places that are very busy, my understanding is the uninjured brain filters out most of what is going on around you, brain injuries sometimes cause a situation where the brain tries to process everything at the same time causing anxiety or just an overwhelming feeling. Stores were awful, used to get what I needed quickly so I could get out. There have been a few discussions on this recently in this forum. Hang in there, it gets better!

It has been awhile since I have posted and thought it would be a good time to do so. My stroke happened in May 2017 due to complications from cervical fusion surgery. I am mostly back to myself. If you asked my friends or husband they would tell you I am back completely. I know I still have residual problems some of which may pass and some I will just have to learn to live with. Most are minor annoyances, some had a larger impact on my life.

My Doctor started me on antidepressant meds that have worked wonderfully. I had gradually shut down after the stroke and no longer wanted to do my hobbies. I was very short with friends and really wasn't enjoying life like I should have. That has almost all gone away. I feel like I am waking up again. Things just seem brighter. I want to pursue my hobbies again. It is amazing, and I am very happy that this is being addressed.

My short term memory is still hit and miss. I find I search for words much more now than I did prior to the stroke. Some of this was probably due to the depression.

If I am by myself and working on my laptop, I am great. I may have to write more notes to myself, but I can still draw my creations in CAD before I build them. However, when I am in a group, I sometime find I am a bit slower than some. If a person rattles off a series of questions, I start to feel like I am drowning a bit. It is weird. Sometimes I just need more time to answer a question. It is not like I forgot the answer to their question, My brain just has trouble finding the path to where it is stored. I think this is very gradually getting better.

Physically, I still get dizzy spells. They do not last long but I never know when they are going to hit. Sometimes I will find I turn a little more than I planned when walking. Not much, just off setting. I have learned to reach out for support when this happens, This I think I may have to live with. I also notice when riding in a car as a passenger, sometimes I feel cars are coming much closer than they are. When this happens I tell myself that this is my brain's problem and the driver knows what they are doing, but I still cringe regularly when a car changes lanes ext to me. I think this is a depth perception issue.

I still have urge incontinence but I am seeing a Urologist and am making some headway in this as well.

Otherwise I am doing great. I have lost a lot of weight that I needed to, and I am starting to engage with all the things I used to love doing. I have a very supportive husband who is letting me reengage at the pace I want to.

So all in all I am very happy with my progress. Sorry to be so long winded.

Bill