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How do you cope with the fact that you had a stroke?
I had a stroke in early 2023 and missed Christmas completely. This happened at our vacation to go skiing with my sons and grandsons when I had a stroke where I was completely out of it My only memory was I was sitting outside in the snow in the middle of the night at a place we were staying in my pajamas and freezing to death just hoping some one would drive by and help me. I didn't know where our room was.
Back inside the room my husband woke up and realized I was gone. My older son with two little boys were sleeping in the living room fold out and when my husband came out into the room and said where is Mom? My oldest son said, "shit, she went out the door." There I was and I don't remember their rescue but husband put me back to bed and put heating pads we always travel with.
They now knew that it's not altitude but something else. So the next morning they brought me to the hospital in Aspen and they scanned my my brain and said she needs to get to Denver for the care I would need. I have no memory of this but was taken in a helicopter from Aspen to Denver where they realized I had a stroke. I was in the ICU for four days when my husband emailed a Mayo doctor he knew who was in the area of strokes.
They sent me back to Rochester by an airplane with medical staff and I was at St Mary's for countless days and then went to rehab to learn how to walk. As you may know if you lay in bed for 108 days you are as helpless as a baby. I was in rehab for two and a half weeks before I went home. So now I could walk with a walker since I was so weak. And started my plot to get better strength in my body. One of my doctors told me that walking was the best healing of my brain.
We have a family cabin in Wisconsin that we always go to because I have three sisters and their husbands who all live around this former old resort from the 50's . And I went out every day and began my therapy starting by walking 3 miles. First with my walker. Then with just a cane. Life was coming back to me. All this family and great fresh air were the only medications I needed.
As you may feel PTSD after the thrill of being able to walk and talk. I often worry this will happen again but was told by my doctor I have a 90 percent chance of having another stroke. But still I worry on occasions. So my desire is to come and talk with other stroke patients about how I improved my health and got stronger over time. The key is to never give up. Keep trying to improve your body strength.
When I meet people now and tell them I had a stroke last year they are floored and think I wouldn't know.
Some funny things I heard I did was while I was unconscious and couldn't talk my niece came to visit me and was there helping to feed me lunch and what ever it was I opened my eyes and said, "This tastes like dog shit!!!" She said out loud, she is there!!!!
The work my husband did for me was astounding. He came every day to the hospital to be with me and made sure i was getting the stuff I needed. For instance I was impaired on my left side of my body and Steve , my husband, did leg exercises every day and for my arm. Mind you he is a consultant at Mayo and runs a lab so had work to do all the time but would bring his computer with him and try to get some of his work done. He is a scientist so not have to see patients.
All this is to say it's so important to have an advocate for the stroke patient. Usually most of us don't have that because of a number of reasons. But what I tell recovery patients is to do everything your physical therapist tells you to do. When in rehab that is the special work we need to get stronger is go to every class and session and don't skip a day.
From a stroke history I have a lot I can share patients. But I would also like to talk to the physicians who work with Stoke victims. I have some good advice. One thing my husband told me is it was time for me to move out of St Mary's because there is nothing we can do for her anymore you need to put her in a home. And these doctors said all of this right in front of me. Steve looked over to me and tears were running down my face. So don't give bad news in from of the patient. We are unable to talk but we can understand. This haunts me that maybe these doctors were right and I will never recover fully.
I want to talk with training doctors and tell them this. DON'T GIVE BAD NEWS IN FRONT OF THE PATIENT!!!
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I want to correct a statement where I wrote the doctors told me I have a
90% chance of having another stroke. What I meant to say was the doctor
said I have 90% chance of never having a stroke again. Sorry for the
confusion.
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1 ReactionInspiring story. Thank you. Did they tell you what caused your stroke and what kind of stroke it was? Interested in this more based on the 90% and thank you. Your husband sounds awesome.
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1 ReactionHemmhoragict stroke. Sorry I am misspelling the type of stroke. They did not tell me what kind of stroke but I have an idea. When we flue into Denver and now had to drive to Aspen there was a snow storm and it was the middle of the night. Well semi trucks had to stop to put on their chains on their vehicles we were all stopped and I was so stressed and scared. Plus I had to pee so I would ask the guys to hold the car doors open so I could use it and hide myself and pee. The trip was usually 4 hours but it was 6 hours because of the weather. My blood pressure must have been through the celling.
I made a mistake when I said the doctors said I have a 90% chance of another stroke/ correction was they said I have a 90% chance of NOT having a stroke.
Yes, my husband was my life saver. I am here today because of his taking care of me with such faithful daily attendance.
Hope you are managing your recovery and getting outside to walk. What an easy winter this year. Walking without ice and snow really affords us more healing.
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1 ReactionThank you for sharing your story. It is inspiring for sure.
I so applaud your husband.
I still am and have always been a huge advocate for my 36 year old son. We are just over 2 years post 2 strokes- an Ischemic and and then a Hemorrhagic after TPA. I have been by his side at every step and breath of the way. It took him about 5 months to learn to walk again, after a 4 week stay in Inpatient rehab. Then 3 days a week Day Therapy 5-6 hours a day, for 14 weeks. Started the 3rd week in January- so yeah- the weather. He only missed 1 day because of it. It was a very long haul. But, when it was all done- we had a hard time leaving all the wonderful Therapists there. It is a place called AbilityKC. It's in down town Kansas City. (Just a few blocks on the same street as Union Station- It would be fun to be there now. As the Chiefs parade will most likely go right by it.) It was about a 2 1/2 hour drive. But, worth every minute of it. For those in Missouri/Kansas that needs Day Therapy- it is definitely worth checking into.
When I advocate for my son- I often say "I am not only doing this for my son. But for those that do not have anyone to be their voice, when they have lost theirs."
We have so much to be thankful for. Life is hard and forever changed. But, we are incredibly grateful for every new day that we are given to get up and try again.
Cognitively he is doing so much better. He decided on his own to get his Masters in Education- Curriculum. He is almost done with those classes.
Best wishes to you as you continue your recovery.
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3 ReactionsGod bless you and your son. Prayers coming your way and hope your son
strengthens over the weeks ahead.
Kind Regards,
Michele Bleskan
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1 ReactionGlad to hear your son is improving physically but also it's fantastic he is
working on getting a Masters in Education-Curriculum. He will bring a lot
of understanding in teaching students in any type of education. His
efforts will be very inspiring to those he works with to see how far he has
come and how much work and effort he has put into what he achieved.
Michele
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1 ReactionDear Michele,
Thank you posting. I, too, has a stroke 51 days ago and like you, I was in the hospital and rehab for 2 weeks. What I don’t understand is what can I what can’t I do? I live alone and although I have a daughter who lives 5 minutes from me, she has no time for me. I still
Use a cane , but I did come home from Brooks Rehab barely using my cane. I just need to know what I can and can’t do. You are blessed to have a wonderful husband to assist you. I believe that they ran out of them a few years ago.
I that you for listening to me. I am glad you are getting stronger everyday!! Never doubt the power of prayer.
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2 ReactionsI am struck by the similarities to my own stroke story.
I was visiting family in Kansas, more than 300 miles from home, when mine happened Christmas Eve, 2018. Mine was a lacunar ischemic stroke, affecting the motor nerves on my right side.
It's been a long, slow road, but I'm still getting better. I use a cane to walk, and my right arm/hand are pretty useless.
To help others, I have a YouTube channel, "From Recovery to Discovery". I hope it can help you, too, and I would welcome your comments/input/feedback.
https://www.youtube.com/@srlucado/videos
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2 ReactionsI feel for you sweetheart. It's so hard to recover from a stroke but even more so when you don't have someone who can help you daily. But it is a long slow road. I was in the ICU for 8 days in Denver and then the hospital back at home in Rochester was 75 days and had to figure out how to move my body and did rehab for an additional 24 days. Because as you know when you are unable to move because my body was so weak. I went home and started my own rehab by walking with a walker, then a cane, and finally just with my body.
I was lucky that my family has cabins in Northern Wisconsin and we went there. That is my happy place at all times. So I worked daily for four weeks until I was strong enough to walk without a cane.
Just feel fortunate to be alive and can enjoy life to the best of my ability.
Will send you prayers and check out your YouTube channel.
Hugs, Michele
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2 ReactionsI just took a look at your Recovery page. Since I am old I don't use YouTube channel so didn't know how to access it. Can you give me some instructions? Or do you have anything that is just written. Which is my practice.
Michele