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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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Hi, Michele.
Sorry you're having trouble navigating YouTube.
Since my stroke I can't type much (one-handed), which is why I chose to make videos.
You gave me an idea, though. I'll look into way to extract the text from the videos and having that as an additional resource.
Thanks!
Thank you for trying out new ways of what you are saying.........because I want to hear what you are saying. Maybe could the vocal definition be put into print.
Michele
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1 ReactionHi, @michele70 - your story about having a stroke and being alone out in the snow at night afterward is quite dramatic. Wow. So glad your husband and other family members realized you were gone, rescued you and took care of you. Are you still walking, or are you doing another exercise now?
@iteach225 - how has your recovery gone since your stroke last spring? Has your daughter living nearby been to visit lately?
@ruby2020 - how is your son doing? He is very fortunate to have you as his advocate through his stroke and post-stroke journey. Is he now all done with the master's degree you mentioned he was pursuing?
I pray you're better than at this time of writing!! I've had several ischemic strokes, but not bad to paralysis of my body. I had walking difficulties and slurring words memory issues, but I have gotten better each time. I'm scared of another happening that's bad though. I have small vessel issues though in the brain. No other issues to cause them. Take care as best you can!!! 💓
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2 Reactions@michele70 - your story of being on a ski trip and sitting out in the snow in the middle of the night is frightening and memorable. How have things been going with your stroke recovery?
I had an ischemic stroke 24 years ago. We were having dinner and I suddenly lost all coordination, etc., on the right side of my body. Fortunately, we happened to live across the street from the hospital, and -- when my wife called my doctor -- he told her to take me to the ER quickly and he would meet us there. They started treatment immediately. I recovered fairly soon afterward, although I was slightly "weaker" on my right side for several years. I almost worried myself to death for the next couple of years, over the prospect of having another stroke. The fact that it had hit me so quietly and unexpectedly freaked me out, unlike other heart problems that I've had. In time, though, the worry morphed into caution... making sure my blood pressure is in control, etc.. I have so many other things to worry about now! 🙂
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3 ReactionsI had a stroke almost a year ago. I lost my left side. I had a horrible experience. They did 5 CT Scans and it showed nothing. So they kept saying I wasn't having a stroke. HOURS went by. My blood pressure went up to 218/159! They pulled out a crash cart on me. My husband was arguing with the doctor because she would not order an MRI. He was googling and it said sometimes Eschemic Strokes don't show up on CT Scan. She told him he needed to leave. His response was "One of us is leaving but it's not me." She stormed out. Another doctor and nurse came in and the nurse took my husband aside and said don't listen to what is going on, tell me what's going on with your wife. She walked over to doctor and next thing I knew they were doing a Teledoc with a larger hospital. That doctor asked if they had done an MRI and they said, "We were going to do one in the morning!!!" The Teledoc doctor said, "Is that within two hours, you either get her an MRI or you transport her to somewhere that can." He said, "Okay, I'll call someone to come in and do it" Guess what...I had a stroke in the basal ganglia. I'm petrified of having another stroke and having to go to the hospital in my town. I truly believe that if my husband had not been there, I would have died or disabled.
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4 ReactionsI have had many mini strokes and lost my voice and hearing.
Then a major stroke caused He millet is just two months ago and I was in several hospitals and rehabs. Stroke also has affected by bladder and Bowel causing incontinence.
On top of it, I caught a viral infection in one of the hospitals that caused Stomach dumping Syndrome. My caregiver is my 81 yr old husband, who himself had an Open Heart surgery few yrs ago.
I am ready to die but I have to wait upon the Lord like the Bible says.
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3 Reactionsvijay26, be assured that what you’re going through cannot separate you from the Lord’s care. We each have our own stroke journey, but having the common experience of going through it binds us together for support and encouragement. I just prayed for you and your husband. Hugs to you both. Romans 8:38-39
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3 ReactionsAll great experiences and confident it will help people. My TIA happened in September 2023 at work in Florida went to ER they missed finding i had a large PFO hole in heart wall born found out 63 years later. Sent home with daily aspirin. If i only would have had more research. Back to work living normal life. Moved to Georgia on job transfer and August 2024 big stroke got out of car at doctors orthopedic office and to ER in hospital for a week. Ischemic stroke with PFO that i had close 5 months later. Pushing doctors and being my own advocate even today. Intense PT and pushing myself daily. Lost vision left corner of eye. I got hit hard on Thalamus in brain the sensation part. PCA right. If I had the knowledge and networking I have now after the TIA that clot would not have traveled through heart wall to brain. I keep my doctors on my team. On 3rd neurologist now. It’s a challenge when you’re in the system to recover. Hopefully people will read these stories and get there family members to the right people. Mayo in Jacksonville FL was 3 hours drive I should have went there. I listened to local doctor in Clearwater and took aspirin daily. PFO was missed in there workup for 2 days at the hospital in 2023. Time does heal the brain. But unfortunately Strokes have long term effects. Just stay positive and work hard daily and therapy is key. Hope this story helps.
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