Post-Stroke Fatigue (PSF)

Tell me about it! The fatigue I get, in the late afternoon, is all consuming! It is unlike any other kind of fatigue that I’ve had before! I have iron deficient anemia, which saps my energy, at times, but nothing like this fatigue, that I get, since I’ve had a stroke! I am a caregiver, so this fatigue comes upon me, around time to make dinner. So, I’ve had to resort to getting fast food, at times, which has become expensive, where I live! I am trying to find a way to make some foods up early, so that all I have to do, is heat them up. One has to learn to adapt, but that is not easy, sometimes!

I had a stroke on October 25th, so I just passed 5 months. I’m 70 and can assure you that post stroke fatigue is real, and it’s different for each person. I’m still learning what works for me. It’s been very helpful to rest after each activity. Depending on the amount of demand an activity puts on my system, I may need anywhere from 15 minutes to 90 minutes. That can be a lot of time, but it truly has made a difference.

I still find new things that impact me, probably because I’m expanding out to activities I’ve not done since the stroke.

Also, one of the greatest helps has been to avoid ever planning more than one outside-the-home activity a day. If one day has a busy activity outside the home, I may need a day or two at home to regroup from it.

The kind of fatigue that comes from having experienced the stroke is not something that a good night’s sleep repairs. It’s a completely different type of fatigue.

I don’t know if any of this helps, but I do want to assure you it is totally normal. I had an ischemic lacunar stroke of the right basal ganglia. I left the hospital with physical abilities intact, but I’m impacted by challenges with all kinds of sensory issues (overload), attention, cognitive fatigue, and physical tiredness that takes longer than “normal” from which to recover. It requires careful scheduling of my days due to the fatigue.