any experience of strokes ?

~daisy~_2

as it says really ....

yesterday morning at home my lovely fit healthy young husband had a fairly severe stroke
luckily he was found quickily and was able to have the thrombolysis (sp) drugs within the magic 3 hour window and stopped the stroke from worsening
it was in an area of the brain that intended to leave him blind and paralyzed

my hub is just 44 very very fit - resting HR around 50 healthy weight good diet doesnt smoke no high BP moderate drinker - we have no idea why this happened

he has right side paralysis - no movement at all in arm and just the odd wiggle of toes a droopy face and very poor and slurred speech

we have 2 children - 14 and 12 - eldest is struggling big time - with how he looks how he sounds everything
son is being much more positive

im scared for the future - recovery - or not
work driving personality frustration walking activites everything just dont know what to think

has anyone else been in this situation and what was the outcome ?

TIA

Nile

Hello ~daisy~

What an awful shock for you and your husband. I haven't been in the same situation as you so I'm afraid I can't tell you what to expect...............but I'm sure someone else will post with their experience.

My relative had a minor stroke so obviously my experience of watching him recover might not be helpful to you.................but maybe you'll get some comfort from it, I hope so.

My relative was rushed into hospital within an hour of the stroke. He was fortunate that his speech wasn't affected, he just had weakness on his right side. He couldn't raise both his arms and keep them raised and he struggled to walk too. The current FAST adverts on the tv show typical symptoms which he displayed............apart from the slurred speech.

The care my relative received in hospital was excellent and he made good progress with the help of the physio sessions. He had a CT scan to show where in his brain the blood clot/stroke occurred. He had a doppler test on his carotid arteries in his neck, to check that he didn't have a clot forming in his neck.............he didn't. He had an ultrasound scan of his heart to check if his heart had a clot forming...........he didn't.

He wasn't a couch potato, had a good diet and never smoked but he didn't know that he had high blood pressure and a high cholesterol level.............these are the things (along with stress) that were blamed for his stroke.

So...............your husband will have all of these tests and get the best possible care from the doctors, nurses and physiotherapists..............to get him on the road to recovery.

Before my relative was discharged from hospital, he had to demonstrate that he could walk (particularly up and down stairs) well and do basic tasks like making a hot drink and cooking spag bol.;)

Try not to worry, you will see your husband improve every day. With your support and the care of the NHS he will get better.

Best Wishes

Nile

Savvy_Sue

Different Strokes - for younger stroke survivors

beccam

Daisy what am awful thing to happen and I'm sure it has come as a huge shock. Have a ((hug))

Predicting the recovery from a stroke is near impossible as each person and each clot or bleed is different. It is also not a perfect science to predict how something will effect the brain.

However your husband has everything going for him as far as age, health, physical fitness and the fact he was found and treated so soon.

The symptoms you describe as far as weakness/droop/slurred speech are all the common signs and symptoms and are usually worse in the first instance and then gradually improve over the coming days, they are also all things that can be worked on with physio and speech therapy.

I have nursed people who are left with speech problems or weakness and have nursed others who made such a dramatic recovery you would not know they have had a stroke unless you read their notes!

Frustration is usually the hardest thing for the person to deal with especially with speech if people don't understand him. Depending how things go there are lots of aids in this area to help him communicate.

It is very early days for you all and I would say just deal with one day at a time, lots of cuddles for the kids and reassurance as they will be scared by him physically aswell as the mental side of seeing their dad ill.
Something for further down the line (but not too far) is to see the social worker and also (further away) ask about family counselling to help come to terms with things.

Work etc will all depend on recovery and also what his job requires of him. Unfortunately driving may well be off the agenda at least for awhile.

If it reassures you any, I have a friend who suffered a severe brain injury after being attacked on a night out, at first the prognosis was on a 24hr basis, he had amnesia, was incontinent, unable to walk.
Within a month he was up and about and discharged from hospital, with lots of input from physio and occupational therapy he was able to live alone within a month, within 6mths he was back to work (manual job) and after 9mths he was allowed to drive again.
Now he has fully recovered and suffers no adverse effects.

I hope your hubby makes a quick, full recovery and you can all get through this time with minimal upset, one day at a time Daisy and thoughts are with you.x

~daisy~_2

thx for the replies guys

the mobility improved dramactically after the infusion initally but has since got worse again and have already had the frustration of not being able to understand him - it was upsetting for both of us

they initally said oh he will prolly be home in a week but they wont send him home if he cant walk yet will they ? i havent even got a downstairs loo !!

calleyw

Daisy,

Sorry to hear about your husband.

PM if you like my husband was 44 when he had his stroke just over 3 years. His was a bleed on the brain type not a blockage type.

Age can be helping factor. Other factors are where and how much damage has been done.

OT such come out and do a assessment to see what needs to be put in place such as hand rails etc. When my husband first came home he was not safe on the stairs and we had to have our bed in the living room for a few weeks.

All the best.

Yours

Calley

sandy71

I'm sorry to hear about your husband, It must have been horrible.

Not quite the same but I had a stroke when I was 18 (Feels wierd writing it, not many people know!). The same as your husband I improved fairly quickly then went downhill again. Things did improve again but very slowly. I still have some weakness on my right side but I can move about fine and use my arm I just feel very heavy on that side is that makes sense.
I have terrible short term memory so the house is covered in post it notes.

I hope he recovers soon.

pipkin71

Sorry to hear that Daisy

Wishing your family well, for whatever lies ahead.

TheGreatMaster

Sorry to hear about your husband, it must be a terrible experience to face with.

I am sure your husband will get well very soon. I would like to tell you about acupressure. Acupressure technique is not only helpful in curing pain but is also helpful in preventing any major health related problems. You do not need to spend long hours to do it, you just need to press the acupressure points in your body for 10 to 30 seconds twice or thrice a day, and that is when you are sitting idle. It helps in improving blood circulation.

beccam

Hi Daisy, not sure if you will be online or not but just wondering how things were today?

It is very common to see signs then an improvement then some deterioration again before the slow improvement begins again.

It is very early days still and don't be afraid to say if you feel he is not ready to be discharged as early as a week.

Physio and the rest of the stroke care team will most likely start working very soon to get him working the muscles and trying to walk and just getting assessments done at this stage.

Be sure to get social work involved as they will be able to help with home assessment and advice around what you are entitled to.

Thinking of you and your family and hoping you are doing OK.xx

shegar

HELLO TO YOU AND SO SORRY THAT YOUR AS HUSBAND AS STROKED AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE. MY HUSBAND HAD A STROKE AT 49 YRS OLD 16 MONTHS AGO, LIKE YOUR POOR HIUSBAND HE ALSO NEVER SMOKED DRANK VERY LITTLE AND WORKED 12 HRS A DAY ALL HIS LIFE , AND NEVER EVER SIGNED ON THE DOLE.

BUT ONE SUNNY AFTERNOON HE FELL ON HIS SKIS WHEN HE WAS OUT WATER SKIING, HE DI D NEARLY DROWN BECAUSE HAD IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR HIS FRIEND IN THE BOAT PULLING HIM OUT OF THE WATER THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IT.

HIS FRIEND THOUGHT HE HAD FELL OFF THE SKIS AND INTO THE WATER AND BROKE HIS ARM COS IT WASNT MOVING. I GOT A CALL TO SAY GARY HAS BROKEN HIS ARM AND THEY WILL TAKE HIM TO HOSPITAL, NEXT I KNEW WAS A PARAMEDIC PHONED ME TO SAY GARY HAD AHAD A RIGHT SIDE STROKE AND THEY WERE TAKING HIM TO HOSPITAL.

I MET THE AMBULANCE UP THE HOSPITAL AND THEY HAD TAKEN HIM FOR A CT SCAN, IT CONFIRMED A MASSIVE STROKE , HE WAS THEN TRANSFERED TO HEAD INJURY HOSPITAL, THERE HE HAD A 5 HOUR OPERATION AND WAS PUT ON LIFE VENTILATOR WHERE HE LAID FOR 5 WEEKS TOUCH AND GO, THE HOSPITAL WAS 178 MILE ROUND TRIP FOR ME.

TO CUT A VERY LONG STORY SHORT IN FACT 10 MONTHS AFTER THE STROKE HE WAS ALLOWED HOME, HE WAS SEVERELY PARAYLSED DOWN LEFT SIDE HIS VISION WAS EXTREMELY BAD ONLY COULD SEE 15 PER CENT.REGISTERED BLIND.

5 MONTHS AGO THE EYE SURGEON OPERATED ON HIS EYES TO REMOVE BLOOD AND GEL AND HAVE RESTORED 5O PER SENT EYE SIGHT SO THAT WAS A EXCELLENT OP FOR HIMHE CRIED WHEN HE OPENED HIS EYES AND COULD SEE ME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 11 MONTHS.

HE HAS HAD EXTENSIVE PHYSIO FOR THE LAST 14 MONTHS NOW HE CAN WALK A FEW MTS WITH A QUAD STICK AND LEG CALIPER, WHEELCHAIR BESIDE HIM. SO ALSO THATS A GOOD IMPROVEMENT.

HIS POOR LEFT ARM IS NON FUNCTIONAL HAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF MOVEMENT IN HIS THUMB SO FINGERS CROSSED THAT MAY GET A SMALL BIT BETTER. WHEN GARY HAD HIS FIRST LIFE SAVING OP THEY HAD TO REMOVE 5 INCH ROUND PIECE OF SKULL SO THEY COULD GET TO HIS BRAIN, SO OCTOBER LAST YEAR THEY DONE A CRANIOPLASTY OP, WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE PUT IN A TITANIUM PLATE SO HE NO LONGER HAVE A HUGE DENT IN HIS HEAD, SAFETY REASON PLUS PEOPLE DONT STARE AT HIM SO MUCH.1!!!

HE NOW SUFFERS TONIC CLONIC SEIZURES AND HE IS ON MEDS FOR THAT THATS COS OF THE BRAIN INJURY.HE HAS BEEN TOLD THAT HE WILL NEVER WORK AGAIN OR DRIVE, THAT DID UPSET HIM TO START WITH BUT HES ALIVE WHICH IS THE MAIN THING. WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH TOGETHER WITH HIS STROKE BUT
HE HIS ALIVE AND SO VERY DETERMINED TO GET AS MUCH LIFE BACK AS POSSIBLE, I HAVE TO CARE FOR HIM 24/7 BUT HE IS DOING VERY WELL .

IT IS VERY UPSETTING FOR THE FAMILY TO SEE YOUR HUSBAND LIKE THAT BUT IM SURE AS A FAMILY YOU WILL ALL PULL TOGETHER AND GIVE HIM ALL THE SUPPORT HE DESERVES, IM NOT WELL AT ALL BUT HE WOULD DO THE SAME FOR ME IF IT WERE ME . WE APPLIED FOR A DFG.( DISABLEd FACILITY GRANT) IT TOOK MONTHS FOR IT TO GET SORTED BUT WE NOW HAVE A LOVELY ROOM FOR HIM TO BATHE IN , HE AS A SPECIAL SHOWER CHAIR AND A WAY HE GOES .

YOU WILL BE APPOINTED A OT WHO WILL HELP YOU ALOT, THAT WILL TAKE AWAY A LOT OF THE WORRY FROM YOU, WHATEVER HELP YOU GET OFFERED TAKE IT, YOU WILL FIND ONCE THE AUTHORITIES GET INVOLVED THERE WILL BE HELP AND ADVISE FOR YOU THROUGH OUT HIS RECOVERY AT DIFFERENT TIMES.THEY WILL ALSO TELL YOU AND HELP YOU CLAIM BENEFITS FOR WHICH YOU ARE ENTITLED TO.I WISH YOUR HUSBAND A GOOD RECOVERY, REMEMBER ALL STROKES ARE DIFFERENT AND AFFECT PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS. PLEASE KEEP US INFORMED OF HOW THINGS GO. TAKE CARE.