Recovering from a stroke

getskinny1973

mrsnattybulking wrote: »

In 2012 I had a stroke after a chiropractor clipped my vertebral artery. I wasn't wiping my own butt at the 3 week mark as the clot went to the base of my brain leaving me totally paralyzed but after about 6 months they recommended I start doing free weights as a way to recover some balance and I was still on warfarin/cumodin. I would talk to your neurologist because depending on your INR bruising can be a huge problem. Best of luck xx

And how are you doing now?

Have you been able to fully recover?

inertiastrength

getskinny1973 wrote: »

mrsnattybulking wrote: »

In 2012 I had a stroke after a chiropractor clipped my vertebral artery. I wasn't wiping my own butt at the 3 week mark as the clot went to the base of my brain leaving me totally paralyzed but after about 6 months they recommended I start doing free weights as a way to recover some balance and I was still on warfarin/cumodin. I would talk to your neurologist because depending on your INR bruising can be a huge problem. Best of luck xx

And how are you doing now?

Have you been able to fully recover?

I have no long term deficits. I did out-patient rehab (which I feel I didn't really need after 6 months) for a year; physically. Mentally was a whole other ball-game. I was a mess. Like a literal emotional mess. Every time I went to bed I thought I was going to die, every headache I got I ran to the ER (which is so not like me prior to the stroke) I really took it badly mentally. I will spare you the gruesome details of how I derailed my entire life in the 2 years that followed but if I can give you some advice? Get counselling even if you *think* you don't need it.

getskinny1973

mrsnattybulking wrote: »

I have no long term deficits. I did out-patient rehab (which I feel I didn't really need after 6 months) for a year; physically. Mentally was a whole other ball-game. I was a mess. Like a literal emotional mess. Every time I went to bed I thought I was going to die, every headache I got I ran to the ER (which is so not like me prior to the stroke) I really took it badly mentally. I will spare you the gruesome details of how I derailed my entire life in the 2 years that followed but if I can give you some advice? Get counselling even if you *think* you don't need it. [/quote]

I'm not quite as bad as you, in the fact that I don't run to the ER for a headache, but only because I think they might think I'm foolish, but I do convince myself that I'm going to die when I get a headache, even if I feel the slightest pain in my arm, or anywhere for that matter, I'm convinced I'm going to have another stroke.
My anxiety levels are through the roof....I'm practically afraid to live.

I used to line dance prior to the stroke, I'm afraid to do that now, because it elevates my heart rate quite a bit.

I am afraid to have a few beer, like I used to always do.

It's so hard to live in fear.

It's nice to hear the perspective of someone else who has been through the same and know that I'm not alone!!

I'm afraid to drive alone.

inertiastrength

I think the only reason I ran to the ER was because there was a known cause for my stroke. It took 12 weeks for the tear in my artery to heal so I *knew* it was there and 12 weeks is a looooong time to know something that could kill you is still there and only being managed by blood thinners. Was I eating too much food that was green? How much vitamin K in this or that. I was stressed about food because some can interfere with the blood thinner. I was scared to raise my heartrate, I was scared to rest my neck against the side of the tub when bathing, it really was awful. I'm fine now but there are some days I get a bad headache that it all comes back. I wish I got counseling sooner but it's so hard when everyone is telling you how lucky you are to be alive, and they can't "see" what's wrong. 100K in cocaine and a destroyed marriage too late, but better late than never. I was pretty close to suicide at one point so I'm glad to be able to talk about this as part of my 'past' now.

inertiastrength

gotta look on the bright side; at least I got abs out of all this LOL

getskinny1973

mrsnattybulking wrote: »

gotta look on the bright side; at least I got abs out of all this LOL

I love that you have a great sense of humor about it. thats fantastic.

Thank you so much for sharing your story with me.

I feel less alone.

And it's soooo true, my side effects from the stroke aren't something that people can "see"
So people now just assume I'm fine, because I'm walking and talking,
but there is still the emotional side effects and the speech side effects that I'm EXTREMELY self conscious about, but when I try to talk about that I get "well you're lucky to be alive" I know that's true, but it frustrates me,

orangegato

mrsnattybulking wrote: »

In 2012 I had a stroke after a chiropractor clipped my vertebral artery. I was barely wiping my own butt at the 3 week mark as the clot went to the base of my brain leaving me totally paralyzed but after about 6 months they recommended I start doing free weights as a way to recover some balance and I was still on warfarin/cumodin. I would talk to your neurologist because depending on your INR bruising can be a huge problem. Best of luck xx

this chiropractor incident is my worst nightmare. Hope you are much better now

stanmann571

getskinny1973 wrote: »

mrsnattybulking wrote: »

gotta look on the bright side; at least I got abs out of all this LOL

I love that you have a great sense of humor about it. thats fantastic.

Thank you so much for sharing your story with me.

I feel less alone.

And it's soooo true, my side effects from the stroke aren't something that people can "see"
So people now just assume I'm fine, because I'm walking and talking,
but there is still the emotional side effects and the speech side effects that I'm EXTREMELY self conscious about, but when I try to talk about that I get "well you're lucky to be alive" I know that's true, but it frustrates me,

Having been on both sides of this(observer and participant... mine was Traumatic stress not stroke, the family member was a stroke) But we've each lost mental and emotional capacity. I've lost no physical capabilities.

You will be most acutely aware of how different you are from before, but as below, there will be things that you don't know are gone until you reach for them either mentally or emotionally


Close friends/family members will be almost as aware, but they will occasionally forget.. expecting something that you've lost and don't even remember losing... a capacity or a memory or an experience, and that will be hard for you and for them.


Casual acquaintances, New friends won't know unless you tell them, especially as you return to what appears externally normal and months, and then years, and then decades go by. As you care for your health both physical, emotional, and mental. It will be less apparent to those who you choose not to let in on the whole story.

getskinny1973

stanmann571 wrote: »

Casual acquaintances, New friends won't know unless you tell them, especially as you return to what appears externally normal and months, and then years, and then decades go by. As you care for your health both physical, emotional, and mental. It will be less apparent to those who you choose not to let in on the whole story.

This is true, people who did not know me before don't know that I didn't have a stutter and they think that's just "normal" me. This is what makes me self conscious. the fact that people will think my side effects are just me.

They don't know that I didn't use to have these struggles.

Does that sound petty?

stanmann571

getskinny1973 wrote: »

stanmann571 wrote: »

Casual acquaintances, New friends won't know unless you tell them, especially as you return to what appears externally normal and months, and then years, and then decades go by. As you care for your health both physical, emotional, and mental. It will be less apparent to those who you choose not to let in on the whole story.

This is true, people who did not know me before don't know that I didn't have a stutter and they think that's just "normal" me. This is what makes me self conscious. the fact that people will think my side effects are just me.

They don't know that I didn't use to have these struggles.

Does that sound petty?

No, not at all. For a few years, It will almost feel like you're introducing yourself as hi, I'm skinny and this, that, and the other are because I had a stroke 9 months ago.

As the worst fallout begins to subside, and becomes integrated in who you are, you'll speak of it less and less and become somewhat less self conscious. You'll never really get past it, but it will be so much a part of who you are that you'll get to a point where explaining it will become tedious, and then uncomfortable, because some peoples response of sympathy will start to feel like pity, and then the pain you see on their faces will be worse than the discomfort you're feeling in that instant.

It's kind of like getting married or divorced or having a child.

RGv2

candylilacs wrote: »

You're only two months away from a stroke? And you're lifting weights and speaking/talking on a online forum? Go, girl!

I was back to work within 2 months of mine......

getskinny1973

RGv2 wrote: »

I was back to work within 2 months of mine...... [/quote]

I just started back to work this week full time. 2 and a half months for me.

Do you know what the cause of our stroke was?

How long did it take for you to get back to your normal routine at the gym?

candylilacs

I barely had two words: "yes" and "no." That hospital wouldn't release me if I didn't say those two words.

I took six months trying to pull off a part-time job. I was an English professor. There was a legal complaint that followed. I am disabled. Trying to get the point across is excruciating for me, and I bet 30% of people would say the same thing. Of course, Americans with Disabilities Act protects me and you.