Stroke

Thanks again. You’ve all given me advice, understanding and personal insight; just what I was hoping for.
I’m touched.

ffinn - so sorry to hear about your husband's stroke. And his operation. As you know we've also just moved back and it's such a stressful time. I'm sure we've both aged at least a year in 6 months.
Hoping he starts to recover soon..

ffinn try not to worry. This is early days. Time will tell how things turn out. When my DH had his strokes I panicked and thought life would never be the same. I wouldn't be able to leave him on his own. When I eventually went back to work I insisted he text me every hour so I knew he was ok. He fell asleep once and I drove home in a flap thinking the worst had happened. Over time things settle down.

ffinnochio just wishing him well, and you too ??

Thank you all!

I think it’s beginning to hit me that there is no quick fix, even after the external signs have diminished.

I’ll check out Physio, humpty ... and Headway, too Lucky.

A stroke is my worst nightmare. I so hope that your DH make a full recovery and you must look after yourself too, not just him. Try not to feel guilty about leaving him for short periods of time., you need some space as looking after someone 24/7 can have a bad effect on you if not careful. Sending you hugs at this horrible time.

I should have mentioned Headway too, Lucky. DS had absolutely brilliant support from them - I can't praise them highly enough. Round here I think they only deal with people too young to benefit from the Stroke Association. People with head injuries are deemed to have a much younger demographic - think sports injuries, RTAs etc.

ffinnochio my husband had a stroke in January and has made a reasonable recovery. I recognise the problems you are having with tiredness and the slow walking. Sometimes it appears to be two steps forward and three back if he overdoes it.
It has taken DH some considerable time to accept that he needs to walk with a stick. He is driving again now and enjoys that more as it gives him freedom to get out on his own.
Some of his men friends have been very good at accompanying him for short walks and a sit down for coffee. Does you DH have any friends who can spare a bit of time to do this?
DH still has problems with his speech as his RH side was badly affected and coping with social meet ups also tire him out.
We are 8 months down the line now and I have come to accept that most future progress will be at a slower pace.
We don't have problems with his appetite.
Have you had any back up with a rehab team? We had 12 weeks of Occupational and Speech therapy with visits from a local team coming to our home
It is really early days for you. I wish you luck - it is hard to deal with all the changes.

After my first (of 5 ) mini stroke I had immense tiredness and a feeling of being drunk for around 3 months and when I mentioned it to my gp he said it's because of the brain injury which a stroke is . I was also very tearful and sobbed for silly reasons . My memory was terrible too I would walk out of the house forgetting I'd put some sausages on for example. Very worrying for my husband who had to leave me while he went back to work.
I'm assuming your husband's was a full blown stroke as you say his speech and movement have eventually returned so he is one of the luckier ones in that.
Don't be feeling guilty of having to leave him at times as you will need to but I'm sure you make sure he is safe as you possibly can and he has everything he might need while you are out .
I wish him well.

Just to add from my own experience, my brother (now 68) had a stroke when he was 50 and has never recovered from the tiredness. I do hope your DH continues to make strides - if you can afford it, please consider paying for physio, my brother got very scant on the NHS and I've always felt he could have recovered a lot more, as Andrew Marr and his wife have observed.

Sorry to hear this. I used to to work for a brain injury service and we had people with strokes as well as with traumatic brain injury. The tiredness is very common.

We used to run courses for people in this situation, with help to find strategies to deal with difficulties. Headway is worth looking up - they have local branches.

I am assuming that he has been through the local stroke service system.

I hope that you manage to move him on in his rehab - but it is, TBH, a slow old job.

My DH didn't have a stroke I meant DS.

I hope your DH recovers well ffin.

Thanks very much kitty. Much appreciated.

My husband is a non smoker, drinks very little, slim, and was always fit and active. There’s just no telling.

He had an operation two days after moving in .....and I do wonder if this might have something to do with it.

Meant to say, when DH had his stroke I found lots of answers on a website called Different Strokes. It is for younger stroke survivors but the information was good.

Hi ffin, sorry to hear about your husband, that must have been a difficult time for you both.

No real advice to offer but a comment on the tiredness. Our eldest son suffered a massive stroke aged 35. He was fit and healthy, didn't smoke, exercised and only drank in moderation.

Eleven years on he is still occasionally struck by immense tiredness. He is now able to walk round town, using a stick, with only occasionally stops, he has very little use in his left hand and his spatial awareness is so bad that he is no longer allowed to drive (he was an awful driver before though {grin}). He has been told he will never be able to work again but is a trustee of two charities and a volunteer for one of them. He swims and goes to the gym.

But, the tiredness will be there, to some degree, for ever I think.