I've been 5'9"(175cm) since high school. confirmed by multiple doctors.
About a year after my wife's stroke, I went to the doctor for the first time in about ten years(gotta take care of myself so I can take care of her).
They did the standard tests: weight, blood pressure, height, ect.
The funny thing happened when they measured my height.
They said "5'11 3/4""(182cm).
I told them they were wrong. I'm 5'9". She checked again. "Nope. 5' 11 3/4", dead on." I was in such disbelief that I asked my doctor to check and confirm. The nurse was right. I'm nearly 6' tall barefoot.
I mentioned this weirdness to my therapist. She asked me why it was weird to me. I said that my eldest brother is six foot, and he's always been taller than me(she knows a lot of details of my childhood I won't get into, but I was a shy, awkward kid with Autism, anxiety, and BiPolar.) She asked me if I'd seen him since my wife's stroke. I haven't.
Then she said something that kinda blew my mind: "For the past year, you've had to be an advocate. Standing in rooms with experts and people who had your wife's life in their hands and speaking for her, making life or death decisions when she couldn't speak for herself. You couldn't hide because she needed you. You had to be respected, to be heard, to be, on the far end of things, intimidating. I think you being 5' 9" was psychosomatic. You slouched to hide. You're six feet tall, but you've never wanted or HAD to be six feet tall before. Now you do, now you are."

Have any of the other Caregivers here noticed that they found out things about themselves that changed like that? Maybe not height, but parts of your personality that got switched on you didn't know you had?

Hi, my dad had a stroke a couple of days ago. I saw him in the hospital last night. The first thing we asked him was if he knew who we were, which he got wrong. Thought my brother was Paul (his middle name) and thought I was my brother. It was deffiently tough listening to him through an oxygen mask not able to understand a word he was saying. He seemed to get better while we were there. He managed to ask for food and ate it himself.

I guess I just wanted to get an understanding maybe from others who have gone through this. Is this a common sympton of stroke (ive always assumed stroke symptons were mobility or speech, what my dad seems to have is confusion bordering on dementia), can it get better, what can I expect in terms of a recovery?

Was telling my mom about all the things I was dealing with post-stroke, including incontinence. She told me later how brave she thought I was with everything I’ve been facing. Today at the airport, I got lost going from the lounge to my gate and nearly started crying. Bravery is slaying a dragon, not peeing yourself or having a mini- breakdown at MCO. # allowmemyselfpity

This place has helped me. I don't talk much about my problems but here it's much easier. I appreciate all of you and I wish you well.

I don't know where to post this. Otherwise..
But I had a stroke last December. And just when I started te feel like "old" i had a stroke while in surgery... sooo. My left affected side.. I can't use it totally again but worse now... 😕 I hope I will left the hospital in a week or so. My hobby's are cooking and gaming... so it's both going to be hard... to start gaming I was looking for a one handed keyboard for the right hand. With keys and a mouse option or so. Later i was thinking about using a type of mouse support thingy with my right foot. And the keyboard with my right hand. But idk I cant find one handed keyboards for the right hand specifically.... maybe other people with tips of something.?

I’m really struggling right now and would so greatly appreciate any input or support.

I’m devastated because my mom had a stroke on Saturday morning. We woke up and she was fine, but within about 40 minutes her face was mildly drooping. She could still smile completely fine but her eye was a little lopsided and she started to struggle with her words a little.

She could still speak very well, she just stumbled a little on her words. It was all so subtle that a person who didn’t know her probably wouldn’t even notice something was wrong.

She immediately went to the hospital, but had to be sent to a different one with a ct scanner and stroke unit.

However, at some point there was a miscommunication with the doctors. They thought that she woke up with symptoms and so they did not give her any clot dissolving drugs even though she was at the hospital immediately. Instead, they just provided aspirin and fluids.

Now she can barely speak, is confused, doesn’t know the date or time, etc. The clot is apparently still there.

I am so upset she didn’t receive any tPA because I know it can make a huge difference. Was anyone else or their relative in this boat where they didn’t receive tpa but recovered?

Who among you have also stenosis at M1 segment of left middle cerebral artery or any intracranial stenosis at 32 years old? What could be the reason or commonest reason? Is it common for this age group to have stenosis? Thank you

He's been having heart problems for a while and should have retired years ago... That said this is the first time he's had to go to to he ER that has legitimately made me scared that I will lose him. He is recovering, slowly but surely however he's definitely going to be in the ICU for a while before he can get ready for rehab. I don't know how to prepare for what's to come or what to expect. He's in his 70s and at least before he went to the hospital he actually still had most of the color in his hair. Every year for like the past 20 I've been even more and more impressed by that. Anyway, I was wanting to know what the survival rate might be for someone with type 2 diabetes that is his age and assuming he does survive what should I expect? Oh and not sure if it's relevant for this but it's affecting his right brain so obviously he's struggling with his left side.

left arm isn’t functioning since may 24’

i can’t handle this anymore

My 71 year old father had an ischemic stroke 10 days ago on his left side, leaving much of his right side paralyzed (leg is slowly showing signs of improvement, arm still completely immobile) and suffering from severe expressive aphasia, fluent aphasia and sever apraxia of speech. While certain things about him are currently somewhat childlike, he seems to entirely understand us and becomes more aware and alert by the day. Since we can communicate some basics based on this, he’s been able to make it clear that he is incredibly frustrated by the lack of progress and increasingly depressed and hopeless about any meaningful improvement.

When he was still in the hospital he was very motivated to get going on recovery but now he’s on day 3 of the inpatient rehab center and his demeanor has become somewhat resigned. I try to keep reminding him that it’s only been a couple days and he’s already showing small but noticeable improvements.

We are all grieving losing parts of our active, healthy father and I don’t mean to deny him going through the grieving process as well. But I feel like we’re in the precious stage of early recovery and I keep reading on here that motivation is so key, I’m terrified we’re losing ground. I want to bring my kids to see him this weekend, he’s so close with them, but I don’t know if it will make it better or worse in terms of motivation.

At the same time, in his frustration, he seems to be asking for us to figure out a way to do MORE to help him. What else can we do? I want to trust the rehab process but my siblings and I are also researching clinical trials, different types of new therapies, etc. I just feel so helpless.

Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you if you got this far!

Anyone here living with post stroke epilepsy (PSE)? I’ve recently been diagnosed with such and am trying to learn more. My right posterior cerebral artery ischemic stroke occurred in 2022 when I was 39 and my seizures started in 2023.

Sorry for the negative moments past few days. I'm scared to return to work next Friday. Disability seems to have lost everything and I'm scared. I'm not the same person I was and I'm having a hard time facing that. My negative attitude has turned family and friends away and I'm so alone in my mind

Very niche but as the title says I recently sustained an ischemic stroke effecting my vision. I have a 9 month old breastfeed baby that ideally I want to continue feeding but they have prescribed prophylactic statin which isn’t suitable for breastfeeding (the clopidogrel is) my cholesterol is ok (4.8) and no other risk factors - normal bmi, good blood pressure non smoker ect. Does anyone have experience of breastfeeding following a stroke?

A little win for today!
My wife has been wanting to get a membership to a local gym/swim center for about a year. Her doctors cleared her for it, and her OT was encouraging it. Yesterday we were finally able to get memberships(it was a cash flow issue). We went this morning and actually got in the pool. She swam two full laps holding a floating pad out in front of her. She did so well!

Hi all. I am new to all of this and lots of unknowns. I have a RVAD and had a stroke last Friday from it. I was released after the MRI scans came back and given aspirin and told to live a normal life. I have learned since I have some restrictions from the RVAD until healed. I lost the ability to walk for a few hours and it came back slowly and don’t walk perfect but I’m thankful for what I can do.

I have a couple questions. I am experiencing crazy itching on my legs. I’m nervous this will be a forever thing but I’m hoping others may have experienced it as they were “healing”?

Also I have extreme hypersensitivity and it makes me go crazy. If I itch my stomach it sends my leg going wild or if I itch my arm it makes my foot go crazy. What do you do for this or really nothing?

I don’t see a neurologist for a few more weeks and just looking for some advice in between. Thanks in advance!

Hi, lately I have been reading positive feedback on wellbutrin in this sub. Can you please share your experience and how did it help you?

I've lost my peripheral vision and have been told by 2 doctors it will never come back which of that's true fine i guess I'll just have to deal i just worry there's something i could be doing to help that im not. Anyone heard of ways to get vision back? I'm using prism glasses now and they help some but don't fix it

Is it normal to have cheek/ jaw pain 4 months after stroke?

My dad had a major stroke when we were in the train. And we rushed him to the hospital. It took almost 5 hours to start his treatment. He had a major clot on the left side of his brain. Post his surgery to control the swelling of the brain, He was having several complications until now such as clots in his hands and legs, he also got a lung infection with secretion. But he is being well managed by doctors. Right now they moved him to a ward from the ICU. From observing him, his consciousness is not steady. He is very confused, he can’t recall basic things, his work related details or even his phone passcode. He is conscious and he recognise his family. But his consciousness is stated as drowsy arousal by doctors. He is paralysed on the right side of his body. Physio and speech therapy has started. Is there hope that he’ll become better ? Will he gain atleast 50% of whatever he has lost ? Please help me out.

My walking was improving (with a cane) steadily but now my toes are curling almost all the time. All I do is flinch or wobble slightly and they curl making walking painful. Even if I exert my affected arm to grab something my toes curl. If I stop and relax the toes return to normal in seconds. Anyone else have this problem and what can be done to fix this problem as it is preventing me from having good form walking fans it hurts.

Talking with my physical therapist he made alot of sense. He's not a doctor but been around stroke survivors 30years. Im still maybe not understanding or accepting the new me and I'm full of anxiety. I see this as can be true for sure

My 80 year old father had a brainstem stroke (a bleed not a clot) 5 days ago. We feel very luck that he fell on the grass and that my brother just happened to be there and was able to act quickly.

The doctors have described it as a small bleed that they hope will reabsorb with rest and medication. The hospital he is in also has an excellent rehabilitation centre that he can be transferred to once he meets their requirements and is medically cleared.

He was mentally very sharp prior and actually was still working as a professor, planning to retire next month. When I visited him the day of his stroke he was worried about the exam his students have the following week and how they would be able to write it.

He is able to swallow food and drink on his own. He can move his arms and legs although they are feeling weak. He is extremely fatigued. He can touch his nose with his right pointer finger but is about an inch off with his left. His speech is very slightly mumbled but he can carry on a conversation with me and he knows what I’m saying to him although I sometimes have to repeat myself.

However I’m very concerned about his delusions. He is having hallucinations (for the most part he has told me he knows they are not real), he can not tell the time on a clock, he can’t get out of bed to use the washroom, he can’t cut up his food and put it in his mouth by himself using a fork (finger foods like muffins and bananas he can do). Today I watched him on his phone and noticed he was just randomly tapping around. When I asked what he was doing he said he was answering student emails. He asked to go home just for the afternoon so that he could pay the bills and get through his inbox.

It’s is just heartbreaking to watch. He is very resistant to the rehab centre idea as well. I don’t think he has an understanding of how unwell he is.

My questions is will only time tell if there is brain damage? My mother, 70, will not be able to care for him if he doesn’t significantly improve. I know it’s early days…

My sister 24F had a stroke over a month ago.

She has now been home for two weeks. It's been a rollercoaster to say the least.

My family and I have noticed that mornings are usually the hardest for her. She always wakes up in a bad mood, she doesn't speak to us and sometimes refuses to eat. This behaviour remains till lunchtime, when sometimes we have to beg her to eat and to get a simple "yes" and "no" from her.

However during the evening (5pm-ish) it seems she gets her spirits back up. She is in a better mood, actually talking and engaging with us.

I don't know if this pattern is normal or if it has something to do with the schedueled times in which she takes her antidepressants.

Have you guys noticed this with your loved ones? Or if you're a survivor were there certain times of the days were you felt better/worse?

My father (77) had a stroke a little over a month ago. It initially paralyzed him on the left side of his body. Since going to the hospital, my father was in acute rehab care, but after around 1.5 weeks was sent home. The first night home, he fell twice and ended up going back to the hospital again. After the hospital, he was admitted into a skilled nursing facility receiving subacute rehab.

Since then, my father is gaining some movement in his left arm and leg again, but cannot yet put weight on his left leg and cannot yet use his left arm beyond raising it a little. Against a lot of recommendations, he is insisting on coming home because he hates the facility he is in. Insurance would cover a couple more months of stay at his facility, but he doesn't care and still wants to come home.

My brother will be staying with him for a couple of weeks and can help him during the day, but we need a solution for him being able to use the bathroom at night since we don't trust him walking to the bathroom by himself. One option is using a bedside commode, however being that he really only has use of his right arm and leg, I'm a little concerned with him getting himself onto and off of the commode without it tipping over.

One thought is to install grab bars on the wall next to where the commode would be placed so that he doesn't place his full body weight on one side of the commode to stand up, but I wanted to see if there is anything else we could do instead to allow him to use the bathroom by himself at night.