Use this space to introduce yourself and talk about your or your loved one’s stroke experience. It’s a great spot to connect, find support, and understand you’re not alone.
Well good morning all I’m new to this kind of communication so please give me a chance. My name is dave and I’m recovering from something which i had never heard òf before it’s called a stroke and its taken a large part of my life with it?
This thing has taken most of the things I used to do and used to love and I’m having to now rely on other people to do things I used to do myself,
It all started one morning I got up and the next thing I knew I was in an ambulance being rushed to hospital.
I got up all full of the joys of whatever I was full of the joys of and the next thing was I was laying on the floor of the bathroom and the next thing I know I’m sitting on a chair .
I then get to a hospital only to be told that I’ve got to be moved to another one so I then have to get into an ambulance and be Blue lighted over.
So I’m now in hospital and a week later I come out considerably less feeling all full of the joys and feeling like a huge hole has appeared in my head with nothing in it,
Now a month or so later and ìm feeling somewhat better. I still cannot walk properly but I’m learning I don’t speak like I used to but I’m learning and my writing well don’t mention my writing at least in polite terms. But I’m learning and that big hole in my head where my memory used to be well its still there but its a hole that has to be got round and with all the help I’m getting its gònna
Be one hell of a ride but at least its gonna be a ride that has a purpose.
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Hi Dave, as Mahoney said, welcome to the forum. We’ve all had strokes in one from or another and I think finding and using this site is probably going to give us all the information we need to get on with our lives. You’re ready for your ‘ride’ now by the sounds of it and the confidence that comes out of your message shows you’re going to keep strong as well, so take care and stay strong. Best wishes.
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Hi Dave. I had a stroke nearly three years ago now and I still am learning new things every day. It is quite exciting in a way! Walking and talking have had to be relearned, with some success. Writing is another matter as I have limited use of my right hand. I am always hopeful.
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Hi there guys and gals this is the first time I’ve ever wrote into a club like this and I guess that this is the first time for all of you so I guess we had better be introduced.
I’m Dave and I am a little confused but then I suppose being in a forum like this we are all confused by all the things going on around us that we get together to try to get some sort of normality out of what is going on around us
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I also am confused by the new site. I keep on trying and hope that I will succeed eventually! Lilian
Thank you for your reply. I will keep on trying. My problem is that I am a complete novice and only started to use modern technology after my stroke! I like to talk to other stroke survivors though. Best wishes Lilian
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Hello Lilian (@l_platt) I think your attitude is spot on. We are going to rebuild even better brains than we had before, there might be a few wonky bits here and there, but on the whole it will be better.
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Thank you for your words of encouragement. I am now working hard on becoming ambidextrous , using both right and left hands since I lost the use of my dominant right hand when I had a stroke. It is a challenge! Good to hear from you. Lilian
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Hi I am new to the forum and would like to introduce myself. My name is Beryl and I am a retired accountant of 64 years and I live Alone. 6 months ago my life changed completely when I had a stroke. I was at home on my own and had been experiencing a drunken feeling for 24 hours. I suddenly started to feel most odd and tried 111 for help. After an hour of no response I rang 999. An hour later help arrived and they felt it was probably a stroke. After 4 hours in a&e I was sent for tests and after a further 4 hours I was admitted to a ward. When I woke the following morning I realised that I could not use my left hand, speech was hard work and I was exhausted Following an MRI I was told I had a clot on the tight side of my brain.
I was fit and healthy prior to the stroke and used to walk 10000 steps a day with my cocker spaniel .
My recovery has been steady until recently. I have regained the use of my left hand and face/ mouth. I know how lucky I am compared with many stroke survivors but I really struggle with the fatigue. I feel like this is not improving and it makes life such hard work. Some days I struggle to walk my dog and just wish I could curl up and sleep until I was better. Sorry if I sound miserable but it was such a shock and there seems to be no timescale for improvement
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Dear Beryl. Welcome to the Forum. I am sorry to hear about your stroke. You sound as if you had a hard time but are making good progress. Tiredness is a real problem for all of us. There seems to be no magic cure but we learn to find our own way to manage it. Your doctor may help. Best wishes Lilian
Hi everyone. I recently turned 21 and I had a dissection so lost my speech, swallow (which has thankfully come back) and paralysed on my right side. Yesterday I walked independently which felt incredible. Does anyone have tips or advice? How will I be in the future?
Hello Anna (@annashort), welcome to the forum, and sorry to hear of the stroke. I hope we can be of help during your recovery period. My advice would be to do a little often. For the first six months your brain is going through repair hyperdrive, so now is the time to take advantage of that, but try not to overdo it. The brain also requires rest as much as it needs to be exercised. How things will turn out in the future is subjective to each survivor, as each stroke is different because our brains are all different. This also equates to recovery time, and the phrase, “how long is a piece of string?” is a useful measurement for determining recovery. However, daily repetition is key to getting the dormant neurones back online. Listen to your mind and body, and try to rest before it gets exhausted to avoid the boom-bust cycle which is counterproductive to recovery. Drop anchor when you need to, and work out a strategy for managing anxiety, as that too will make progress harder. For a period I found myself rehabilitating my anxiety rather than rehabilitating the stroke symptoms which is also counterproductive.
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That is so true ‘strive to accept the ‘new’ version of ourselves’ that Mahoney has mentioned Beryl. There will always be someone on this forum to help out or have a chat if you get a bit disheartened with anything. Best wishes, John
Hi Beryl having a stroke is a shock this site is great for giving advice encouragement tips it can be a slow process take one step at a time.
The Brian and body need rest in time you will see results remember the saying slow and steady wins the race you have to go at the pace of a tortoise instead of a hare all the best gillian
Thanks Gillian. I am trying to be patient and am starting to manage my time better. Just hope my improvement continues
Thanks John. It is lovely to know the are others out there experiencing similar problems
Hi there, I had a Brain Haemmorage in 1996, it was a bad one. I was in hospital for 12 weeks, with years of physio following on different problems. But I am still here, with loads of problems but hospitals and different physio’s are still helping me. Looking forward to keeping in touch with you. 
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Hi there. It sounds like you have had a hard time. You are being given some help and I hope that it is working for you. How mobile are you. Are you able to use your hands to write? Do you live alone? People on this site are very helpful. Good to talk Best wishes. Lilian
I can get around the house with a walking stick, outside I use a 4wheeled walker. There are things I can’t do at home, anything that I can’t do my husband does them. He does most of the cleaning. Yes, I can write. I can’t go out on my own. But I am still here, they told my husband when I had the brain haemorrhage that I may not live.
It is great to be able to talk to people about it.
Best wishes to you too Lilian.