Diagnosis after silent stroke

I was diagnosed as having had two strokes between two scans. The first scan was clear in 2016 bur the second scan in August 2024 showed two strokes had occurred. Thinking back I deduced the second stroke was June/July 2024 and this was the more serious of the two. I attended a stroke clinic and was then fitted with a heart monitor which did not show any problems. I feel very isolated but have now enrolled at a local support group starting next Wednesday. What is really concerning me at present is that suddenly I can’t carry out simple tasks on my iPad and yet up until two weeks ago these were not a problem. In fact I struggled to put this story on line. I couldn’t work out how to start. What also annoys me is when people say how well I am doing. My reply to this is, Yes but you are not in my head. I am also extremely tired and tend to sleep a lot. To me I am not progressing, but I am managing to walk a bit better without reaching out for support all the time but have to use a stick.

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Hi @Rachel-Anne

Hello and welcome.

Apparently I’ve had (multiple) silent strokes too :frowning: as well as one that hospitalised me - I expect other here have too.
There are lots in the general population - I blame promotion of FAST and not a focus on how to spot TIAs

If you’ve noticed a deterioration in capability then you could be suffering a ‘decompensation’ or another neuro-event; there’s no way we can say which - go see the GP for a referral. Unless you get an MRI I guess you’ll be left with inconclusive statements

Take your meds, know & manage risk factors then ‘dont worry about it but live life’ (easy to say but after you’ve managed risk there is nothing you can do except reduce stress levels caused by anxiety of something now uncontrollable

Sleep is IMPORTANT take all that comes your way

Yes people say “you look well” - they mean well. You can reply “thank you I am but I’m permantley damaged, parts of my brain irreversibly suffocated - learning to compensate will be life long”

If you can’t see your progress then keep a diary. Compare entries 6/12wks or more apart. I’m now seeing progress regularly but I’m 4yrs on and I work constantly at incorporating my affected side into my daily activities - it’s been a slog & will be for years more

We got together and wrote the welcome post for the things we often repeat - you might find it helpful

Good luck on your journey

Caio
Simon

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This is terrible, but can you have brain bleed strokes without ever knowing it? My mother had a moderate hemorrhagic stroke, but it is possible she had a mini or micro brain bleeds before or after her big event?

I know that TIA’s have to do with isch1emic strokes (blood clots), but brain bleed strokes are less talked about.

We still don’t know why she had a brain bleed. They say her very low platelet count made the bleed worse, but it didn’t cause the stroke. She didn’t even really have blood pressure. It’s all a mystery to us.

Could she have had mini-strokes without our ever knowing it? Are there brain bleed TIA’s? I never get definite answers on anything.

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Thank you for your response, it did put my mind at rest. Sometimes I do too much physically and get tired. I have to learn to pace myself but having always kept my days full with hobbies such as gardening, sewing and general handicrafts I find it difficult. It also frustrates me that I cannot do my housework to my satisfaction. I keep everything tidy and dust but it’s the things which are out of reach that annoy me. This seems very petty compared to other peoples issues and should feel more gratitude for my strokes not being more severe. Thanks again for your kind reply

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Hi @Rachel-Anne

Perhaps the hardest thing for me -and I think I read a hint of it in your post? - is I’ve now had to adjust my standards.

I’ve erected a tarpaulin in the garden because I too like gardening. It’s now hard to move my shredder around and I need weather protection for it if I am leaving it out.
I used poles and cord to secure a dry area. In the past I would have tied interesting knots using cord with maximum economy. Often those knots would take me a minute instead of 10 seconds to tie a simple reef/ square knot. Last week the simple reef was taking me 20 minutes (!! The frustration of a half-tied knot slipping and releasing the tension and having to start over time and time again :frowning: )

I simply had to accept 20 minutes for a shit job where once would have been 1 minute for elegance. instead of economy I had metres of cord lying idle because I could not get the knot and the arrangements where I wanted them.

My wife helped for the last hour of what would it be in a half hour job PS[1]
At the end I was left with the satisfaction of achievement of job done despite all the adversities - and that is the relocation of my satisfactions

Is this a parallel for your dust on high?
It’s not the dust or the lost cord or the removal of the satisfaction in using a pleasing knot. It’s acceptance that standards lived by for a life of decades have been changed without my consultation or agreement - the adjustment has been in the source of satisfaction. I’m still busy and still achieving just the arena and the metric are changed

That same frustration occurs in the implacability of the administration of this platform :frowning:

There is no pettiness. We all have metrics/ measures standards against which we used to perform and a new standard. But we also have damaged brains that mean our emotional responses and our resilience may also be changed - don’t confuse lack of physical challenge with pettiness because it’s attitude and emotions and adjustments or the quality of life that matters and it’s entirely a mental health need that we all share and define in different ways

3¢
Simon


  1. Post Stroke ↩︎

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Thank you Simon your reply is spot on. Following your advice in earlier i have an appointment with a GP this afternoon. I only got the appointment by telling the surgery that I was taking advice from this forum. Under normal circumstances we can only make appointments a week in advance. What I don’t understand is that since being discharged by my consultant at the local hospital I get no follow up so am delighted I have found this forum. I agree that too much emphasis is put on FAST. When I lost my balance back in the summer I had no idea I was having a stroke. When I had regained my balance I went home and prepared lunch and didn’t think any more of it. Even now, if I get wobbly I don’t know if I should be worried. Thanks again. I hope down the line I will be able to help people in the same way as you are doing.

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Hi @Rachel-Anne

I’m glad I or we have managed to be of some help and I would be delighted if you paid it forwards later.

I suspect your GP won’t know enough to be directly helpful and I suspect any consultant will be wrapped up in a world with tram lines that avoid the messy reality of acknowledging their knowledge and investigative powers are still below the level needed to bring the sort of clarity we expect of all things in this century. The dissonance leads to absolute statements where probabilities are uncertainties are more suited :frowning:

There are a very small number of us who are the flywheel of this community that give it momentum and enhance its viable - We get no thanks except by the odd reply such as yours; Indeed I think the opposite is true

We are in the throws of forming a Stroke Improvement Group and all you need to do too record sympathy with the aims or membership is to include “SIG” or write it out in full as the last line of your posts here and Facebook etc.

I hope you won’t mind me being a slightly amused that’s a conversation with me open the door to your GP :slight_smile: There is so much irony in that!!

Caio
Simon

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@Rachel-Anne hi & welcome to the community. Sorry to hear of your strokes. Although probably hard to believe silent strokes can happen. We probably think at the time “oh I feel a bit off or weird” then just move on.

If your last, more serious, event was June/July this year then you are still very early on in the journey back to “normality”. You will get very tired & need to rest a lot. This is very normal and your brain needs that rest to start it’s repair work. You may find your worsening symptoms are because you’re over doing it but if they are worrying you you should seek medical advice. I see you have a GP appointment so hopefully they can reassure you.

As Simon mentions adjusting to new capability levels post stroke is hard but essential. I am like you & get frustrated that I can’t do what I used to. I still get frustrated 3 years on but I have lowered my expectations now. If something doesn’t get done i’ll get round to it eventually or I just leave it. I also take help where it is offered…accept whatever help you can even if you feel it unneccesary. It all helps the fatigue management.

Best wishes

Ann

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Hello Rachel and welcome along. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Hi Rachel-Anne
Fatigue and concentration are aspects that you need to learn to work around by taking rest when you are tired and doing things in short sessions when you feel able to do them.
I am 14 years down the road and much improved but still have to pace myself.
Good luck on the journey

Tony

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Hi Tony thanks for your reply. I did type an answer earlier and saved it to send later and now can’t find it. The story of my life at present. I can’t find my way around this community chat as in the last three or four weeks I find everything difficult to work out. This frustrates me as I didn’t have problems before this. Simon suggests it is deconcentration as a res.ult of being tired. This forum is the only support I have apart from visiting the GP and this is not as easy as it used to be.

I can manage emails and simple texts but have to check them before pushing the button as sometimes they don’t make sense.

I didn’t realise how complex a stroke can be until I joined this group and although I find it very helpful it’s a bit scary. I just thought I would learn to walk an d that would be it. Silly me!

Thanks again.

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Hi @Rachel-Anne
If your wrote a draft here it’s saved under your profile

Locating Draft Posts (click to expand)

Swipe down if you don’t see your avatar (the R in a circle)

Then click the R to show the menu and select your Profile - the bottom option

Then you should see Drafts

If it was something else that’s confusing then if you can tell us what I’m sure people will offer help

Caio
Simon
SIG