Hi, I have been caring for my partner since 2019, when he was eventually diagnosed 6 months afterwards with a TIA after it happened, so this was in lock down. He is fine physically and mobility wise but he has very poor memory for things that happen in the current or recent, but he can remember things from years ago. He struggles with day to day things, I have to do paperwork etc for him, he would struggle to make a meal, he struggles to use his mobile and also his cognitive thinking isn’t right at all. He struggles to concentrate on a tv programme that has a storyline. He gets very confused if we don’t do things on a daily basis, in a set routine, his symptoms get a lot worse if he is tired. He hasn’t had any sort of rehab because of covid and we have had no help or medical support whatsoever and I am really struggling now, as I feel like I’ve lost the partner I fell in love with. I don’t know if it is turning into dementia or its the stroke and is there anything that we can do to help his symptoms? He has a blood vessel that is 100% blocked at the consultant said they can’t operate, but if it was 99% they would have been able too. Thanks and sorry for rambling, we are at our wits end x
I’m so sorry that this has happened to you. Could you get a referral to the memory clinic to assess his cognitive functioning? I find everything just that little bit harder work than before and am definitely worse when tired so it may be normal ageing but someone who is specifically assessing his memory might have useful ideas
Well we have eventually got referred to a rehab clinic at the end of this month, after we saw a Neurologist and he got him to do a variety of things, like draw a clock face with the numbers etc and it was all over the place, as were the other tasks that he did. He asked me if he was like this before the stroke and I said no not at all he was a skilled electrician. I’m just hoping this rehab can work miracles!
@Adelec i had many cognitive issues post stroke. Some of the things you describe sound very familiar. I worked with an occupational therapist on mine & things have jmproved but not back to pre stroke levels. See if you can get an OT referral for him.
Other than that just keep getting him to practice things. Repeat, repeat & repeat again.
Best of luck.
Ann x
This is something that I have struggled with since mutiple TIAs. I describe it as having problems wth my short term memory in tandem with poor concentration and coordination. Making a meal can be challenging in terms of keeping track of what I have done and what still needs to be done. Typing something like this is also challenging in terms of keeping track of what I want to say and getting it to come out on screen like I see it in the thinking part of my brain.
Yes, tiredness does make it worse.
One thing I am considering is asking my GP if I would be able to get some Occupational Therapy input.
Dear all, sorry to hear that you are facing challenges with memory and daily tasks after stroke. There are two, things- first is inforamtion processing and after that comes memory. If it is first one, strategies can help to make memory more effective, I have been doing this for past 7 years and I have develpoed a simple model. A neuroloist would provide a diagnosis but they would not treat the condition, hence, as a specialised Stroke Occupational therapist I am glad to be able to say that there is always hope. One, of client I met after 5 years reported that his memory is improving (he was only 38 at time of the stroke). If anyone has suggested that try strategies without understanding actually what is the issue, then strategies are unlikely to work.
Unfortunately, this is a very poorly understood area.
Please let me know if you would need more information.
Kind regards
Kusal Stroke Occupational therapist
Hi i care for my husband following his stroke (bleed) in 2020. He has cognitve impairment, short term memory problems and aphasia. He has the same problems as your husband such as processing information etc. He had an MRI last December and it was confirmed he has Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy, which cause micro bleeds in the brain. I dont know much about this condition but the neurologist said it was different to the Amyloid that causes dementia.
He has private Speech and Language therapy through the Arni Institute which has helped.
It is really difficult navigating stroke recovery and knowing if symptoms are normal or unusual, knowing when to seek advice or not, worrying about things that maybe you dont need to worry about. Ive just joined this forum so hoping someone knows a bit more than me lol!
@Lav2 just popping by to say hi & welcome to the forum. I hope you find it a helpful & supportive place to be.
likewise. Normal??? Every stroke seems to have different effects and impacts. At least here we can get it our of our system as it were to people who will likely understand us better than those without any experience of stroke and its effects. Thanks. My husband has a lot of Lav’s husband’s symptoms too. Short term memory loss is not as obvious, but I have wondered at times. Right now, I just wish he would try to stand for more than 10 seconds so he maintains the ability to get on the molift and onto the commode with my help; otherwise, it will be a hoist and that possibility doesn’t seem to go home to him at all to motivate him to practise standing for a few seconds longer and longer…
Thank you all for your replies, its nice to know that we’re not on our own and yes it sounds like there is so many different lasting effects. I will do some research on some of the things that have been discussed. 
WOW! Two very helpful posts in a row in this category. You made my brain really think. You explained in a way I was able to understand and agree with. This is something I can explain to others when need arises, thanks to your comparisons. My grandson and the pets are the only ones in my personal space that truly understand the ups and downs I have…They seem to intuit when I am able to do whatever we are doing, and when it is too hard for me. Maybe because we spend so much time together. They know sometimes I can play a little rougher or faster than others, and sometimes I just can’t play at all. Pets and children…amazing creatures.