Hi. I had a stroke 3 weeks ago. I got up in the morning feeling fine. 5 minutes later my right side went completely numb. I’m still able to walk & move my joints. Is there anyone on the forum that has had a stroke like this?
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@Evie16 welcome to the group, i have full mobility, but have a left shoulder that does not raise fully up. I do daily exercises on it to improve it, it does not cause me pain. Also take it easy 3 weeks is very early days in a recovery
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@Evie16 welcome to the forum. Sorry you’ve had a stroke. It’s very early days for you so loads of time for recovery. I had left sided weakness after my stroke along with vision & cognitive issues. Plenty of rehab has improved things but not there yet.
Lusten to your body as you start your recovery & try not to overdo it.
Wishing you all the best.
Ann
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I suffered a stroke 10 months ago like you it was numbness down my right side but still had mobility now although the numbness has mostly disappeared I still have it in my hip & part of my foot also some days have what I call my fuzzy head but have learned to live with it but sometimes worry if it will ever completely disappear
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Thanks for your message, this is a very common symptom and may improve with time. Keep fingers crossed.
Kusal Stroke OT
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Thank you for all your replies and support. Very much appreciated.
38th day now. I’ve had good days and bad days. Some days with no progress & other days when the progress is noticeable - like last Monday when I could actually smell & taste! At the weekend I had an awful night. Couldn’t sleep, the ‘nettles’ feeling in my leg was really bad! Finally got over to sleep around 4.30am.
I’m trying to stay positive, but I have had a few ‘pity party’ moments. Am trying to keep them to a minimum. My handwriting has improved a little - wasn’t very good to start with!! It was strange when I first attempted hand sewing - couldn’t feel the needle but at least I could see what I was doing. The first time I tried to sew with the machine I thought the machine was going to ‘take off’ out through the window!!
The most difficult thing in all of this is the ‘nettles’ feeling from the tips of my toes to the tips of my fingers. It is constant, never ending. The days I don’t feel any progress are difficult too, because I am trying to do everything I can to get the proper feeling back and some times it doesn’t appear to be working. BUT I’m still ‘upright & breathing’ which is a big, big bonus.
Take care everyone - keep trying - and thank you once again.
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@Evie16 good to read your update. Sounds like some things are going really well. The nettles feeling must be yuck. It is still early in your recovery journey yet so plenty of time for many improvements. Try not to let the days you are making less progress get you down. There may be no noticeable change on those days but they are all helping build the bigger level of recovery.
Best wishes
Ann x
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Hi. Thanks for your reply. It’s good to hear you have made progress over these past 4 weeks.
I do appreciate that it is early days for me regarding the stroke, that everyone is different in symptoms & healing progress, and I do know that it’s not going to be an easy fix.
I have consulted doctors etc re my ‘nettles’ and know exactly where I stand regarding this.
I’m trying to remain positive, to share with others who are at similar stages to me that there is a lot to be thankful for, that there will be good times and bad times, highs and lows, and we can support each other step by step! I think of the children’s story of the hare and the tortoise - like the tortoise I will just plod on, day by day, to get to my goal!
I’m not thinking 3 years down the line. If I live another 3 years, that will be good, but during whatever time I have left I hope to make the best of my life, whatever stage I reach!
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Sounds like you have a positive plan in place to go forward with, long may it remain that way. Going forward with a positive attitude does make the journey that bit easier. Find laughter whenever and wherever you can and I wish you well in your recovery.
great news, using putty to make shapes with eyes closed could be a option to improve sensation - unless there are any contraindications. This is a very effective but innovative way of improving sensation. I have trialled this on many client with great degree of success. As far I know no one else does this. If you want you can get putty from amazon and give it a go.
Wishing you all the best.
Kusal, Stroke OT
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Hope you are all well & improving every week. It’s all the little improvements that build up the recovery!
70th day update: There have been many ups & downs since I last wrote anything here. I no longer have the feeling of lying in a bed of nettles. For a few weeks after the ‘nettles’ it was like an electrical current constantly moving through my right side. That too has changed - it now feels like sandpaper constantly there, moving about inside me. Not very pleasant at all. Still a few numb patches here & there.
I have been doing some hand sewing. It’s strange seeing the stitches appearing when I can’t feel the needle!! Although I have a good strong grasp there are still things I find a bit difficult to manage. I’m also using the sewing machine again and managing quite well, though slow, and I’m hoping to finish my daughter’s dress this week.
My frustration levels at times have been very evident. I think if I didn’t feel so tired at times it wouldn’t be so bad.
I know I need to be walking more than I do, but my right toes are painful, and along with this ‘sandpaper’ feeling in my foot, it makes it very unpleasant, especially when I have to wear shoes. I even managed to get a large blister under my big toe!
BUT, I’m still upright and breathing and I do have a lot to be thankful for!
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@Evie16 pleased to hear that your “nettles” feeling has gone. That must have helped a lot. Hopefully the other sensations you are feeling will disappear in time too. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you 
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105 days (15 weeks) since I had my stroke. Things are not progressing as fast as I would like, but they are progressing. I no longer have the sensations of nettles or electric currents going through me - I now feel as if I have a continuous buzzing / fizzing 24/7 in my right half, but also now have just 1 completely numb area. I still get very tired and have to sit down, but it doesn’t appear to be as often.
There are times I do feel useless, not being able to do what I used to, even simple things, and I do have some ‘pity party’ times and days I don’t feel like getting out of bed, but do my best to keep these days to a minimum. I learnt from a very young age that no matter how difficult things are for me, there are others going through much worse! I am thankful to God for what I can do!
As I previously said, my aim was to make a dress for my daughter. After 10 weeks and a lot of ripping out and re-sewing I finally got it finished. It’s definitely not perfect, but it is wearable.
I don’t know if I’ll improve very much more or not, but am trying to live with what I’ve got. Every little improvement is a bonus, no matter how long it takes!!
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Not the attitude 
You WILL improve more! You are only 15 weeks into recovery, it basically takes a minimum of 6 months to a year. You have loads of time for further improvements. And we are all entitled to our down days and pity parties to relieve ourselves of the stresses of it all. Then we pick ourselves back up and keep on moving onwards and upwards 
And now it’s time to celebrate the nettles or electric currents morphing to a mere buzzing and fizzing 
'cos all progress, no matter how small should be celebrated 
Thank you for your reply and your encouragement - it means a lot!! When I said I didn’t know if I would improve much more or not, I wasn’t being defeatist - I meant that even if there wasn’t much more improvement I am prepared to make the best of what I have and ‘get up and get on with life’. I’m very grateful and tell all the family for even the slightest improvements. Some of them probably think I’m crazy getting excited over such little things, but they’re all very big to me!! As you say - onwards & upwards - our new motto!!
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I know, I’m the same, I find the whole process quite fascinating too. Plus I’m a good guinea pig (for want of a better word) for my daughter who’s studying psychology at uni. Today is the her first day back in her final year and already she’s messaged me with this
Psychologically it has been a boon for me, well for both of us, having her studying this. She has taught me so much about myself and my stroke that the health services couldn’t because we were in lockdowns at the time 
she has kept me sane and laughing all the way through 
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Congratulations on making the dress for your daughter. I bet she loved it. It’s so good that despite what you’re going through you have tackled it head on and are prepared to live life to the full irrespective of the progress you make. That’s a great attitude and will make such a difference. I am sure you will progress loads more yet though as 15 weeks is so early in stroke recovery terms and your attitude will help loads.
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