I am currently on holiday in Benidorm and my anxiety levels have kicked in. Every dull ache in my shoulders and the fatigue is just making my anxiety worse thinking im gonna have another stroke out here. I’m 9 weeks into my recovery and it was caused by a blood clot. Doctor said to fly and to enjoy it and currently on Amlodipine, Ramipril, Clopidogrel and Atorvastatin which i am still taking. I am trying so hard to push the anxiety aside but the more I do the worse it seems to get. I am having a few alcoholic drinks out here and read this could cause another one but then everything could cause another I suppose. I just wanna enjoy the last week out here. Sorry for the long ranting post just this is starting to ruin things now because its all im thinking about and forever doing the arm stretch test and the smiling to reassure myself.
9 weeks is very early in recovery terms so you are likely to be anxious. But try & relax and just enjoy being away. You have made it there and all gone ok so far so that should reassure you. A few alcoholic drinks won’t hurt - just don’t go mad. Fatigue will be worse because you are doing something different & and your anxiety will be adfing to it too.
Find something you enjoy doing to do. Just enjoy the last week.
I understand, had a similar experience with a family holiday 6 weeks after a stroke, it’s very common to have the anxiety of a reoccurrence.
In time that fades plus you can trust in the medication, those are tried and tested. I used to push back on meds but since my stroke I trust in the meds that they’ll help with prevention.
Find things you enjoy, get out, have a walk, talk to friends.
Thanks for the reply, yea im gonna make the most of been here as when im home I will be wishing to be out here again. Just wish the anxiety would subside but its always there.
Thank you for the reply. Its awful was really looking forward to this break away and the anxiety has just kicked in and im doing the old google everything trick. Aim to enjoy my last 7 days out here and put my feet up and relax.
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@DanRose991 i’m going to be stern and say ENOUGH. You are there and you are fine, the drugs you are on will ensure you don’t have another, now let the ANXIETY go and EnJOY!!
I was resuscitated and woke looking into my girl friend’s tear filled eyes. I had no idea what had happened. Thought maybe I’d been in a traffic accident.
For about five years I was terrified. Everything seemed to point at death. I’d lay awake all night frightened I wouldn’t wake up. Unable to sleep.
Then, after all that time, I realised I hadn’t died and I decided it was time to stop worrying and get on with living. I began to cope.
Four years ago I had a stroke. I wasn’t going to go through all that again and here I am.
I really feel for you and know how horrid fear can be.
You must master that fear and refuse it permission to make your decisions for you. You are alive and will likely continue to live so start looking around at the nice things that life brings and smile.
You survived a truly horrid event. You are not alone.
We have a tomorrow and we will be here.
I hope you managed to really enjoy your last week. Amlodopine caused serious side effects for me. Ended up in A&E. On a chat forum about it I heard others had the same problem. I just mention it, as if you do get pains the main thing is don’t panick. First to ask the doc to change your meds.
Like Bobbi I’ve had a scare before and looked at it like this been lucky enough to have made it, possibly more than lucky today again as I’m more appreciative of life and living. Have those few social drinks without guilt enjoy the experience of being there with loved ones and celebrate life. Anxiety is understandable but like stroke it can’t win: have agreat time and enjoy that winter sun.
I don’t want to spoil your pleasure of a little tipple. But something to be considered is that the alcohol could be triggering or enhancing the anxiety. What goes up must come down. Its a mood enhancer, both the good moods and the bad.
When coming down from the alcohol’s little high, you can get low for while and that’s when the anxiety and depression tend to kick in. And unfortunately your brain doesn’t yet have the capacity to cope with those mood swings, it just doesn’t have the time, your brain is still up to it’s eyes making repairs and trying to heal. The best analogy I can think of is putting a drunk in charge of a school bus full of kids and hoping they don’t crash…the crash being another stroke in this analogy.
I don’t drink anyway but I do like sweet things. But I’m also diabetic, so I have to be particularly careful at parties/celebrations because they tend to be full the foods and drinks I have have to avoid.
But it doesn’t stop me enjoying myself. And so can you, just give yourself more time to heal first. Just consider this, it takes 6-8 weeks for a broken leg to knit together to start walking again. But it takes 6 months to a year to get it back to full strength.
You’ve just been through a major life threatening trauma, majour!
I know, it doesn’t look like that does it. That’s because all our wounds are inside our heads, the majority invisible to the naked eye! And that’s going to take a lot longer than a mere 9 weeks to recover from. Those wounds are no where near healed over yet so don’t risk opening them back up again…another stroke. Just because they can’t be seen or felt, doesn’t mean they’re not there. And just like an open wound thats not allowed to heal, just get worse. So give your brain a break, don’t try to run before you can walk😉 Slow and steady wins this race. You will get there, so just relax and be kinder to your brain and let it get on with what it has to do. Because it knows better than anyone how to do this🫂
I love this post - there is much wisdom in its content.
Very eloquently put and I would suggest, this is advice all would do well to heed.
Sometimes it is so easy to miss the obvious.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
