It’s nearly 8 weeks since my husbands stoke and I feel he is progressing really well. He’s been going through hell and understandably his mood is very low. I would like to reach out for some words of encouragement for him.
We are on the hospital stroke ward now, previously were on neurosurgical ward as he had a craniectomy. The others on the ward are less server in their lack of mobility - my husband has been unable to move left side. He has just had a PEG fitted, but hopefully eating will return as managed custard the other day!. Now the PEG has been fitted he should be moving to a rehabilitation centre in the next few weeks.
Over the last week or so we have noticed that when he yawns his left arm moves and yesterday he managed to wiggle his left toes on command - which we hope is a really positive move in the right direction.
I’d be grateful to hear from anyone who regained their mobility in their affected side to offer him some hope for the future.
Hi and welcome, sorry to hear about your husband but also glad he’s showing signs of recovery and good signs too.
For myself my left arm and hand were all that was affected by my stroke and to all intents and purposes for the first week they seemed dead to me tried willing them at fist the noticed similarly when yawning my left hand would tremble (still does today). I had physio in hospital and he was amazing asked me to visualise my hand moving and we got it moving with support from my right, with some work and determination from me at the end of my stay could move my arm just enough to assist in getting dressed and to move things but a start.
Got home and spent hours daily with kids toys rehabilitating my arm and hand so much so was only two appointments at nuero rehab . I know how lucky I am but if there is movement in the toes on command with some support I hope the leg gets mobility back, the arm again hope if yawning is causing some sort of spasm would suggest there is again something to be worked with. Wishing you both all the best and take time with rehab and accept every offer of help, I know this will be frustrating in places but reset and don’t give up. P.S. one of my best tools was a 99p kids spikey ball which lit up when I dropped it and still have Spikey MIkey and use him every day.
Hi @HeatherT and welcome to the forum. Your husband can get a whole lot better, it just takes time and a lot of hard work with his rehabilition exercises.
I do know that @mrfrederickson on here is experiencing similar movements both in his stroke arm and leg when doing things like yawning or rubbing his ear. We were just discussing that on another post. I’ve supplied the link to it below.
As your husband is experiencing these movements early on in his recovery, you should both look at it as a positive, there is connectivity and signals are getting through or at least starting to. So stay positive, don’t give on the rehab and rest or change activity when the brain tells you to…hence fatigue.
There are some real positives in your post & you should both take these as encouragment that the brain is working to re-establish the signals.. it will take work but there is every reason to believe that.mire progress can be made.
I regained the use of my arm by exercising it daily. My leg is still a work in progress byt there are others who have regained use of both.
It is encouraging that he managed to eat some custard. @Mich-mm has recently started eating some food after being on a peg. See post below.
Hello @HeatherT and welcomei’m so sorry to read about your husband’s stroke, but delighted he can move his toes it’s taken me a year to move my left stroke affected limbs and while I can raise my right arm above my head i can only lift my left arm 6” off my body. It’s a wotk in progress. Best wishes to you both❣️
Your husband appears to be doing really well and is already doing things that have taken others longer to do, but this is not so unusual in itself as we all recover at our own rate and it is not a race. We are only racing with ourself
The posts from other members cover anything I might have offered and so all that remains for me to say is remember to work at your own rate, monitor self and take action as needed. Help is available from the healthcare team and on this forum.
It looks like your husband is on a good path and hopefully he will be doing things he loves.
Hi as Loraine noted I’m having redirected movements in my left arm
All of which is a sign of neuro plasticity in actio even though not controlled by my brain fully but although not correctly required the connection process is happening I’m not sure how long it takes as I’m five years in recovery and thi type of movement has only intensified in the last few months but was happening in the second year after the stroke.
I’m also noting I’m consciously thinking to use the affected arm even the it doesn’t respond in thinking of using it to dress or open the car door , who knows maybe one day it will operate even badly
