On 21 April my husband had a stroke (bleed on the brain) I was in shock as he was a healthy 57 year old, didn’t drink or smoke and was not over weight. Never had any medical issues and never goes to the doctor. When I was told at the hospital that his condition was very serious and he may have to go to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford my heart was broken. I have been with my husband for 28 years and his condition was so serious I really did fear the worst. He spent 3 weeks in hospital and thankfully didn’t have to go to the John Radcliffe. The stroke has left him with a speech and language problem which has improved but no where near perfect. I have requested some additional speech but there is such a long waiting list I have no idea when he will receive this. I am concerned the longer this is left the worse it will get. If there is anyone that knows of any private therapy in the Berkshire area please share this with me. We were told the stroke may of happened due to high blood pressure but nobody has confirmed this for sure. We have a follow up appointment with the hospital in the next few weeks where they compare the original MRI scan with a recent one. My husband has improved but very slowly, we don’t know if he will ever be able to go back to work and he gets tired very quickly.
4 months after the event he still can’t taste or smell anything, I really hope this comes back for him. He lost 1.5 stone and for him that was a lot but slowly he is putting a bit on now.
We don’t have any family or children and for me I struggled with the upset and stress and felt so alone. The Stroke Association has been amazing and provided me with useful help and links.
Looking forward to sharing information on this site and thank you for reading x
@p4wsp hi & welcome. It sounds like you & your husband have a very loving & supportive relationship. @Citizen8 love your message below.
Although it probably feels like forever it is very early days in stroke terms & there’s plenty of reasons for hope. I agree with @SimonInEdinburgh try some free resources on YouTube etc before paying out privately. Your GP though should be able to provide some details of Speech and Language Therapists in your area. You could also try the Stroke Association helpline 0303 3033 100, or email helpline@stroke.org.uk
Theres no substitute though for just trying to talk. Even if it doesn’t sound right practice will help it get better.
thanks so much for the lovely warm welcome and good suggestions, I really look forward to being part of this friendly group.
Now I know we are not alone and things will get good again sometime soon x
Recovery will be slow- a marathon not a sprint. Still you will look back at some tme in the future and realise how far you have come - recovery tend to be lots of small improvements that add up. In time it may be you giving the advice and encouragement to new, grieving members.
Sounds quite similar to my stroke… same age, high BP, no drink nor smoking, serious stroke, luckily my aphasia cleared up after a week. I can’t walk without a stick, though. I’ve known my wife for 33 years. There are some speech activation rehab tips to stimulate mouth, tongue, jaw, etc. for aphasia on brain rehab, for free, https://www.brain.rehab/ and I would get him started on these straight away. I have completed over 90% of this course and it has been inspiring and essential for my own rehab.
I lost many things, especially my somatosensory cortex and motor cortex parts of the brain were completely destroyed but I never lost my smell, nor taste. What about his eyesight and hearing? Good luck.
ps a good husband / wife team is more than twice as strong as an individual
Hi and a big welcome to this forum. So sorry to hear of your husband’s stroke. We are a merry band of stroke survivors and their carers and families
. We have all suffered different types of strokes and are all on very different roads to recovery. Having said that, the beginning of your post could have been my story. Hemorrhagic stroke (bleed) in 2017 age 57. Healthy and active. No medical issues. Not over weight, didn’t really drink, never smoked etc etc. I now know how devastated my husband was when it happened to me and my heart goes out to you. It is very early days and stroke recovery is a long and difficult road. Look after yourself while you are looking after your husband.
There is always someone here who can offer some advice and information or just as a shoulder to cry on when things get tough. So feel free to jump on and ask away. Above all else, be kind to each other.
I wish your husband well in his recovery and look forward to hearing from you.
His eye sight hasn’t been effected only his taste and smell really hope that returns as he enjoys his food.
He has started to walk with a slight limb on the right side that is a new thing wondering if that is because he has started to move around again, still will check with hospital on our check up in two weeks.
He is still signed off work too
Before stroke he was very active from the time he got up too bed, I am wondering if he will ever be strong enough to return to work
Hello!!
My husband had his stroke last October, taking his complete right side and speech with the added bonus of aphasia. 3 months in hospital and the day he arrived home nothing had changed. January was the longest, saddest month of my life as he was sleeping 20 hours of the day due to being on pain meds that were not needed.
Today, nine months on and I cant believe how far he has come. We look back at photos and videos of his recovery and are just astounded.
Speech has not come back as yet but we keep trying. He is now on the 3rd quad stick ( the small one) and with an orthotic can walk very small distances but again we work on this and it is building.
He has no movement at all in his arm/hand but still we try.
The man that sits by me as i type this is my husband of 38 years. Together we have worked hard and kept each other positive through the dark days.
Yesterday we went to the airport to pick our daughter up who is back home with us for a couple of weeks and she last saw her dad in March.
Imagine her face when she saw her dad standing there ready to hug her!!!
Be strong and patience. Recovery is very, very slow on a day by day basis but when you look back on each month, you will be amazed by the progress.
I guess a new path and new challenges is good but it is very hard I know for you and folk around you.
I am so pleased I found this link to be able to chat to folk who have also had the same sort of life experiences. You never know what life has to hit at you next that is for sure.
Thanks for taking the time to share your story with me, it makes life a bit more positive for me and my husband.
Have you tested each nostril individually? The left and right nostril channel smells into each side of the brain ; left for analytical, right for unpleasant categories. Get a piece of sage and use it to stimulate his lost smell function ; for 6 weeks… you might recover his sense of smell (which is dormant) and analyze his threshold (distance at which he detects smell). You need to actively stimulate and question his sense of smell. (Spearmint or Peppermint, lavender, sandalwood, thyme maybe? Rosemary a great one). Avoid chemical smells, obviously.
Good luck. I have a good feeling about your husband’s recovery
ciao, Roland
Welcome to the community. I’m sorry to hear about your husbands stroke. It sounds like you’re a great unit and will be able to get through this challenging time together.
Have you had a look on our website Support groups in your area | Stroke Association to see if there are any groups near you? I recently had the opportunity to go to a speech group near me, it was great to see how people are being supported with this. Hopefully you may be able to find something local to you.
