Hi, my name is Alyn and I’m just starting to get my head around that fact that I have had a stroke and its implications on my life. I thought I would tell my story and see if it resonates with anyone else in this forum community. Here goes…
The new year didn’t get off to the best start when my wife Ruth was admitted to hospital with abdominal issues and a serious infection (sepsis) that was causing problems. Powerful intravenous antibiotics did stabilise the situation eventually, but obviously, my own stress levels during this time were off the scale! After five days of worrying hospital visits, and while driving in to see Ruth in ICU, I started to feel unwell myself with tingling and numbness in my left hand and arm, which spread all down my left side. Pressing the clutch peddle was becoming a problem but I managed to park the car in the hospital car park. I felt rather wobbly walkling in, but managed to get to see Ruth in ICU. I was kind of hoping the symptoms would just pass, but they only got worse. I asked for advice from a doctor in ICU and she got me rushed off to A & E, where they did a few tests including a CT scan and ECG. They thought my symptoms were not typical of a stroke as they gradually spread through my left side rather than being instantaneous. They did however book me in to attend a TIA Clinic two days later where an MRI scan did confirm that I had indeed suffered a stroke.
I have been prescribed Atorvastastin as my cholesterol was high; Clopidogrel (a blood thinner), both for the rest of my life apparently and Aspirin for a month. It’s exactly three weeks now since the stroke and the ‘pins and needles’ persist in my left hand constantly with numbness in my whole left arm and abdomen. My left leg has recovered somewhat with just muscle aches. I strangely feel like I have a phantom cushion tucked under my left armpit on a constant basis, which is odd, and I also feel like my left eye is watering constantly, when it isn’t.
The thing that has been lacking so far is any general advice as to what I should or should not do to help aid my recovery. Should I be relaxing or should I be exercising? I do seem to tire easily but I am at least starting to gauge my limits. My left hand does seem to throb in the evening if I’ve tried to do a lot during the day, so perhaps need to hold back a little, though being left-handed, that is difficult. As for the future, I guess its impossible to say how much improvement there will be from here so patience will be required. Reading the stories of others on here, I realise I have got off very lightly, so I should be thankful for that, but if anyone has any advice or comments about what to expect in the coming weeks/months years, it would be lovely to hear from you.
Hi. Sorry to hear you’ve had a stroke.
It’s early days and it sounds like you’ve had a great recovery so far. Pins and needles are often a good sign that your brains sending signals to the affected area.
I’d say that will settle down and numbness should reduce/disappear entirely as your brain recalibrates.
Fatigue is a real killer for a lot of stroke survivors. Mine disappeared after a couple of months but it was bad at the start. Nothing you can do about that other than rest when you need it. Your brain does the most healing during rest periods so prioritise good sleep.
I’m not sure what physio you should be doing as it sounds like you have all movement and strength etc in tact? Time will hopefully sort the rest
Hi Matt and thanks for your post. It is encouraging to read your comments regarding the likelihood of my numbness and tingling potentially settling down and maybe even disappearing altogether in time.
Fatigue is what I’m finding difficult to gauge at the moment, but it is still early days. I’m sure you’re right - rest when I need it and not feel guilty about that!
Yes, I have full movement and strength seems okay, but I tire easily. Yesterday, I think I did way too much and today I feel like I cant do to much with my left arm, so time to rest!
Thanks again for your reply. 
I was told to get back on my feet and go for a walk every day. I had to learn to walk again first but I just did short walks, quite slow and gradually increased them. On days where the weather was poor I did walking workouts on YouTube and again gradually increased the length of these. If you look on YouTube there are post stroke exercises available and I believe the online activities with the Stroke Association offer exercise classes. I haven’t tried them myself as I prefer getting out to exercise. I walked my first parkrun (5k) at the end of March. I had my stroke in January and was discharged from hospital in February. I was told to go with how my body feels so on days I had more energy I did a little more, and on days I needed rest, I did just that.
@Gneissguy hi & welcome to the community. What a start to the year for you and your wife. I hope it gets better ftom here.
To answer your question you need to do both. Rest & exercise. Your brain needs to rest so it can start to repair & rebuild those connections it has lost. But you also need to exercise so that you can recover too. But exercise in moderation so you don’t get too fatigued. You need to find a balance that works for you. It may take some time to find that balance but you’ll know when you have overdone it. Pacing, planning & preparation are the order of the day.
Wishing you & your wife all the best.
Ann
Thanks for that. I’ve found the online exercises you mentioned, which look like they could be useful. Cheers!
Hi Ann,
Thanks for your reply and kind words.
Yes, it has been a heck of a start to 2025 - not quite what my wife and I envisaged on New Years Eve, but it is what it is!
Finding the right balance for me between rest and exercise looks to be the thing to try and establish going forward. As another poster has suggested to me, the online exercises look like a useful resource which I’ll explore in the coming weeks.
Many thanks for your reply.
- Alyn.
Gently exercising, but if you get warning signs that something is amiss, tone it down straight away, or change exercise / gear / way of thinking. There are many ways of maintaining the body ; ie. closed chain isometric exercises. I do a bit of Qigong, for example.
Hopefully you will recover well ; you could research a Red Light Panel @ 850 nm for your eye if it continues to water or you suspect MGD or similar. The eye is delicate and connects to the brain in many ways
good luck to you & wife, ciao, Roland
Hello @Gneissguy - welcome to the community and wishing you and your wife all the very best. I feel there is nothing I can add above and beyond what our other regulars have already shared and I echo everything if that helps 
My simple and short answer to your question is you should both but in the right measure - this I would do by listening to my body
Namaste|
Hi Alyn @Gneissguy
Welcome to the community, I’m sorry to hear about your stroke and I also hope that your wife is doing well now.
As a few people have already mentioned fatigue and tiring easily is very common after a stroke and you’ll learn in time the balance between exercising and rest that is right for you. We do have some information on fatigue which you may find helpful to have a read of it you haven’t already.
Wishing you well in your recovery and if you need anything whilst you’re using the Online Community, please don’t hesitate to tag me using the @ symbol and my username.
Anna
Hi Anna @Anna_Moderator
Thanks for your reply. I’ve already been touched by the replies to my initial post yesterday. This certainly feels like a welcoming and helpful community and I look forward to further communication in the coming weeks and months.
- Alyn.
Hi Namaste @ManjiB
Thank you for taking the trouble to reply. I am touched by the response to my post already. Regarding the balance between relaxing and exercising, I think it is going to take me a while to get the balance right. So far I’m not doing great, but I guess it’s early days! 
Thanks again for your reply.
- Alyn
Hi Roland @pando
Many thanks for your reply, particularly the tips re toning it down when something feels amiss. I’ve already suffered the consequences of doing too much today! 
but its early days!
Thanks also for the red light panel, which I will look into if this eye thing persists.
Thanks again for your reply.
- Alyn.
Alyn,
you are welcome, and I’m sure you will pace yourself very well, improving all the time
ciao, Roland
Hi @Gneissguy and welcome to the forum. Sorry to read about your stroke, i too suffered my stroke 10 weeks ago this week and had the same symptoms as yourself slow spread across all my left side Mine was in the thalamus. I can relate to the feeling of eye feeling wet. Mine felt as though its watering to begin with and now it actually does sometimes on an evening. I also had the same sensation with the corner of my mouth but ive not noticed it this week. I too was put on atorvastatin, clopidogrel and had to take asprin as well for just a month. My left hand still bothers me, as does my face and toes. I find that as the day wears on my hand becomes quite sore during the evening. Ive started to associate that with when fatigue is at its worst. Sensation has improved a little. I got some therapy putty to exercise my hand to help stiffness.
As for exercise my stroke consultant said exercise was important but it is a case of pacing yourself. I did gentle walks in the early weeks, but my the stroke nurse suggested i quicken my pace to make my heart work faster. I tried it today, and fatigue hit sooner than normal.
I would suggest you just guage how you feel if you go for a walk.
The feeling like a cushion under your arm, i havent had that sensation but i have had tightness in my shoulder and ribs where it went numb, but that has eased greatly. The only place still feels tight/stiff now is my elbow and to a lesser extent my knee.
All the best for your recovery.
You should get a copy of a book called Had a stroke? What now? by Tom Balchin, It’ll help you understand what’s happened and what to expect.
Hi Anne, @Anne221
Thanks so much for your reply!
Having read the stories of many within this community, and the huge variation of people’s experiences, it was particularly interesting to see how closely your experience mirrors mine. It does sound like I can expect my hand to be the biggest problem in the longer term. it is showing little signs of improvement so far. Like you, my hand is worst in the evening, probably after having done too much during the day. It’s just typical that being left-handed, it had to be my left side that was affected. 
My lack of stamina worries me a bit, but I guess, gradually building up the exercise is key.
Yes, the eye thing is odd - again, worst in the evening when it feels like it is watering, but isn’t.
But it’s all a big learning curve and I’ll have to try and be patient with myself. I haver to keep telling myself, that it is still only three weeks since the stroke - patience! 
Thanks again for getting in touch and all the best to you in your continued recovery.
- Alyn.
Thanks for that,@pamelai1, I’ll get myself a copy!
Hi Alyn, you’ve hit the nail on the head there. Patience is the key word…and lots of it. You’ll build your stamina up in time but slow & steady is probably better than trying too much too soon.
Best wishes
Ann
Ordered it after reading your recommendation. I’ve a flight this weekend and going to read it on there. Thanks!