Hi Rups, why when I do so little, on certain days, so shattered?
Other days, potter about, I can accept it more. Brain always thinking, too much.
. David.
Just gorgeous. It will take time for Buster to settle in from both his side and yours, he looks pretty special though, all the best, Julia ![]()
Yes, David, it’s a funny, old organ. I over-think all the time and it knackers me senseless, it also means I am not getting proper rest.
Hi Rups , bed earlier? David.
Most nights I am in bed by 9:30 pm, but it means I am usually still awake by 1 am. I know I am supposed to not lie in bed awake, but getting up produces the same result. I think it must be associated with my mood. It’s something I will eventually address, I seem to be the odd one out with my peers, because if I wake up, I can easily go back to sleep. ![]()
Dear Rups,
I know exactly what you mean. I had a stroke at the end of last year, although fortunately not a bad one, but my brain is definitely not working as it should and I do get very tired easily. There are days when I think “oh good, I am on the road to recovery” and then I have a day when all I want to do is sleep. I guess we just have to be thankful for each day and live it one day at a time. Take care and be kind to yourself.
@Nicky3 welcome to the forum. Hope you find it as useful as I am. Your comments resonate with me. I had my stroke early Dec and when I’m having a better day I think great I’m progressing well then I get a row of bad days and then feel despondent again. It is about pacing yourself and trying not to overdo it. It’s working out where that point is that’s the difficult bit. Best of luck with your recovery x
Diolch @Nicky3, I had OCD as a child, and for all of my adult life was on top of it, until now, when I feel as if my injury has resurfaced some of the habits. I am working on this now with CBT. It’s hard work because I have to revisit emotions, and find this exhausting but hopefully it will all be for the benefit of a smoother journey forward.
Thanks Loshy. Yes I am discovering that. Thank you for your kind words.
Nicky ![]()
Hi Mahoney,
Thank you. I do find it frustrating when I have a few good days and then suddenly I want to sleep for England! Just like today! I hear what you are saying but it is hard isn’t it. Even looking at emails and post is taxing on the brain and I don’t always want to do it. Thank you for all your kind words though.
Best wishes to you too.
Thank you Mrs5K. Sorry to hear you had had a stroke early December. What you are saying is exactly how I feel (bit despondent today as I had to sleep after Pilates). I suppose we should all be grateful for how far we have come and not look at the negatives, although that is not always easy. Best of luck with your recovery too.
@Nicky3 sorry to hear you’re feeling despondent today. You should be proud that you managed Pilates. I think the fatigue takes some getting used to but it is a big issue after a stroke. I’ve been feeling fatigued today too but I think it is Monday catching up with me as I had 2 appointments in one day…….beyond my capabilities at the moment but can’t afford to turn down medical appointments
. Hopefully you’ll be brighter tomorrow and just remember praise yourself for the good things & don’t beat yourself up if you need to take some time out. Best wishes x
And that one can appear fine one minute, and the next minute, utterly shattered.
I was trying to explain the difference today when I wanted to go for a walk to get physically tired to go with my mental exhaustion that I may - or may not it seems to be rather random - develop
Shwmae @FionaB1, it feels random but I have a theory that much of it is based on the brains capacity to run on minimal cylinders, using preconceived ideas about activity and space. If we think about pre-stroke, and the times we felt mentally shattered doing something we were not accustomed to, or felt it was difficult getting our heads around. Or times when we were in an unfamiliar environment, and overwhelmed by it, having to push our mental resources to the limit to orientate ourselves. That’s when our brains (pre-stroke) were having to be on high-alert, and running on full cylinders. Most of the time we would fly through things on preconceived systems, making life mostly harmless and a comparative cognitive breeze.
Well, I think, from a non-medical point of view, that after injury those preconceived systems are disrupted, and our brains remain on high-alert unnecessarily. It becomes harder after stroke to differentiate between what would be regular exhaustion or neurological fatigue. And I will give an example as best I can. In the mornings, before stroke, I was always groggy. It always took me time to wake up. Now, I can’t distinguish between that grogginess and any neurological-fatigue that may have materialised due to morning thoughts or what not. The lines become blurred.
Fatigue, I think, will be affected by implicit/explicit thoughts, subconscious stimulation and conscious stimulation, the central nervous system, the gut neurones and biomes, and external circumstance, stimuli and cognitive challenges.
Personally, I think the first step to tackling fatigue is getting those preconceived cylinders back on track so that the brain can operate without expending high-alert energy which drains the battery faster. Easier said than done ![]()
At the end of the day, I always think of children, and the developing brain, especially toddlers. How a simple activity can make them tired, teary, and frustrated. It’s as if we have regressed to that formative cognitive state while the old grey matter tries and catches up to where it was at before the injury.
Thank you Mark. I am already finding this forum very helpful. Everyone is very kind and it’s good to talk to others who are experiencing the same problems as myself. I don’t look like I have had a stroke and people don’t seem to understand how hard it is. Comments like “are you better now” don’t always go down well! I must admit, I didn’t know the true extent of how a Stroke affects you until I had one. Glad to hear you are doing well but sorry about the fatigue. It’s a killer isn’t it! I am fortunate that I don’t have to work but you have my sympathies as it must be really hard working and recovering.
I wish you all the best with your recovery too.
Nicky
Thank you. I did actually manage keep fit yesterday too. Fatigue certainly seems to be the killer for me. I agree, too many things in one day is beyond my capabilities at the moment also. I do feel brighter today thanks. It’s just hard trying to adjust to not being able to do the things I did before the stroke. Best wishes x
Diolch @Ingo66, I am working on it ![]()