I am Peter and tomorrow will be two years exactly from my stroke. Compared to many I am lucky. Physically yes I am affected but not too badly. The main problem for me now is mental/cognitive.
But I have an unusual question: does anybody please know where to get good but easily understood statistics on risk of second strokes? ‘Easily understood’ because of my cognition problems!
The reason - I want to get back to taking visitors round the roof of a cathedral but the health and safety chap has been dithering for over a year. It is important to me to get part of my old life back.
I also had a stroke two years ago. I have been quite severely affected down my right side.
I wanted an assessment for fitness to drive, having been told by an Occupational Therapist that in her opinion I should be okay.
Well the whole process involving the DVLA, my GP, the stroke specialists who had handled me and an actual driving test set up to assess those with difficulties has taken a long time.
I don’t know where you could go for the sort of information you want but maybe getting through a driver assessment test would give you a piece of paper that would give some sort of indication of how able to act independently in a demanding environment you are.
The tests are stringent, governed and produce a recognised result. It is as well to realise and you would be warned that although they do not want to take your license away a fail will stop you getting behind the wheel of a road vehicle.
These tests are free, served by the NHS and I found the staff very helpful. Their first concern is safety.
Maybe your first steps should involve a few conversations.
With your GP explaining what it is you are looking for.
With an Occupational Therapist who will have a good broad knowledge of life as it is lived by someone affected by stroke.
The consultants who dealt with your case will have an opinion and a possible projection of where your future will likely take you.
In my case I have been passed safe to drive but will need a vehicle modified to compensate for my disability. I am hoping to purchase such a vehicle soon.
In the same way you might be required to make or provide compensations in some way so you can function safely and efficiently.
No one stroke is identical to another, so in one sense you are a special case. The professionals I mentioned above have broad experience in this field so in the first instance I would make contact and have conversations.
On this forum you will have conversation with folk with all sorts of challenges to face. We can and do encourage one another, inform when we are able and hopefully make you feel less alone in your quest for a worthwhile life.
I suggest tackling your information need the opposite way around. Ask ‘the cathedral’ the criteria that they need comfort on in order that you can resume activity that you are already versed in performing - so have thus already performed your own risk assessment of
You c/sh?ould ask for itemised expressions of concern from the health and safety chap - so that you can provide information with a focused justification to say that the issue is not present or is a manageable with appropriate procedural or PPE, Or you can say is being unfairly applied to you not to others with a similar responsibilities.
Statistics on stroke are not meaningful in an individual case as they indicate information applying to a population of thousands or millions and say nothing about an individual case. Anyone from 16 weeks pre-birth to the point of death can suffer a stroke without warning. Ditto countless individuals transition that whole time period without having one.
It is arguable that (advancing age aside) a medicated stroke survivor is less likely than the average population due to enhanced awareness and ongoing vigilance and preventative treatments
Which cathedral roof have you in mind my wife and I are keen church crawlers. Try and have every wedding anniversary exploring a cathedral We don’t have many wedding anniversaries the next one is tomorrow then we have quite a wait till the next
Hi @Peter622 & welcome to the forum. Sorry you’ve had a stroke but glad you are doing ok.
Im not sure that you’ll get any statistics that are completely reliable but anything produced by tye NHS / Nice might be something that your h&s people may accept.
If it was me I’d probably ask my GP for something to say you are fit to do the job.
As Simon has said get the H&S people to say what their issue / concern is so you can address it specifically.
Hope you get it resolved.
@SimonInEdinburgh happy anniversary for tomorrow. You’d better do 4 lots of celebrations as you’ll have a lobg wait till the next one.
Hello Peter,
When you are deemed fit for work, maybe good to have a colleague with you a couple of times to make sure you’re ok.
The brain’s a funny thing. We’re good one day then full of angst the next.
Pace yourself and keep a note of your day so you can track progress and any fatigue time triggers.
All the best.
And thank you for answering. Sorry not to have got back to you before but it has not heen one of my better days. Tomorrow will be better.
I like your idea of talking to medics or other professionals. For me that is a bit too late as I am long since discharged from the hospitals I was sent to and did the post stroke driving bit back in 2022 - as I said in my post I am lucky in my physical recovery. But I can write to my GP and can use your idea in a different direction.
I volunteer to talk to stroke patients on the ward once a week and might be able to ask one of the doctors there if they have a minute or two to spare. Should have thought of that before! So thank you for your help. That’s great!
SimoninEdinburgh I agree entirely with your points about statistics – I just want something I can use to say ‘risk of another stroke is minimal so what is the problem?’ And alas a request for specifics has produced no response. That does my blood pressure no good so we know who to blame if I have another Stroke!!
The cathedral is Exeter. The administration is usually better: they are floundering on a tricky issue. But the cathedral is worth visiting if you do not know it already. Incredibly beautiful and full of interest with a fantastic choir.
If it’s not too late, Exeter would be great for your anniversary and I really hope you have a wonderful day.
Hi Mrs5K. Yes my GP will be hearing from me but given pressures on GPs I may not hear back - something that is very important to me will be a side issue for them! And you are so right about reliability of statistics - I have seen a wide variation already but you never really know how the figures are arrived at! I’ll let you know how I get on but thanks for tsking the time to reply.
Hello mikey903 and thanks for replying. You give good advice and I will bear it in mind. You are so right as well when you say the mind is a funny thing - mine has always been a bit wonky. Arguably the stroke might have improved it in some ways!! Take care.
Peter
To get back to my suggestion of a driving assessment as an indicator of whether you are subject to or present a risk.
.
I believe that when you are discharged from hospital and if you continue any recommended treatment, that the risk of a stroke is no greater nor any less than that which might be true of any other human being.
I am not aware that people who have had a stroke are more susceptible to stroke than any other person.
Maybe if you could get a doctor, consultant, occupational therapist or some such expert to put that down in writing, you might have the answer that the church authorities need.
Maybe they won’t commit to a written statement but worth a try I believe.
By the way the driving assessment covers a lot of ground but does not ask anyone to guess whether you might have another event. It isn’t like while having a stroke you would continue regardless. You know it is happening and it stops you in your tracks.
I hope you arrive at a point where you are able to continue living your live. A disability is a challenge but if you make the effort you should be able to move forward.
For many stroke survivors, their greatest fear is having another stroke.
Once you’ve had a stroke your risk of having another is increased, but understanding what factors may have caused your stroke will help you know how to reduce your risk of having another one. If you’re not clear, go back to your GP and ask for more information about your own risk of a stroke.
Hi Bobbi. Yes you are right in virtually evetything you say. But to move on from my (relatively slight) disability, in many ways these days others have to help. And alas Health and Safety considerations make many people rigidly risk averse. Though thinking of things in the round, I could argue that DVLC have looked at my medical and drivibg assessment reports and have cleared me to drive - so they think the risk of another stroke while driving is acceptable. Thank you for prompting the idea!
Risk aversion of HSE folk is often something that needs a counterbalancing consideration .
I remember talking to the HSE manager at an oil installation about assessment of risk. And I asked him how would you evaluate putting me on my own somewhere with hard surfaces and no PPE and he said unacceptable to which I told him worse I’m naked and the location is wet and slippery I’m talking about the hotel room and that you booked me with a shower over a bath that that I have to climb in and out of!
Should we shut the hotel down?
I think the response to HSE people needs to be ”thank you for making us aware of the risks we do agree that our risks. there is risk of choking with every mouthfull food I eat but not eating caries consequences too, there is a risk with every staircase I climb, with every car I get into we cannot be risk free we need to be risk aware and I am adequately risk aware…"
Hi KGB
Unfortunately Bobbi is right in that there does seem to be a consensus that stroke brings risk of a second stroke. But getting a good handle on how much risk is difficult. Everybody seems to use different statistics and likely different methodologies to arrive at them. That is what prompted my original post.! I did not want to trouble my GP but it is looking as if I will have to.
Peter
Ah sorry you agree bobbi is not right and there is an increased risk.
Thanks.
I certainly am not giving medical advice so I would simply suggest that you are not ‘bothering’ your GP and you should get checked out
Thanks
K
I believe that when you are discharged from hospital and if you continue any recommended treatment, that the risk of a stroke is no greater nor any less than that which might be true of any other human being.
I am not aware that people who have had a stroke are more susceptible to stroke than any other person.
