Hi wonderful stroke survivors and carers me again my husband had his stroke 4 months ago now some days he refuses his medication I no he can be quite chatty one minute then he gets frustrated with his right arm because he said it’s dead he has feeling in it but has yet he can’t move it so that is we’re he has a lot of pain has any survivors of a stroke have you felt like that not take your medication saying it’s not working and how long before you had any movement in your arm he has slight communication problem and he gets very frustrated that he can’t get his words out he is making a amazing recovery and we are hopeful he will be home soon has he is still in rehab. He sees a lot of his fellow stroke survivors going home and he gets down then at the moment everything is going through to get him home now just waiting for the care package now it does get me down I have to stay with him sometimes because he refused the medication I’m getting better not crying so much I still haven’t eaten or slept properly since it happened but I am getting there I have amazing family friends support but it’s you guys who have been through this journey with me I appreciate it very much 
@Mummydearest1956 4 months is still early in stroke recovery terms & there’s lots of room for many more improvements yet. My arm wasn’t affected as badly as your husbands but it still took months till i got back most of the use.
I know there are others who have had very restricted / no movement in their arm but have now got some movement. It took many months though. Patience is a big thing on the recovery journey & you just have to keep trying. Even when you think no progress is being made the brain is learning & all of a sudden you’ll notice an improvement.
It’s ultimately your husbands choice if he takes his meds or not. I don’t know what he’s taking but assume it is some of same stroke meds that we all take. They are aimed at preventing another stroke & not taking them would put him at higher risk. He’s no doubt feeling very frustrated. Just keep encourahing him. He will improve it just takes time.
Don’t forget to look after yourself too. You’ll need plenty of strength when he gets home.
Wishing you both lots of luck & sending my very best wishes.
Ann xx
@Mummydearest1956
Hi. I know exactly how your husband feels. I’m 8 months post stroke and my left arm and leg still don’t work properly although they are both considerably better than they were. I have always taken my medication but very often refused to do my exercises saying they didn’t do any good so what was the point? I was in hospital 5 weeks and was desperate to get home. I think that stupidly I thought that once I was home everything would miraculously get better but of course it didn’t and in fact got worse! 7 months on I am now walking reasonably well around the house with a stick and my arm no longer waves around uncontrollably although both my arm and hand are still very stiff. I’m lucky to still be receiving NHS physio once a week but admit I’m not so good at doing the exercises in between visits!
Your husband will improve but yes it’s a long road. Just keep encouraging and try to be patient- not easy! - I know. Fight for him to get physio when he’s home. I’m lucky in that I have an amazing GP who still sees me regularly and listens to my moaning but also cheers me up! Sorry for rambling on and good luck - it will get better
Hi @Mummydearest1956 - you mention that your husband describes his right arm as “dead”. One of the things that helped me rationalise what had happened was understanding that my limbs were fine, it was the signal from the brain that wasn’t working properly. So his arm isn’t dead, it’s simply waiting for the right signal.
Easier said than done of course but he’s at such an early stage of recovery. Brains are amazing and can find an alternative path round the damaged cells. It just takes time, which is incredibly frustrating for everyone.
Acceptance was a big step in my recovery and I’m sure I made more progress once I wasn’t fighting against the diagnosis.
Best wishes to you both.