Had a busy day yesterday travelling to hospital and back for ultrasound and lots walking from car park to department abd back. Out of hospital 18th March having been in hospital since 8th with stroke affecting right side then pacemaker fitted 30th March. Is it okay to feel exhausted today please
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It is very much ok to feel exhausted. I found it was best to take things day by day. Relax when you needed to and push when you feel like you can. Hospital visits are always exhausting
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Thank you I feel I can rest now
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It is absolutely OK to feel exhausted. Your body is telling you stuff - listen to it.
If you feel exhausted - take a break.
Taking a break can mean simply sitting down, putting your feet up and having a cuppa.
Or it can mean taking a break from what you are doing and do something different.
Your brain needs a break from the activity that you are currently working on and what is making you exhausted.
Find ways to relax.
Listen to music.
Make yourself a nice drink.
Write a note or a message to yourself or someone.
Contact a friend.
Read a book.
Do whatever you like to do that helps you relax.
Stroke recovery taxes the brain and the brain needs plenty of quality rest - sleep as much as you can. Get a good nights sleep and take naps during the day. Allow your brain to recharge.
This is your new challenge if you like. You body and brain need to recharge and that means giving them the opportunity and support.
You should think about :
- rewarding yourself (your brain and your body) - thank your body and brain
- nutrition - a good healthy diet is important
- exercise - both mental and physical
- rest, rest and more rest.
At the end of the day it is OK to feel how you feel. But if you feel this is not right then by all means seek advice - medical or by asking questions on this forum or friends and relatives.
Remember there is no right or wrong or a one cap fits all. You have to find what works for you.
This forum will offer you plenty of support and advice, but you must choose what works for you.
What is right for me, may not necessarily be right for you.
Finally, no one is right all the time - and especially not the healthcare professionals and so don’t blindly follow anyone. Always, always, always be ready to challenge - if it doesn’t feel right for you then it may not be right and only you will know this.
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It sure is ok to feel exhausted today. At one month post stroke I found everything exhausting. You’ll find you need to rest lots at this stage. Be kind to yourself.
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Decided if im tired I shall put my feet up or even sleep. FeltI should be doing something and not okay to take a break
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Of course it’s perfectly fine to feel exhausted. You are about to find a new and slower pace in life to go with your pacemaker. You’re still very early in your stroke recover and it will take a while to find that new pace to suit you. That early on one excursion a day was more than enough for me back in the beginning of my recovery.
And remember, you have just gone through 2 major trauma’s as a result. The first one being life threatening. There are going to be a lot of ups and downs with stamina over the next year or so as you recover. So try not to worry and stress as that can exhausting too 
I wish you well in your recovery 
Lorraine
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That’s it.
Now you get it 
Always listen to your body and your brain.
Once you’ve rested, you’ll feel energised.
Go out and sit in the sun if you can.
if you have a garden, smell the roses, feel the breeze on your face.
Relax completely and discover yourself.
Do Yoga, Tai Chi and QiGong exercises. You can do all these things and they will help you.
Right now, the most important thing is you. Be good to yourself
Look in the mirror, smile.
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Janerider–I’d be surprised if you weren’t exhausted! After a stroke (and, I might add, the stress of having a pacemaker installed) your brain/body spends many months healing, and that takes energy. Consequently, there’s often not a lot of it left for other things. Hence, it’s normal to tired easily. Don’t worry about it. 
Jeanne
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It is. I got exhausted just reading what you have been through.
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Its always okay to feel tired. You’ve been through a lot recently and your body needs to rest and recover. I’m 22 months post stroke and have recently been in hospital for an upper GI Bleed, but was then discharged with untreated hospital acquired pneumonia and re-admitted with kidney failure and then still discharged with the pneumonia untreated. After a 3rd admission to a different hospital I was finally diagnosed and on Tuesday this week finally properly discharged and on the road to recovery again. I’m in bed at 6 pm my husband who is my carer has been brilliant but I’ve felt guilty being so tired and unable to do anything at all, so I understand your feelings, but please accept it is okay to just sit and rest, its what your body and brain needs, so just go with the flow, it will all fall into place and you’ll find your level. Look after yourself and I wish you all the best for your recovery. 
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@anxr911 - love that pic!
It’s great that you have finally been diagnosed.
It’s a shame you had to endure picking up the pneumonia and kidney failure which I suspect may have been caused by the medication. Something similar happened to Mum - she was “fine”, was taken to hospital for a “routine” treatable condition and ended up being given meds that were too strong for her kidneys to handle. Medicines can sometimes cause more problems than they fix and it is up to us the patients to watch out as the doctors will only react to the condition they cause i.e. they will not say “this may cause kidneys to fail” because they are looking to fix the immediate problem and having fixed the immediate problem they will declare you medically fit and discharge you and then back at home the side-effects kick in and you’re back in hospital 
Looks like you’re in a good place now with the diagnosis and a safe discharge. Do look after yourself and watch out for any side effects.
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@axnr911 , that is how one of mates was after his stag do.
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You need to take as many breaks as your brain tells you to. And it’s called Fatigue: “Neuro-fatigue” is common, where the brain runs out of energy quickly. It’s your brain that is most likely fatigued, not necessarily your body being physically exhausted. And that’s why you are questioning yourself, because physically you would probably be able for more. But your brain is not running at full capacity, it’s limping home with half that. So the neuro-fatigue kicks in to stop you from doing anymore while your brain takes a well earned rest 
You can’t fight it so you might as well enjoy it guilt free, your brain will that you for it 
Lorraine
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We all felt like that initially i think. But we soon learnt taking a break / rest is essential. You will find it easier in time but your brain really does need that rest. It is an essential part of the recovery process.
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@EmeraldEyes , it’s sad mental fatigue is common for stroke patients. I saw that when mum had had the stroke. It’s another way of saying “The body is willing but the mind isn’t”.
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Hi @Janerider , to right it is, have a chest infection but still at work and dealing with life. Yesterday at the team meeting had enough and had a 45 minute nap woke up and everyone laughed- suppose I’m blessed by a great boss and team but i needed time out so!
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Yes I got up this morning full of anticipation but then the dreaded pulling/fuzzy head and wobbly legs set in and I am back on the sofa watching Bargain Hunt (again) prob won’t move much for rest of day. I am 14 months post stroke and went through a period where I thought I was “fully recovered” only to have a regression. For some reason it is soooo hard for me to pace and prioritise but perhaps I am getting there….have decided to give up driving the 28 miles and back to Tesco and doing a big shop for instance…realised I can save that energy for something else maybe. So it is a bit fed up making that I can’t predict how I will feel each day but I am working towards acceptance…it’s a long road to travel some days xx
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I no longer visit the supermarket either. I get the shopping delivered as like you say it saves energy that is much needed for other things.
I am 4 plus years on & still struggle with fatigue but mainly because I work part time. It doesn’t leave any energy in the tank for much else. Frustrating isn’t it.
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