Apart from the yawning and simultaneously raising left arm you can add either ey lid and a piece of dry skin on my right ear all of which if rubbed generates left arm movement or hand opening. It is all very confusing and bizarre.
Morning Mr Fredrickson,
Thank you for your story it’s all very puzzling. I recovering from my second stroke and it seems have not been affected too much. That said your tale reminded me how confusing alarming and let’s be honest frightening the journey is. I think it is the uncertainty of the event (s) and outcome which is the most unsettling and although I am settling down again there is the nagging doubts about the future.
All that said nothing is guaranteed either way so im keeping a positive head on and looking forward to driving again soon. It’s a bright day out and I’m blessed with family.
Anyway your experiences are important and I think will touch a chord with many. Thanks and I hope you haven’t minded me prattling on. It all helps - thanks friend.
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Confusing and bizarre, yes, but looking on the bright side, not boring!
(I’m sure you’d take boring if offered.)
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Thanks for the reply Baldrick you are not prattling on good to have your perspectives.
I’m hopeful but realistically not expecting anything more than where iam as the stroke was so severe and I’m lucky to have got this far. My family are my solace and with any luck I may get 80 percent of the old me back. Good luck and hod bless
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The brain does some weird things sometimes but hopefully that means you are getting some movements back. It is all very bizarre.
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Very interesting Mark.
If I understhand you right, you are able to control your left arm or raise it by yawning, rubbing either eye or your right ear (I’ll ignore the dry skin element for now).
How about this for a theory to explain what’s happening.
As I understand, the stroke affects the brain and kills off some cells. Stroke survivors then have the task to rewire their brains using the available good cells. As the brain rewires itself, it uses available good cells without necessarily checking if the cell is already being used in another connection. So it goes ahead and connects to the cell.
It seems in this case, a single connection is reaching out to several others and so when the cell is activated it does what you describe. Not sure if my explanation makes sense?
I attempt to make a pictorial to explain my thinking
Brain surgery next? 
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I just know that this is going to be a long post, so I’m just warning now 
Sounds like you’ve had cowboy electrician in your head to do your brain’s rewiring 
But in reality, it’s the right side of the brain that controls the left side of the body and visa versa. So, to put it in one of googles AI nutshells…
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Rubbing your right ear can raise your left stroke arm through sensory re-education, a therapy that uses stimulation like touch to retrain the brain’s sensory pathways and improve body awareness and movement control. After a stroke, the left side of the brain typically controls the right side of the body, and the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body. Therefore, a stroke on the left side of the brain could affect right-side movement, while a stroke on the right side could affect left-side movement. This activity helps reconnect the brain to the arm by providing sensory input to the brain through the ear (via the vagus nerve), which can activate the neural pathways that control the left arm.
How it works
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Brain hemispheres:
The right hemisphere of the brain controls the left side of the body, and the left hemisphere controls the right.
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Neural pathways:
Strokes can damage neural pathways, leading to problems with movement and sensation.
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Therapies like sensory re-education use touch and other stimulation to “re-teach” the brain to recognize and control the affected body part.
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Vagus nerve stimulation:
Rubbing the ear stimulates the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in how the brain processes sensory and motor information. By stimulating the right ear, which is connected to the left side of the brain, it may help activate the neural pathways that control the left arm.
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This type of therapy can help increase the sense of body ownership for the affected limb, making it easier to move and control.
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Connection between ear and arm:
Through this sensory stimulation, the brain can make new connections to the left arm. This helps the brain “remember” how to move the arm and can lead to improved strength and control.
Important considerations
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Individual results vary:
The effectiveness of this technique can vary depending on the individual and the severity of the stroke.
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Professional guidance:
It is important to work with a healthcare professional to determine the most appropriate exercises and therapies for your specific situation.
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Consistency is key:
Consistency in performing these exercises can lead to long-term improvement in movement and control.
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So, joking aside @mrfrederickson, you’ve found a key that actually works for you and you should continue on doing what you are doing 
On thing’s for sure, it can’t be a bad thing can it?
And to take this subject a little further, I can get an itch in say my left shoulder blade. When I scratch it a referred itch may pop up somewhere on my right side, usually my shine 
This can happen due to a condition called referred itch, where an itch in one area of the body is perceived in a different location. It may also be related to neuropathic itch, caused by nerve issues, where scratching one area triggers a sensation in another because nerves are misfiring.
Possible reasons for this phenomenon
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This is a harmless phenomenon where a stimulus in one area is felt as an itch in a completely different area.
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This type of itch originates from nerve damage or disorders in the central or peripheral nervous systems. Scratching can sometimes stimulate these misfiring nerves, causing the sensation to be felt elsewhere.
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A condition like meralgia paresthetica can cause itching or other sensations on the outer thigh, often on one side, due to pressure on the nerve that supplies that area.
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Injuries or damage to spinal nerves can lead to itching in other parts of the body, such as the legs.
What you can do
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Avoid scratching:
This can worsen the itch and the underlying nerve irritation.
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Apply a cold compress:
A cold compress can help soothe the area and may relieve the sensation of itching.
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Moisturize your skin:
Keeping your skin hydrated can help with itchiness, especially if it is caused by dryness.
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Consider seeing a doctor:
If the itching is persistent, severe, or you suspect an underlying condition, it’s best to consult a healthcare professional to identify the cause and get appropriate treatment.
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Naturally I’ve put all this in for the benefit of everyone with any of these “issues”…for want of a better word…but I hope you get gist @mrfrederickson
So keep on rubbing that earlobe and train that vagus nerve of make your arm and work normally again 
And I’ll also thank you for the great discussion this all sparked with daughter this evening. And the outcome of it is that we’ve decided I’m going to get a copies of my mri’s to see exactly which part or parts of my brain were affected. And to also see if we work out the missing link. That bit of my stroke I can’t describe or explain and haven’t yet come across in anything I’ve read that could explain it.
Lorraine
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Glad it has prompted discussion as the detail of recovery can be light on the ground.
My left arm is feeling odd of late and as you say my stroke was a right side infarction and the left side.
All the odd right side locations that are making the left react point o the brain actually rewiring the right side and may even be using left side brain cell cells. All very interesting as is the pain referral on the left derived from the brain.
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Similar ‘wiring together’ problems with everyone after stroke ; there is little finer upper brain function to smooth out the movements independently ; nerves are not differentiated and not firing independently. This is basic 101 post stroke difficulty. Finer control will come with practice (the 3 Ps)
Patience, Practice, Perseverance !
Ciao, Roland
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That would be a real boost if something happened that was positive and made life a bit easier. I’ll persevere with exercising the legs and left arm , ironically any attempts to move the left the left arm generates left leg movement meani I have to restrain the leg to move my left arm
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