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my stroke

It’s first anniversary of my second stroke. I still haven’t made my peace with everything

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Two days ago I had my first rebirthday of my second stroke. Lil’ stroke – it was waaaay smaller than the first one. Lil’ stroke – it hasn’t destroyed every single thing, only slowed down the process of healing, and added some inconveniences.

The stroke that didn’t change my life completely, but showed me, that my life isn’t normal. But who cares: I will work out everything. At least I hope so:)

In some ways, this stroke changed every single thing, in others – nothing. For example, I have like 99% of certitude of the cause of my strokes. I’m not scared and I don’t feel anxiety caused by Uknown.

But I didn’t mean to write about it. I want to express my feeling about living with this shit. I will focus on emotions, which have been a wreck for past few weeks. Or months?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not unhappy. Ironically, I have a feeling that my depression problems got smaller after my strokes. This year I’ve had few pretty well months! Despite that, my emotions have been shaky. Like a swing, the hugest swing in my life. Minor things drive me crazy, mad, sad, or happy, ecstatic, loving… If you know what I mean. Continue reading

Uncategorized

Gallery of the faces: I called. It was marvelous!

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I have a friend who is a fellow strokie. I might have mentioned him before, but I’m no sure. He’s a young French guy who suffered the stroke in Poland.

His stroke caused a big number of problems, such as aphasia, troubles with moving, spasticity… But this guy is determined to get better and gradually improves his health. Moreover, he does good things to the disabled community. He even plans his own blog:)

When we speak on Skype, he seems to be like me. My first impression was like: if I didn’t know, i would have thought that he had stroke problem. Normal boy, maybe looks for English words bit longer than a normal, fluent speaker, but you know stereotypes about French people & English;) my small experience shows that in France it’s easier to find a Polish speaker than English speaker. Anyway;) Continue reading

rehabilitation spasticity

I will be honest: my left hand is in a pretty bad shape

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My left hand has been neglected these days.

I was a guest of a 3 days wedding and the whole trip took me 5 full days. You can imagine that I wasn’t exactly an example of regularity. Yes, I was exercising a bit, but without any tools (for example my beans).

To be honest, I also lost control on my spasticity. My hand is mainly very stiff and my fingers are pathologically straight.

I  am surprised how bad my hand works on a keyboard. Writing suddenly got waaaay more tiring than a few weeks ago.

My plan is simple. I’ve created new ‚minimal’ plan and I gong to stick to it like crazy.

I will admit: the state of my hand is a failure for me. A huge failure. That’s why I’m expecting improvement over next few weeks.

 

 

my stroke

I signed up for volunteer work. If I didn’t, solitude would kill me

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Sadder part of the text

Life goes as it goes. No point in asking „why me”, because there is no good answer for that. I don’t ask, but I try to ask. Actually, I still hope that it’s visible even in the times of trouble ;)) and when I complain.

The truth is I feel lonely. Not even for some kind of metaphorical-not defined feeling of distinctiveness or incomprehension. I feel lonely because I am lonely.

Life makes bad jokes. It’s just turned out, that most of my closest colleagues and friends, who are still present in my city, is going to fade away. In the next few weeks majority of people leaves Szczecin for different cities and countries. Even m beloved physiotherapist leaves me. Mrs. Madzia is going abroad.  Continue reading

my stroke

My first visit in the office for disabled

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lefthandLuckily, there are two or three benches outside.  Some of us are sitting, rest is treading water.

I’m  just in front of the office for disabled people. Sitting and watching people. Having a place to rest, I’m one of more fortunate. Everyone who came later isn’t that lucky. There is the small crowd, louder and more nervous every minute. People standing seem to be even more upset.

Suddenly, doors are opening and the fresh face rush towards them. „Excuse ma’am, we are all waiting!”, people are protesting. „Well, we all just want the forms!”

But yelling doesn’t seem to be finishing. The woman who succeeded in unleashing anger still wants to keep her sense of dignity. She yells a bit, insulting others. Insulting us on her way out. I’m sure that if she could, she would slam the door. To elevator.

I’m still sitting and I’m scared. Disabled in front of my face change, they come into and out the small cabinet. Some them by „taking the forms” really meant „taking the forms”. It’s my turn. I’m scared to death and become numb. Being unable to speak, I can only look and try to spell out words and feel like a hunted small animal. I regret not taking my mum. I really do. Continue reading

in my opinion stroke survivors

Just to remind you woman who took selfie during her stroke

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This video has been online for few years, but I’ve seen it just recently. Maybe someone else haven’t watched it:

You don’t need to listen to what she says to see her face dropping, understand that she is struggling with the hand. She talks about other things too. For example about feeling numb. Or about the fact, that she had been released from hospital just recently.

She recorded the video to show her doctors what was her problem before symptoms were gone. Quick reaction and taking the phone can seem bit funny, but it helped doctors to diagnose her with three TIAs. Without video they thought that she was feeling badly from being tired or something like that.

Stacey Yepes was driving home (i had TIA behind the wheel too). Now she says that she keeps receiving messages from friends and strangers, that this vid helped someone to recognize a stroke. Continue reading

my stroke rehabilitation spasticity Uncategorized

Finally! Website about spasticity is here!

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With slight delay I may present you website with complex knowledge about spasticity:

http://lifewithspasticity.com

Right now only in English, but the website is going to be translated to other languages (including Polish, that’s great news for my Polish readers;) The morethe better i guess. I think the site will be available for more than English speakers:)

THE WEBSITE HAD IT’S LAUNCH, BUT WILL BE UPDATED.

For example next questions are waiting to be answered. You may remember that we (me and you, my readers) submitted some questions too.

To tell the truth I’m certain that the website will do many good things researches show people know about spasticity less than they should. Often they don’t even know what they are suffering from. This website is a first place online (I’m certain for like 99,99999999%) that collected important all basic and lot of non-basic data about spasticity. Actually it helped also me, and even before i wouldn’t call myself ignorant in this matter. Continue reading

my stroke rehabilitation Uncategorized

What happens to your brain when you exercise?

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This is truely comforting. It’s so important to get to know out brain and impact of exercises.

For these of you who can’t watch the video, i will just give a short resume.

This lady speaks about three great things:

  1. Exercising makes you happier. During working out grows level of for neurotransmiters  (or neurohormons) which are responsible for your mood. You generaly get happier:)
  2. Your attention and concentration improves! Well, many researches prove that.
  3. exercising stimulates producing new cells in hipocamp. Hipocamp is very, very important, as stimulating it is improving our long term memory.

So. Three things so useful for stroke survivors. I believe all of  these:)  If we want to be happy, feel better and focus better, and have better memory,  invite someone for a long walk. Well, tommorow I’m gonna start the day with my x-trainer;)

my stroke strokes Uncategorized

We’ve not known treatment for stroke yet. But there is hope… Listen.

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treatment for stroe?My new friends (usually from Internet) ask me frequently what is the treatment for stroke. I always tell them that we don’t know magical cure for brain stroke. There isn’t anything which can give us back damaged brain. The best treatments are, at least I think so, taking general care of yourself, exercises for both brain and body, physiotherapy… Anything which helps you to regain lost functions.

BUT! Look here!

„Researchers from the University of Manchester have developed a new treatment that could limit the damage caused by treatment for stroke and also promote repair in the affected area of the brain. What’s more, the drug they’re using has already been clinically approved”

Doesn’t it sound brilliant?

According to this article researchers notices quicker neurogenesis in areas damaged by post-stroke treatment, but also by stroke itself.

Some of lab mieces even regained motoric abilities! The question is then whether results of the research will be published in prestigious title& weather these will be confirmed.

So far the article and results of tests gave me a big smile for a day. I dream about cure for stroke. Not even for myself, my body&mind&life quality isn’t that bad, but if i had a chance I’d go for clinical trial;pBut there are people much sicker. without ability to walk, or talk, or smile, or sit, or grab, or see, or with huge spasticity… This med would be so greatfor our community!