Stroke

I'm wondering if anyone else on here has had a stroke, or if you know of anyone, and how they've been affected by it.

I had a mini stroke on 5 April last year and was in hospital for just four days. It was quite a shock to my system to realise what had happened to me because it came totally out of the blue, and literally within minutes.

I just wondered if anyone else had experienced this. It hasn't been life-changing for me, thank goodness, but there are a few things that have affected me.

If anyone who has experienced this I'd be very grateful to discuss it because I don't know anyone else who has had a stroke before.

Re: Stroke

My Dad had a series of strokes before he died Mollie darlin' so yes I do know a little about CVAs.

Re: Stroke

Both my parents had strokes, my Mum had three serious ones, each one was increased in severity ...... the final one left her completely helpless.

My Dad suffered several Mini strokes or TIA's (Transient Ischaemic Attack) and they affected him in different ways. Sometimes he would be sat at the table, go quiet in mid speech and have a blank look on his face. Other times he would have complete blackouts for up to an hour and needed medical help. The more TIA's he suffered, the more his brain degenerated until he became a shell of his formal self.

Having had several talks with their doctors, the same message came over from them all as warnings: we ourselves can eliminate some risks like smoking, and minimise others like poorly controlled diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. This takes hard work and effort, but can help prevent narrowing of the arteries and the potential for TIA and stroke in the future.

It is important to recognise these symptoms:

Act FAST

Facial Weakness
Arm & Leg Weakness
Speech Problems
Time is Critical

If you answer yes to any of the above CALL FOR HELP IMMEDIATELY!

Re: Stroke

I had aTIA after my operation and a heart attack. That was very informative about your Father, I have a weakness in my left leg and also have the Blank attacks.My leg feels as if I am wearing a heavy
(thick woolen) sock and i walk a bit funny.

Re: Stroke

My partner has had several mini-strokes but none in the past 10 months or so. He is still at risk - high blood pressure, smoking, drinking 10-12 cans of Coke daily, a bit overweight - but he hates doctors, won't take meds and is not motivated to change his lifestyle unfortunately. I worry about him.

Re: Stroke

My husband had a mild stroke 3 years ago and since has had a few TIA's. He does not have either high blood pressure or high cholesterol, he does not smoke and eats an almost fat free diet. Quite often his balance is affected and he tires very easily but we just work around it.

Re: Stroke

Like Mags, my mother had three strokes before she passed away. After the third stroke she was completely bedridden in a special care facility. Her mental, thinking ability was greatly reduced. She eventually passed away peacefully in her sleep. The information regarding the prevention of getting a stroke was lacking in her day. She didn't smoke and only drank moderately. But, she enjoyed her food and didn't exercise. Not sure if the strokes she had could have been prevented.

Re: Stroke

So very sorry for not coming back to this before now.

I've never had high cholesterol but, because of the TIA/mini-stroke, I was put on statins to keep my cholesterol levels down, to be on the safe side.

I had to stay off work for a month because I wasn't allowed to drive for that time, and my typing from the right side of the keyboard was jibberish, but folk understood the problem.

I don't have blanking out episodes, my memory is sharp but, following Annie's post, over the last couple of months, my right ankle and leg appear to be swollen - well not appear to be, they are, and feel tight. I know that because my right ankle boot is now too tight for me.

The TIA happened to my right side, but I didn't have a bleed to the brain, luckily.

Golden Years, I'm not sure that a stroke can be prevented either. I do smoke and have done since I was 16 (I'm 62 now) and my blood pressure is being monitored, but there's nothing wrong with my lung capacity. Life's just a lottery.

I was told that following the TIA/stroke, I would tire more easily though, which is the case - despite my still being awake at this time, but I do tire very easily doing the simplest of jobs at home like vacuuming, polishing or swabbing the decks!

Like most of us, we tend not to see the doctor unless it's absolutely essential, but I think I'll have to see my doc about my swelling leg and ankle.

Thanks for your replies. They've been really helpful to me.

Re: Stroke

I know quite a number of people who have suffered TIAs. My grandmother had quite a few before a massive stroke killed her, but she was quite elderly. One of my uncles had a TIA a few years ago, but hasn't had one since. We think my mother (88) could have had a TIA few weeks ago.

Although not technically a stoke, my husband's subarchnoid haemorrhage at 59, when an aneurysm burst in his brain, had the symptoms of a stroke. He was completely paralysed all the way down his right side for a couple of months, it has left him brain damaged and epileptic. Far kinder if he had died, imo.

Re: Stroke

My Mother had a TIA back in 2000, but it was so minor, she never knew she had it. It was sometime later she developed a tremor in her right finger which slowly spread to her whole hand, then arm and then leg. Her stroke was diagnosed when she collapsed due to self-neglect and had a CT scan confirmed stroke damage. Her tremors were suspected to be early onset Parkinsons - although she did not have all the symptoms associated with it.

In 2002, damage from her stroke began to manifest itself as Vasular Dementia and in 2003, I had to admit her into a care home, where she slowly degenerated until she died in 2008.