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Stroke Community
This patient support community is for discussions relating to stroke, rehabilitation, ability to eat/swallow, alertness, bowel/bladder control, depression, motor skills, nutrition, orthotics/braces, pain, prevention, senses, and spasticity.
Hemorrhagic Stroke Recovery
by Shrish, Mar 22, 2005 12:00AM
My 55 yr old mother had a "massive" hemorrhagic stroke Feb. 18/05. The neuro surgeon said it was a large deep bleed in the left side of her brain, apparently she is lucky to have survived it and without surgery. The latest CT scan 3.5 weeks after the stroke the blood has started to re-absorb and swelling is going down. She is currently in a rehab hospital (March 18) with paralysis on the right side (arm and leg) and has aphasyia - she understands us but has a hard time getting her words out (she does put small phases together at times).A speech therapist works with her and she can read, write some (copies words) and has progressed with food (a feeding tube to puree foods to soft - ground foods). The speech therapist has positive prognosis for speech improvements over the next year. I'm wondering how paralysis recovery works? She has physio and Occupational therapy working her muscles but do people with paralysis get some motor function back and if so what type of time frame (3,6,12, months?)Is there any recent research or therapy to aid in the motor recovery process such as magnetic stimulation or emg that we should be considering or inquiring about? Any questions I should be asking the rehab or dr.'s to find out about my mother's prognosis for it....or is it giving her brain time to heal and see if rehab can help?
Thank for your time and any comments/direction are appreciated.
Shrish
Thank for your time and any comments/direction are appreciated.
Shrish
My husband had a similar stroke 10-16-05 and is doing quite well. He is a 50 y/o and is recovering nicely.
He too experienced paralysis on the right side (arm/leg),loss of speech (aphasia/apraxia), had a feeding tube and picc line.
1. Believe it or not...my husband is NOW ABLE TO WALK short distances WITHOUT a cane and walk long distances with a cane.
2. His speech is coming back beautifully. He sometimes surprises himself with how he is able to hold conversations.
Every now and then when speaking the aphasia/apraxia will be noticable. Words may come out scrambled or gibberish.
3. Was on feeding tube for x12 days and graduated to a mechanical soft diet. Now he's on a regular diet and feeds himself at all meals.
4. Unfortunately, his right arm is still very weak BUT he does have feeling in the arm and can move the shoulder/arm but can't move the fingers, wrist or lift the arm yet. We remain hopeful!
Did the motor function come back with therapy alone or was any special stimulation used? Just the other day my mother was able to lift her right (paralized)heel slightly off the bed during therapy, the first sign of movement and hope for re-gaining motor function.
Thanks again, your story gives us more hope to know it
can/might happen for my mom as well.
Shrish
I have mother who 3 month ago suffered a second stroke. Yes, This one was really bad.
Nine years ago she had first and was paralized on her right side, lost her speach and spent 3 month in rehab. She came home with almost no ability to do anything by herself, could not use a commod( special toilet in the room),could use a wheelchear with my help only . Almost 6 month she was in this stage, and then started to recover little bit( at that time she was 65.
To mak long story short she recovered very well, was abale to walk with the cane,she was using her right arm good engough to eat and to little things. Tell you more she was cooking dinner sometimes for me and was very independent( but inside the house only). For her go outside was a challenge.
Now after second stroke she is no well at all. She paralized on herother side, She has nuerogetic bladder, incontinent bowel,etc. She is bed bound with very bad bed sore from the hospital. Now I am not that confident she will recover to the point she was before.
So, your mother is very young and she will be fine, God bless her. First stroke is no the worst one just make sure you have her blood presure under control so she would not have another stroke. I know the statistics : it is very possible to have second stroke because her brain already weak and damaged.
Unfortunately docotrs and therapists do not know nothing they do not even have a progressive treatment for stroke in US hospitals. Just for curiosity go to www.lef.org and read about stroke treatment and you will understand what am I talking about. Sorry that I do not sound to positive but I went through too many stages of her strokes and spoke with too many doctors to ubderstand that I know more then some of them. Funny, ah?
My husband continues to do well with his walking. Do you recall that I had commented on his walking short distances w/out cane?
Well...he is now walking LONGER distances.
I believe that with him it was a "confidence thing" that impeded him from walking longer distances earlier on.
To answer your question in regards to his regaining of motor function is that yes, therapy (PT/OT)was a big help but as I've observed my husband during the course of his recovery, my family and I have found that STIMULATION and constant POSITIVE feedback MOTIVATED him to do more to recover.
Please encourage your mother to be as independent as possible.
This may sound horrible but believe it not she'll feel much better about herself.
I agree with the MD's comment in regards to allowing the brain time to heal and utilize the remaining functions.
CELEBRATE the advances she have already made!!
We currently are taking a break from therapy to allow more healing to occur with my husband.
Again, good luck and hang in there! IT DOES GET BETTER!!
Liz in Long Beach, CA
My mom is doing well, compared to the prognosis the neurosurgeon told us...that what we saw is what we get. My mom can transfer herself from the wheelchair to bed/toilet/etc. Someone is with her for support and moves her right leg. Her arm isn't progressing much. Her leg is getting stronger with therapy everyday.She walks with help along the parallel bars, has done one-two steps and walks with a quad cane in therapy sessions. She has a long way to go but is continually making ground. Her speech is slowing coming along as well, we understand more and more, she reads and writes well. She can eat anything she wants now as well.
Something I can't emphasize enought and I agree with other comments made is that the therapists play a major role in recovery. I have just recently requested and was granted a switch in my mom's physio therapist (pt). Motivation, encouragement and constant positive feedback throughout the pt session was not taking place and had found that my mom was not responding or progressing well. A therapist's approach must be compatable with the patient to maximize the recovery....I can not stress this enough. I attend at least 2 sessions a week where I am beside my mom and each therapist (whether it is pt/ot/speech therapist and helping when asked). Get involved, be there, know what is happening and participate even if it is motivational. NDT is a definite asset, we have this set-up for when my mom leaves the rehab hospital.
Answering some questions asked:
My mom had good health and no warning signs before the stroke, not even a headache, my dad found her this way mid-morning. The neurosurgeon did not offer much hope for us to survive the stroke nor in her recovery. She has already beat the odds. My mom was in ICU for 3 weeks and step-down 1 week and in rehab hospital for two months now. I have come to learn the dr.'s don't like or really now prognosis on recovery because everyone recovers differently. I have been told over and over again they don't know why some gain more function than others. My mom pulled out her breathing tube which she had for 2.5 weeks and feeding tube (3 weeks & 2 days). My mom always knew us from the time she was awake.I want to offer this thought to the person who asked about being called by another name, if aphasia (difficult speaking)is present this might be why. Even today my mom says words that aren't right but knows what she is trying to say and then there are times she doesn't know it is coming out wrong. For example she will say " hundred" but means or wants to say "therapy". It was about 2-3 weeks into the rehab hospital that we started to see slow, noticeable gains in my mom's recovery and even today we see progress each day/week. It is hard but think in terms of months and years for recovery progress.
Shrish.