HELP! Serious stroke doctors in hospital says theres nothing they can do

[silentkitten]

Hi doctors, i have an urgent question to ask. my best friends mom was admitted to hospital 5 days ago for a stroke. she was found lying on the floor and the doctors said that the right half of her body was paralyzed. Today, the doctors said that the MRI scans weren't able to detect the blood clots in the brain and there was nothing else they could do, and that the right side of her bodys paralysis was irreversible. they have taken 2 MRI scans. we even called a doctor close to our family to take a look at her and his diagnosis was the same. Is there nothing else we can do? does this happen to stroke patients often? and is there a chance that she may recover with rehabilitation or some sort of therapy? please help!

Daniel

[sue_in_oz]

Hi

Sorry to hear about your friend's mum's stroke :(

Yes the damage to her brain is irreversible.  But yes with rehab & lots of hard work she can improve.  No one knows how much can be gained, it may be a little, it may be a lot but the effort needs to be made.

Please ask her family to get her into rehab as soon as she is medically stable.  The sooner rehab starts the better.

Also if they can find out what caused her stroke, so that steps can be made to prevent any more strokes.

I had a stroke 17 months ago, complete paralysis on my left side.  I am able to care for myself, walk, cook, drive, work, most of the usual things.  Useful movements in my leg, arm & hand improve all the time.  So there is definitely hope.

HTH

Sue

[oc1dean]

Read the book - Stronger After Stroke to see what is possible for rehabilitation. You alsolutely need to find out what caused the stroke so the next one can be prevented.
For a bleed survivor book there is A Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte-Taylor or Teaching Me to Run by Tommye K Mayer. For a clot survivor story there is Change in the Weather by Mark
McEwan
While there may be nothing the doctors can do, if she survives the survivor has lots that can be done to recover.
Dean

[BJ71]

My mom had a massive stroke back in Nov. The doctors we had told us there was nothing they could do either. They wanted us to stick her in a nursing home but that was not an option for me or my brother and dad. We started her in rehab immediatley while in the hospital which was 2 months. We went to her therapies while in the hospital and watched what they done with her of course she may have got 15 min. out of it as they work in a group at this hospital so given that it wasn't much omprovement. They came to live with me until she gets back to where she is more stable. She to was paralyzed on her right side legs arm and hands speech. It has been a long hard road with alot of love support and hard work she is now walking with a walker and 1 person, she is getting movement back in her arm and hands but we work with her from the time she gets up in the morning till the time she goes to bed with speech I ordered a cd from Bungalow that works really well. She reads we do leg stretches for about 2 hours and we work with the arm and get it stretched a good therapist can show you exercises to do but you have to do them and be consistent and  believe me it works. My mom is living proof but it is very time consuming you have to be very patient and it will come the more you work. Hang in there never give up hope.

[ladyblyke]

hello my name is linda my sister age 52 just had a massive stroke she is brain dead and is still in a comma. the doctors are trying to get us to take her off the breathing machine, that is thee only thing keeping her alive, all her vitals are good her heart is strong. its been 3weeks and 1day as of 8/14/09 so my question is what is her chances of recovering?