Pain in paralyzed hand

[kumar_man_ish]

Medical history: My father had a heart attack in 1995 and he recovered after angioplasty. After attack he was taking regular medicines for blood pressure and sugar.
On 24th October 2010 he got paralysed. After attack he was unable to speak or move his right arm. He had to go though Craniotomy. After 3 months and a week he is still unable to speak but there is significant movement in his hand, he can walk with no problem. The bone flap is still in his abdomen. Recently he started to feel pain in his right hand and sensation on right side of his face.
The medicines he is taking right now are: 1. Eption, 2. Cardace- 5mg, 3. Acitrom- 6-7mg, 4. Glimer, 5. Glycomet- 1mg, 6. Aciloc, 7. Crestor- 20mg, 8. Metpure- 50mg, 9. Clopitab- 75mg
Can anyone please help me to know why is he feeling this pain?
Is this a good symptom?
How long it can take to get his speech back?
What is the ideal time to put the bone flap back in its place?

[kumar_man_ish]

Hi Tim, Thanks for sharing your experience.
As per the doctors craniotomy was needed because of swelling in the left side of brain. The operation was done to provide space for swelling.
Reason of stroke was blood clotting in brain. He is able to hear and understand everything; he remembers everything but can’t write anything, he is able to read a little as well.
I just wanted to know if this pain is normal or is there anything I should be worried about.
Thanks and Regards,
Manish

[positive_cynic]

kumar,
Hello. I am so sorry to hear about your father's condition. I will try to help if I can. You said he was paralyzed, but you didn't say why this happened. He had a craniotomy and that is out of my experience of having a stroke. Did he have to have brain surgery? I have talked to dozens and dozens of stroke survivors and have not heard of one having a craniotomy from a stroke. Possibly, his swelling from a stroke was so great that they cut the skull to relieve the pressure, but I am not sure and just guessing. This sounds more like some kind of brain surgery, if you give me more information on this maybe I can help, but I can tell you about my stroke experiences which may be similar to your dad.

Obviously your father has major brain trauma. Whether it is from surgery, or from a stroke, the brain has be damaged. It is a very good sign that he is walking already. My hunch is that his brain trauma is on the left side. The left side is mental (talking, logic) and the right side is physical (mobility). My stroke happened on my left side so I may be able to help you understand what your father may be going through. Please do not think that he can't hear or understand you because he can't talk. I am sure that he does understand, but just can't respond right now.

As far as all of his pain is also common. I had all kinds of weird pains that came out of the blue after my stroke, and so have many stroke survivors I have talked to. My theory is that the brain is re-wiring itself and while it is doing that a "wire" might get sent to a different place is wasn't supposed to go. After a year from my stroke, most of my "phantom" pain is gone. Just so you know, no doctor understood my pain and no medication helped much, but time did help and it took a long time.

Like I said, I am not familiar with what happened to your father and the crianiotomy and I sure would not want to give bad advice, but I am just guessing from my experiences. I have found out that brain traumas can manifest in all kinds of different things that nobody knows except the person that it is affecting to. I would be glad to help if you could write here a little more information on what happened to him and the surgery. He can get through this, but it will take time and patience.

God Bless,
Tim